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October 2014
The District Serviette
Governor 2014-2015
Rowley Tompsett
“Together we can achieve more”
Issue No.4, 2014-15
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OCTOBER - VOCATIONAL SERVICE MONTH
From the Governor’s Serviette
September was a wonderful month for youth in our Rotary family. !
The month kicked off with the informa;on night for the District’s Na;onal Youth Science Forum students. It was great to meet and speak with these wonderful young future leaders and scien;sts. A big thank you to Tony Trumble and his team for selec;ng and nurturing these young people as they strive to determine their future voca;ons. Rotary has been involved as a partner with the Na;onal Science Summer School in presen;ng NYSF since 1984. Many Rotarians and Rotary Clubs have been, and con;nue to be, involved in the success of this program. In par;cular, I thank the Rotary Club and Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Ginninderra for their sustained support for over 20 years. !
For the first ;me, this year NYSF will involve our Rotaractors in part of the program. The Science Dinners, previously hosted by Rotary Clubs, will now be jointly hosted by a Rotaractor and an NYSF student staff member. While retaining Rotary’s link in the program, this innova;on will allow our Rotaractors to have a significant involvement with a group of young people who are future Rotaractors. It also enhances my goal of promo;ng youth leadership in our organisa;on, and supports the Conference theme, Our Youth Our Future. !
******** Denise and I had the great pleasure of aSending the charter dinner for the Interact Club of Narrabundah College. The Club has formed as the result of a conversa;on between a couple of Rotarians and a couple of former Interactors on the return trip from the Interna;onal Conven;on in Sydney in June. As a result, over 40 new Interactors have now become part of the Rotary family. Congratula;ons to the Club and its sponsoring Rotary Club, Canberra South. !
Following this lead, the Interact Club of Yass will charter early next month, thanks to the support of Yass Rotarians, especially the dedica;on of President Elect ScoS Bourke. Rotary District 9710 - District Serviette
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I know District Chair Natalie Jupe is working with a number of other Clubs—Ginninderra, Bungendore, Aurora Gungahlin—so we hope to see the growth in our youth partners con;nue to grow. !
******** Early in the month, the Rotary Club of Berry staged the third of its very successful Small Farm Field Days. This event has already become an integral part of the Berry community, as evidenced by the extensive community support. While Denise was in Sydney at her own seminar, I spent a couple of hours on the gate with Berry Rotarians, including President Tina, and then lent my support to the packing up opera;ons with PDG Bill Seelis. Despite some of the heaviest rain of the season reducing the Berry Showground to swamp-­‐like condi;ons, visitors and locals alike braved the inclement condi;ons to support the event and raise funds for local causes. !
******** At the beginning of the year, the District Board made available to Clubs assistance to promote and conduct membership and public image events. The Board saw this as a prac;cal way of helping Clubs to raise their community profile and complement membership ac;vi;es. It has been pleasing to see a number of Clubs now taking up the offer. The projects proposed have been varied, but I was struck by the proposal from the Weston Creek Club who is using the funding to sponsor the membership of a former Ambassadorial Scholar, Sarah Jewell. Sarah has agreed to come on board to assist the Club to develop a strategy to aSract new and younger members. With her past experience as a Scholar and current involvement in youth policy in Canberra, I’m sure Sarah will guide the Club along some innova;ve pathways. It’s great to see some thinking outside the square. If your Club hasn’t taken advantage of this offer yet, what are you wai;ng for? !
******** Late last month we had the privilege of aSending Shoalhaven Sunrise’s presenta;on night; an evening where the Club made significant contribu;ons to local causes. I was able to assist in induc;ng a new member and in recognising two local ci;zens as Paul Harris fellows. Denise had the rewarding experience of presen;ng funds from the Children’s Emergency Medical Fund to a family with a young child recently diagnosed with a very serious brain tumour. What a wonderful way for Rotary to be able to help at a very local and personal level. Thank you to President Judy and a team of caring Rotarians. !
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A very excited group of Narrabundah College Interactors celebrating their charter.
