Greetings Fellow Rotarians! What a fantastic first meeting we had back at the Golf Club on Thursday evening. A huge thank you to all those in attendance, including our guests -word on the street being that we may have some new members coming into the fold which in this time of uncertainty is a credit to everyone in the club. We also welcomed back an old friend to the club, the Sergeant which was enjoyed by all. Awesome work!
Also on the night, David Baguley got us thinking about what our club looks like now and how COVID-19 has and may affect the way we operate. Some great ideas and food for thought certainly came out on the night, including reminding members we are flexible in what we do so if you have something that you are really passionate about please let me know. We may be able to look at doing something in that arena.
He also touched on the different areas of the club, what they each do and the Leadership team invited members to join in and help out where they can.
We pride ourselves on being people of action so let's help out as much as we can. Coming up is our annual Botanical Bazaar on Sunday 04 October which will be all hands on deck for the day, to help make this another success. The Bazaar team has been working extremely hard to put this event together so we hope that all members can participate in some way in the lead up to, or on the day itself. If you can help, or if you are planning on being at the event on the day to volunteer, please contact David Baguley or Kate Kimmorley to let them know so they can allocate you to an area. I look forward to seeing you all there!
In the meantime don't forget our double celebration at the Botanical Gardens on Sunday 16 August; the Presidents Brunch and Birthday Celebrations for July, August and September.
Our next club meeting is at the Southport Golf Club on Thursday 20 August where Assad will introduce the inspiring Ambassadors to his new Rotaract Club; a night not to be missed! So pop it in your diary today.
Until next time, please take care and if you need anything at all please feel free to contact me via phone on 0433 069 174 or email melissaneilsen1979@gmail.com
It's no secret our club has enjoyed a healthy growth of members over the last 24 months. It's also no secret that a high proportion of new members leave their club within the first 2 to 3yrs. There have been many surveys done in the past to determine the reasons behind this of which there are many, including member expectations not being met.
Normally when a new member joins Rotary they are assigned a Mentor to help guide them through the introduction to the club and to help them find their feet. Up until now, this has been a role carried out by most members of the club as they are appointed as a mentor to new members as they come in.
The new Mentor Program is aiming to form a group of members whose sole responsibility is to Mentor new members. The idea behind this is to create a team who specialise in helping to identify the reason/s that member has joined our club, what they are hoping to achieve from being a member and to provide them with the support to help them achieve that.
Presently we are looking at not just new members that join our club but also looking back over members that have joined our club in the last 18 months, and assigning them to the Mentors in the new team. By doing this, we are helping members to feel part of the club and give them the opportunity to learn about and become engaged in the area/s of the club they feel passionate about, all with the support of someone dedicated to mentoring.
Each of us has special skills and talents, and I'm looking for people that have the desire to help others in the club meet and reach their potential. If you would like to be part of this fantastic new group of people that will be fundamental in helping to ensure the ongoing success of our club, Luciane and I would love to hear from you.
You don't have to be a long term member of the club to put your hand up for this role - you could be a brand new member with a passion to help, learn more about the club and then pass this on to other new members. There is no minimum time frame you have to have been a member of the club to do this role, as we will teach you everything you need to know about this great way to get involved in the club!
This group sits under Membership, though you will be working with your own set of guidelines and information we have designed and put together to help make this role as easy as possible for you and those in your team to undertake.
For more information please contact Luciane at lucianesperling@hotmail.com or myself at melissaneilsen1979@gmail.com
At our last meeting, we heard from our lovely member Jennifer Bailey. From owning a camel as a pet to competing in dog sports, Jennifer is an animal lover who also likes to repurpose furniture in her spare time. Jennifer also has excellent project management skills, which come in very handy for the club! Here’s a bit more about Jennifer:
What has your life been committed to so far? Working, studying, travelling, dogs
What does dour future hold? On Linkedin the other day, this post came up!'So in retrospect, in 2015, not a single person got the answer right to “where do you see yourself in five years from now?” Wow – isn’t that a gem!! I run a consultancy nine1nine3 working with RTOs on compliance and QA. Working for myself encourages me to balance my life – not something I’ve been very good at!
Why is Rotary important to you? I think it’s about working together to create a better sense of community that attracted me. People in the wider community always speak highly of Rotary, and we do make a difference locally and globally. I wanted to do something to challenge me. And as the saying goes “if it doesn’t challenge me, then it won’t change me!”
Thanks, Jennifer - it’s great to get to know you and your passion for Rotary a little better!
Just to finish off on a light note here are some useless facts just for fun.
The opposite sides of a die will always add up to seven.
The King of Hearts is the only king in a deck of cards without a moustache.
"Dreamt" is the only word in the English language that ends with "mt."
It's possible to turn peanut butter into diamonds.
Not sure about that last one but go forth, grab your peanut butter from the kitchen and try your hardest!
Are you an established professional who wants to make positive changes in your community and the world?
Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for community service and friendship. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group who share your drive to give back.
Our 1.2 million-member organization started with the vision of one man—Paul P. Harris. The Chicago attorney formed one of the world’s first service organizations, the Rotary Club of Chicago, on 23 February 1905 as a place where professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Rotary’s name came from the group’s early practice of rotating meetings among the offices of each member.
You are invited to visit us at an upcoming meeting.
