MARCH MESSAGE from DISTRICT GOVERNOR Dr Daryl Moran
This month is Water and Sanitation month. Opportunities for projects to better serve our various local and international communities in this area, will be highlighted at our forthcoming District Conference to be held online on Friday 25th March and in-person on Saturday 26th March at Caulfield Racecourse. Registrations can be made atwww.dg9810for2021-22.org
During my DG Club Visits last year and in conversations since, many clubs expressed the concern that they did not have the same projects available to them as in the past. Our District Conference will provide not only wonderful speakers to inform you, but at least 16 different project ideas in the Green Expo which will be visited during the Breakout Sessions and lunchtime. Particularly focusing on Supporting the Environment and Water and Sanitation projects, the event will challenge, inform and inspire you. I encourage ALL members of the District to attend what will be a wonderful experience.
There are three events I would like to highlight in this Message, the first being to acknowledge everyone in our Rotary Family who turned up to support our Rotary Storm Recovery Festival on Sunday 27th February.
My sincere thanks are directed to all those Rotarians and friends that made this event such a huge success last Sunday. It was attended by local MP's, hundreds of members of the public and many, many Rotarians. By our calculations at least 25 of our District's 44 Rotary and Rotaract Clubs assisted or attended the event. Apart from District Assemblies and Conferences, long time members of our District told me there has never been an event that has marshalled such support from across our District. We had raised just over $100,000 from our RAWCS appeal and were able to give away just $94,000 of the total on Sunday, with one project still pending. There were too many contributors to thank each person individually, but it would be remiss of me not to single out just six. Club Presidents Helen Riethof (Monbulk & District), Shalini Penny, (Emerald & District) and Gus Rozycki (Belgrave) and their club members worked tirelessly to ensure that the event was a huge success. They not only secured all the stall holders, but even tidied up the event space the weekend before to ensure it looked its best. Congratulations and thanks to each and every one of these Rotarians; perhaps special thanks to 'Captain' Helen, who oversaw all arrangements and was very pleased to put her feet up on Sunday night! My thanks are also extended to the members of the D9810 Rotary Storm Recovery Project Fund. Capably led by PP Alan Lunghusen (Rowville-Lysterfield) and consisting of PDG Brian Foley (Mordialloc), PDG Alma Reynolds (Doncaster), PP Bernadette Vanderwolde (Boronia) and myself, this committee diligently went about their many tasks of ensuring that the funds were directed to deserving and impactful causes and organisations. This process involved many online meetings as a committee as well as meetings and encounters with various Rotary clubs, local government authorities and recipient organisations. I have included one photo from the event and others have appeared in various club newsletters and below is the link to a page of photos at BMC Rotary.
Another extreme weather event has brought an unprecedented disaster to Southern Queensland and Northern NSW. Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) has already established an appeal, the details of which I have posted on the D9810 website or you can follow this direct link.
My DG colleagues in the affected areas have written to us all outlining their desperate plight. Some Rotarians have manned relief centres, others are sausage sizzling for their communities, but some are unable to get their own club members to help, because many of them are either marooned or have been directly affected by flood waters.
A few days ago, one DG in Sydney reported:
The Rotary clubs of the Hawkesbury area last night set up plans to mobilise barbecue trailers and caravans, that should they be required, will help to feed evacuees in the lower Hawkesbury River area. Some Rotarians have been working to accommodate people in scout halls, church halls, school halls etc. The shops have been stripped bare of consumables and road access from Sydney is closed. Clubs in the Blue Mountains are ready to convey consumables down the Bells Line of Road and come in the back way to North Richmond.
Please direct all donations from your clubs and other individuals to this appeal.
‘To all my DG colleagues, please encourage support for the RAWCS fund, because it’s always good to know we are strong together.’ A District Governor based in Brisbane.
D9810 has already donated $5000 from its District Emergency Relief Fund.
DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know that there are 52 Rotary Clubs in Ukraine with just over 1000 members? They are part of Section A of District 21 which includes Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine.
Did you also know that there are 127 Rotary Clubs in the Russian Federation with just over 1200 members? They are part of Section B of Zone 17 which includes the Aland Islands, Estonia, Finland and the Russian Federation.