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October 2014
It wouldn’t be the Governor’s Serviette if I didn’t mention the upcoming District Conference. By
now you will all be aware that our youth members—youth exchangees, Interactors and
Rotaractors—along with new Rotarians can enjoy the Conference free of the Conference Fee.
!One of our Gold sponsors, Ord Minnett has provided you with a further incentive to register
and attend. One Conference delegate will win a $2000 financial advice package from Ord
Minnett as a result of attending. So why not get on board. Register for this great event; join
with fellow Rotarians from our District as well as those from District 9675 as we …
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learn together of wonderful Rotary projects
are inspired by some outstanding key note speakers
network with Rotarians and like-minded professionals
meet old friends and make new ones
show our support for Rotary
take the opportunity for a short holiday
have great food and fellowship in the nation’s capital
!… and have the chance to win free financial advice as well!
!Registrations and more information on the wonderful line-up of speakers is available on the
Conference website:
http://www.rotaryd9710.org.au/district/2014-district-conference.html
!Cheers
!
Rowley
Rypen at Mogo
Over the weekend 12 -­‐14th September, the last RYPEN camp was held at Mogo. !
53 students between the ages of 14 and 17 yrs aSended for a great ;me with games, mo;va;onal and inspiring speakers, bush dancing and dream;me stories around the campfire. !
Pleasingly, there was a high number of par;cipants from interact throughout the district and along with Rotaract and Earlyact members, there were 21 present at the camp from those groups. !
The RYPEN commiSee has endeavoured to involve and foster the leadership skills of all youth and to this end Rotaract members Travis Holland and Meghan Barrell, Interact members Madelaine Lockhart and Tanika Golbach assisted by Byron from Earlyact formed part of the camp leadership group. Their roles included assis;ng with various ac;vi;es, mentoring, liaison between students and older leaders, encouragement and being posi;ve role models for all those aSending. Rotary District 9710 - District Serviette
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October 2014
Congratula:ons, PDG Noel Trevaskis, nominated as a RI Director for 2016-­‐2018 Noel Trevaskis OAM and Sue Trevaskis Noel joined Rotary as a member of the Rotary Club of Goulburn Argyle in 1996; he is now a member of the Rotary Club of Bega. During his year as President, Noel became involved with Australian Rotary Health and the program of Community Mental Health Awareness Forums. Noel was one of the most sought afer speakers for the program, travelling around Australia telling his story to help raise awareness of Mental Health and to help break down the s;gma aSached to this illness. In 2005, Noel was recognized for his efforts to de-s;gma;se Mental Illness when he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia. He is s;ll in high demand by all areas of media, na;onally and interna;onally to speak about mental health issues. In 2003, Rotary Interna;onal awarded Noel the Service Above Self Award; the highest individual award a Rotarian can receive. Noel served as District Governor for District 9710 in the year 2005-­‐2006. In 2007, Noel was the Regional Rotary Interna;onal Membership Coordinator for Zone 8; a posi;on he held for two years. In 2011 he was appointed to the posi;on of Rotary Coordinator for part of Zone 8, concluding on June 30th 2014. Currently, Noel is the Project Lead for Membership Development for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. In 2013, Noel was appointed to the Rotary Interna;onal Advisory CommiSee for Membership Development, a posi;on he will hold un;l 2016. Noel has filled the role of RI President’s Personal Representa;ve on five occasions at District Conferences. Sue is a nurse and works for an aged nursing care facility where she works with people with demen;a and does pallia;ve care. She has always had a real passion to help and work with people who have disabili;es and the aged. Sue also volunteers at a local hospital as a support person for pa;ents with demen;a. While Sue is not a Rotarian, she is involved in the Rotary Youth Personal Enrichment program for District 9710, as well as suppor;ng Australian Rotary Health. Both Noel and Sue have been recognised as Paul Harris Fellows. In their free ;me they spend ;me with their family and enjoy working in their garden. Noel recently re;red afer a life;me working in the agricultural industry in marke;ng and sales management. RIDE Noel's appointment as a Director is wonderful recogni-on for his dedica-on to Rotary and, in his own words, recognises the contribu-on made to Rotary by District 9710. In congratula-ng RIDE Noel, we should all share in his pride of our Rotary service in this District.!
