Rotary Central Melbourne.
Report of In-Person Meeting held Tuesday 15 April 2025, at RACV City premises.
Chair: Rob Hines
Acting President: Neville John
Rob opened the meeting and proposed a toast to Rotary International.
Actg. President Neville acknowledged the traditional owners of the land on which we were meeting and welcomed all to the meeting. He then introduced the guest speaker Ruhee Meghani. A special welcome to guest Mia Fornasaro as well.
Guest Speaker:
Ruhee Meghani. “The Ripple Effect – Climate, Wellbeing and Our Responsibility”.
Ruhee is the founder of Allied Collective, a local business that facilitates organisations challenged with reshaping systems and policies for a better future.
Climate change is one specific that is now affecting organisations and people’s well-being, calling for creative innovation and leadership. This was dramatically presented in a futuristic video where the year was 2059 in Mumbai. The city was clouded by heavy pollution and stall keepers included oxygen ‘shots’ for purchase, much the same way as coffee is sold today.
Ruhee emphasised the emotional effects of climate change and the resultant effect rising temperatures are having on well-being. Statistics support climate anxiety as a factor in the increase in domestic violence and a cause for more couples deciding not to have children.
She highlighted the case with discussion on how climate change has various effects across life’s stages and posed a question about our legacy ‘What do we want to be remembered for?” A matter of what responsibility do we accept. This is not a spectator sport, it requires our participation, working with other generations [younger in our specific case!] to co-design outcomes. The greatest gift we can leave behind is a clean climate for our successive generations.
Ruhee’s talk concluded with an active question time which included giving credit to her considerable yoga training assisting her to take a holistic view of the issues noted in her talk. Likewise, her view that connecting with nature provides a resting place for our well-being.
Announcements:
Birthdays:
Herb Greenwood, Nikki Lebbos, Peter Janowski, David Duncan
Anniversaries:
Rohan and Sue Williams [29 years].
Community Team.
Sleeping Bags donations. Tom advised results have exceeded expectations and a revised target of 200 bags by the end of April is now possible. There will be a note to all members this week.
Members can contribute by donating clean, Winter weight [-3C] sleeping bags or for those wishing to make a cash donation $40 is sufficient for the team to buy a single bag.
Bunnings have donated 64 bags. Our relationship with Bunnings has been strengthened and we have operated the BBQ for Bunnings in-house Family Day party. Thanks to Peter, Neville and Sue and Rohan for processing 300 sausages in 2 hours!
President’s announcements.
5th Tuesday evening social meeting. This will be held on 29th April -more details in separate notice.
Bunnings Collingwood BBQ on Sunday 13th April produced a profit of $1373. Thank-you to the members who filled the 12 work positions.
Bunnings Port Melbourne BBQ, Sunday 20th April. The roster has been filled.
Neville, who will be taking a well deserved holiday shortly, will be looking to complete BBQ rosters for the next three months prior to his departing. A notice will circulate shortly, and it would be appreciated if all members can look to volunteer and commit to the various dates in response to the note.
Next Meeting
Tuesday 22nd April – an on-line meeting via ZOOM commencing at 7.40am. The Zoom room will open at 7.30am.
The guest speaker will be our President Rhys Williams who will share an update on Rotary’s involvement in climate change mitigation in the Mekong Delta. Rhys has been in Vietnam the past few weeks.
