For 5th April, 2004


2003 - 2004	Web Site: www.auau.com.au/rotary/rotarylogan.htm
		For 5th April, 2004
POST OFFICE BOX 3034,LOGANHOLME. QLD. 4129 QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA

Conference is over, and what a great conference it was. Thanks to all of you who attended who spoke last Monday night on their experience at Conference, along with Tony Evans from Logan Club. I found it to be extremely rewarding to be re-assured that we are doing heaps of good things in the world and that each of us can make life better for other people. We should also realize that it is necessary for us all to join in the camaraderie and fun that being part of a caring group instills. It keeps us enthusiastic and sane. I must thank all of the members of the Club who attending the Conference and who enthusiastically helped on the RDU stand. At times there were nearly as many people behind the table as in front. We sold $1883.45 worth of stock and should therefore get a cheque from RDU for $282.52. Glad we weren’t paying staff. Although the interaction we got from everyone who came up to the stand was well worth the effort of running it. I’m sure a lot more people know about Loganholme Club now than did before. So, don’t forget to start planning for next year’s “Beach Party” fun Conference at Ballina now. As you are aware, our Club is part of the planning and running of this Conference and the work shouldn’t be left to just a couple of members. Particular thanks to Tony, Sandy and John for coming along to our Club last Monday. As next year is the Centenary of Rotary Year there will be heaps of major functions; not the least of which will be Loganholme’s function to raise some meaningful money for the Logan Hospice. This will not be a cheap function and we are hoping to get substantial sponsorship and attendance from major companies. We should have more detail in the not too distant future and Marie will pass this on to you. Your help in making this a major success is paramount so keep this in mind. If we achieve Marie’s vision it will be a really worthwhile and important project and will hopefully be an ongoing annual function. Greg Ross was the key-note speaker on Sunday at Conference and had some very interesting things to say about membership and members and David Gardner send me a copy of his presentation notes. It takes up a few pages but is very interesting read. Have a great Easter and don’t forget partners night on the 19^th April – 6.30 for 7.00 at Fitzy’s. Cheers,
Date Claimers 5^th April, 2004 Club Assembly – Membership Strategies *19^th April, 2004 Tony South, Spinal Injury (PARTNERS NIGHT)* April, 2004 Rotary/Police/Business Function (To be Advised) 10^TH May, 2004 Harry Haxton – Managing Office Mayhem 17^th May, 2004 David Jull MP 22-26^th May, 2004 Ryla Seminar – Lake Perseverance 24^th May, 2004 District Governor Ray Brand (PARTNERS NIGHT) May, 2004 Bowls Day (To be advised) 31^st May, 2004 Membership Programme (Tentative) 7^TH June, 2004 Peter Nelson, Ambassador for Trade in China 21^st June, 2004 Vocational Visit (Venue to be advised ), Partners Night 3^rd July, 2004 Club Change-over 5^th July, 2004 District Change-over January 2005 National Science Forum – Year 11 Students PLEASE REMEMBER TO CONTACT CHRIS MONAHAN BY 9.30 A.M. MONDAY MORNINGS IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND THAT NIGHT’S MEETING PHONE - 3287.2077 DILBERT QUOTES CONTEST: “As of tomorrow, employees will only be able to access the building using individual security cards. Pictures will be taken next Wednesday and employees will received their cards in two weeks”. “What I need is a list of specific unknown problems we will encounter.” “E-mail is not to be sued to pass on information or data. It should be used only for company business.” “This project is so important, we can’t let things that are more important interfere with it.” “Doing it right is no excuse for not meeting the schedule.” “No one will believe you solved this problem in one day! We’ve been working on it for months. Now go and act busy for a few weeks and I’ll let you know when it’s time to tell them” Quote from the Boss, “Teamwork is a lot of people doing what I say.” The following is the general text of the speech given to Rotarians at District Conference last week-end. It was a very powerful speech and his notes are produced here for your information. Membership challenges in a changing world *by Greg. Ross, PDG 1991/92. District 9800* Great to have my son here. My family is often involved in Rotary activities but, in terms of the family of Rotary, as highlighted by our President Jonathan Majiyagbe, I doubt if anyone here beats Glen Estess who, by the time he joined Rotary had four older brothers who were already Rotarians. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A century ago no-one knew Rotary, but then no-one had heard a radio program, or watched tv, or flown in a plane. A century later most of us fly without a second thought, we have a kaleidoscopic array of communication tools at our disposal and Rotarians can be found serving in all corners of the world. Who was the average Rotarian, say, 20 years ago? (Many of us here, and certainly male.) Who is the average Rotarian today? Who will the average Rotarian be in 20 years? 50 years? 