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October 2014
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District 9710 Calendar
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District Governor Rowley TompseS Vice District Governor Rob Woolley Immediate Past District Governor Maureen Manning District Governor Elect Monica GarreS District Governor Nominee Steve Hill District Secretary Anthony Jobson District Treasurer PDG Phil MeweS Assistant Governors Vere Gray Debbie Harris Julia Pedler Jan SouthcoS Graeme Kinraid Mark Wallace Margaret Hedger Fiona Kibble Robert MacCulloch Lynne Duckham Melissa Tooke Brian Goldstraw Hugh Boulter
October 2014 Voca:onal Service Month 5 10 24 25 RLI Session 3 -­‐ Canberra Australia Rotary Health Hat Day Dream Cricket -­‐ Bowral Assistant Governors’ Seminar-­‐Southern Highlands November 2014 Rotary Founda:on Month 2 11 14-­‐16 18 22 29-­‐30 RLI Session 3 Merimbula Closing date for RYLA applica;ons District Conference with D9675 25th Anniversary -­‐ Rotary Club of Hall District Board and Finance CommiSee Mee;ng YEP Outbound students second briefing District Governor’s Club Visits, October
1st
2nd
7th
9th
14th
15th
20th
21st
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Tumut
Batlow
Milton Ulladulla
Sussex Inlet
Batemans Bay
Bombala
Cooma
University of Canberra Rotaract
Hall
VG Rob Woolley
found ‘Fellowship’
in Scotland!
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October 2014
HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A FINANCIAL ADVICE PACKAGE
VALUED AT $2000
Conference sponsor Ord Minnett is making available a
financial advice package valued at $2000 to be won by
one lucky Conference registrant.
So as well as …
Learning together of wonderful Rotary
projects
Being inspired by some outstanding key note
speakers
Networking with Rotarians and like minded
professionals
Meeting old friends and making new ones
Showing your support for Rotary
Taking the opportunity for a short holiday
Enjoying great food and fellowship in the nation’s
capital
… you’ll have a chance to consult with expert advisers
at Ord Minnett on matters of your financial
security
Just another good reason to register for
Conference 2014.
Go to the Conference website for all the details and
the registration page.
http://www.rotaryd9710.org.au/2014 district conference.html
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October 2014
Rotary Inspira:onal Women Awards 2014-­‐15 District Chair: Margaret Atkin (Canberra Sunrise) Clubs are encouraged to put forward at least one nominee for this pres;gious award, which has been run in alternate years. This will be the third event. The Rotary Inspira;onal Women Awards 2015 are to be presented at a gala luncheon in Sydney on Sunday 8 March 2015 (Interna;onal Women’s Day) at Doltone House, Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont NSW. All ACT & NSW Rotary Districts have partnered with Inner Wheel to promote this event and we are now seeking nomina;ons for these pres;gious awards. The idea behind the awards is to highlight the work done in our communi;es by quiet achievers about whom liSle is known outside family and social circles, but whose efforts make a significant difference. It is not about achieving high levels or status in one’s chosen profession, but about serving the community and as our Rotary moSo states ‘Rotary About Self’. It is directed at the non-­‐Rotary community. It is about commitment, dedica;on, perseverance and proac;vity improving the lives of others. Any queries about the awards can be directed to the District Chair of the Rotary Inspira;onal Women Awards 2015 commiSee at Margaret.atkin@gmail.com on mobile 0409 924 047. Should you wish, Margaret would be keen to address your Club on the Awards. Rotary Stories Encourage New Members -by PP Judy Ford of the Rotary Club of Yass, District
Membership Chair
Published in Rotary on the Move - October 2014
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The Rotary Club of Yass (D9710) has found a successful formula for finding new members and Rotary stories are the important factor. Although we are encouraged to, few people like asking friends or acquaintances to join Rotary for fear of rejec;on. No one likes to hear the word NO! Yass Rotary has been running a membership recruitment drive that has had some excellent results. The steps are: 1. Decide on a date for the membership night. 2. Tell members the date and ask them to think of people they know who might be suitable as Rotarians. Ask them to provide their names and addresses. These people do not need to be close friends, or even someone they know well. They can be simply someone they have met once or twice and seem to be the type of person for whom Rotary would be a good thing. 3. Once a list of about ten people has been compiled, a leSer is sent out to each one, from the president, by mail and signed. The opening paragraph says: A respected member of our Rotary Club has put forward your name as a leader in business, a professional and someone involved in our community. We would therefore like to extend an invita;on to you to come to a relaxed evening, with like-­‐minded people, to hear about the ac;vi;es of Rotary Interna;onal and your local Rotary Club. Rotary District 9710 - District Serviette
