RCM Meeting 28 January 2025 - Report
Chair Therese welcomed all attendees and introduced President Rhys Williams who made an acknowledgement to country and introduced the theme for today’s meeting being a Club Forum and opportunity to hear updates from our Club Service Directors.
Club Service Committee Update – Director Kerrie Hicks
Kerrie thanked and acknowledged the dedication and commitment of the Club Service Committee who support Rotary Central Melbourne being a well-functioning club. She acknowledged President Rhys’ leadership with the speaker team and negotiating and navigating the RACV relationship to ensure our meeting venue meets member needs.
- Assistant Director: Allan Driver
- Web, Help Desk, History & Electronic Archives: John Ilott
- Membership Development, Recruitment & Retention: Neville John
- Almoner: Becky John
- Protection Officer: Tom Callander
- Photographer; Club Storage; Speaker Gifts; Induction Preparation and Archiving: Roger Thornton
- Bulletin Editors: Koren Harvey and Nicholas Oei
- Speaker Seekers: Annet Brouwer-Reith and Sarah Overton and Speaker Admin & Logistics: Justine Murphy. Welcome to Puja Ganguli who is taking over from Annet.
- Social Media (Facebook): Michelle Crawford, Neville John and Allan Driver (moderator).
2024 Highlight – RCM officially became a Peacebuilder Club and established the Peacebuilder sub-committee under Club Service. This demonstrates our commitment to engaging in dialogues that promote peace in themselves, their families and their communities locally and across the globe.
The RCM Peacebuilder Committee current focus is to educate and empower our club members on the Positive Peace. There are a variety of options to learn more, starting with:
- reflecting individually, what’s my piece of peace?
- Read the Primer: FINAL-Primer.pdf
- Complete the free online training at the Rotary Positive Peace Academy: Rotary Positive Peace Academy
- Every Club project in all seven areas of focus contributes to building community and peace. Please get in touch with us if you’d like to explore the Positive Peace framework against your current project, giving you the tools to maximise the community-building and peacebuilding impact of every project.
- Get in touch with Kerrie, Nev Taylor or Rana if you’d like to explore peacebuilding further.
Invitations for all club members:
- Please ensure all bulletin submissions are provided by Wednesday 5pm and if providing photos, include names and a description of the image.
- What do you think of the new Rotary Bites section in the Bulletin? Any feedback or suggestions for content to Kerrie please.
- Are you connected to our Facebook and LinkedIn accounts? If not, please connect! These platforms are a valuable opportunity to raise awareness about the Magic Of Rotary and attract new members.
- A reminder we are undertaking a Working with Children Check audit – please send Tom your current card number and expiry date.
- Please consider bringing along a friend or colleague to a future meeting or event.
- Have you seen the latest updates Club History? You can find it on our website at About Our Club.
International Service Committee Update – Director Fleur Maidment
Last two quarters - Building relationships and projects with sister clubs
For those that are unaware we have relationships with:
- Rotary Osaka Hommachi
- Rabindra Sarobar Calcutta
- Cork, Ireland
- Ceased working with Echuca-Moama
but it would be no surprise as to where we might be eyeing off in continental Europe for a productive working relationship in the future.
Some highlights were:
- Frank continues championing Donations In Kind with a working bee in September and working with the new management. They support medical and equipment to be collected, and it can be used in Australia or shipped overseas to communities in need
- Rhys visited the Rotary Club of Da Nang in July and supported the Vietnam Build a Future Foundation. Puja supported a problem-solving workshop. After his trip he shared stories of the recreation camps for "Dust of Life" students and shared a student video showing the difference the scholarship support makes to their lives. Roy continued to support the tutoring program.
- Cecily again kindly hosted our Christmas social activity that gives members a chance to wax lyrically about their international horror stories and crazy food offerings
- Thanks to Rob and Roy our relationships and good work continue around the Laos Library project fit-out and the Cambodia Clean Water and Sanitation project that I visited with my Myanmar team in October.
Next 6 months
- now the ceasefire has come into effect we will reevaluate options for our Aid For Gaza project and contribute to humanitarian support that will be sustainable for Gaza through trusted on-ground partner
- We will disburse funds to Interplast, and Rotarians Against Malaria
- We will consider the Asian region at the next meeting to plan for the 2025-26 budget cycle. One is based on education and the other on the health of children linked to creating a supportive educational environment and building peace initiatives
We aim to support projects in our region that have a high level of community engagement or support sister club projects and meet the Rotary areas of focus -
- Promoting peace
- Fighting disease.
