Hi there, and welcome to the 7th issue of Open Doors
Such a lot is happening in Rotary all the time that it’s hard, if not impossible, to keep up. But lots happening, of course, means plenty of opportunity for engagement, involvement and new things to try – a perfect fit for this year’s theme.
Did you attend the “Virtually Alice” online Zone 8 Conference? So much inspiration, great speakers and ideas all crammed into about 4 hours. The recordings of the event have now been released. Each presentation is a separate recording so you can browse for a topic that interests you. Go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCINXDFUA4cLHCCQ4AWYMZgAand be prepared for some fantastic Rotary ideas and information.
In this issue be sure to look at;
Community Gardens – projects that tick all the boxes
Goods for the Homeless – the real situation
How RC of Templestowe has connected a whole community
A list of possible virtual fundraisers
A Half Million Dollar Bequest to the Rotary Foundation
More membership talking points
World Polio Day and the Sire Clem Renouf Appeal
Lift the Lid aka Hat Day
Recognising Your Club’s Foundation Donations
A Great Project Ticks All the Boxes
At the last District Leaders’ meeting Helen Riethof President of Monbulk, mentioned that her club was about to undertake a community garden project. I was thrilled! Why? Because a project of this nature ticks so many boxes;
Provides benefit to the community
Provides opportunity for Rotarians to do hands-on work
While working, Rotarians get the opportunity to wear their club shirts and show the community that Rotary is made up of “people of action”.
Provides an opportunity for great public image pictures for Face Book, website, newsletters RDU and other publicity opportunities.
Provides a place to erect a permanent sign announcing the contribution of Rotary to the community.
How good is that? How many projects are happening in your club that tick all these boxes? Perhaps it’s time to start looking for more like this.
As a postscript to this, it was mentioned that Rotarians at Sandringham are also working on a community garden and that contact between the clubs to share ideas and discuss their individual approaches to similar projects would likely be beneficial to both.
Do Not Purchase Goods for the Homeless
One of the projects I hear about often in Rotary clubs involves purchasing goods for the homeless. Items such as swag beds, blankets, clothing, tents sleeping bags and so on are regularly on the list. I have long had doubts about this form of assistance and so decided to do some research on the issue.
I recently spoke to Commanding Officer of the Salvation Army in Victoria, Major Brendan Nottle. In our discussion he made these points;
The purchase of goods for the homeless runs counter to State and Municipal government policies which are all directed to reducing the numbers of people living on the streets to zero.
Purchasing goods for homeless people only serves to normalise and entrench the issue.
Most goods purchased for homeless people provide benefit for little more than a few days. In the Melbourne municipal area more than one tonne of such goods are collected off the streets as rubbish each week.
Clubs that really want to help the homeless would provide real benefit by supporting programs which help homeless people to find secure accommodation and provide services to re-establish them in the mainstream of society.
I also spoke to Anne Mitchell, the CEO of Steps Outreach, which is part of Concern Australia. Ms Mitchell made very similar points regarding the provision of goods and the alternative approach. She also stated than in some isolated cases the provision of goods may be appropriate but only specialised providers of services to the homeless are equipped to make such recommendations.
The bottom line for clubs in D9810 is that purchasing or collecting goods for homeless people is not a productive use of club funds. Any activity directed at the homeless should only be undertaken with the assistance of those with expertise in the area and preferably in partnership with an established service provider.
Clubs wishing to discuss this further should be in touch with me.
Help Beirut Rise Again
Funds are being collected through RAWCS for projects to assist the devastated city of Beirut. On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of the city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, exploded, causing at least 200 deaths, 3 reported missing, 6,500 injuries, US$10–15 billion in property damage, and leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless.
To donate please go to RAWCS and follow the link from the front page.https://rawcs.org.au/
District 9810 has been asked to contribute to a specific project to provide funds for the refurbishment of the obstetric unit and the replacement of damaged equipment at the St. George’s Hospital in Beirut. Each District in Australia has been asked to contribute $2,000 of District Designated Funds to this project and D9810 has agreed to do so.
Travel Around the World Without Leaving Home
The Rotary Club of Mt Lawley (W.A) has produced a list of Clubs in the World willing to share their meetings with other Rotarians.Click on this linkto view the list
Interested in sharing your online meeting with other Rotarians Click here to add detailsabout your Club meeting
Calling Rotaractors and Young Rotarians
Rotary District 9810 values the skills and knowledge of its Rotaractors and young Rotarians. If the description fits you and you would like to contribute at District level, please let me know. The first step is to go to the D9810 website and check all the District level activities taking place. When you find the one that links with your interest or passion, be in touch with me and we can discuss the ways in which you can become involved.