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4. It then goes on to say a short bit about Rotary and gives the ;me and place for the mee;ng. 5. On the night the evening is held more like a cocktail party, not a regular mee;ng. Finger food replaces the normal meal. This gives the visitor and members an opportunity to mix well. 6. We do not have a special guest speaker but ask four or five Rotarians to tell their Rotary story in five or less minutes. The story might be about how they joined Rotary, what it is like to be a younger member in Rotary, what projects the Club does that they enjoy, a special experience they have had as a Rotarian and so on. The stories need to be varied so that the visitors can find at least one to which they can relate. Do not choose Rotarians to speak who ramble, or are boring. 7. At the end of the evening, invite them all to come back again as a club guest, to a normal mee;ng. As they leave give them a pack of informa;on they can take home. 8. MOST IMPORTANT! The next day each visitor needs to be contacted by a Rotarian and encouraged to come again. Some;mes this might mean being picked up and brought home. 9. At Yass we ask our poten;al members to come three ;mes as a visitor and during that ;me we carry out the normal process of filling in the paperwork, explaining what membership means and finally induc;ng them on the fourth or fifh mee;ng. 10. At our most recent membership evening, which was just before Changeover, we had 11 visitors and of those we inducted 7 and the others are s;ll considering joining. L-­‐R D9710 Governor Rowley TompseL and new members; Hannah Burn-­‐Petersen, Karen and Mike Granton, Richard Miller and Club President Kirsty Holmes. 15 July 2014
Publicity. For Canberra-­‐based Clubs, City News provides a widely distributed vehicle for your projects. Editor Ian Meikle is Rotary-­‐friendly and is always on the lookout for a good Rotary story. So let Ian know of your projects in plenty of ;me. Perhaps include him on the mailing list for your weekly bulle;ns. The address is rotary@citynews.com.au
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Providing women the Right to Go in rural India an ar-cle from My Rotary -­‐ rotary voice posted 6 August 2014 By Atul Bhide, immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Thane Hills, India
Less than 80 kilometers (49.6 miles) from the urban centers of Mumbai and Thane, India, lies the village of Sogav in Shahapur Taluka. Here, like in many villages in India, women and girls face the daily indignity of having to walk miles in the early hours to find a safe and discreet place to relieve themselves. A simple bodily need that many of us take for granted exposes these women and children to hygiene and safety risks every day. It is a difficult situa;on under normal circumstances, but when these women experience any kind of sickness or health concern, their experience becomes appalling. My Rotary club decided to do something to help, perhaps a baby step, but a step nevertheless. On 8 June, we dedicated our “Right to Go” project, which included the construc;on of 210 toilet blocks, at a cost of 18,000 Indian Rupees per toilet block (about US$300) for an equal number of homes. We selected homes based on income level (those with the lowest income) and number of female members in the household. We were blessed to be supported on our project by the Rotary Club of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA, and a grant from The Rotary Founda;on. Dr. Renuka Desai, who was born in Mumbai and is now a member of the Cherry Hill club, visited Sogav village and volunteered her support to our project, and we are extremely grateful for her help. We are remaining involved in the welfare of the village through the following programs. A Rotary Community Corps is serving as a catalyst between the villagers and Rotary. Members of our club will take part in ongoing hygiene awareness presenta;ons to instruct villagers on the dangers of waterborne diseases and the importance of preventa;ve health care. Local officials will conduct a hygiene edit and check sanita;on levels periodically. And we are entering classrooms with our Win the Kids Over program to make sure they understand the importance of good hygiene. The toilet blocks are environmental friendly Green Toilets. Each toilet is equipped with two soak-­‐pits with special honey comb designed brick work inside. They are odor-­‐free and do not require any drainage. The village has a water supply thanks to the Shai river next to their village. Households maintain their toilet block. It touched all of our hearts when at the dedica;on, Kiran Khandagale, one of the villagers, said “the greatest ornament for a woman is her dignity, I thank Rotary for helping us to protect it.”
