A BIG YEAR FOR MELBOURNE CLUB

Posted by Tony THOMAS
 
Fiscal 2016 was a landmark year for Melbourne Rotary Club under President Peter Rogers. The club now owns its 15 Collins St headquarters.
 
The purchase price and renovations, totalling more than $800,000, were funded by members’ one-off and non-tax-deductible donations, along with some dipping into club financial reserves.
 
The club had leased its office for many decades but the board decided this was lost money. So the suite on the 9th floor of a largely medical-user building was bought in March 2015. Members including several Past Presidents did a lot of the wall demolition and re-painting in working bees, and the office opened in September last year. It now hosts district and club meetings for breakfast, office hours and evenings, making it a CBD hub for both Melbourne RC and other Rotary groups.  Photo; working bee in action. 
 
 
The club was Australia’s first and is Australia’s largest. It has chartered or grandfathered around 500 Australian Rotary clubs.
 
In July Quin Scalzo 69, executive chairman of Scalzo Food Industries, became the club’s 100th president.  His company has more than $300m turnover supplying to food giants like Kelloggs and Mars.
 
Quin is keen to keep the momentum up on new members. He also plans for
  • a large fund raising exercise tapping third-party donors
  • Closer engagement with Melbourne CBD businesses and residents
  • Continued momentum with the club’s large-scale initiatives to house the homeless
  
The club’s office has been run by full-time salaried office manager Jo Mavros for the past nine years. Member dues are relatively high at $715pa but newcomers under 40 pay $350 and the one-off joining fee is waived.