All first encounters with health issues in unknown societies involve a rapid learning process for both visitors and hosts. It must never be that Western workers go in with preconceived answers before knowing the scope of the problem, who it affects, what resources exist and what are required, the impediments, and the nature of existing institutional arrangements and their power structures. This large caveat has had to be explained to successive waves of volunteers whose enthusiasm has to be channelled, yet encouraged, rather than stifled. It’s also important to under-promise then over-deliver to maintain enduring relationships.

After the 1992 visit, the Rotary Australia-Vietnam Dental Health Project was established and it has evolved ever since. The guiding principles have been to:

1. Reduce the burden of disease through school-based prevention using fluoride rinses or tooth brushing, class-based health education and protective coating of molar teeth in a clinical setting.
2. Conserve and restore secondary teeth in a targeted age group, mainly 12 year-olds, while avoiding heroic failure attempts.
3. Augment and upgrade operative and infection control equipment, which can be maintained and serviced locally.
4. Assist knowledge transfer through demonstration, discussion and presentations. This is usually a two-way transfer.

Locations of service have been chosen by Vietnamese Ministry of Health officials, and a point was made of working in provincial District hospitals or clinics where a dental room, and sometimes a dental practitioner exist. Annual visits last two weeks, with the team returning to one location for four or five years to build confidence, improve equipment and learn of any mistakes.

Since 1998, dental specialists who work in the Ministry’s National Hospital of Odontostomatology in Ho Chi Minh City supplement the visits to rural areas. A development of that has been the formation of a Cleft Care Surgical Team of different disciplines who have helped to change the management of cleft palates from a single procedure to long-term pre- and post- surgical stages. This involves dental and orthodontic work-ups and speech pathology in addition to repairing the hard tissue defects.

Over time, this project team has gained a reputation for hard work, a cheerful and friendly attitude, and high quality performance. When it was seen that the foreigners were as committed as the locals, community engagement resulted in the parents of school children paying for and building tooth brush racks for classes; an oral hygiene room following the supply of brushes and paste; and, the refurbishment of clinics. In the city, the specialists have been the catalyst to many organisational and protocol changes, and in the case of cleft lip and palate management, a completely new department has been created.

Whilst COVID-19 caused the cancellation of the annual visit, the project keeps reinventing itself. There is no doubt the team will return to Vietnam to renew its collaboration and relevance.

Focused on conflict areas like Myanmar and Cambodia, Tania has also worked with parallel researchers in Mainland China.

Exploiting her love of cooking to strengthen bonds between people, a decade ago Tania set up Peace-Meal Peacebuilding, a web portal where peacebuilders are featured through shared stories and recipes. They chat about the nitty-gritty of their work and swap stories. The wrinkle is that their recipes mirror what they ate in tough times of conflict, or suggest what brings them comfort.

“Sharing food is a great leveller and way to create connection,” advised Tania.

In October this year, Tania organised a ‘happy evening’ for 64 international students who were isolated during the Melbourne COVID lockdown. They were hurting with job loss, isolation, and loss of funds or access to welfare because of their temporary visa status.

“We raised some funds from Victoria University and catering and delivery support from Roti Bar.  Each student got a free three-course Malaysian meal delivered which was shared online together, along with stories and reflections. It happened between 6pm and 8pm. One student told me that sharing and socialising made the food taste even better.”

Tania has been a good friend of Rotary, talking at meetings over the last ten years and mentoring new Peace Fellow applicants. She was the Regional Coordinator (Oceania) for the Rotary Peace Fellow Alumni Association (RPFAA).

“I love the way Rotarians commit to the best possible peace education and professional preparation for the Scholars through the Peace Fellowship program,” she says.

Dr Lynda Bourne, Monash University Lecturer and past CEO of Stakeholder Management Pty Ltd, defines good governance as design, implementation and compliance, with five key areas (Rotary terminology in brackets):

1. Objectives (vision, mission and strategic plan)
2. Ethics (the Four-Way Test)
3. Culture (how people interact with one another)
4. Compliance (regulatory, statutory, legal), and
5. Governance framework (the club’s constitution & bylaws)

The single greatest strategic risk Rotary clubs face is one that is top of mind for all of us….

A membership recruitment and retention plan is undoubtedly the core part of a club strategic plan. If a club doesn’t have such a plan, its survival in the longer term will be under threat.

Another significant strategic risk is compliance. Rotary has both Rotary International oversight of compliance and local regulatory requirements, each creating an increased workload in recent years.Compliance for voluntary organisations has become more demanding, but clubs have no option but to pay it attention.

So, for dealing with governance (strategic) risk:

• Identify risks, the probability of them occurring, and the impact if they do occur
• Monitor relevant Rotary International guidelines and local regulations
• Develop strategies for protecting the club, and,
• Build these into the club strategic plan.