As icing on the cake, the honorable Postmaster General for the Mumbai region, Department of Post, released a special postal cancella;on paying tribute to our “Right to Go” project. We are thankful to the Rotary Founda;on for the global grant that made this possible. Give to The Rotary Founda2on to support projects like these. Every gi<, from every Rotarian, makes a world of difference. Rotary District 9710 - District Serviette
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World
Polio
Day
24
October
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October 2014
MY ROTARY MOMENT
Chris-ne Paynter —Rotary Club of Tuggeranong “Hide down behind those trees with Mum”, Dad said “And Anne and I will be 100 yards ahead”. “Wait for our buzzer signal and set your stop watch fast, Clicking stop and recording the ;me as the car goes past”. !
What fun this was, what ;mely joy we had Calcula;ng speeding car drivers who behaved so bad For a Rotary car rally fundraising drive What fun, how inclusive of family made me feel alive! !
I was twelve and my Dad belonged to Cooma Rotary Club He too went to Tuesday mee;ngs down at some pub. I was fascinated with the sense of fun and games And belonging and contribu;ng, set my heart in flames! !
I thought one day there to Rotary would I go, And join a like-­‐minded group and go with the flow. !
The members come in from near and far To sample Rotary’s stop; They reckon once they get an ear They stay there ;ll they drop. !
You all like to make it preSy strong Whenever there’s a chance; So when a poten;al member comes along You’ll keep them in a trance. !
We’re lively members all right up here, It’s never a dull day. So I go myself as I can spare The ;me to get away. !
So, if you are in a comfort zone, afraid to venture out, Remember that all winners at one ;me were filled with doubt. A step or two and words of praise can make your dreams come true. So greet your Rotary Club with a smile, SUCCESS IS THERE FOR YOU! Rotary District 9710 - District Serviette
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October 2014
Rotary Club of Gungahlin having fun at UC Canberra Rotaract Mee;ng
Southern Highlands Rotary club responds to Ebola crisis
In response to the growing Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, the Rotary Club of Berrima District and its corporate partner Ramsay Health Care are making a dona;on of $5,000 to help local authori;es fight the disease. The money will go towards building an isola;on ward at the Children’s Hospital in Bo, Sierra Leone.
Un;l recently Bo, a town of 654,000 people, had been free of the virus but a situa;on report published by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanita;on on 7 September records 16 deaths. The isola;on ward will be vital in helping to prevent the disease spreading further. Richard Krohn, of RC Berrima District, in partnership with Southern Highlands Private Hospital CEO, Jenny Harper on behalf of Ramsay Health presen-ng the cheque
The project is being sponsored by the Rotary Club of Turramurra, which will receive the dona;on. Dr Nuli Lemoh, a club member and respected Sydney paediatrician, has harboured a lifelong dream to build a Children's Hospital in Bo, the largest rural city in his poverty stricken and war-­‐torn homeland. Sierra Leone has suffered many years of civil war and poli;cal instability, leaving this small but densely populated country in a des;tute state with frightening child mortality and virtually no health care in rural areas.
Rotary Club of Berrima District president Allen CupiS said the dona;on was a fine example of two Rotary clubs working together to improve the health services in developing countries. Berrima Rotary also operates the project Medical Aid for Oceania and Worldwide, a joint venture between the club and Ramsay Health Care. Further informa;on can be obtained by sending an email to secretary@berrimarotary.org.au Rotary District 9710 - District Serviette
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October 2014
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