100 years? Long term thinking is quite a challenge. It needs courage and originality, creativity, and being prepared to say goodbye to some old ideas, without losing our core values of service, goodwill and peace. The effectiveness of our future good works can only be guaranteed by a strong and vital membership base. Our world is a rapidly changing one. Are we as Rotarians prepared to embrace those changes which will keep our organisation relevant and potent? How can we best use our leadership skills to help Rotary move into the 21^st century? The web is just the beginning. Our programs, such as the wonderful humanitarian projects of The Rotary Foundation and our own Research Fund, are certainly moving forward … but is our membership? After lunch today, as part of the workshop component of this Institute, there will be three separate membership sessions where your ideas will be sought, covering new clubs (with Bill Poole), recruitment (with Grahame Jones), and retention and family of Rotary (with Judy Magub). We want your ideas and your creativity. And so, the success of our programs, locally and internationally, relies hugely on our membership base. Without large numbers of Rotarians, the scale of our service would be significantly diminished. That means less dollar contributions to our Foundation and a reduction of programs. The active support of our partners is a valued component of our organisation. There are no ordinary partners at this Institute because you have been (or will be soon) involved in international leadership beyond club level. When it comes to membership, especially in the area of retention, partner support is extremely desirable. And with greater time and economic pressures, the need for partner understanding and support is increasingly important. Rotary can help by making the partner feel valued. Without that support, in the worst cases, pressure can be placed on the Rotarian to quit. A question posed to me more than once this year is: should reduced fees be offered to partners to become Rotarians? What do statistics tell us about our recent membership history? Graph 1: Annual membership worldwide Graph 2: Membership increase/decrease Graph 3: Gains/losses in existing clubs Obvious conclusions: that when a concerted effort is made, membership numbers increase dramatically; and that without the new clubs, those figures show how difficult it has been for our existing clubs to retain their membership numbers. What are the reasons for membership losses? They are extremely varied, as you would expect but, according to Canadian research, the two biggest reasons are: competing priorities and relocation. Regarding the latter, there are now relocation forms, and one of the Rotarians in our district has encouraged members to list the contact details of all their relatives living interstate, so that those details can be passed on to a Rotary club in the area. What about the reasons for leaving they don’t say? Such as: too expensive / a personal clash / feeling isolated and ignored. When a member resigns from your club, what do you do? Someone asked me a few years ago, if your club were dissolved and had to start again, how would it vary? Would the new club bear any resemblance to the old? I said that I hoped it would but that a few small changes could make it even better. Why did you join Rotary? Do you remember? What was it that appealed enough for you to join a service club, and one that met each week? And did you know what you were joining? I’ve known members who’ve joined for the wrong reasons (namely networking for personal gain) but who’ve stayed for the right reasons. For today’s membership segment I visited a brand new early evening club, Yarraville, and talked with charter members. I also interviewed new members at a larger and established club. From their responses, I will be asking you more questions over the next few minutes. They are not intended to be assumptions but questions for you to consider. So, why did you join Rotary? For me, as an actor, it enabled me to become part of my community, something that doesn’t happen naturally in that profession. What about the charter members of Yarraville? Why did they join? Video clip of new members Royce (Abbey) happened to be the guest speaker that evening. Of the 12 charter members appearing on that video clip, the overwhelming motivation for most was a sense of community. Serving their community was followed by a desire to meet new people and interact socially. Some had no intention of joining but once they became involved, they loved it. Couples were brought along by mates. One was encouraged by his company. The one whose father is a Rotarian and a Past President … he is the charter president of Yarraville. And then, of course, the woman who said that since it was a new club everyone could learn together, which made her feel comfortable, and she enjoyed the fact that she and like minded professional people were looking beyond themselves. Now, back to Royce, bast world president. Interesting that when he joined it was a different scenario. He was uncertain what it was, and was simply told by business associates to come along to a meeting which “we think you’ll enjoy”. He obviously did! In the video, you saw in the small segment showing the group as a whole just how informal they are