There was no Club meeting this week because several members were attending the Rotary International Convention here in Melbourne.
From the reports I have heard, it was a very enjoyable and successful event attended by some 14,000 Rotarians, partners, and friends.
The last time Melbourne hosted the International Convention was 30 years ago in 1993. I also happened to be President of the Club at that time.
One of the highlights of that time was the coming together of members of 3 of the “Rotary Clubs of Berwick” in the world at one of our meetings. David Conway from Berwick upon Tweed, UK and Walter Lutz from Berwick, Pennsylvania, USA attended. In the afternoon before the meeting, we planted a tree in Wilson Botanic Park to celebrate the occasion.
Another highlight was the home hosting for international visitors. The visiting Rotarians and their partners were hosted for dinner in the homes of our members. Our Club organised a bus to transport the participants to and from our homes.
Ann and I hosted a Jamaican couple and an American couple, as well as PDG Frank Canobie and his wife Iris. It was a great way to find out what Rotary members were doing in other parts of the world.
This coming week, we will again have some international Rotarians attending our meeting – Stay tuned.
Approximately 14,000 Rotarians and guests attended the 2023 Rotary International Convention held at the Rod Laver Arena and the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre in Melbourne, from 27th May to 31st May.
Here are some of the highlights from the perspective of several of our Club members who attended the Convention.
Jen Marshall:
Volunteering for 7 hours on Saturday and the amazing people I got to meet. Many were Rotarians who had just got off an overseas flight, so they were happy to have a chat.
Saturday night Interact drinks at the Melbourne Aquarium. I met a lot of other Rotarians in their 30's, just like me, with lots of ideas and a passion for Rotary.
The House of Fellowship was buzzing! I walked around with the biggest smile on my face, in awe of all the amazing work Rotary is involved in.
Igniting my passion for the End Polio work being done in Afghanistan and Pakistan and hearing from one of the doctors leading the vaccination programs there.
Watching a selection of songs from The Greatest Show musical production.
Hearing the most inspirational presentations from Rotarians and feeling connected to the work being done by Rotary around the world.
There are so many more notes I could make, but these were my highlights.
PP Isobel Caulfield:
Some of my highlights from the Melbourne convention in no particular order, are:
The enthusiasm of Rotarians from all over the world. Everyone always had a good word and a happy smile on their face.
The variety of projects to get involved with. All very worthy, but how to choose which to support???
The entertainment at the opening and closing ceremony. Some moving, others had us up and dancing.
The amazing ability and resilience of the keynote speakers. Many overcoming horrendous situations and now giving back to the world.
Being a volunteer was a joy to meet and help so many visitors. Even in the pouring rain outside Rod Laver arena.
Meeting up with old friends and meeting new ones.
RI President Jennifer Jones. She is a softly spoken person who gets things done, while being treated like a rock star.
The overall organisation of the event. A huge task that appeared to run without a hitch!
PDG Tim Moore and Secretary Jane Moore were directly involved in the organising of the Convention and here are some of their perceived highlights:
PDG Tim Moore:
It was far more than a district conference on steroids.
It was a technical and professional masterpiece
World class speakers from Australia and around the world
Amazing stories that showcase Rotary's work that we all do, some make you laugh, others cry, but always demonstrating the incredible organisation that we belong to
Amazing talent, such as the Greatest Showman
Most of all meeting old friends and making new ones
Secretary Jane Moore:
This woman, her presentation and message were the absolute highlights of my Convention amongst many Rotary friendships and personal highlights.
Her name: Leymah Gbowere, Liberian peace activist, social worker, woman’s rights activist and 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate
She made me laugh, made me cry, made my heart ache and made my heart sing. She inspired, educated, and sent a message that everyone needs to hear, encapsulated in her words:
“Peace is not just the absence of war. Peace is the presence of conditions that dignify all of us”
She brought this right down to our own personal relationships, not just in context of politics and conflict.
The story she told in everyday plain language empowered the room to behave in a peaceful way …. creating a world we have conditions that dignify all of us. So powerful!
Our Guest Speaker at next Wednesday's Club meeting will be Matthew Sonnemann.
Matthew is a fully advisory stockbroker and wealth manager with Ord Minnett, with over 28 years of experience in providing personalised investment advice for private clients, often for their Self-Managed Super Funds.
His experience in providing professional advisory services is backed by his formal qualifications in economics, applied finance and financial planning.
The theme for his presentation will be "An Economic and Investment Update - Twelve Interesting Things".
In his presentation Matthew will provide insights into the current state of economic play and then suggest how this might unfold in the various asset classes, as well as ASX listed securities.
He will then look at how private investors who are holding diversified quality portfolios, might best position themselves in these more volatile market conditions.
World Environment Day is celebrated annually on 5 June and encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment. It is supported by many non-governmental organisations, businesses, government entities, and represents the primary United Nations outreach day supporting the environment.
Supporting the environment is Rotary's seventh area of focus.
The theme for this year's World Environment Day focuses on solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution.
More than 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced every year, half of which is designed to be used only once. Of that, less than 10 per cent is recycled. An estimated 19-23 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers and seas. Today, plastic clogs our landfills, leaches into the ocean and is combusted into toxic smoke, making it one of the gravest threats to the planet.
The world is being inundated by plastic!
The packaging sector is the largest generator of single-use plastic waste in the world. Approximately 36 percent of all plastics produced are used in packaging. This includes single-use plastic food and beverage containers, 85 percent of which end up in landfills or as mismanaged waste.
Not only that, what is less known is that microplastics find their way into the food we eat, the water we drink and even the air we breathe. Furthermore, many plastic products contain hazardous additives, which may pose a threat to our health.
The good news is that we have science and solutions to tackle the problem – and a lot is already happening. What is needed most now, is a surge of public and political pressure to scale up and speed actions from governments, companies, and other stakeholders to solve this crisis.
All this underscores the importance of the World Environment Day mobilising action from every corner of the world to eliminate, or minimise the use of plastics.
The Level-Up Expo (LUX) is being held at the Balla Balla Community Centre on Saturday, June 10th from 10:00am to 2:00pm.
LUX targets local youth and aims to teach them a variety of important life skills such as cooking, budgeting and car maintenance, as well as providing them with useful information about a range of topics such as voting and tertiary education options.
Please find an invitation Flyer below. Tickets are free!
There was no Club meeting this week because several members were attending the Rotary International Convention here in Melbourne. 
This woman, her presentation and message were the absolute highlights of my Convention amongst many Rotary friendships and personal highlights.
Our Guest Speaker at next Wednesday's Club meeting will be Matthew Sonnemann. 