- Providing clean water.
- Saving mothers and children.
- Supporting education.
- Growing local economies.
- Protecting the environment
COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE - Director: Rebecca John
The Community Service Committee have plans to support the following organisation for the 2024/2025 Rotary year:
- Youth Projects/The Living Room – Hosier Lane, Melbourne.
A budget of $2,000 was approved for YP to support a range of ongoing needs including clothing, toiletries and sleeping bags. As at 31 December we have allocated $639 with another $250 committed in January towards purchases of these items. Peter and Sue Duras have also sourced an estimated $2,000 in donated goods from DIK and the Flemington/Kensington Opportunity Shop. We will continue to assist with these items and sleeping bags that we will receive from the upcoming April sleeping bag campaign.
- RIMERN – East Brunswick
RCM continues to support RIMERN with a $1,000 contribution toward the costs of running the facility (paid for this year) and monthly working bees on Saturdays with the hands-on support from members and friends. In addition, Alan Seale and Roger Thornton continued to make tables and provide other hand-crafted items for clients of RIMERN
- St Mary’s House of Welcome – Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.
RCM approved a budget of $2,000 to support the homeless clients at SMHOW. $1,000 has been expended at a Community BBQ lunch event which will be held on Friday 4 October 2024. Eleven RCM volunteers attended and directly involved in preparing and serving lunch to approximately 150 homeless clients under the supervision of SMHOW management and internal chef. RCM will also provide support with other ongoing needs and with sleeping bags prior to winter 2025.
- Orygen Assist – Parkville
RCM has approved a budget of $2,000 to support the needs of the Orygen Mental Health Network via its volunteer arm, Orygen Assist. So far this year we have provided $1,000 in support provided for deodorants, RIMERN membership and a contribution of $500 towards the purchase of a refrigerator needed to store perishable food items for distribution to clients.
- Father Bob Maguire Foundation – Port Melbourne
RCM has approved a budget of $2,000 to support the needs of FBMF in the form of clothing and other items that the committee may approve throughout the year. We have expended $235 of this and any more support is subject to the outcome of a strategic review being conducted by their Board.
- Tree Planting with the Landcare Group – Phillip Island (not an RCM budget item)
On 3 August 2024 12 members and friends attended a Landcare Group tree planting at Ventnor, Phillip Island. 1,500 seedlings were planted at this property, which is being restored from farming land to a more natural habitat.
- Christmas Hamper Appeal (not an RCM budget item)
The CSC conducted a callout to members and friends to donate food hamper bags which were distributed to clients of STEPS Outreach Service and Uniting ASP. 100 hampers were distributed at the RCM Christmas breakfast.
- Tree of Joy (not an RCM budget item)
This year the Tree of Joy program included three companies. TAL Insurance, Zurich Insurance and KLM Spatial. Each of their offices supported the Christmas Tree of Joy whereby their team members selected items identified by STEPS and Uniting ASP on behalf of their clients. Approximately 250 gifts were donated by the companies to Step and Uniting. Last year it was 50 gifts.
- Member Donations Throughout the year.
Peter Duras and Frank O’Brien continued collecting items that they then distribute to the above and other organisations throughout the year. Items include clothing, footwear, and suitcases.
Youth Service Committee Update – Director Grace Davidson –
RYLA: Sadly no RCM Candidate attended this year, as our candidate Mariam Mohhamed Rahim fell ill. However, her interest in Rotary was very evident and she warmly attended the Christmas breakfast.
Silk Miller: Review of program outcomes is being conducted. Some RCM members attended a UniMelb celebration of Silk Miller Scholarship graduates in the Graduate Diploma of Adolescent Health and Wellbeing, Josh Guy and Steve Turner. In 2025, we look forward to seeing the outcomes of the review. Thank you to Doug Robertson for his leadership on this project
Ian Angus Prize: Therese Robinson and Grace Davidson, supported the RMIT selection panel for the four Awards; VE student of the Year, VE Industry Excellence Award, Indigenous VE Student of the Year, Apprentice/Traineeship of the Yea.
Victoria Police Legacy: Discussion continues on building a collaborative project to support legatees
