Each month, the District 9820 South East Cluster Assistant Governor (AG), Colin Byron has a group meeting with all of the Cluster Presidents. Our Cluster includes the Rotary Clubs of Dandenong-Endeavour Hills, Narre Warren, Cranbourne, Casey, Berwick, Pakenham and the Rotaract Club of Casey-Cardinia. These meetings are not all hugs and kisses, but are for messages from District and Rotary International to be passed through for Presidents to action.
The Presidents also report to the AG on their Club attendance, projects, membership and compliance which then formulate a report for the District about the health of the Club. I feel quite uncomfortable that our Club has failed over the last three years to find a solid future leadership team, but the AG is there to enforce accountability and at this point, the buck stops with me.
It will be of no surprise to anyone, but we are the only Club in our Cluster without a President-Elect. We do not have a Membership Chair either. The pressure is on to fill both these positions as a matter of urgency. We have several very capable candidates that are not quite ready to lead the Club and need time to evolve their Rotary knowledge. Two of these are on our current Board. It will take a couple more years for these members to be ready. We have several candidates that could lead the Club right now, but they have not stepped forward. I can understand their hesitation, but I do believe stepping up to the challenges of leadership in Rotary breaks down a lot of barriers to becoming a leader in other parts of your life. There is personal development value in taking a leading role in a volunteer organisation such as Rotary.
Our Club is full of future potential (“Future potential” is the desire and ability to be more.) and I would like to see that future potential turned into current potential.
Individually and organisationally, it is typically driven by three factors:
Future courage … Do we dare to be more than we currently are? Future Potential demands personal ambition and drive to go beyond your current world, to let go of what you know, to go further, to enter the unknown.
Future scope … Do we know where we are heading, and is it the right direction? Future Potential demands more opportunity space, more fertile ground to support new growth, to stretch further and wider ahead.
Future capacity … Do we have the talent, creativity and resources to get there? Future Potential demands that we become more, dig deeper into ourselves, to develop new mindsets and future-relevant capabilities.
President David and a whole heap of other RC Berwick members had a great time at last years Zone 8 virtual conference. It was well run, fun and informative with plenty of diverse and punchy segments which were impossible to fall asleep in.
Click on the image above or click HERE: https://rotaryzone8.org/ to find out more about this not to be missed event, and Register!
Rotary Health over the years has done outstanding work in caring for youth in promoting training for mental health, recognising symptoms of depression and taking appropriate actions. The COVID 19 pandemic and the discussion on climate change have brought about reports of increasing depression in youth and even primary students.
This bulletin welcomes contributions that can promote positive contributions to a better world, possibly involving youth participation. It was pleasing to see the enthusiasm that our local cubs devoted to the recent 'Clean Up Australia Day', all within the safe environment of scout leaders and Rotarians.
Our meeting of 21st July had a video and presentation from PP Laury Gordyn on his company's massive stock feedlot control system in northern Australia. The system vastly improved the quality and traceability of one of our major exports in beef cattle.
The cattle unfortunately have a reputation of contributing to 20% of methane greenhouse gasses from their belching. The good positive news that has arisen is that these emissions can be virtually eliminated.
A farmer in seaside Canada recently noticed that his cattle from paddocks near the sea had better temperament, weight and general health. He passed his observations on to a scientist friend. It was found that the cattle were eating a small amount (30 grams) of seaweed that stabilised their complex digestive system and even reduced the discomfort of belching. This was then passed to our CSIRO.
A $15 million project has resulted, with finance from Woolworths, Graincorp and others. The particular strain of seaweed can be cultivated in the same way as oysters, giving indigenous employment. This positive discovery will enable us to all have the choice of enjoying red meat without the guilt of causing climate change. Refer to website "future feed" for more. It is great to see an alert farmer convert his observations into a practical solution that could benefit mankind in reduction in greenhouse gasses, improve animal health, food quality and quantity, and reduce the concerns that are alarming youth .
