Tag: Rotary

Speaking to the Rotary Club of Warrandyte Donvale

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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.

2010 Changeover Evening for the Rotary Club of Ringwood

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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.

40th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Ringwood

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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

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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 – Hub Captains and rebuilding after the bushfires

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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.

Migrant Information Centre – Sporting Tournament for the Burmese and Sudanese Communities

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The Migrant Information Centre provides a range of support services for migrants and refugees living in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne. In recent years Maroondah has seen an increase in migrants from Sudan and Burma and now has one of the largest Burmese populations within Metropolitan Melbourne.

The Migrant Information Centre organises regular events to provide opportunities for these migrant groups and the organisation approached the Rotary Club of Ringwood to assist in delivering a barbecue as part of a soccer and volleyball tournament for the Burmese and Sudanese communities.

The event was held in Greenwood Park, located along Greenwood Avenue in Ringwood with people participating in volleyball and soccer. The Rotary Club of Ringwood provided a barbecue, food and refreshments as part of the event.

I was one of several Rotary members who volunteered to assist with the barbecue and it was great to receive such a positive response from the participants who appreciated the efforts of the Migrant Information Centre and the Rotary Club.

As the local Ward Councillor for the Mullum Ward I also had the pleasure of presenting the trophies to the competing teams. The event attracted a large number of attendees and it is wonderful to see community organisations working in partnership to strengthen our community and to assist newly arrived migrants in Australia.

Rotary Club of Mitcham – Changeover Dinner 2009

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Rotary Clubs have an annual changeover dinner to recognise the achievements of the past year and to introduce the new officebearers of the Club and the incoming President.

Tonight I was invited to attend the Rotary Club of Mitcham Changeover Dinner. While I am a member of the Rotary Club of Ringwood, I do know several members from Mitcham, including its previous and outgoing Presidents.

The function provided an opportunity to recognise the committed service of individuals and it was wonderful to see Sharon Partridge being awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship. Sharon, was a former Whitehorse Councillor and past President of the Rotary Club of Mitcham.

During Sharon’s year as President she successfully organised several events, including fundraising activities and a concert providing funds for solar facilities in East Timor and scholarships for Indigenous Australians.

The Paul Harris Fellowship is one of Rotary’s highest honours and was named after Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary.

Maroondah Combined Probus Club

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Probus Clubs, which are initiated through the support of a local Rotary club, provides an organisation for retired or semi-retired community members.

The Maroondah Combined Probus Club is one of the largest within the municipality and meets at the Ringwood RSL. The club organises a range of speakers to cater to the diverse interests of its members.

This morning I was invited to speak to the Combined Probus Club members to discuss the vision for Ringwood, as well as the need for public transport improvements.

I discussed the plans for the redevelopment of Eastland, which will result in the creation of a new town square and park, to assist in restoring a sense of community into Ringwood. I also spoke about the current plans for the Ringwood Station and the need for further funding so that the station itself can be redeveloped into an accessible, safe and integrated transport facility.

While work is expected to commence on the station forecourt and bus interchange during the course of next year, there is still need for a State Government commitment to redevelop the station itself. Ringwood Station currently fails disability compliance standards and as a result the station is not accessible and is in fact avoided by many people in our community.

The redevelopment of Eastland is also expected to commence next year and I spoke about the transformation of Ringwood into a vibrant urban centre. While this development will bring positive changes to Ringwood, there is a need to ensure that community facilities are enhanced to meet the growing needs of our municipality.

I have requested that council undertake a management plan for Jubilee Park so that we can develop a vision and strategy for the sporting clubs within the municipality. Likewise, there is a need for similar strategies in regard to community space, cultural facilities and green open space.

The town centre within the middle of Ringwood will be complemented by a park and play equipment in Nelson Street, providing additional open space for the community and catering to the young families that are moving into Ringwood.

Public transport improvements, such as the Ringwood to Frankston SmartBus have enhanced the mobility of our community and I discussed the need for further improvements to provide transport choice for our residents.

More frequent, accessible and readily available public transport services will provide our community with alternatives to car travel and I congratulated the Probus Club for its strong interest in public transport and attendance at the bus review workshops that were held in February.

Rotary Club of Ringwood – Eastern Palliative Care

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The Rotary Club of Ringwood, is nearing 30 years since its formation, with many of its past and current members are still involved in various community causes.

Tonight’s meeting included a speaker from Eastern Palliative Care, as well as a board member from the organisation who was a past President of the Rotary Club of Ringwood. Eastern Palliative Care aims to provide support for patients with a terminal illness and also offers assistance to their families.

One of the services provided by Eastern Palliative Care is its Client Biography Service, which provides an opportunity for patients to tell the story of their life, providing a living memory of the person and a source of reflection and closure. Eastern Palliative Care has conducted 158 biographies to date, which includes photographs, a CD version and two printed copies. All content is discussed and approved by the patient with the service being conducted entirely by trained volunteers.

The organisation is a partnership between Outer East Palliative Care Service, Melbourne Eastern Palliative Care Association, Order of Malta and Sisters of Charity (St Vincent’s Health) and provides services within Boroondara, Manningham, Maroondah, Whitehorse, Monash, Knox and Yarra Ranges.

Eastern Palliative Care is largely supported through the efforts of volunteers and the Client Biography Service is one unique example of how the organisation aims to assist both patients and families.

Rotary Club of Ringwood – April Club Forum

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The Rotary Club of Ringwood, which is part of Rotary District 9180, holds regular club forums to discuss the direction of the club and to provide input to its officebearers.

Tonight’s meeting featured a club forum to discuss the future priorities of the club and further efforts to assist our community. The Rotary Club of Ringwood will be making contact with the Marysville community to see what further assistance is required for the bushfire recovery effort and will liaise with local community members and the Lions Club of Marysville.

In addition the proposed Rotary Club of Ringwood website was discussed and members will be collating their history in the club to provide information for the website. This will ensure that visitors gain an insight into the club and assist in recruiting new members.