Speaking to the Rotary Club of Warrandyte Donvale

Australia is home to a large number of Rotary Clubs, which are organised into geographically defined districts. The eastern and south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne are situated within Rotary District 9810, which extends from Port Philip Bay through to Dandenong Ranges and beyond.

This evening I spoke to the Rotary Club of Warrandyte Donvale, discussing my Council, Community and business background. I had been assisting the Club in the formation of their new website, designed to create a dynamic web presence for the Club.

The Rotary Club of Warrandyte Donvale has unveiled its website to coincide with the launch of its Art Show, a major project undertaken by the Club. The website has enabled the Club to easily maintain content on the site and to add new information as required.

In addition, the website enables an on-line registration process for artists entering the Art Show. This removes the need to manually enter data, reducing duplication, as well as preventing errors that can occur when manually typing data from forms.

Furthermore, the automation of the on-line system means that time provided by the Club’s volunteers can be utilised on other activities, rather than spending time manually entering data. Volunteers often have time constraints and it is important that their time is valued and utilised productively.

I commend the Rotary Club of Warrandyte Donvale for utilising the Internet to improve the operations of the Club and to promote their activities.

Maroondah Leader: Charity acts to the fore

The Rotary Club of Ringwood has held an annual golf charity day since 2009 to raise funds for worthwhile community causes. This year Rotary Club of Ringwood has chosen to support the installation of security cameras at Ringwood through proceeds raised through the day.

The Maroondah Leader has reported on the partnership formed between the Rotary Club of Ringwood, Eastland and Maroondah Council through supporting the charity golf day.

Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin said the efforts of the council, community, Eastland and the government would benefit Ringwood.

The introduction of security cameras will provide improvements to the amenity of Ringwood and Council is supporting this initiative through its sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Ringwood’s charity golf day. The installation of security cameras will provide immediate safety improvements While the Maroondah community awaits a State Government commitment for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange.

Rotary Club of Ringwood – discussing the club website and introducing new members

The Rotary Club of Ringwood is one of several service clubs located within the City of Maroondah, which aim to provide support to groups and individuals within the community. The Rotary Club of Ringwood has had a particular focus on assisting refugees and has supported a number of events celebrating Maroondah’s cultural diversity.

This evening I provided an information session about the Rotary Club of Ringwood website to assist committee members in the management of the site. Committee members and authorised members of the club are able to add new content to the site, including photographs and videos, to ensure that the site is continually maintained and up-to-date.

One of the challenges facing service clubs is the need to encourage ongoing participation and interest from the community. The website should assist the Rotary Club of Ringwood in recruiting new members and highlighting the work it undertakes on behalf of the Maroondah community.

2010 Changeover Evening for the Rotary Club of Ringwood

The Rotary Club of Ringwood is one of two Rotary Clubs based in Maroondah and this evening I attended the Club’s Changeover Dinner. I have been a member of the Rotary Club of Ringwood since 2008 and each year Rotary Clubs hold a changeover event to commemorate the appointment of the new Club President.

The Changeover Dinner provides an opportunity to reflect on the activities of the past year, including the involvement of the Club in supporting Maroondah’s emerging communities.  The Rotary Club of Ringwood assisted with Harmony Day and the launch of Refugee Week, as well as supporting other events throughout the year.  These community events demonstrates the Club’s commitment Service Above Self, which is a foundation principle of Rotary.

For further information on the Rotary Club of Ringwood please visit www.ringwoodrotary.org.au.

Rotary Club of Croydon – Raffle Draw

The Rotary Club of Croydon is one of two Rotary clubs based in Maroondah and meets on a weekly basis each Tuesday evening. Rotary Clubs, while being part of Rotary International, are largely autonomous and able to devote time and funds to local community based projects.

Alex with members of the Rotary Club of Croydon
Alex with members of the Rotary Club of Croydon

This afternoon I was invited to conduct the raffle draw for the club to determine winners of its Christmas Hamper and other prizes. The winners were most appreciative of their prizes and it was great to see the strong number of participants in the raffle.

Announicng the winner from the Rotary Club of Croydon Raffle Draw

Proceeds will be donated to worthwhile community projects, ensuring that Rotary is serving our local community.  Maroondah is fortunate to have two strong and active Rotary Clubs within our municipality.  Both clubs are part of district 9810 and have worked together on a number of projects on behalf of the Maroondah community.

