As we once again endure lockdown, I can’t help but feel that we are lucky to be in Rotary and to be able to share camaraderie and purpose, even though in this fourth lockdown it is done so via Zoom. So many people do not have anything like the Rotary family to keep their spirits buoyed through shared interests, the desire to do good in the world and build friendships. There is no doubt that there is angst and frustration being felt in our community right now, but as Rotarians we have much to fall back on that will sustain us through difficult times, including the Four-Way Test.
When we look at the evolution of the Four-Way Test, it began with a failing business that needed a moral compass on which to focus and guide it through difficult times. The Test is just as applicable during these difficult times and I urge you to consider it if you are facing challenges.
Just prior to lockdown, I was privileged to visit Rotary Balwyn and listen to four young students participating in the Club’s Public Speaking Competition using the Four-Way Test as the foundation. I was so impressed and inspired by these young leaders that each of the finalist’s speeches will be published in the forthcoming editions of Networker. In this edition, you will read how Christopher O’Connell from Scotch College has weaved the Four-Way Test into his observations of world politics. It is thought provoking indeed.
We are nearing the end of not just the Rotary year, but also the financial year. I would like to encourage all Rotarians who are considering making a tax-deductible donation prior their tax returns being completed to make The Rotary Foundation your beneficiary. Donations can be made via this link: https://my.rotary.org/en/donate. If you are a Centurion or considering becoming one and donating just $100 in the 100th year of Rotary, please use the same link. If you are considering becoming a Paul Harris Society Member please contact Julie Mason at julie.mason@education.vic.gov.au. If you are considering becoming a Major Donor, please contact Dennis Shore at djshore@bigpond.net.au.
If you have already donated to The Rotary Foundation, a heartfelt thank you!
On Saturday 19th June, the final Morning Tea with the DG will be held from 10.00am to noon and promises to be a real variety show extravaganza. We will have a look back over the year, as well as hear from a number of great speakers and entertainers. Do register and join with me as we celebrate the year that’s been in true Rotary style!
“The ramifications of Rotary are beyond imagination. Nearly every phase of modern life is influenced and the outlook of members is broadened, and through it all there is the benign influence of fellowship which sweetens life. These are a few of the many reasons why Rotarians value their membership.”
It is always delightful to welcome new members to Wyndham Rotary – new members bring new project ideas. And so it was that we found out about an opportunity to make a difference in India.
The new project was to prevent avoidable blindness across all age groups, with beneficiaries located in remote villages in India that had no access to primary or tertiary eye care. This project motivated Wyndham Rotary for the first time to apply for an International Grant from The Rotary Foundation.
Rotary Districts in Australia and New Zealand initiated the Centurion Program many years ago as an easy way for all Rotarians to support their charity, The Rotary Foundation.
The program asks members to make a yearly contribution of AUS$100 or more to the Foundation’s Annual Fund. That’s about $2 per week.
With Rotary celebrating 100 years in Australia and New Zealand, how about becoming a Centenary Centurion!
By Rowan McClean, District 9800 Club Service Chair
A quick litmus test for Rotary club boards to assess club performance is the Organisation Effectiveness Diagnostic.
It focuses on three key areas: Strategic Intent, Culture and Behaviour, and Systems and Processes.
Strategic Intent is the club’s direction and priorities as determined by its board. It considers purpose, mission, vision and the objectives, strategies and plans to achieve them.
Culture and Behaviour concerns interactions between members and partners – leadership, communication, values, support, respect, teamwork, empowerment, inclusiveness, motivation and fun.
Systems and Processes are the enablers to efficiently and effectively manage getting there. They include financial management, procedures, measurement, knowledge retention, knowledge transfer, systems and reporting.
Focusing on these separate areas allows boards to subjectively assess current club performance in them, and thereby identify areas that need strengthening. A simple 0 to 10 scale will allow directors to score the components of each key area and direct attention to critical areas.
Perhaps it was a sliding doors moment when Amanda, as an elite track athlete in Brisbane in 2007/8 met a young American Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and agreed to accompany him to several Rotary events prior his return to California. She’d never heard of Rotary up to that point. Fast-forward to 2018 and Amanda, as a member of the Rotary International Communications Committee, was invited by RI President Barry Rassin to address International Assembly in San Diego on how to attract, engage and activate millennials. Seated in the front row was the American Ambassadorial Scholar who had first introduced her to Rotary.
