I’d like to begin by reflecting on my experience at recent Rotary meetings.
As you are all aware, our club members are predominantly male.
For one moment, I’d like you all to put yourselves in my position.
Imagine how you would you feel if you were the only male at the meeting, surrounded
by 15 to 20 females?
All jokes aside, I would think you’d feel a little uncomfortable and possibly intimidated.
I no longer want to feel as I did when I was one of the only female swimming coaches on pool deck at State &
National competitions, at which the male coaches chose to intimidate in various ways.
My role and responsibility as President and leader of this club is to ensure that all members feel welcome,
comfortable, cared for, valued and respected.
I encourage you all to start sitting next to people you may not know very well, engage in conversation, learn
more about them and share your positive Rotary experiences.
I intend to lead the club in a positive and more vibrant direction, engaging members in activities and projects
of their choice and passion. I’d like everyone to feel eager and happy to attend meetings; think about and
share new ideas.
I want to include partners, family and our Friends of Rotary in our activities and meetings.
I’d like everyone to leave our meetings feeling energised, enthusiastic, keen to take on new challenges.
I encourage all members to set up a My Rotary account if you don’t already have one. Check out
the Learning Centre and familiarise yourselves with the courses available, which are there to enhance our
Rotary knowledge and experience.
We are ‘Rotarians’, people of action and keen to make a difference by putting service and others above self.
Rotary is changing as we move forward and we all have to accept this for the health and well-being of our club
and for our members.
At future meetings I intend to wear the Presidents collar with pride, stand tall, introduce change and build
morale. I’d like to have the opportunity to ‘do it my way’ as all Presidents should have the right to do.
‘Imagine’ our club moving forward in a more inclusive and harmonious way. Let’s be the club which other
Rotarians would want to join and a club which is attractive to prospective new members.
On a final note, it is my belief that COVID has had a huge impact on the dynamics of not only us
Club, but in all areas of society. After all, we didn’t have the ability to socialise or interact with others due
to all he lockdowns. Zoom became our way of communicating from the little boxes on our computer screens.
It’s now time to pick up the pieces and get back to where we were pre COVID! Let’s work together to make a
difference.
Our monthly dinner service to the Cornerstone community held last Thursday. Everyone enjoyed the wonderful main and dessert. A big thanks to Leanne, President Peter and Tina, Ken and Margaret, Kam and Colin
Phil, in charge of proceedings, welcomed 22 Members and PDG Mark Humphries and DG Designate Linda. It was great to see Alan Roberts and PDG Ken McDonald back in the fold. Apologies: Peter F, Cherie, John P, Gaith, Ashton, Brian, Pres Peter and Terry.
Kam summarised International’s achievements:
Interplast – Covid impacted. Moving to educational emphasis.
ROMAC – Also Covid impacted.
DIK – Active – Impacted by huge increase in container freight.
RAWCS – Reminder that donations are tax-deductible.
RORP – Active during Covid with playground harvesting and restoration continuing.
Feminine hygiene products supplied to Nepal.
Wheelchairs for Kids.
Con – Reported on:
Ella School Tubewell Project – Completed with aid of District Grants. Live cross to official opening during Meeting on 10 May.
RORPS – Friend of Rotary, Mel Bell, ensured that playgrounds continued to be harvested during Covid. One done recently with four more to be done by Council. Bonus playground to be harvested from Sandhurst later in the year.
Leanne:
St James Futsal Courts - completed - To be used by community youth groups. Our Club (via the Trust) donated $5,000 for the installation of the Courts. Official opening April 30th . All welcome. The Club will be providing a BBQ.
Cornerstone – Monthly meal service this Thursday. Naomi to organize official opening of the Community Garden.
Dandenong West PS – Sandwich program to commence Wednesday week. Senior students will be involved. Volunteers needed.
Member Welfare – Welcome back Alan and Ken. Margaret Coates is not at all well.
Announced that Val will be returning to “active duty” in the near future.
President Aspirations for 2022-2023:
Increase in female Members
Form sub-committees for each Avenue of Service
PDG Mark did a PowerPoint presentation on the Rotary Foundation.
Phil then introduced Linda Humphries – DG in 2023-24, who said she couldn’t understand why Rotary doesn’t have an increase in members, urging us to ASK people and not to be afraid to ask, even if they have said “no” before, because their situations may have changed since. (Something I have been beating the drum about for years. Ed.)