compared to most established clubs. And you know what new clubs have: it’s that buzz of enthusiasm. To me that indicates a passion for what you’re doing which is something most successful clubs have in common. It’s contagious and it’s great for membership. Now to the new members at an established evening club, my club, North Balwyn. This club has 85 plus members, has been growing consistently, is 22 years old, has provided two district governors (the other being John Reddish), has 10 women members (with numbers growing), has just started an Interact club to go with its Rotaract club, and has helped charter another Rotary club during the past two years. It is interesting to see RI’s criteria for an effective club: · the ability to sustain or grow membership · to implement successful service projects · to support The Rotary Foundation, financially and practically, and · to develop leaders beyond club level. In 1986, when I moved to North Balwyn from another district, I was invited to dinner at the home of one of the members. There were two Rotarians from my new club and their partners. All in all, three couples. It was a great way to be welcomed and, co-incidentally, five years later, in my term as DG, one was my district secretary, the other my conference chairman. They were outstanding in their roles and remain close friends. In preparing for today’s session and talking with new members in our club, I mentioned that welcome dinner to them. They hadn’t had that experience and it made me realise how such an invitation can be so positive. I asked those new Rotarians there (those with less than two years membership) what were there initial impressions and any suggestions they could give which they think would improve Rotary. In their comments, which were mostly positive when talking about the club’s activities, they considered that we can improve our image to the world at large, and to prospective Rotarians. Here are some of their observations. Suits! A room full of suits is confronting for many of our prospectives visiting a club for the first time. It’s also a very conservative message. Question: Does it reflect what we want to be, today? I was asked to look at current practice. For example, I was told, doctors and academics who used to be so conservatively dressed, are far freer in their attire today and only dress formally on those few occasions when such dress is required. Toast to the Queen! Many clubs still have a royal, loyal toast. Question: Does it still add value? Is it still relevant? Or is it seen as conservative and out-of-date? I haven’t seen any of our new clubs adopt the royal toast. My own club wanted to bring change gradually, and so for a year three toasts were held in successive weeks: one week was the Queen, one week was Australia, and the next week was Rotary International. Since we begin our meetings by singing Advance Australia Fair, the toast this year has become Rotary International, every week. Invocation. Question: Is having a Rotary grace still relevant? If it is, as I believe, and if your club’s prayer concludes with “We give thanks, o Lord. Amen.” with its Christian emphasis, would it not be more inclusive as “We give thanks. Amen.” Still giving thanks but being accessible to every faith and every person. The new members made comments about the number of Rotary badges, and were confused by the differences. I answered as best I could, saying that the differences indicated various levels of service, or commitments made to The Rotary Foundation or the Research Fund. Which made me think. Are you proud of your contribution as a Rotarian? …I hope you are … I am. From serving as a literacy volunteer in Thailand to initiating ‘Paint Your Heart Out Australia’, a hands-on community service; from helping build an eye clinic with club members in Vanuatu as a RAWCS volunteer, to working on local club projects, I feel that Rotary has allowed me to make a difference and, in Past RI President Bob Barth’s words, add value. As human beings, we like to feel appreciated and, at times, when appropriate, recognised for our contribution. However, in this period of change, do we still need to have so many different Rotary badges, sashes, medals and all those overt signs of our Rotary achievements over the years. Shouldn’t that one Rotary badge, with its 24 cogs, convey what we are and what we represent? Some of the new members said that they felt some pressure about attendance expectations. They shouldn’t need to anymore. RI has certainly helped by relaxing some of those attendance guidelines in recent years. At a District membership seminar last month, one man there said that his club gave out 100% recognition pins every year and that one of the members had got 43 in a row. That’s great for him but, is that a tradition worth keeping? At my club, it’s virtually a non subject now. What is celebrated are the activities that members have taken part in, and the 100% attendance, which used to be highlighted, is now just another part of club service. Women as Rotarians. Are we adjusting positively, and enough? Consider the figures. 