Issue 3
21st July 2021
Join our meeting
Most Wednesdays at
The Beaconsfield Club,
Holm Park, Beaconsfield,
Victoria, Australia
Each year Rotary Clubs and Districts across the globe induct new leaders. Our leaders exemplify all of the qualities that make our members extraordinary; integrity, expertise, and commitment to service.
You may be interested in partcipating in the study on the effects of COVID on the goals and welbeing of Retirees. If so read on.
Anna Lawton
Principal at A P Lawton
Positive Psychology Consultancy
Greater Melbourne Area
My name is Anna Lawton and I am currently in my research year of a Master in Applied Positive Psychology through CQUniversity (ethics approval #2021-056) and seek retirees to participate in my study.
I am conducting a study to understand the impact that COVID19 has had on retirement goals and how this has influenced the wellbeing in our retiree communities in Victoria.
I am seeking permission from groups such as yours to share a link to my survey on your social media site/s or website to assist in the recruitment of participants. The study is completely anonymous; NO personal identifying information is requested.
Posted by Bill Gates: The Blog of Bill Gates
on Jul 23, 2021
Many people won't know what this is.
And that’s a good thing because it shows how much progress the world has made against polio, a terrible and now largely forgotten disease. This metal tank is an iron lung, a mechanical respirator that saved the lives of thousands of polio victims.
Polio attacks the body’s nervous system, crippling patients. In the worst cases, the disease paralyses their respiratory muscles and makes it difficult for them to breathe, sometimes resulting in death. Using changes in air pressure, the iron lung pulls air in and out of a patient’s lungs, allowing them to breathe and stay alive. During the height of the polio epidemic in the U.S. in the 1940's and 1950's, rows of iron lungs filled hospital wards to treat thousands of polio patients, most of them children.
The reason we don’t see iron lungs anymore is because of polio vaccines, which were first developed in the 1950's. The vaccines were so effective in protecting people from polio that in 1988, the world decided to eradicate the disease. Since then, wild polio cases have dropped by more than 99.9 percent—from more than 350,000 a year in 125 countries to fewer than 200 cases last year in just two countries—Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thanks to this eradication effort, millions of people are walking today who would have otherwise been paralysed.
Our foundation joined the polio fight almost 15 years ago. And in all that time, I cannot think of a more important moment than right now.
During the pandemic, the world has been reminded of what a precious resource the global polio program is. Thousands of polio workers shifted their focus to help contain the spread of COVID-19 by teaching communities how to stay safe, distributing soap and hand sanitiser, and supporting disease surveillance and contact tracing. Polio Emergency Operation Centers—local, field-based offices that work to urgently stop the spread of polio and have also tackled other diseases, including Ebola—quickly pivoted to guide the response to COVID-19. And the Global Polio Laboratory Network, which consists of 145 labs worldwide, has stepped in to support COVID-19 surveillance efforts.
We have what it takes to finally wipe polio off the face of the earth. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a public-private partnership that includes our foundation, has proven it can meet local challenges to eliminate polio in country after country. The initiative continues to focus on adopting new tools and approaches to make vaccination campaigns more effective so every child can be protected. And, most importantly, we have thousands of dedicated polio workers committed to this case. At the same time, to be blunt, we are at risk of losing the gains we have fought so hard for.
We still aren’t reaching areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Outbreaks of other forms of polio continue to crop up in under-immunized communities across Africa and parts of Asia. And the pandemic continues to interrupt polio campaigns and routine immunisations. To address these challenges, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has adjusted its strategy, including by strengthening its integration with other health programs, improving vaccination coverage and the overall health of local communities. The knowledge, skills, and infrastructure built to end polio and all the suffering it causes will also be used for detecting and responding to other major health emergencies. That’s a win-win investment.
But it will need continued support and resources, including from historical champions like the United States, United Kingdom, and United Arab Emirates, to deliver on these promises.
The iron lung was one of the greatest tools to fight against one of the worst outcomes of polio. Today, it’s the iron will of the thousands of polio workers and their supporters who are committed to finishing the job.
Thanks to the commitment of Rotary and other partners, as well as the dedicated political leadership of polio-affected countries, I’m confident that we can create a world where no child will ever be paralysed by polio again.