Posted on May 26, 2023

I remain forever inspired and in awe of our Rotarians. Once again our members have stepped up when it counts. 

When we received word that Rochester residents were approaching winter without enough blankets, our People Of Action instincts kicked in. District Service Director Lili Teichman has written a fantastic article about the blanket drive but I wish to echo her thanks to the following clubs and individuals for their generous donations and support (in club alphabetical order):

  • Activate Victoria club members, including Greg Harbour 
  • Albert Park club members, including Mark Davies, David Gorman, Lea Ram 
  • Balwyn club members, including David Hobson 
  • Bendigo club members and, including Peter Reading 
  • Brighton North club members, including Lyn Mortimer 
  • Carlton club members, including Ian Ada, Michael Elligate, Tania Herschberg  
  • Camberwell club members, including Gary Goldsmith, Alan Lorenzini 
  • Chadstone/East Malvern club members, including Michele Kennedy, Frank Warner, Jo Roach, Kathy Noble 
  • Daylesford club members, including Terri Oprean 
  • DIK Team, including Bob Glindemann 
  • E-Club club members, including Gabe Hau 
  • Hawthorn club members, including Katrina and Mick Flinn 
  • Hoppers Crossing club members, including Mick and Pennie Stade 
  • Macedon Ranges club members, including Sally Armstrong 
  • Melbourne Passport club members, including Jessica Palti 
  • North Balwyn club members, including Rowan McClean 
  • Point Lonsdale club members  
  • RIMERN Team, including David Gorman 
  • Werribee club members, including Ian and Micki Hovey 
  • Woodend club members, including Grant and Melissa Hocking 
Convention is here!

You will no doubt have already seen our city awash with Rotarians. 14,000 members from across 120 countries have begun exploring all that Melbourne has to offer. Significant milestones and fellowship have been commemorated with pre-convention events, including the launch of Peace Bells in Rotary Melbourne Peace Park and the ever popular End Polio Walk. 

In a public image coup, District 9800 co-produced an advertising campaign with Rotary International. Melbourne is engaging with Rotary through ads and media spots on TV, press, social, online, out-of-home (signage) and radio. And our members are the stars! See how many familiar faces you can spot throughout Convention and beyond. Grab a photo and share in our District Facebook group.

Big Difference

Big Difference hits Fed Square today and introduces Rotary to hundreds and hundreds of new, motivated volunteers from across Melbourne, all ready to help assemble 100,000 FORaMEAL emergency relief meals for people in need in Ukraine, Turkey and Syria. We’ve well exceeded our target of 1,000+ registrations, with all-but-one shift booked out. 

A huge thanks to every Rotarian supervising a table of volunteers tomorrow, and to Rotary Canterbury’s FORaMEAL team especially Doug, Nora and Ted for leading the ambitious relief meal assembly. 

New volunteer interest has already spilled over into our other clubs’ projects, with a couple getting booked out, one through June. Tomorrow, we look forward to volunteering alongside these new, motivated volunteers, getting to know their passions, making a big difference together for meal recipients, our clubs and their projects, and welcoming them to many future project events. If you have a project that could use more volunteers, get in touch with Lili Teichman tout suite.

If you’re in the locale from 10am to 4pm, be sure to swing by Fed Square and look for the big yellow Rotary wheels, you won’t be able to miss it!

Free Convention House of Friendship entry

A reminder, if you’re not registered for the convention this doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the action. From Monday to Wednesday, you can access House of Friendship – our own international impact expo – for free. Simply turn up to Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre to register and engage with the scale and purpose of our 1.4 million-strong movement. 

Share your club story with new professional public image assets

With so much interest in and focus on our organisation, our clubs have an unprecedented opportunity to showcase their impact and people of action approach. To compliment your stories and help you get the word out about the difference you deliver, District 9800 has produced a range of videos and photos that showcase local projects and Rotarians. Click here to download: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/k5qiumd6eshfglsd41fr9/h?dl=0&rlkey=k2eq7gnv2b1gxyoiouldetokk

Share your Convention story

Social media is already exploding with pre-Convention experiences, so warm up your scroll-love-share thumb actions because the next 5 days will see oodles more videos and images of the 114th Rotary International Convention. And your help is requested! The ever-amazing District Club Service Chair Rosemary Waghorne wants to share all your favourite convention moments, so be sure to send your stories with photos to her so we can publish a booming post-convention Networker wrap-up. 

Hot off the press - Sunrise live interview

Channel Seven’s Sunrise will be filming a live cross outside Rod Laver Arena this Sunday at 8am. Lord Mayor Sally Capp will be interviewed and we need enthusiastic Rotarians to provide a compelling background scene. Simply be outside the main steps in your favourite Rotary-branded gear. 

Thank you to all who have volunteered on Convention

Finally a huge congratulations and thank you to all Rotarians who have put in countless volunteer hours to make our International Convention the success it will be. Years of hard work is about to pay off. From the Host Organising Committee, through to its diverse teams, and every member who has provided their time and energy – in addition to the amazing work you already do – thank you for taking this on and ensuring every visiting Rotarian gets to experience the city we all love so much, among a sea of people who share our commitment to doing good in the world.

Have a fantastic convention week everyone and above everything else, please make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!