Staying cheerful and optimistic as we continue through the great Melbourne lockdown can be a big ask sometimes. Attending Rotary on-line meetings is a bright spot in the week for many. The world of Rotary is always active and alive with new sources of information, new opportunities to connect and plenty of options for service. Read on as we try to bring some of that Rotary inspiration to our own District 9810.
Be sure to check;
Foundation and Polio event with Polio Ambassador John Nanni from Delaware USA
Our fabulous new membership discussion starters
Get in on the ground floor of a new Rotary Fellowship
Inspirational and moving presentation from Days for Girls founder, Celeste Mergens
Bid for a blanket
How D9810 is helping Beirut Rise Again (your club can help, too)
Two Rotary Action Groups you probably didn’t know about
All Welcome to Celebration of Foundation Month & End Polio Now
You can join us and celebrate the commencement of our Foundation Month and the conclusion of World Polio Month!
The 7th Annual D9810 Paul Harris Society luncheon will be held on Sunday, November 1st, 2020.
This “virtual” luncheon has allowed us to invite a trio of fantastic Rotary speakers.
The event will last for one hour and pre-booked attendees should be online at 11.45am.
We will be commencing proceedings at 12 noon sharp.
Here is our line-up of special speakers:
PRIP Ian Riseley, Rotary Sandringham will open proceedings and introduce
PP John Nanni, Rotary Middletown-Odessa-Townsend, Delaware, USA
PDG Bob Aitken, Rotary Lower Blue Mountains, Zone 8 Polio Plus Coordinator
There is no charge, but a donation opportunity to help “EndPolioNow” is available. What better way is there to start our Rotary Foundation Month?
Goods for the Homeless
My article last week about how appropriate it may be for Rotary clubs to spend their hard-won community dollars on goods such as swags, sleeping bags and blankets for the homeless stirred a passionate response from RC Glen Waverly Past President Sue Mills. To see the original article, Sue’s letter and my response to Sue’s letter click here. https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50071/Documents/en-au/05481147-3fd2-4188-9da5-fc31bb424b4b/1/
24 October is World Polio Day!
World Polio Dayis a time for Rotarians and Rotaractors across the globe to raise awareness about our work to eradicate polio for good. If we stay committed to making progress, polio will be the second human disease ever to be eradicated.
Join the effort to vaccinate children and end polio by organizing a World Polio Day event for your community. In 2019,Rotary members held more than 5,900 events in 136 countries. This year, online events and activities will allow us to expand our reach even more and inspire others to join us. Not sure how to take action for World Polio Day? From virtual event ideas to social media posts and photos, the World Polio Day Toolkit can help you start planning and promoting your activities now.https://www.endpolio.org/world-polio-day?cid=com_wpd20_20200909_eml_na_mem_tkt_adt_en
Membership Discussion Starters
In most clubs a new member is appointed a mentor to help them become part of the club and part of Rotary. Bur what is that mentor meant to do? Very few clubs have formalised the process in any way. It doesn’t have to be complicated – often a simple check list will suffice. Perhaps clubs should require mentors to have completed the RI Mentoring Basics course found on the RI website. Clubs can download and read the “Introducing New Members to Rotary” booklet again from the RI website. Using the wisdom of those two resources, a club could even take a more fun approach and make a New Member Scavenger Hunt – I lifted an example from a US Rotary website and you can find it here
When there’s Rotary publicity required the best pics are action pics. D9810 is looking for your best “people of action” club photos to use in various promotional activities – e.g. District website, District Face Book and MD Conference promotion.
Pictures need to have:
A least two D9810 Rotarians
Identifiable as Rotarians (wearing Rotary shirts, hats, aprons, etc.)
Doing something active
Please try to source the original picture in as high resolution as possible. The format can be RAW, Jpeg or png. Please do not lift pictures from FB posts or websites as they will not be good enough to use.
Active and energetic Rotarian Ron Brooks of RC Forest Hill wants to start a Friends of the Camino Rotary Fellowship. Ron is starting by gauging the level of interest in Australia and New Zealand.
If this is part of your experience or an item on your bucket list, please contact Ron and be part of this new Rotary group.Ronbrooks1942@gmail.com
Re-Opening Op Shops and Markets COVID Safe.