Rotary Club of Ringwood – 40th anniversary

This afternoon I attended the 40th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Ringwood, which celebrated the organisation’s presence within the Ringwood and Maroondah community.

The Rotary Club of Ringwood was chartered on the 27th of October 1969 with 26 initial members. The club was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Box Hill, which supported Ringwood in its formation and early years of existence.

It is timely that Rotary’s theme for this year is the Future of Rotary Is In Your Hands, reflecting the ongoing community service provided by clubs, as well as the need to continually strengthen the organisation’s presence and membership recruitment. The usage of the Internet in particular, has the potential to shape Rotary and how it interacts with the wider community. While the presence of Rotary will always remain within communities, strengthening its Internet presence will help communicate the purpose and aims of the organisation.

The Rotary Club of Ringwood has been involved in a significant amount of community projects over the past 40 years, including its ongoing support for Maroondah Hospital and initiating the Save Water Save Lives project, which installs water tanks to provide fresh water in developing nations.

The Future of Rotary is dependent on the ongoing involvement of clubs within their local communities. The Rotary Club of Ringwood continues to be involved within Maroondah and projects that benefit local, national and international communitities.

For further information on the Rotary Club of Ringwood please visit www.ringwoodrotary.org.au.

40th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Ringwood

The Rotary Club of Ringwood was founded in 1969 after being sponsored by the Rotary Club of Box Hill.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Ringwood and celebrations were held this afternoon to celebrate the occasion. Several foundation members spoke about the origins of the Club and its activities over the past 40 years.

With this year’s Rotary theme being the Future of Rotary Is In Your Hands, it is rather timely to reflect on the successes of the Club and its plans for the future.

For further information on the Rotary Club of Ringwood please visit www.ringwoodrotary.org.au.

Rotary Club of Ringwood: Assisting international organisations

The Rotary Club of Ringwood, while being a local community group, forms one of the many Rotary clubs that are part of Rotary International with its 1.2 million members worldwide.

Tonight’s guest speaker discussed the Fistula Foundation and its work in Africa, where doctors assist women who had complications during childbirth.  The Hospital was founded in 1974 within Ethiopia to prove treatment for women who experienced complications giving birth.

Fistulas caused by giving birth are largely unheard of in developed countries but are common in the developing world, due to a lack of nutrition and education.  In recognition of the work undertaken by the foundation, The Rotary Club of Ringwood donated financial assistance to provide support for the organisation.

Rotary Club of Ringwood – August Board meeting

The Rotary Club of Ringwood meets each Wednesday evening at Club Ringwood at the corners of Oban Road and Maroondah Highway.

The Rotary Club is governed by a board with board members being responsible for specific aspects of the Club. As an example, I am responsible for Fellowship, which involves organising club activities within the broader community.

One of the initiatives of the club this year is to hold open board meetings, whereby all members are able to hear the reports presented during the board meeting and comment on specific proposals.

As part of tonight’s board meeting I encouraged members to volunteer ideas for Fellowship activities, as well as highlighting the club’s website and to ensure that it is viewed as an integrated component within the club’s broader promotional and marketing initiatives.

This year there will be an emphasis on community engagement within the Rotary Club to ensure that all members have input into club activities.

Rotary Club of Ringwood – Hub Captains and rebuilding after the bushfires

The Rotary Club of Ringwood has been assisting the bushfire affected areas of Victoria, through fundraising efforts and other initiative such as establishing a tool library in conjunction with the Lions Club of Marysville.

The Tool Library provides residents with the ability to hire tools required to assist in the rebuilding efforts, as they rebuild their homes and lives and communities. The Rotary Club of Ringwood has provided several trailers of equipment and tools for the people of Marysville and to stock the Tool Library.

Tonight’s guest speaker was the Hub Captain from Marysville, who is responsible for coordinating the bushfire relief efforts. Hub Captains have been appointed within each of the affected regions and it is their role to coordinate local, state and Federal government efforts within these regions.

The Hub Captains are funded through the State Government and assist in providing a centralised approach to Government services and assistance. The role entails working closely with the community as the towns embark on a rebuilding process.

The Rotary Club of Ringwood has worked closely with the Hub Captain of Marysville to assist in the rebuilding efforts, particularly in re-establishing and empowering the local community.

The rebuilding process is an enormous and complex task and it is therefore important that there is coordination between government and the community.