But that is exactly what happens in Rotary … people connect and build life-long friendships. And it is this that Amanda has enjoyed so much about her Rotary journey. While she only joined in 2010 – not a long time some would consider given what’s ahead for her in 2022-23 – Amanda has amassed an incredible depth of experiences at club, district and even international levels. Her Rotary CV reads a little like her career CV, but then that’s not surprising, as there has been a common thread running through both. Communication, connection, trust and relevance weave through all she does.
Rotary Balwyn has The Four-Way Test Public Speaking Showcase over many years with the objective of providing a competitive outlet for secondary students attending schools within the City of Boroondara to hone their public speaking skills and promote the Rotary Four-Way Test as a moral compass. In this competition students can speak on any subject that they feel is current, interesting or important. Their speech must however, be based on the application of Rotary’s Four-Way Test, with its principles running either expressly or implied throughout the entire speech.
Over the coming weeks, the transcripts of the four finalists will be published in Networker, as we are sure you will find them inspiring!
How many times have you flicked on the news and watched politicians filibuster, political point score and talk their way around real issues? Sadly, the answer is probably more times that you can count. Now, I’m not one to criticise over-talkers, because I am one myself. But while I’m a world-class chatterbox, I do cherish my voice when given the opportunity to speak about social issues in a context like this. How can we change the tone of public discourse so that we can effect more meaningful positive change? Unfortunately, if we take a look at the state of our country and in fact the whole world right now, we start to see that important people are not using their words meaningfully. That is the problem I want to examine today with the 4 Way Test: Is it the truth? Is it fair? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? And finally, is it beneficial to all concerned?
As a Melburnian, if you hear the word ‘Essendon’ one of two things usually springs to mind; airport or football team.
Until 1970, Essendon Airport was Melbourne’s international link to the world – it welcomed Queen Elizabeth in 1954 and the Beatles in 1964. We chronologically-challenged (yes, us) are stunned that the Tullamarine terminal is over 50 years old. The Ansett vs TAA days now seem a bit ‘Laurel & Hardy’ and recalling the machinations of Reg Ansett and Henry Bolte seems to acknowledge, and even salute, a quaint and less complicated world.
The International Marathon Fellowship of Rotarians was formed after a group of French Rotarians developed the idea of having at least 100 Rotarians competing in the Paris Marathon during Rotary’s Centennial year in 2005. The Fellowship was chartered the following year at the Berlin Marathon and since then, the group has met annually somewhere around the world to participate in a long distance running event.
Marathon running is a popular sport throughout the world with many countries having annual events. For this reason the International Marathon Fellowship of Rotarians has many countries from which to choose when organising a place where its members can stay, compete in a marathon event and enjoy hospitality, friendship and local tourism.
Rotary Fellowships are international groups that share a common passion. Being part of a fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world, explore a hobby or profession, and enhance your Rotary experience.
Rotary District 9800 Inc.
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As we once again endure lockdown, I can’t help but feel that we are lucky to be in Rotary and to be able to share camaraderie and purpose, even though in this fourth lockdown it is done so via Zoom. So many people do not have anything like the Rotary family to keep their spirits buoyed through shared interests, the desire to do good in the world and build friendships. There is no doubt that there is angst and frustration being felt in our community right now, but as Rotarians we have much to fall back on that will sustain us through difficult times, including the Four-Way Test.
“The ramifications of Rotary are beyond imagination. Nearly every phase of modern life is influenced and the outlook of members is broadened, and through it all there is the benign influence of fellowship which sweetens life. These are a few of the many reasons why Rotarians value their membership.”
By Past District Governor Julie Mason AM
Rotary Districts in Australia and New Zealand initiated the Centurion Program many years ago as an easy way for all Rotarians to support their charity, The Rotary Foundation.
By Rowan McClean, District 9800 Club Service Chair
By Tricia Reardon
Speech by Christopher O'Connell, Scotch College
By John Granger
By Helena Wimpole
Rotary Fellowships are international groups that share a common passion. Being part of a fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world, explore a hobby or profession, and enhance your Rotary experience.
