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Changeover celebrations

Posted by Amanda Wendt

What a blast the last 6 weeks have been celebrating and welcoming in the new Rotary year. Helmed by District Changeover on Saturday 25 June which saw over 200 Rotarians and friends come together to imagine what's possible in 2022-2023.

It's a huge year for our District especially with Rotary International Convention coming to our hometown in May 2023. This year has started with plenty of dancing – at several changeovers – and we'll have plenty more to dance about throughout the year.

But don't take my word for it, here are some snapshots of our club changeover celebrations!

First volunteer with the DG is a tree-planting extravaganza!

Great to see so many Rotarians out in force for National Tree-planting Day on Sunday 31 July, the first volunteer with the DG event. Tree-planting is a perfect example of a meaningful, hands-on and convenient volunteering project that everyone can get involved in.

Over 11 000 trees were planted by volunteers.

Connecting with more volunteers through hands-on volunteering

Posted by Director of Service, Lili Teichman

Imagine the opportunities to grow your club by connecting with more volunteers from across our community through a meaningful, hands-on and convenient project.

Just three weeks in to our new Rotary year, we held our first workshop on hands on volunteering on Saturday 23 July. Leaders of several successful projects shared how ensuring their projects are meaningful, hands on and convenient has helped them connect with more volunteers. Working groups collaborated on various aspects of how to start or adapt a project that more volunteers want to participate in, each led by an expert project lead. Plus, we ran a hands on project in the background, packing over 100 meal kits for families in need.

I'm in my 30s and this is why Rotary is valuable to me

Posted by Vocational Services Chair, Sarah Overton

Sarah Overton, Rotary District 9800 Vocational Service Director I’m often asked the question: “Why Rotary?” I am of a generation that tends to support causes, not join clubs. I have a full-time job and a busy household with a husband, two young kids, and a dog who believes twice-daily walks are the only cause worth considering.

Also I am passionate about my “me time” for reading, exercise, or quiet contemplation. So… why make time for Rotary?

Rotary’s vocational advantage

McKinsey Consulting has published timely data on why employees quit their jobs. Not surprisingly, Rotary membership offers fantastic benefits that younger professionals won’t necessarily experience in their workplace. This is our opportunity to convert more volunteers into members, and partner with employers to supplement their employee value proposition, all while engaging and retaining our more experienced members. Discover:

How our vocational advantage can help convert volunteer participants into Rotary members
Why clubs should partner with employers to supplement their employee value proposition and create a membership pipeline
How this will help engage and retain existing, more experienced Rotarians

Read the full article here

Celebrate mentorship of our younger members

Rotary District 9800 is celebrating the relationship between a mentor and protégé that makes for effective mentorship, develops community leadership and instills our next generation of leaders with Rotary values, by awarding District Governor Mentorship Awards at Official DG Cluster visits.

We’re seeking nominations by younger Rotary members, who are being mentored by a more experienced Rotarian, of their effective mentorship, nominate at growmyclub.org/mentorship-award

Read more on Rotary's vocational advantage, here

Support woman and children by volunteering with Impact for Women

Posted by Director of Service, Lili Teichman

Come and join District 9800 DG Amanda Wendt on Saturday 13th August, in a 'Hands on Volunteering with the DG' experience helping to sort and pack relief packages of essential items to assist women and children escaping extreme abuse at home.

:: Book your volunteer spot: www.trybooking.com/CBKMF ::

Rotary District 9800 is celebrating great examples of the meaningful, hands on, convenient volunteering that will help our clubs connect with more volunteers from across our community.

Located in Sandringham, volunteers are needed for two shifts to pack care parcels: 10am - 12 midday and 1pm - 3pm

Rotary Refugee Families Support Program

Posted by Rowan McLean

Rotary North Balwyn is coordinating a program to assist newly arrived refugee families by supplying donated household goods, warm bedding, clothes, toys and furniture to supplement what they receive from government to help them settle in more comfortably. Involvement began though Bakhtar Community Organisation, a group of Afghan volunteers based in Dandenong who were helping new arrivals after the fall of Kabul in August 2021.

Op Shops: Reduce, Reuse, Restore, Repair, Repurpose, Recycle, Upcycle

Posted by Faye Kirkwood

Rotary Caulfield’s Op Shop works towards sustainability by recycling the mountains of household items and materials from the mountains of waste that end up in landfill.

For example, many modern fabrics in new clothing do not decompose (and if they do, it takes a long, long time).

So, donate your wearable clothes to Op Shops such as the one run by Rotary Caulfield. Why not add to your wardrobe by shopping at your local Op Shop.

Assisting a community in need

Posted by Angela Beutel

Following news of the severe flooding in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, Rochester Rotary Club members enlisted their local community to assist three needy communities in the region. Donations of kitchen, bathroom, and laundry products flowed in to assist in the post flood recovery of waterlogged homes – in all, 120 boxes were filled.

A link between slavery and clean toilets in Nepal

Posted by Sudeep Maskey

Through a WASH project, Rotary Passport Melbourne and Rotary Club of Kathmandu (RPM) (in partnership with the Rotary Foundation) recently completed construction of gender specific toilets at the Shree Sunali Public School in Lumbini Province, Nepal which enabled young women reaching puberty to remain at school.

Chris Finley :: Member in focus

Posted by Assistant Governor, Anne Frueh

At the Rotary Club of Balwyn changeover in June, Chris Finely was completely surprised to be recognised with a Paul Harris Fellow. His citation included:

six hour shifts on duty at the Camberwell Sunday Market
dedicated mentor for one for our indigenous tertiary scholars throughout the scholar’s undergraduate degree
volunteering at Rotary Inner Melbourne Relief Network and the Box Hill Mini Steam Rail
collecting food from Second Bite
volunteering at Alzheimer’s Australia
does the Great Cycle Challenge for kid’s cancer research each year
if that is not enough, he disappears in his caravan for a couple weeks from time to time to volunteer with Blaze aid

This is a Rotarian who last year felt he should offer his resignation because he attended very few meetings. His offer was of course immediately rejected. Chris is “doing Rotary”.

Regionalisation - all the facts without the fuss

Posted by PDG Grant Hocking

By now you would have heard about Regionalisation via the several articles in RDU, social media or websites. Things have changed as the preparation has progressed and previously held opinions may be inaccurate, so ensure you are up to date by finding out more.

There are ample opportunities to learn more about Regionalisation. Learn the facts from fellow Rotarians in your district with a club visit, attend a webinar or via a recorded presentation link.