The following link is for a WorkSafe page regarding industry recommendations regarding workplace safety in relation to COVID. You may want to save this page and review once restrictions ease as it could provide you with further guidance when considering reopening any of your op-shops, markets and even with respect to Club sanctioned gatherings:https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covid-19-information-your-industry
Thanks to Kehela Vandenberg for this information.
Days for Girls Founder, Celeste Mergens, Tells Why
Recently, RC Box Hill Central hosted Celeste Mergens the founder of Days for Girls. Her presentation is by turns, inspiring, heart-warming and shocking. See this amazing presentation by clicking on this link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef7nrW_WiOU&feature=youtu.be
Gorgeous Blankets Make Cosy Fundraiser
RC Beaumaris has eleven beautiful handmade rugs for sale as a fundraiser. Made by Rotarian Sue McArthur, they are for sale to the highest bidder. To check the colours and sizes go to https://www.facebook.com/beaumarisrotary To get your hands on one, email a bid with rug number tobeaumarisrotary@gmail.comHighest bidders will be notified by 21 October 2020
All monies raised will go towards our fundraising efforts.
Help Beirut Rise Again
District 9810 has made a donation of $2,000 from our Foundation District Designated Fund to a Global Grant to refurbish and re-equip the delivery and nursing departments of the neonatal and new-born unit at the St Georges Hospital University Medical Centre. This project is significant because, as a result of the explosion, a current Rotary President from Beirut was killed at this hospital. To see what it was like at the hospital at the time of the explosion click herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIxuwE_WPXw&feature=youtu.be
Clubs wishing to help by making a donation to the Rotary effort help in Beirut can do so at the RAWCS website. A $100 donation from each club would make a significant difference to the Beirut recovery effort.
Helping Communities to Help Themselves
Many clubs work with specific communities to assist with projects related to food solutions and micro-business opportunities. The Food Plant Solutions RAG may assist to make those projects go further. This RAG already has projects underway in South and South-East Asia, Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, South America and the Caribbean. Could they help your club’s international projects? Why not check the website and see what they offer https://foodplantsolutions.org/
To give blood is to save lives. That is why our Rotary Action Group for Blood Donation is committed to promoting voluntary blood donation around the world.
Probably many of your Clubs are already involved in community motivation, promoting or organizing voluntary blood drives or collection sessions.
Thank you for encouraging them to do so: they actively implement the motto of Rotary International - ‘Service above Self’
Be the Ripple is conducting a series of online workshops aimed those caring for a person with a life limiting illness. There are six sessions spread over 8 weeks and offered twice during the day of delivery covering topics such as Why You; Greif; Assistance and Resources; Your Wellness; The Process of Dying; and Honouring and remembering. For more information contact: Maureen 0409021055 or maureen@chaosnetwork.org.au
Do you enjoy driving? Do you have some spare time to connect with your community? Then Victoria’s largest youth mentoring program wants you!
The TAC L2P Program helps young learner drivers who don’t have a supervising driver, or a suitable vehicle, to complete the 120 hours of driving experience they’ll need before they can apply for a probationary licence.
By partnering local volunteers with young people, it allows for great one-on-one mentorship resulting in safer drivers and roads, but also great social and community benefits such as access to employment and education.
We will:
Ensure you are trained and have a good understanding of the program through an induction and are well supported
Match you with the Learner
Provide you with access to a vehicle
Volunteer today and help young learner drivers gain real experience behind the wheel. Connect with your community in a meaningful way with the TAC L2P Program.
Vacancy: RAM Regional Supervisor (Southern Region) Position
The Southern Region RAM Supervisor provides oversight of six Rotary Districts (9780, 9790, 9800, 9810, 9820, 9830) with support from the National RAM Manager and Secretary. The appointment is for a three (3) year term beginning from July 1st 2021
We are looking for an experienced Rotarian / Rotaractor who is passionate about international service, has some knowledge of malaria (or willing to build that knowledge), and a leader who enjoys working in a Team. We provide orientation to and follow-up with all Supervisors. Specific to this role, we would expect the incoming nominee to take the opportunity to be mentored by the existing incumbent Gloria Hargreaves.
