Rotary Central Melbourne – Meeting Report 25 May 2021
Thirty-six people logged into the meeting. There were no Guests or Visiting Rotarians.
President Therese Robinson opened the meeting with an acknowledgement of the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we meet.
Chair Allan Driver proposed a toast to Rotary International.
President Therese explained that the theme of the meeting would be for incoming President Elias Lebbos to lay out his vision for the new Rotary year. Then Neville Taylor would briefly explain the club planning process, followed by the Directors of Avenues of Service discussing their committee achievements over the past year and ideas for moving forward.
Elias commented that based on his interactions with incoming presidents of other clubs, RCM was functioning very well at a time when many other clubs were struggling. This supported his own observation of the significant accomplishments of RCM under very challenging circumstances, and hence he saw no need to make any significant changes. Rather the club should focus on Consolidation of past efforts that have been guided by the Four Pillars - that the club should be Progressive, Networked, Connected, and a Catalyst for getting things done. The Rotary International theme for next year is Serve to Change Lives, and those pillars will serve us well in achieving that goal. Elias saw no need to change the current Strategy, and noted that one of the common themes amongst those clubs which are currently struggling is that they don’t have a clear strategy. Elias emphasised the importance of Diversity and Inclusion, not as a goal unto itself, but rather as something that should be incorporated into everything we do and stressed its importance in attracting new members and retaining existing ones. Lastly, Elias emphasised the need to Create a Space for All, meaning catering to the needs and limitations of the full range of members from long-term to newcomers, from those with lots of time and energy to give to those who want less involvement.
Neville Taylor spoke to the robustness of the Club’s planning process, including the three-year horizon Strategic Plan and the Annual Club Plan. The purpose is to ensure we have a systematic planning method which is relevant to the changing environment and have clarity about our goals. The Strategic Plan is about where we want to be in three years – increasing our impact, expanding the areas of operation, enhancing participant engagement, and increasing our ability to adapt. This process is governed by the Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) which is comprised of the president, president-elect, president nominee, president nominee designate, and immediate past president. The Annual Club Plan is what the Avenues of Service Directors use to address three issues – what to keep doing, what to stop doing, and what to start doing. There is a template to help ensure actions are aligned to the Four Pillars. In addition, a Progress Check is conducted every 90 days which includes a presentation at a club meeting.
Cecily Neil reported that the International Services agenda was severely impacted by the pandemic. Her report was divided into four sections: (1) Projects Provided with Financial Support (Kok Tnoth Village WASH Project, Oxygen concentrators for PNG, Tarawa Early Learning Project, Portable X-ray machine for RC Tbilisi, Georgia); (2) Projects Delayed (School Library in Laos, Safe Operating Rooms in PNG, Training Security Guards and Housekeepers with RC Kolkata); (3) Planning for New Projects (Aged Care Training in the Philippines, Sanitation/Hygiene for Girls in South Sudan; (4) Networking with Sister Clubs (Echuca-Moama, Kolkata, Cork).
Rohan Williams reported on Community Services. He spoke to a slide showing numerous achievements during the year, in which generous donations by several organisations and individuals were distributed to those in need. Most notable amongst these was a donation from Caprice of items with a retail value of $90,000 which were distributed to 24 charities across Victoria. Rohan was also very pleased with how the club continued to invest in people, education and training. Examples include contributions to scholarships for children with Concern Australia, the Youth Projects social enterprise café, and nominating Jeff Shaw from Give a Care for a Rotary Multi-District “Shine On” Award.
Warwick Cavell provided a Vocational Services update, highlighting achievements and their impacts on a number of initiatives. Victoria Police Mentoring Leadership Program (VPLMP) was suspended for much of 2020 but is now finishing. A new program starts in August. Feedback from both mentors and mentees has been very positive, and has provided the basis for other mentoring programs. The Ambulance Victoria program continued successfully throughout the pandemic. The new International Student Mentoring program has successfully completed a pilot program with all eleven mentors coming from RCM, with a second pilot to start in July. Rotarymentors.com.au and the Community of Practice have continued to develop and become a base for the future development of mentoring. New Generation Service Exchange (NGSE) has been deferred to 2022. Warwick sees all of these programs as being catalysts for further development of mentoring throughout Victoria.
David Laurie reported on Youth Services. They are looking to source students from more than one school. This year RCM sponsored two students for the Model United Nations Assembly, one of whom was the daughter of VPMLP mentee, demonstrating the value of the club’s connections with various other organisations. David is looking forward to exploring new possibilities with new partners and the opportunity to meet students in person.
At the conclusion of these presentations President Therese commented on how much outstanding work was accomplished despite the restrictions necessitated by the pandemic. There were a number of questions and clarifications from various members, including a request that we remember to include initiatives in support of the indigenous community.
Announcements
There were no members’ or partners’ birthdays or wedding anniversaries. Luke Allen joined Rotary in May 2019 and Nick Clift joined in May 2007.
John Ilott reminded members to register for the Changeover dinner on 25 June and Anne King reminded members of the Christmas in July party on 5 June.
President’s Announcements
President Therese also urged members to sign up for the Changeover dinner.
She then reviewed some of the decisions taken at the last Board Meeting, including expenditures to support community relief, the Rotary Foundation, and purchasing oxygen concentrators for PNG. The Board agreed to support a resolution from the Balwyn Club to the effect that “30% of future Rotary Foundation Trustees are women and have a female trustee chair within a reasonable timeframe”. It was further agreed that RCM become a sister club with RC Cork, and that Maureen Jackson’s application to become a member of RCM was approved.
A request was made for anyone who does not intend to continue as a member of the club next year to let Therese know asap so that RCM is not charged for them.
Lastly, it was announced that there will be two face-to-face meetings in August and September, and three face-to-face meetings each month thereafter.
Ian Hamm: Rotary and Reconciliation