Important Message to all Rotarians in District 9810 and 9820
The Board of Rotary International at its June 2021 meeting resolved that Districts 9810 and 9820 would merge as at 1st July 2024, subject to the membership numbers in D9810 being below 1100 as at 30th June 2022. In addition, both Districts were set the task of considering this resolution and consequently formed a joint Consolidation Committee to formulate a plan to bring this merger to fruition. Following agreement by the Boards of both Districts this plan was submitted to the Board of Rotary International in late November 2021 and gained its approval at their meeting of 28th February 2022.
As a consequence, the Boards of D9810 and 9820 met independently yesterday (6th March 2022) and unanimously approved the move to merge Districts 9810 and 9820 as from 1st July 2024.
Q. Will the 2022 District Conference proceed in-person on Saturday 26th March?
A. Yes it will and there is very little chance indeed it will become a Virtual event.
Q. What measures will be in place to make it a safe event to attend?
A. Our main venue at Caulfield Racecourse will be the Panorama Room which can hold 900 patrons and still comply with the State Government advice about social distance measures. The venue requires all attendees to be fully vaccinated and to wear face masks at all times except when eating or drinking.
Q. On Friday night 25th March, the Conference is virtual for an hour and many clubs will be hosting Club Dinners to hold a ‘Watch Party.’ Can club members who have not registered for the Conference watch the event?
A. That is a matter for each club to decide and District has no way of ‘policing’ that situation and certainly, no desire to do so at all! In the Rotary spirit of ‘Is it Fair To All Concerned?’ perhaps Conference non-attendees could make a small contribution to the District Treasurer via their club, to help defray the costs of the Conference. But again, that is a matter for each club to decide and act upon.
Q. Why are no name tags being printed for attendees?
A. In an attempt to positively respond to Rotary’s Seventh Area of Focus ‘The Environment,’ no paper name tags will be printed for Rotarians, Rotaractors and their accompanying partners. Instead, attendees are encouraged to wear their usual club name badge. However, In the interests of security a small number of tags will be prepared for members of Earlyact and Interact clubs who do not have specific club name badges.
Q. Why will there be no printed paper programme?
A. Once again, in an effort to be environmentally responsible, no paper program will be printed. Instead, we are using the event app Whova which is a free download to your smart-phone and which contains speaker profiles, a timetable for the day, announcements, an ability to direct Q and A to speakers and also hosts a free site for Exhibitors. This last facility replaces the traditional House of Friendship and presents an opportunity for a much wider range of exhibitors and organisations to advertise their programs and coming events. All Conference registrants will receive an email which outlines the simple steps to follow to download the free app and to explain its use.
This app is being widely used by overseas Rotary Districts and becoming increasingly popular for Rotary Conferences and events in Zone 8. It will also be used for the D9810 Conference in 2023
Q. Are non-Rotarians able to attend the Conference?
A. Yes. Given the range of speakers and experiences, a number of outside people have expressed an interest in attending the event and we would welcome them at the same rates as for Rotarians and their partners.
Q. Where can I register and find out more information about the 2022 Conference?
A. Further details about the event, including detailed speaker profiles and the opportunity to register for the Conference and the Gala Dinner can be found at the following website.
May I extend my sincere thanks for the space that has been allocated to our radio program in previous District Newsletters, but it is with deep sadness that after 1387 programs stretching back more than 26 years, Community Radio Station 96.5 InnerFM will cease broadcasting the ‘Rotary In Action’ program on Tuesday, March 8th, 2022.
Thank you to all the many guests who have appeared on our show and for the many loyal listeners to the segment over the last 27 years. We are especially proud that our show still holds the record for the longest continuous Rotary radio program in the world.
Rotaract District 9810 are excited to announce that Alice Terrill and Daniel DuBois from the Whitehorse Rotaract Club will be the joint District Rotaract Representatives for 2022-23.
Congratulations to both Alice and Daniel. We look forward to working with you both in Rotaract District 9810 during 2022-23.
World Rotaract Week is an annual celebration of the success and importance of Rotaract in communities around the world. Join the party this 7-13 March to connect with others and share your celebrations.
Here are FOUR ways you can take action and celebrate World Rotaract Week:
1. SERVE. Organize a joint project with local Rotary and Rotaract clubs to fundraise for The Rotary Foundation, raise awareness around a local cause, or organize a service project.
2. LEARN. Thanks to our friends at Toastmasters International, Rotary’s offering new courses to help you expand your skills and become a stronger and more effective communicator and leader.
Get started atrotary.org/learn. Rotaractors with a My Rotary account can access these courses. If you don’t have a My Rotary account, learn how to create one.
