Dear Everyone,
At last Tuesday’s meeting, we were very privileged to hear Barry Ryder speak most passionately about his life’s work and his dedication to looking after those most vulnerable in our society. We were very pleased to have Barry’s wife Leslie, daughter and son-in-law Jacqui and Daniel Soar, and Ali Bowyer, Leonie and Paul Tarrant as visitors too.
This week I would like to write about the Multi-District Conference – Virtual Victoria which took place last weekend. Because this Multi-District Conference encompassed all Victorian Districts, many interesting speakers were engaged to speak on diverse topics.
Our Trash2Treasure Market caused me to miss the first session, but Lorna watched it and thought that the Rotary International President Nominee Jennifer Jones was very impressive.
On Sunday the speakers included:
- Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp, who referred to programmes shared by Rotary and the City of Melbourne
- Phillip Beasley, who spoke about the big R of Rotary and the collective power Rotary has. We need to work more collaboratively together for the greater good, be more attractive and have a higher public image. Too often we operate in a small rotary way and don’t seek opportunities to partner with other organisations such as Lions.
- Jenny from the Salvation Army who spoke about homelessness and how poverty is everyone’s responsibility
- The RC of Manningham who spoke about their “Connecting Manningham” project during the Covid crisis.
- Sharon and David Hamilton from women’s clothing company Fella Hamilton, who are excellent corporate citizens and believe that all companies should give back to their communities.
- Bruce Anderson DG of D9790 who spoke about clubs embedded in their local communities; members, clubs and districts band together to tackle the challenges of floods, bushfires and pandemics locally, nationally and internationally. They “take Rotary everywhere.”
- Katey Halliday who spoke about Rotary’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy.
- David Laity, Founder and CEO of Goodwill Wine, whose story of how he seized an opportunity from adversity was very inspiring:
A former film-maker, David received $15,000 as a result of the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires. He invested in a small batch of wine and approached the charities that had previously helped him and gave back 50% of his profit. He lived in an old cheese factory in Coldstream and slept in a swag for three to four years until he broke even. David then moved out of his warehouse to a house with a double garage where he kept his wine in Woodend. He got an investor in London, his main one, and then another nine followed, they just “came out of the woodwork”. They brought the talents and skills that he didn’t have to the business, e.g. marketing, market research, ware-housing, social media, horticultural skills etc. David has donated $400,000 to charity over 10 years, dramatically increasing over the last 2 years, as people bought wine online especially during 2020. His business has grown by 500% over the last 2 years. David has brought defibrillators, fire-fighting equipment for CFA brigades, saved whales, rehomed and de-sexed hundreds of dogs and cats, provided over 30,000 meals for asylum seekers, helped initiate a plastic bag ban in Queensland and rehomed orang-utans.
David wanted to be part of the solutionand not part of the problem.
- ESRAG – EnvironmentalSustainability Rotarian Action Group, which enables us to be seen as relevant to younger generations. They are recycling hearing aids, other medical equipment and playgrounds, erecting solar panels in Timor Leste, creating school gardens including sensory gardens, and cleaning up waterways and highways. We can help nature heal our planet.
- Young Rotarian Vic Grosjean from Ocean Innovators:
One billion people are sickened by unsafe waters, and 90% of plastic pollution in our oceans comes from just 10 rivers. We must solve the problem of water pollution worldwide. 30-35% of critical marine habitats have already been destroyed. Microplastics are a huge problem and are in our clothing, rubber and even the dust in our rooms. This year the Ocean Innovators are focussing on mangrove restoration. To learn more, visit
Young people and others could join Rotary just to support the environment.
In our Club we have already identified an environment representative, and in the new Rotary year we will have an Environmental Sustainability Committee to address issues such as reducing the amount of plastics in the community and tree-planting etc.
Next year’s Conference will be D9810 only and will be on Friday and Saturday 25th and 26th of March at the Caulfield Racecourse. The theme of the Gala Dinner on Saturday night is “Famous Families”. Registration is opening in October.
Have you received an invitation by email to the District Changeover on Saturday 26th of June at the Southern Golf Club Keysborough? It is reproduced below.
Thank you’s this week to:
- who supported the May Market. We can’t do it without you.
- Tina, John Shaw, Gloria, Lyn and Alan Beckwith for attending RYDA – Rotary Youth Driver Awareness – with ESC students last Tuesday.
- Roy for standing in to chair our meeting.
- Lorna, Roy and Ali for supervising the Breakfast Club on Tuesday morning while the usual workers were at RYDA.
- for organising walks for The R100 Walkers who have now reached their goal of walking 100 kilometres for the Rotary Centenary in Australia.
- Kris for conceiving the idea of 100kms. for 100 Years and setting up the Facebook page. Could this Fundraiser be repeated next year? - Just saying.
- Members who attended the Multi-District Conference on the weekend.
**This Tuesday night on the 11th of May the lovely Sue Gregory will be a guest to receive our donation to and speak about the Australian-Himalayan Foundation.
And DGN Ken will be our “Know Your Rotarian”; there is so much many of us don’t know about Ken. Hopefully all will be revealed.
**Next week: on the 18th of May it’s fun and games! Our meeting is cancelled!
We will not be meeting at the Pub but at the Monbulk Sports Pavilion at 6:15pm. in support of the RC of Monbulk and District’s Wine-Tasting Fundraiser! 🍷🍾🥂🧀 🥖
See the invite below and RSVP to Lorna by the 11th of May. The cost is only $10.
**The following week: on the 25th of May, it’s Club Assembly again! So much excitement.
Come and join us at The Paradise this Tuesday night for a great night!
OR hopefully you can Zoom in.
Stay safe and stay Rotary Even Prouder.
Yours in Rotary,
Vicki.