44% of our workforce are women. In Australia, 14% in Rotary are women. New clubs are getting the mix right. Some established clubs are actively, positively changing their mix. Many, however, have not yet been able to adjust. What performance indicators do you use? Considering that our membership revolves around our vocation, our role in the workplace, and that the role of women in business is now a given, why do so many of our clubs still lag behind in their thinking? (And an observation: all members of the Youth Exchange national executive and the 23 district chairmen are all male (although youth exchange students are predominantly female). Directors of the Research Fund are all male, as they are in most of the other programs, including the corporate alliance.) Women who are Rotarians are generally highly successful in their workplace, they understand who they are and they bring with them a big and different skill set and networking base. Also, they are generally younger when they join, in their 40’s and early 50’s. Female Rotarians are a major resource and can help us solve problems and bring innovation to our club’s thinking. If they feel valued, they are likely to be great Rotarians. Too often, they are not asked. Are we asking them enough? Are we serious about asking? Are we using them as speakers enough? Are we relating to our new female members positively and naturally? Here are two of the examples which were told to me: Meeting and greeting. On greeting duty was, as she called him, an ‘old crusty’ in his early 70’s. He was known to have voted against women joining but was now accepting of their role. A male Rotarian approaches old crusty, who shakes his hand firmly and puts his name badge on the lapel of his coat. Then a female member approaches old crusty. He is not sure whether to shake her hand so half does, then thinks maybe he should kiss her, then half way through checks himself and goes for the hand again. Then comes the badge! It’s a magnet style one. You know, one of those that need to be separated (demonstrate) and he flounders badly (who can blame him?). The woman retrieves the situation by taking the badge. Paying at the desk. The woman, dressed beautifully after an important work function, approaches the desk to pay for her meal. One of two men on duty says, “You’re looking lovely tonight”. “Thank you” says the woman, feeling good about herself. Then the other bloke (wanting to be politically correct) says quite loudly, “and, of course, we say that to everyone”. The first man then realises that he may have caused offence and adds, “I didn’t say that because you’re a woman!” Something nice suddenly becomes awkward. So, how do our female members want to be treated? Of those I have asked directly, comments offered were, “with respect and honesty… don’t categorise, stereotype and label us… ask us… when you make a big deal out of something, it is often patronising”. “Give us something useful to do …early in my Rotary membership, the President said, ‘We recognise your skills and wonder if you would like to help us on the marketing committee.’ I felt really good because I had been considered as an individual and matched up with one of my skill sets”. Too often new members are put into any committee, not followed up and left on their own. How can we do better? Don’t let things become hard work. Be reminded of how to greet a woman. Not as one said to me, and I quote directly, “Quite a few of the older members kiss me on the lips. Right on the middle of the lips. You can see them puckering up from a distance … here comes one … it’s coming, it’s coming …I’ve got to be professional … just be polite…” Another observation related to meals on partner’s nights. Why chicken for women and beef for men? Why offer only wine to women when they might like beer? Now, women also fall into the trap, at times, of categorising male Rotarians as inflexible, narrow minded, rich business men. Not accurate, of course … but do we need to do more to dispel the myth that our organisation is made up of wealthy, retired, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant men. Members from different backgrounds Our communities have greater numbers of residents who were born in other lands. Question: Are our clubs embracing this cultural mix which reflects society and inviting our professional immigrant residents to join us in service? Often we make assumptions that, for example, an Asian looking person is just that. For example, there she was, a woman in her 40’s who, although born to Chinese parents, had grown up here and was Australian through and through. But, in our well meaning way, we start speaking to them as if addressing a primary school student, but it’s not appreciated. Robert, born in Japan, has lived in Australia for 12 years. When he first came to our meetings, some of the older members started bowing to him as a mark of respect. Another Asian member of our club had silverside served to him at a meeting, along with everyone else. Someone then apologised to him that there were no chopsticks for him. He laughed and replied, “Why would I use chopsticks for silverside?” New technology With the frenetic and continuing advances in technology, there are many more membership classifications being created in the IT field. Rotary International is constantly upgrading (it’s a fantastic website) but are our clubs? Are we frightened of the pace of technological change or are we learning, and are we sourcing new members with skills that will help us