3. GIVE. You can raise funds for The Rotary Foundation using the peer-to-peer fundraising platform, Raise for Rotary or work towards earning the Rotaract Giving Certificate.
4. JOIN LEADERS. Register now for the 2022 Rotaract Preconvention, 3-4 June to network Rotaractors and Rotarians from around the world, increase your Rotaract knowledge, and gain new professional skills in Houston USA.
Share your celebrations with #WorldRotaractWeek and RSVP to the Facebook event for the most up-to-date news and access to virtual events throughout the week.
It’s time we take a stand to beat malaria - TOGETHER!
Nothing But Nets’annual Summit - 2022 Leadership Summit: United to Beat Malaria - is a fully virtual event that will bring together hundreds of passionate global health advocates and feature some of the world’s most influential figures in the fight against malaria. ClickHEREfor more information about this unique opportunity of traveling to the frontlines to witness the direct impact of your dedication and connect with other passionate champions.
Our much loved and best supported Youth Service program, the MODEL UNITED NATIONS ASSEMBLY (MUNA) will return in 2022.
We shall be working with D9820 to conduct MUNA in a hybrid and digital format. Last year D9820 had 27 entries for their event and this format is being increasingly used across Australia.
More details will be circulated soon by District Youth Service Chair, PDG Malcolm Chiverton.
How many sausage sizzles do you need to earn $500?
The Rotary Club of Doncaster is seeking referrals from District Clubs for participants in their Challenge to Lead Program. With each successful referral, the RC of Doncaster will pay the referring club $500.That’s a lot of sausage sizzles!
As a district leader, you play a critical role in promoting the Rotary Peace Centers programs to potential candidates. These resources can help you, and others, recruit candidates:
Take theAll About the Rotary Peace Fellowship course to learn about qualification requirements, eligibility restrictions, the application process, and more.
Use ourreferral formto tell us about potential candidates, and we’ll follow up with them.
As we grow ourcertificate program, we are particularly seeking qualified candidates for our peace centers at Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) and Makerere University (Uganda). The one-year program is intended for working professionals and requires 11 weeks of on-site participation. We are looking for candidates with a minimum of five years of relevant work experience (the average age for this program is 42). Graduates receive a post-graduate diploma in peace studies upon completion of the program.
Candidates have until 15 May to submit applications to The Rotary Foundation.
This year we are expanding our endorsement process to ensure an equitable process for districts and candidates. District Rotary Peace Fellowship Subcommittee Chairs who complete the required endorser training will be assigned up to 5 candidates to interview for endorsement consideration. Any additional applications from your district will be assigned to Rotarians your district identifies to become trained Rotary endorsers or they will be redirected to trained endorsers in another district. The endorser training will be available in the Rotary Learning Center in mid-March. Trained Rotary endorsers have until 1 July to submit endorsed applications to The Rotary Foundation.
Send any questions about the fellowship program to rotarypeacecenters@rotary.org. Thank you for your dedication to the Rotary Peace Centers and your help educating Rotary members and your community about the fellowships.
Sincerely,
Rotary Peace Centers program
Rotary Peace Centers are made possible by the generosity of donors.
Between 1988 and 1992 the Rotary Club of Monbulk conducted Debutante Balls at the Monbulk Community Centre and most years between 17 and 22 girls from Monbulk High School made their debut before a group of about 240 parents and friends. Catering was provided by the Rotary club and a profit of about $4000 was made each year. The photo was taken on 16th September 1989 and shows the Debutants and their partners who had been presented to DG Ray Adams and June (centre) and RC Monbulk President Eric Gunstone and Janice.
Just a reminder that in 2021/22 the District Governors Newsletter will now again be a monthly edition.So please send me your photos and articles to highlights9810@gmail.com prior to the next edition which is published during the first week of every month.
If you would like to see any Newsletters from the current or previous years click here.
Also Please remember that "Highlights" will be sent out on the third Monday of every month with the next edition being on the 21st March. Please send me any events & functions that you have planned in 2021/2022.
In the meantime you can view all the current events here
A to speakers and also hosts a free site for Exhibitors. This last facility replaces the traditional House of Friendship and presents an opportunity for a much wider range of exhibitors and organisations to advertise their programs and coming events. All Conference registrants will receive an email which outlines the simple steps to follow to download the free app and to explain its use.