If you able to commit to the position, please contact our National Secretary Gloria by November 16th for the role description:egharg@netspace.net.au
Rotary Club of Sandringham’s Food Drive on behalf of BayCISS
BayCISS (Bayside Community Information and Support Service) is currently providing increased emergency relief. One crucial aspect of this in response to COVID-19 is delivering boxes of food; between 70-100 per month.
Like all clubs currently, our capacity to do physical fundraising or provide support is limited but we were thrilled to provide support by collecting food from our community on behalf of BayCISS.
At our meeting last week, Knox Rotaract tried something a little different - virtual volunteering! We hopped on Zooniverse and counted some penguins! Even though this seems like a strange thing to do, Zooniverse lets you contribute to research projects led by hundreds of scientists and researchers and help them with their projects! We highly recommend giving it a go, it's surprisingly more addicting and fun than you may think!
As part of the R100 theme where Rotary in Australia and New Zealand celebrates the First 100 years of Service in 2021, D9810 has been challenged to grow our Centurions in the District by 100 members.
The Centurion Tower – How easy it is to Provide for your Foundation
The following article shows how easy it is for someone to raise $100 out of loose change. It turns the saving of small change into a game.
"In January, I started a savings experiment. The experiment was designed to save money for my “emergency cushion” account without feeling the loss from my pocket or budget. I figured I could probably save about $30 to $50 per month — not much, but not peanuts either. In six months, I hoped to save about $250, which would be a smart way to save money.
Last week, a month later than I'd originally intended, I deposited the money into my savings account. Before I did, I counted it up to see how much I'd accumulated. I had $723. Wow! And I'd managed to save all of that without even noticing.
How did I save $723 in seven months without effort? The rules were simple.
In District 9810, we have the benefit of a long-term close relationship between Rotaract and Rotary. One of the benefits of this relationship is a Rotaractor being able to offer up an idea to an incoming District Governor, and that idea then becoming reality. As was the case this year, which led to the creation of the Rotary-Rotaract Mentoring Program.
The program currently involves mentors hosting a series of free professional development webinars for Rotaractors, Rotarians and program alumni across Australia. Not only does the program serve a diverse audience, the committee organising the program is also composed of Rotaractors and Rotarians collaborating with complimentary skills. This has allowed for a strong and speedy planning period, with the first webinar having been successfully delivered on the topic of 'Interview skills and finding the right job for you'. The second part of the program aims to connect vocational mentors with young professionals, to offer personalised, long-term mentoring. Already, surveys into interest and feedback from the program are yielding positive results.
Some of the scheduled upcoming webinars for the rest of 2020 are listed below, with more in-demand topics being scheduled for 2021.
- The impact of social media for good
- Managing a team in uncertain times
- Integrating younger generations into your workforce
- Managing projects
- Financial management
If you are interested in being part of this opportunity as an attendee or mentor for this program, please feel free to reach out to our committee at mentor.9810@gmail.com
RDU Advertising Commission - Boost club funds by up to $7,000
Rotary Down Under is offering a 25% commission incentive to clubs and districts that secure advertising in the magazine. See information above and, for more, contact Judy Drake at RDU on 02 9633 4888
You can join us and celebrate the commencement of our Foundation Month and the conclusion of World Polio Month!
Active and energetic Rotarian Ron Brooks of RC Forest Hill wants to start a Friends of the Camino Rotary Fellowship. Ron is starting by gauging the level of interest in Australia and New Zealand. 
Recently, RC Box Hill Central hosted Celeste Mergens the founder of Days for Girls. Her presentation is by turns, inspiring, heart-warming and shocking. See this amazing presentation by clicking on this link. 
Many clubs work with specific communities to assist with projects related to food solutions and micro-business opportunities. The Food Plant Solutions RAG may assist to make those projects go further. This RAG already has projects underway in South and South-East Asia, Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, South America and the Caribbean. Could they help your club’s international projects? Why not check the website and see what they offer 
The TAC L2P Program helps young learner drivers who don’t have a supervising driver, or a suitable vehicle, to complete the 120 hours of driving experience they’ll need before they can apply for a probationary licence.