Can Your Club Connect a Whole Community?
Rotary Club of Templestowe and Manningham Rotaract are working together on a project entitled “Connecting Manningham”. The project fills a three-fold community need;
Connecting people and spreading kindness
Connecting people to services and businesses and supporting local enterprises
Connecting people to programs and activities and the opportunity to meet new people.
In trawling around the web recently I came across this gem – 42 virtual fundraising ideas. This item has been lifted directly from the Zone 26 & 27 website so it’s a document from the USA with some very local ideas included, but given the dearth of local information (Rotarians are often reluctant to share their best fundraising ideas) I thought clubs may appreciate this thought starter and inspiration provider. See https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50071/Documents/en-au/ebd52443-3a7b-49dc-81fc-1246fd75fc98/1/
Foundation Windfall from Bequest
When visiting clubs and talking to Rotarians I am constantly including the importance of being seen in the community. This promotes the local club and Rotarians in general as people of action doing good things. Of course, you never really know who’s watching….
I recently had a call from RISPPO to let me know that a single woman with no dependants, Elaine Nagy, passed away earlier this year. She has divided her estate among several beneficiaries including the Rotary Foundation Permanent Fund. The Rotary Foundation has, as a result, benefitted by $525,278.94. Ms Nagy lived in Noble Park so the bequest will be added to D9810 and Rotary Club of Noble Park’s Foundation giving record. As the money was left to the Permanent Fund, none of it will be returned to D9810 for use in District or Global Grants.
We don’t believe that Ms Nagy had any relatives who are Rotary members. Rotary D9810 extends its sympathy to friends of Ms Nagy and its gratitude to her for this generous bequest.
Membership Talking Points
In the last issue of “Open Doors” I provided a link to a webinar on alternative Rotary club models and pointed specifically to a section where young Rotarians discuss why they joined. That section of the video is now available separately. Once you have watched the video, ask yourself (and the rest of your club) whether or not you are providing that which younger people seek. Click here to watch the video
Finally, just released is the 20 minute video of Tim Moore and Adrian Roach’s Zone 8 conference presentation “Transformational Change” see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t4W-vaIJmk
World Polio Day Saturday 24 October
What’s your club’s plan to celebrate World Polio Day and focus on this vital project spearheaded by Rotary? Some ideas for October include;
Invite D9810 Polio Co-ordinator, Greg King, to visit your club.
Book to attend the special Polio / Foundation virtual luncheon with special guest speaker John Nanni
Make up your own special club way to mark this date.
For more information go tohttps://www.endpolio.org/world-polio-daywhere you will find a kit to help. It includes information, graphics, social media post ideas and heaps more.
The Sir Clem Renouf Polio Appeal
The June 11 passing of Rotary International’s Polio icon Sir Clem Renouf has inspired a group of ANZO Rotary leaders to launch the “Sir Clem Renouf Polio Appeal” in 2020/21.
Sir Clem was Australia’s second Rotary International President (1978/79) and two of the subsequent RI Presidents, Bill Boyd (2006/07) and Ian Riseley (2017/18), supported by RI Past Director Noel Trevaskis and RI Director Elect Jessie Harman, recently agreed to commemorate Sir Clem’s passing with a significant fund raising campaign.
The appeal aims to secure funds in support of Clem’s legacy, the END POLIO NOW campaign.
To compliment this activity there are brief video messages from senior leaders Bill Boyd, Ian Riseley, Noel Trevaskis and Jessie Harman available from RDU general manager Gay Kiddle for program content at such “virtual” dinners.
For further information contact our District End Polio Now Ambassador Greg King (RC Manningham).
ARH’s Lift the Lid on Mental Illness or Hat Day is on 10th October
Many clubs celebrate this day by having a special hat meeting with prizes for the best hats.
Rotarian Honoured as One of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People
Dr. Tunji Funsho, chair of Rotary’s Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee, joins 100 pioneers, artists, leaders, icons, and titans asone of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. TIME announced its 2020 honourees during a 22 September television broadcast on ABC,recognizing Funshofor his instrumental leadership and work with Rotary members and partners to achieve theeradication of wild polio in the African region.
Two programs to recognise club support for The Rotary Foundation
The Rotary Foundation has an extensive range of programs to acknowledge the personal contributions of Rotarians and other individual donors. However, in Australia and New Zealand, about half the giving to the Foundation comes from our clubs, and until now, there hasn’t been a good program to recognise clubs for their generosity.