update with a minimum of discomfort? Anti-discrimination laws are, more and more, regulating what we can and cannot do legally in our treatment of others. Such as the rights of homosexuals, female and male. The rights of the disabled, of indiginous peoples, etc… Our ideals are not the exclusive property of any country, race, religion or gender. To do its job well, Rotary must be pragmatic and understand that young people are the future of Rotary. How is your club responding to these challenges? Is your Rotary club one of those out-of-sync with today’s world, or is it embracing changes necessary for its longevity and good health? Paul Harris said that we must continue to pioneer or be left in the rear of progress. In our changing world, we and our clubs can’t afford to rest on our laurels. We need to listen and be prepared for change. We need to critically analyse our activities, and then go out and have a great time in service and fellowship, enlisting new members along the way. Are you and your clubs prepared for that challenge? CENTURION CLUB Every year the Rotary Foundation touches the lives of millions of people, bringing hope where there is despair, sight where there is blindness, shelter where there is homelessness, nourishment where there is hunger, literacy where previously no schooling existed, and providing a hope for a Polio-free world. While Rotarians serve the Rotary Foundation in many ways, the Centurion Club recognises individuals who commit themselves to a personal contribution of at least AU$100 annually to the Rotary Foundation. The real advantage comes when such people give the AU$100 via the Australian Rotary Foundation Trust – and gain tax deductibility! Allocation of moneys contributed to the Australian Rotary Foundation Trust is restricted in accordance with the Australian Taxation Laws. Rotarians seeking to join the Centurion Club complete a form committing themselves to a contribution of $100 per year for as long as they are able. Once they have made their first contribution of $100 they will receive a distinctive lapel pen and a certificate of recognition. Clubs which attain the distinction of having every member become a Centurion will be suitably recognised as a Centurion Club. Centurions are encouraged to wear their lapel pin with pride to show they believe in and support the Rotary Foundation – our Foundation for Peace. The Australian Rotary Foundation Trust is a Tax-deductible fund for humanitarian projects that are undertaken in Asia (China, Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan,etc) Europe (Albania, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Turkey, etc) Africa (Algeria, Angola, Rwanda, Ethiopia, etc) South America (Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, etc) Middle East (Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon etc) Pacific Region (Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, etc For those of you who have indicated that you wish to make a donation by quarterly instalments of $25, the first instalment is now due. P.S. When the money is sent to District (as they keep proper records of who has donated) they will issue a receipt from Australian Rotary Health Foundation. Your cheque needs to be made out the Australian Rotary Health Foundation. ROTARY ACRONYMS & DESCRIPTIONS PHF Paul Harris Fellow – A form of recognition for financial or meritorious service to the Foundation or to the community generally. PHF Sustaining Recognises financial contributions to the Foundation in increments – Member Recognises individuals who have made contributions in instalments up to US$1000, PHF with Sapphire Supplementary recognition to above PHF – A special recognition gold pin with blue stone to represent additional financial contribution or meritorious service. PHSM Paul Harris Sustaining Member Polio Plus An international programme of Rotary Foundation – To protect all of the world’s children from poliomyelitis through national immunisation days, laboratory networks and reporting of suspected cases. PP Past President. PRID Past Rotary International Director PROBUS Professional and Business – A Rotary sponsored group for retirees and semi-retired professional and business people – Meet monthly. Provisional Club A group organising the formation of a new club – Meets weekly until admitted to membership of Rotary International with minimum of 25 charter members. RAM Rotarians Against Malaria – Project to support anti-malarie projects in selected countries in Asia Pacific region. RAWCS Rotary Australia World Community Services Ltd. – A public company formed 1987 to co-ordinate and authorise the various international activities within Districts. RC Rotary Club RCC Rotary Community Corps RCD Rotary Club Director RCP Rotary Code of Policies RDU Rotary Down Under RI Rotary International – The association of Rotary Clubs throughout the world. RIBI Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland RID Rotary International Director TO BE CONTINUED NEXT BULLETIN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATE ALLIANCE PROGRAM LTD. Web Page – www.r-acap.org Great savings can be made by using some of the partners of this alliance and full details can be obtained on the above web site. I find the rates with Avis are excellent and you can book a vehicle