You know when your committee deck chairs are empty that a storm is coming. In the President's plan there are over 50 current/past committees mentioned, but very few that are active. There are some in the infant stages of coming alive, which is encouraging. For all the effort put into producing the President's plan, few have taken it seriously enough to run with it and re-ignite these committees.
Having said that, some members have created new projects and side stepped the President's plan all together. To these people, I am inspired by their willingness to do Rotary the way they want to see us all doing Rotary. We need more people to take on new ideas and run with them. Make a committee with like-minded members and make a difference, where you know you can make a difference.
I am like most Rotarians I guess. See an opportunity that I think I can accomplish and just do it. Throughout my Rotary "career", I have been way out of my league in many of the things I have done. I have always been able to find a mentor to lead me through, or I have fudged my way through and learnt about it along the way. If you are reading this, I guess you can tell that I am fudging a Rotary President's job right at this very moment!
This week at our meeting, we had a very dry but informative talk about Rotary Australia World Community Service Ltd. (RAWCS) from PDG Adrian Froggatt. Attendance wasn't good, which was a pity because what Adrian had to talk about was a Nirvana of opportunity and potential for our club to excel in serving the community. RAWCS has been around for years, but for some reason we have kicked it to the curb. Never mind that most of our major overseas projects are supported by RAWCS (through other clubs) and our dip into a Dick Smith Grant a few years ago was also a RAWCS project. We, Rotary, are surrounded by opportunities but they don't come for free. You need to learn, understand and engage with them, a bit like learning French, to truly get what you can from them.
Are we all too old to learn? You cannot teach an old dog new tricks, as they say. I would say certainly not! RAWCS, as an example, is a tool in our toolbox that can help us achieve something we may want to achieve. Judging by our current Rotarians, the number of new battery operated chainsaws going around at the moment, proves that new tools in the toolbox are all the rage! Do yourself a favour, pick a committee, portfolio or cause and Rotary the heck out of it, until you find the path to Nirvana.
David Nutter is already on the band wagon with Rotary Cakes and Puddings for next Christmas and that wasn't even in the President's plan. He has been making great progress and I am already saving up to buy some. That is what I want to see from every member of the Rotary Club of Berwick. Don't wait to be asked, just get on board with what interests you the most and be the best Rotarian you can be.
Our club has been very fortunate to have a new lease on our physical meeting cost, by acquiring a new caterer with the Holm Park venue. Bob and Vicky of Carlyle Complete Catering, have been very flexible and forgiving with us at our meeting, serving up great home cooked meals at affordable prices. The catch is that we are required to have 20+ eating members (minimum order) each meeting and that has not been happening. The shortfall is coming out of members funds for the moment. Will this cost be added to your dues? Will the members who are supporting the club be charged more for having a great time at Holm Park? Will Zoomers have to pay? The Rotary Club of Berwick Board is committed to making membership to our DINNER Club as affordable as possible, but that commitment is a two-way street.
Please strongly consider coming to Holm Park for a great home cooked meal, some fellowship and an informative meeting. We are only short a few people, so every person counts! Last thing we want is to have a meal price rise, because there is no putting that genie back in the bottle.
This week we inducted my friend Andrew Somers into the world of Rotary. Bulletin editor Sam may write something else about this induction, but let's just look at this article as a personal contribution to a person who I have known for many years. As a Rotarian, it is always great to work with people who know what is going on, can predict likely problems in advance and be ready to deal with whatever comes their way. Andrew is one of those people. He can organise, fix, learn, adapt, do and improvise in almost any situation. A marvel with Race Tape too! I expect that Andrew will handle anything that Rotary can throw at him and I am very pleased to have him as a fellow Rotarian.
Andrew was a Rotaractor in his younger years, along with his wife Michele. I have always known Andrew as a community-minded person and he has been part of the St Margaret and Berwick Grammar School's Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Squad with me for over 10 year.
This squad was more about developing great people through sport than it was about winning at any cost. As a consequence, the squad has turned out some amazing young people, including Andrew and Michele's children/young adults, David and Ainsley. The squad is full of role models, mentors and really switched on people, all with a common goal of doing the right thing by the sport.
Andrew also has a street named after him in Wonthaggi, after a wrong turn during a Human Powered vehicle race. But that's another story!
Both Andrew and myself have been replaced by younger parents since our kids have long left school. Some may have noticed that during the induction I have not allocated Andrew a job or a mentor. That will come in due course.
On Friday 29th January a Special Assembly was held at Nossal High School with Sir Gustav Nossal in attendance. The purpose was to introduce the new Year-9 students to the school and to meet their allocated Year-12 buddies. The Year-9 students were welcomed by Sir Gustav as Nossalonians and given their Nossal badges individually in a well organised event.
Unknown to the vast majority of attendees, through some devious subterfuge involving District Governor Mark Humphries and the Rotary Club of Berwick, a Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) was to be awarded to the Principal, Roger Page towards the end of the Assembly.
David Button, Isobel Caulfield and I sat inconspicuously in the front row throughout the proceedings until Isobel and David were called to the podium by the School Captain, to do the PHF presentation. Isobel presented the PHF, as it had been approved in her year as President, but delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis. In doing so, she summarised the links that the Club has developed with the school, and with Roger in particular, over its 12 year lifespan. She also outlined the contribution that Roger has made to the school and to the local community, all of which warranted the award of a PHF.
Roger was completely surprised and honoured by the presentation, acknowledging the prestige of the Paul Harris Fellow and stating that he greatly valued the ongoing relationship with the Rotary Club of Berwick, which provided the school with access to local community involvement.
Issue 28
27th January 2021
Book or Apologize for this week's meeting including ZOOM.
On Wednesday 27th January, President David Button inducted our newest member and his good friend, Andrew Somers, to the Club.
