Meeting No 12 - 27 June 2015

 

Welcome to meeting No.12 of the eClub of Latitude 38.

 
 
This week's meeting material
(Contributions to future meetings are welcome)
 
This week we have a number of activities for you to get involved with and to give some feedback if you wish.
  • There are comments from three members about last week's material. These are always welcome.
  • Some Rotary material to read on Rotary Fellowships as June is Rotary Fellowships month.
  • A short video on ending polio from Germany.
  • A video summarising the recent Rotary International Convention in Sao Paulo.
  • The epidemic of over-seriousness with Zara -a video.
Brian Norris
Website Manager 
 
Something for Members to read
One Rotary Videos to watch

Plus our regular weekly inspirational and educational features...

Possible items on our agenda for the future 

  • Partnership with Disaster Aid Australia - Jenny Hammet would like to take this forward
  • Development of a Crowdfunding scheme
  • Microcredit project - some interest from Pete Showell with this one.
  • Kits for kids - See list above. Russell Voss is interested in this project.
  • Every member to become a Centurion ie giving $100 per annum to the Rotary Foundation - Suggested last week by member, PDG Ian Sayers.
Anyone interested in taking any of these projects on?
 
 
 
Member comments on last week's meeting (No.11)
 

President Kerrie also wrote on 26 June: 

I’ve just spent my morning tea time cruising through this week’s material. Rosie King grabbed my attention the most – 16, autistic and happily so. I’ve never thought too much about autism only felt sad when someone has made reference to someone’s child struggling with it and she is so right – people do try to put you in a stereotypical box. The Rotaractor’s doing good in the Ukraine was a simple but obviously worthwhile project for that club. I agree with Ian, it was a shame there wasn’t more about the Convention which was held recently in Sao Paulo. I would be a tad disappointed if the highlight of the Convention was the launch of a members benefits program which is an idea I’m personally still trying to reconcile with.

 

Ian, you’ve escaped the fine for reading the paper a day late by checking out the Facebook page for the club on Thursday Island but I’m thinking that’s the club to email with this week’s greeting too. Should you or I do it? The pic at the northernmost point of Oz is impressive. You look well and obviously enjoyed the trip and experience. Somehow I thought the water would be bluer and more greenery but then I guess it is the Cape so exposed to all the elements. I’m looking forward to exploring Australia a bit more someday….

 

..and on 15 June Ian Sayers wrote:

I’ve just been looking at this week’s material and the feedback from members (see chain below). I thought the material on the lifecycle of a Rotary Project was great in that it should be very helpful for us as we look to progress and manage projects. The social media clip was good but made me realise how much I need to learn and the PR ad, while not specific to Rotary, was very relevant too. Megan Washington was great and I understand she was equally brilliant at the Sydney Convention but for me the best was the story about the Rio Branco School for deaf. A great example of turning a challenging personal situation into something very positive for others.
 
For the good of Rotary
 
We have 16 serious expressions of interest in membership of the eClub so are just 4 short of being able to Charter. Seems to be so close but we have been sitting at 16 for a while now so if you could use your networks to find the illusive 4 that would be really good. Ideally these people will be new to Rotary, former Rotarians or people who have to make the tough decision about membership in other clubs because of competing priorities. More than 4 would be brilliant since some would say that what we are offering is Rotary in the Future.
 
Club Leadership and Committees
 
In light of our number and in anticipation of Charter we need to start forming Boards and Committees. In respect of a Board, please consider nominating for key positions. I hope to have a draft constitution and bylaws soon but propose a structure similar to other Rotary Clubs:
 
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Service Avenues
Foundation
Membership
Public Relations
Club Administration
 
Under this structure (which is a proposal for comment please) the Service Avenues person would lead and coordinate and represent the chairs of the different service avenues committees.
 
In respect of committees / teamwork, Jenny H has  kindly put her hand up help progress links with Disaster Aid Australia (DAA). Pete S put his hand up some time ago to help with microcredit loans and Russ V also volunteered some time ago to work on the Kits for Kids project. Thanks Jenny, Pete and Russ. If you could volunteer to help Jenny, Pete or Russ please let then and the general membership know. For those that don’t know Pete and Russ will be living and working overseas in Vietnam and Thailand respectively so this is a big advantage for us and the receiving communities in those countries. Committee meetings can be via email or GoTo Meeting which is a teleconferencing system which the Rotary District has available.
 