So, we are pleased to announce that from the end of the 2020-2021-year, District 9800 will join with other districts in Australia and New Zealand (i.e. Zone 8) with two new programs to recognise clubs. They will be known as the Club Annual Donor and the Club Major Donor recognitions.
The Club Annual Donor program will recognise club giving over the previous 12 months. To ensure it is open to clubs of all sizes, the program will work on a per-member basis.
Like the Major Donor program for individuals, the Club Major Donor program will be based on all-time giving and will be a way of thanking clubs for their sustained support for our Foundation over many years.
Both programs will offer five levels of recognition
It may sound a bit counter intuitive to be planning activities involving international travel in these uncertain COVID times, but as with many of Rotary’s programs we need to seek new ways to adapt to a new reality.
Friendship exchange aims to promote international understanding through personal contacts developed through exchange visits to other districts across the world.
While travel restrictions remain, some districts are developing virtual travel activities, as a step along the way to realizing physical exchanges in the future, when travel is possible. It is highly likely that this will not be until a vaccine is widely available, but we live in hope that this will be sooner rather than later.
I’m new to the role of Friendship Exchange Contact Person, but I’ve had many enjoyable and memorable experiences during international travel with the Rotary family and would commend your involvement if possible in such activities. One of Rotary’s strengths is its diversity from small groups to huge clubs and Exchange can vary from a number of brief visits to club meetings and activities to a home hosted visit over some days. As I said I’m new to this particular role and would welcome input from others who may be interested in being involved, whether though organizing committee membership or just in participation. Initial thoughts are for travel in our region, possibly NZ or Timor Leste, where the styles of
“exchange“ could be dramatically different but memorable none the less ! Looking forward to your input , my details are in the directory.
Two emblems united though Rotary International, Indonesia and Australia, a solid working partnership that is still required and is needed much more now than ever.
CASH is king.
In correspondence with a Past District Governor who is a member of the Rotary Club of Bali Kuta he has noted that 100% of the Island is directly reliant or indirectly reliant upon tourism and having been virtually shut down for 7 months many of the businesses that employ have failed or become insolvent with the natural ripple effect of unemployment increasing and people going back to the villages for survival. It is very bad and sad.
He also mentioned the same sort of plight on the Island of Sumba, where there is at least 50 plus families starving [his words] there is nothing for them. They [D3420] are trying to set up a satellite Club on the Island so that there is a Rotary presence and it becoming a conduit for any external assistance that can be made available.
How can we help, how is a word that is fraught with interpretations, as we find here with our approach to the pandemic, most of the experts, or at least the vocal experts have a different methodology. It is the same with the how now for Indonesia.
International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians (IYFR)
The International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians (IYFR) is the oldest Rotary Fellowship in the world having been formed in England in 1947. One of the largest fellowships, it currently has just on 3700 members spread across 3 Zones of Europe, the Americas and, Asia, Australia and NZ/Oceana. Members are not required to own a boat; only to have an interest in boating. A Squadron, currently being formed is centred on Geelong and will be a separate division of the Victoria Fleet. Membership links every Member of a Fleet to Fleets across the world.
Victoria and Tasmania form a separate Region with The Victoria, Gippsland Lakes and Tasmania Fleets. Separate Fleets gather to form Regions in each of the other Australian states. Meetings can include cruises utilizing local ferry, boat hiring companies and Yacht Clubs. Some lunches are held with maritime based speakers and the Victoria fleet engages with Alma Doepel as well as the Geelong Wooden Boat Festival which sponsors children from local schools to go sailing in older sailing vessels in the warmer weather and marine based luncheon dinners or meetings (currently utilizing Zoom – see attachment) at other times during inclement weather. The Fellowship offers meeting with International members in a post-Convention Cruise as part of Rotary’s Annual Convention each year.
Impending Vacancy of The Position of RAM National Secretary
The position of National Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM) Secretary will become vacant on 1st July 2021. The RAM National Executive is looking for ‘Expressions of Interest’ from a suitable candidate to take up this position.
We would expect the incoming nominee to take the opportunity to be mentored by the existing incumbent, Gloria Hargreaves.
Should you be interested please contact Gloria ( egharg@netspace.net.au ) who will then send you the Job Description and Nomination Form.
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
contributions of Rotarians and other individual donors. However, in Australia and New Zealand, about half the giving to the Foundation comes from our clubs, and until now, there hasn’t been a good program to recognise clubs for their generosity.