In a future article we will look at operational risk management. After all, projects are the core reason for our being.

Describing himself as an optimist and early adopter, Richard believes these traits have resulted in a diverse and interesting career, which commenced as a Bench Technician repairing 16mm projectors and cassette players, and then as a Field Technician servicing intelligent mailing equipment.   

After competing a Management Degree and making the decision to work in electronic manufacturing management, Richard progressed his career into manufacturing excellence working with companies such as Olex, Unilever, Pfizer, and currently, Fonterra.

Within Rotary, Richard’s interests include peacebuilding and humanitarian aid projects. Outside of Rotary, he enjoys time with family and friends, adventure holidays including remote area 4-wheel driving, and astronomy.

When asked what he would like to achieve as a Rotarian, Richard replied: “To simply make a difference, and for the world to be a better place for me being here.”

From his years of Rotary experience so far, his thoughts on the challenges that face Rotary include:

“As with all large organisations, one of the biggest challenges they face is their ability/desire to change to remain relevant. I agree with Charles Darwin’s quote: It is not the strongest nor the most intelligent species that survive, it is those that are most adaptable to change.”

Associate Professor Rachel Martin, who is now Head of the Department of Oral Health & Dentistry at Latrobe University Dental School in Bendigo, designed the Pearly Whites program. She is now setting up a partnership between the Dental School and North Richmond to involve senior students so that they gain supervised practical experience.

Rotary Balwyn has had fruitful discussions about this program with the Minister for Ageing, Luke Donnellan. He has remarked that this is a wonderful Rotary project that provides an essential service, not only to elderly Melburnians, but could be scaled up across Victoria and subsequently Australia-wide. Additionally, students in regional Victoria will be exposed to practical dental skills, as well as culturally and socially diverse communities to promote equity, health & wellbeing.

Rotary Balwyn members Drs Jim Cary and Brian McGuinness both volunteer dental services at North Richmond Community Health Centre.

If your club would like to know how to become involved in this project that can be extended to other aged care facilities, please contact Dr Brian McGuinness at mcguinnessfamily@hotmail.com

The Rotary Club of Brunswick was chartered in 1952 and has endured membership fluctuations linked to economic conditions and advancing years. The Rotary Club of Tullamarine had similar issues with single digit membership, making substantial projects implausible. But, fate intervened when Rotary Brunswick member Kevin Dale began to enjoy many makeups at Tullamarine, and, together with Club President Peter Boudville, a ‘let’s join forces’ plan was hatched.

In 2015 details were completed, and the Rotary Club of Brunswick Tullamarine was chartered. Today, there are 15 members in a vibrant club that hums with projects, such as supporting Brunswick Industries that has, over many decades, provided jobs for community members with disabilities.

The Club also assists the Brunswick Salvation Army with two hands-on projects: making reusable masks during the COVID-19 outbreak; and, providing second-hand phones to facilitate social engagement and security. It has also helped to provide new bicycles to the secondary college in bushfire-affected Mallacoota, and together with Rotary Kew, the Club has received a $17,000 District grant to assist the Spinal Research Institute.

With the lifting of restrictions, meetings have recommenced at the Lomond Hotel, 255 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East, Thursdays at 12.30 pm. And it gets better … the Lomond Hotel proprietor, James Neagle, is now a member.

Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grape juice, but other fruit can also be used. Yeast is added to the crushed fruit, which converts the sugar content into ethanol, carbon dioxide and heat. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts produce different styles of wine, resulting from the complexities of the biochemical development of the grape, the fermentation reactions, the fruit growing environment and the production process. 

The popularity of wine has meant that it has taken root on nearly every continent. Wine consumption was evident in Biblical times, however the history of wine goes back many centuries earlier. In China, there is evidence of a rice and grape fermented drink from around 7000 BC, and wine making was found to exist in Georgia c6000 BC, Iran from 5000 BC, Greece c4500 BC and Armenia and Sicily from c4000 BC. In Medieval Europe, monks produced considerable quantities of wine for religious purposes, personal use and for sale, making handsome profits.

Wine was introduced into Australia when Governor Arthur Phillip brought vines with him on the First Fleet in 1788. By the 1890s, the Hunter Valley, Barossa Valley and Yarra Valley had begun to produce wine. Now, Western Australia and Tasmania also produce good wines. Currently, Australia is the 7^th largest manufacturer of wine in the world and the quality of our wine is highly regarded.

The Rotary Wine Appreciation Fellowship has an email newsletter and members are encouraged to visit an interactive website for updates, features, articles and information on wine events and trips. As with other Fellowships, funds raised from its events support various Rotary projects.

More information can be found at http://www.rotarywine.net/newsletter.html