Action required:  Please volunteer to help with one of these initiates so that we start to form committees. Why? Projects which are on the go will attract people to our club, promote our club and let us make a real contribution to the lives of others.
 
Fees for current Rotarians
 
I have been asked what current Rotarians should do about their half yearly subs which are due now. My recommendation is to pay the subscription but only the amount that is required by Rotary International and the District and Foundation (not any special club costs unless of course you intend going to that club on a fairly regular basis and it wouldn’t pass the four way test). The reason for this is that when we charter, you will transfer your membership to Latitude 38 which will keep your Rotary service history intact and save you and me a bit of time and ink (less paperwork). Your respective clubs will be asked to write a brief letter commending you to the eClub. There is also an exit survey but it’s not arduous.
 
Member Introductions
 
Before we get too big I thought we might start to introduce ourselves (on paper at least). I realise we are all busy so it doesn’t need to be an essay, just a few lines about yourself, whether you are new to Rotary or not, what you do apart from Rotary etc. Any takers to start the ball rolling?
 
Member Responses to this weeks material
 
Thanks Ian and Jenny for your comments this week. He’s what you had to say:
 
Jenny H :
 
Wouldn't it be great if more of us thought like Rosie.  Thanks for including her video, there is far too much labelling and normalising and not enough appreciation of the many gifts of an individual.  It is of course much easier to manage uniformity, but it is not nearly as rewarding as recognising the talents of each person.
 
At this early stage I'd be happy to help out on linking with Disaster Aid.  Thank you to you (Brian) and Kerrie for your persistence with eClub.  
 
Jenny
 
Ian S:
 
This is one of those times I thank Heavens for an eClub.  Right at the moment I’m flat out.  I have the ACT Reserve Forces Day Council annual commemoration at St John’s Anglican Church, Reid, ACT, this coming Saturday .  That will be immediately followed by a special Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial.  Then I’ll be attending the similar commemoration with the Riverina Council in Wagga Wagga on Sunday.  I have a Battle for Australia Commemoration meeting tomorrow, followed by a “walk through” for Saturday’s ceremony.  Then, on top of those, I have two representative jobs to do for the District 9710 Governor – Rotary Club changeovers.
Last week I wrote a note on the Rotary Club of Thursday Island’s Facebook page, and have since learned of an interesting family connection with the Island.  My brother-in-law’s father, a Dr Baddeley, was GP there many years ago.  I spoke with my sister in Darwin yesterday and she told me.  She and her husband are both Darwin doctors.  It will be interesting to follow that up and see if anyone on the Island remembers of him.
This week’s meeting.  How about Megan Washington?  Wasn’t she great?  I learned something when I listened to her presentation.  People who stutter can still sing.  It explains something about an old ex-Army friend.  He stuttered dreadfully.  I know it’s terrible but everyone, including me, called him Johnny Staccato. When he sang, rarely, and only when he’d “had a few”,  there was no sign of a stutter.  I remember on one occasion he was in command of a small body of troops doing something.   When they finished he went to dismiss them.  One of my blokes was in the group and he said that by the time Staccato got the word “Dismiss” out, they’d all long gone. I still see him annually at the old units Senor NCOs and Officers luncheon.
I also learned that, in addition to Juliana, Canberra Sunrise’s first YEP student, there is something else very good in Sao Paulo.  What a great thing the local Rotarians have done in setting up and maintaining the Rio Branco School for the Deaf.  I also found put that I must learn more about social media.  It’s something that’s going to be vitally important to Rotarians if we’re going to appeal to young people.   It’s something that I know very little about.
I was a good kid, and also followed the Life Cycle of a Rotary project, and the PR video.  The PR video had, over on the right side, a couple of interesting lectures on PR – I’m watching both of them.
Another good and very interesting meeting.
Regards to all
Yours in Rotary
Ian
 
Russ also let me know that he’s about to move those 3 suitcases for the final time (he leaves for Thailand midnight next Thursday night...2/07). Brian and I are hoping to catch up with Russ if anyone would care to join us, please let Russ or I know your availability.
Have a safe and happy weekend everyone.
Yours in Rotary
Kerrie

 

 

 
This officially ends meeting No.12

If you have an interesting topic, or project to share please contact me at briannorris1@bigpond.com
Thank you for joining us, we appreciate your feedback, hope you will return soon and invite a guest.