on their web site which is: www.avis.com.au. You need to quote the AWD number which is P4184000 but they don’t give you the opportunity to quote the Club name and district numbers. I usually have them include that on the remarks section of the contract at the time of pick-up. Avis make a donation and the split is 50% to the Rotarian’s club, 10% to the Rotarians District, 25% to the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund and 15% to ACAP. CGU is another easy partner to use. They do a slightly cheaper third party insurance on your registration and I have the form for completion for your CTP holder to go with your registration. Or you can go to their website via the acap website link. The split of CGU’s donation is 40% to the Rotarians Rotary Club, 10% to District, 25% to Rotary’s polio eradication campaign, and 25% to ACAP. Harvey Norman Commercial Technology is another preferred partner in respect IT both commercial and private and will offer significantly better-than-market prices for both the commercial customer and the private home user. There are 10 Harvey Norman participating stores nationwide and you can phone 1-800-022-116 for further information. The donation split is 40% to Rotarians Rotary Club, 10% to District, 25% to Camp Quality and 25% to ACAP. FURTHER INFORMATION ON OTHER PARTNERS NEXT BULLETIN. “The Logan Sunrise Rotary Club are seeking our help………….They are aware of a large shed available at no cost. They propose to erect this shed on a block of land somewhere cost to the Highway in the Springwood/Slack’s Creek area for an Art Gallery and workshop. The Gallery would be a focus of community involvement in art and craft activities. If any Club members know of an available block of land then the Club would like to speak to them. If any members of Loganholme have an interest in helping them with this project the Logan Sunrise would also like to speak to them. This exciting idea is very worthy of your support.” Logan Sunrise are also keen to expand their membership and would welcome any assistance from surrounding Clubs. The meet on Thursday mornings and if you are aware of any prospective member who might be interested in meeting at that time please pass their name on to President Merv Richens. They also encourage Loganhome members to do makeups at Logan Sunrise. I have received this communication from District and publish it here for your information and consideration. I have more information regarding the aims of the organisation and requests for sponsorship. If you require more information please let me know and I will send you the other detail. If you wished to sponsor in your own business’s name I’m sure that would be readily acceptable also. Fellow Rotarians, My name is Brian Talbot, I am a blind cricketer and I am a proud Rotarian in the Frankston Sunrise club in Frankston Victoria and reside in Mt. Eliza, Victoria. I have represented Australia at the last two Blind Cricket World Cups in India in the cities of New Delhi [1998] and Chenai [2002]. Also a tri-ations one day international series against the old enemy England and our trans Tasman neighbours New Zealand in Brisbane [2000], with a 3 one day international series against New Zealand in Sydney last January with emphatic wins - a pleasure to play. Once again the Australian Blind Cricket team is touring. This time we will be travelling to England for our first blind cricket ashes series and later to South Africa for a three one day series. The England leg of the tour will consist of several one day fixtures and other organised cricketing games against some major blind cricket county teams. A major part of the tour will consist of burning of a set of stumps, which will create “THE ASHES” for blind cricket, [WHICH WILL COME HOME] establishing our own significant history within the blind cricket and sighted cricket fraternity. I am aware that Rotary is located in England, South Africa and indeed world over, hence our decision to seek your involvement in this historical event and hence why I sought yours and all the other District Governors In Australia personal information from the staff in Parramatta. We are aware that our tour will be receiving major publicity with the ceremony/games and other activities and hope you would like to become involved to receive quality exposure. To help us make the trip all I ask is a very small donation of $50.00 or more generously $100.00 from each club in your district. It is not a large amount but I feel if all clubs donate, the task of fund raising to get the team to England and onto South Africa will be greatly reduced. If you wish to become involved please look at the proposal that I have sent to you today. The Australian Blind Cricket Council will be endeavouring to seek funding for this tour and any financial support you are able to offer is greatly appreciated. We very much appreciate the interest shown to our players and trust we may look forward to your support to this International Tour. If you have any questions that you wish to ask, please feel free to contact either/or our Australian Blind Cricket Council Administrator or myself. Thanks very much for your time. BRIAN TALBOT [W] [03] 9775 3839 [H] [03] 9708 8323 E-MAIL memc@bigpond.com 2004 INTERNATIONAL TOUR OF BLIND CRICKET “ ENGLAND AND SOUTH AFRICA ”