The Vision – Together, people can create change.
Rotary should not be just a fund-raising organisation; it should be a humanitarian organisation.
The Project should come first and the fund raising second in our thinking. “Sell the sizzle”!
Foundation is the only charity in Rotary and covers the seven areas of focus.
Annual Fund – Till 30 April, all donations will go to the Ukraine.
Endowment Fund – The source of Grants.
Polio Fund - With matching donations from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has almost eliminated polio from the World
Disaster Fund - $25,000 Grants for rapid recovery.
Maternal Health – Does not accumulate funds – They are used as received. Rotarians helped smuggle babies out of Ukraine into Poland, to be cared for until they can be reunited with their families.
Bequest Society – The fastest growing Fund in Australia.
Sir Clem Renouf Polio Club - $25 per member per year.
There is an online community assessment tool available.
There are eight roll-up banners available for display at events.
District Grants – Secondary school scholarships of $500 available to match Club contributions of $500 – 20 available. Clubs can apply for more than one Grant.
Only 5% of contributions goes towards administration costs – Extremely low.
Rotary Foundation is one of only a very few charities in the World with a ranking of 4.
Phil then introduced Linda Humphries – DG in 2023-24, who said she couldn’t understand why Rotary doesn’t have an increase in members, urging us to ASK people and not to be afraid to ask, even if they have said “no” before, because their situations may have changed since. Linda was very impressed with the projects our Club was doing. She said that our Club would be one that she would join. Her challenge to us is that we need to share the work we do to potential new members.
At Rotary, we are deeply concerned by the escalating loss of life and humanitarian hardship caused by the war in Ukraine. We’re using our deep networks and decades of experience to take swift action in the region.
How we are taking action
Donate to the Disaster Response Fund
The Rotary Foundation has created an official channel for Rotary members and other donors around the world to contribute funds to support relief efforts underway by Rotary districts. The Foundation has designated the Disaster Response Fund as the main avenue for this.
Thanks to the generosity of Rotary members and others, the fund, to date, has received more than $10.4 million in contributions. These funds are being distributed to Rotary districts that apply for Disaster Response grants and will be used to provide relief to refugees or other victims of the crisis, including items such as water, food, shelter, medicine, and clothing.
So far, 64 disaster response grants, totaling $1,799,873, have been awarded to support those affected by the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Rotary clubs take action
The Rotary Club of Cherkasy purchased and delivered medical supplies and medicine to multiple
local hospitals. The club has also organized daily meals for 250 evacuated families from Sumy,
Herson, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv.
Some members of the Rotary Club of Kharkiv International have traveled to border countries to
help refugees adapt to their new situations. Members are also working, through their project Yel-
low Help, to evacuate families near war zones.
Club members of the Rotary Club of Kyiv Synergy collected 350 boxes of medical supplies from
Italy and distributed them to areas in Kyiv and Sumy.
The Rotary Club of Kyiv-Sophia are preparing and delivering hot meals to residents of Kyiv and
Irpen-Bucha. Members have purchased and delivered hygiene products and medicine to young
mothers and the elderly.
Members of the Rotary Club of Lviv are unloading and organizing relief aid from European coun-
tries, then facilitating delivery to several humanitarian hubs across the country.
Clubs in Rotary District 2231 (Poland) are using a $50,000 disaster response grant to provide transportation, accommodations, food, and medical assistance for refugees who crossed the border from Ukraine.
Rotary District 2240 in the Czech Republic is purchasing $50,000 worth of sleeping bags, medi- cine, food, and defibrillators, EKGs, and oxygen concentrators to victims.
District governors in Germany created a national task force to coordinate member initiatives and relief efforts on an online platform. A liaison office for government agencies and nongovernmental
organizations has been established in Berlin.
District 1910 in Austria is using a $25,000 disaster response grant to provide accommodations, baby supplies, medicine, hygiene materials, psychological care, food, and appliances to Ukrainian
refugees in Austria.
Rotary clubs throughout France have mobilized to collect and distribute necessities to refugees. District- governors are coordinating donations from French clubs to help Rotary clubs in Ukraine as well
as to assist refugees travelling through Poland and Romania or taking refuge in those countries. The needs are determined by the France-Ukraine, France-Poland, and France-Romania-Moldova inter- country committees.
Our Club through DAA are working with their DA Europe counterparts to provide humanitarian supplies (including
Sky Hydrants) into Ukraine from country access points.