Andrew has been attending Zoom meetings for some time and more recently we got to meet him in person at Holm Park. As stated in a previous article, David and Andrew have been involved in the HPV events with St Margaret's and Berwick Grammar School's teams.
As two of my grandchildren are keen HPV participants, I am familiar with the annual 24-hour events conducted at Maryborough and Wonthaggi, which draw teams from all over Victoria. The beauty of these is that the parents not only help with the organisation of the teams, but at Wonthaggi, they can even drive an HPV machine in the event on a rostered basis.
Andrew has become infamous with the local HPV crowd for an incident at the Wonthaggi event a few years ago. While driving the adult machine at around 2:30 am, he took a wrong turning into what proved to be a shortcut, thereby cutting off about half of the circuit. He has been reminded of the incident every year since.
That shortcut was jokingly referred to as "Somers Way" and the HPV group had a mock road sign made up to say so. When Andrew competed in following years, the St Margaret and Berwick Grammar School HPV community would gather at that corner to prevent him taking that route again and to cheer him on mercilessly.
Unfortunately, no one ever removed the mock sign "Somers Way", so that over time it has been accepted as a legitimate street name and is even recognised on Google.
Welcome to the Club Andrew. I don't think anyone can top that story of incidental infamy.
A successful 2021 National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) was held from 5th - 22nd January. Unlike previous years, due to the COVID-19 restrictions, it did not involve a residential programs at either the Australian National University in Canberra, or the University of Queensland in Brisbane.
Instead, it involved three days of in-person visits at scientific facilities around the country alongside an online program where students enjoyed a series of lectures developed specifically for the NYSF by a wide range of scientists, that included Nobel laureates and well known science communicators. The in-person visits were based on hubs around the country to prevent unnecessary travel.
Although we expected some level of disappointment at this enforced departure from the normal NYSF program, the following glowing endorsement from our own Club sponsored student, Zimo Zhu, allayed that fear. Zimo sent this emailed report to our Youth Director, PDG Tim Moore.
Hello Tim,
Zimo here. đ NYSF finished last Friday, and I have to say: wow! I never imagined how an online âsummer campâ would be so amazing, and it was unbelievable how even separated by screen, how many new friends you could make.
There were so many really fascinating speeches that I heard, they were so motivating and inspiring, it was a pity not to be able to meet these awesome lecturers in person. NYSF is truly eye-opening! Unfortunately, I had other commitments that came into conflict with a week of NYSF, so I was attending rowing camp at the same time. That particular week was difficult to balance, since streaming a lecture while on the river was pretty impossible. But I will watch the re-plays soon.
Two days ago, the Victoria NYSF students gathered for a dinner together, because unlike the other states and territories, we didnât have the opportunity to visit STEM places in-person. Not going to lie, the world is a very small place, I met lots of people who I had a mutual friend with! And a few new friends that I wouldâve never had the chance to meet if it wasnât for NYSF.
Overall, I am very grateful to be given this opportunity to explore science in to new degree, from a different angle (online learning). Thank you to the club in supporting me on this program! I loved it so much, I think I might apply to attend the LIYSF (London International Youth Science Forum) in 2022.
Zimo
This youth program has been supported by our Club for many years and we continue to get very positive feedback from our sponsored students, so it is one that we should continue to support.
We hope to hear from Zimo directly via Zoom at one of our upcoming meetings. I think you will be impressed by this young lady.
Mark Burchill Rotary Club of Santa Rosa, California Founder and chair of the Rotary Means Business Fellowship (image by LiPo Ching)
Leadership challenges are invigorating. I have launched or led four businesses, as well as a Toastmasters club, a Rotary club, and a Rotary Fellowship. As a Rotarian and a Toastmaster, I can tell you that both organizations transform lives, although in different ways. And both have had an impact on my life.
I knew I needed to step up my game when I was tapped to serve as president of the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa. I wanted a higher level of skill and self-confidence in order to lead my club and represent Rotary in the community. My wife had been a Toastmaster for a year, and I had visited her club a few times to watch her speak. She had really begun to blossom. I thought this program could help me.
When a speaker canceled shortly before a Rotary meeting, I was ready. With only two hoursâ notice, I gave a half-hour speech about my recent trip to the Rotary International Convention.
The Rotary Means Business Fellowship provides networking opportunities for Rotarians. Iâve given presentations about the fellowship at three conventions and to Rotarians all over the world. In each of those situations, my experience as a Toastmaster and Rotarian helped me feel confident in my ability to share my message in front of hundreds of people. The founding and nurturing of the Rotary Means Business Fellowship is one of my most fulfilling personal achievements.
For 30 years, I owned a business with two dozen employees. As the boss, you tell an employee to do something, and they do it. In a volunteer organization, you have to motivate people to want to do something, or it wonât get done. Holding officer positions in Toastmasters and Rotary has helped me become a more effective leader.
The alliance between Rotary and Toastmasters is sparking new learning and leadership opportunities. Rotarians are enrolling in the communication and leadership development courses that Toastmasters created for Rotary members and are practicing their public speaking skills at Toastmasters clubs. And Toastmasters members are honing their own skills by speaking at Rotary meetings.
This squad was more about developing great people through sport than it was about winning at any cost. As a consequence, the squad has turned out some amazing young people, including Andrew and Michele's children/young adults, David and Ainsley. The squad is full of role models, mentors and really switched on people, all with a common goal of doing the right thing by the sport.
Andrew has become infamous with the local HPV crowd for an incident at the Wonthaggi event a few years ago. While driving the adult machine at around 2:30 am, he took a wrong turning into what proved to be a shortcut, thereby cutting off about half of the circuit. He has been reminded of the incident every year since. 
Hello Tim,
