DG Report for July 2015
De and I have commenced our club visits and have been to Armidale and Inverell. We also have the opportunity of meeting with each of the club presidents and separately with their boards. The range of activities proposed by the clubs over the next 12 months is impressive. Each of these clubs have now logged goals on Rotary Central on the Rotary International website.
We have been greatly impressed by the diversity of the programs run by each of these clubs and by the enthusiasm of their leaders - and by the warm welcome we have received including the hospitality of club presidents.
We were particularly impressed by the fundraising potential of the Book Fair run by Armidale Central which raised almost $50,000 last year over a period of eight days and by the initiative of Armidale North with their TechFest. Also great to see that clubs in Armidale and Inverell are proposing to form Interact clubs. We met with the committee of the Interact Club being formed at Mcintyre High by Inverell Club – delightful group of young people.
De produced her ukelele (assisted by yours truly on banjalalee) and we had a bit of a singalong at each of the meetings which seemed to lighten the tone and be well received. At least no one booed! Each of the meetings were well attended with lots of partners present. As we travel we are promoting a number of rotary programs but particularly the rotary foundation, our district celebration in April 2016 and the wish of International President Ravi to see interact clubs established widely.
We have been generously hosted by six couples – many thanks. By the end of next week we will have been to the limits of our District at Lightning Ridge. Many clubs are supporting their drought relief program.
There has been discussion recently amongst the other district governors around Australia about a program called Circus Quirkus. It involves putting on a Circus apparently for poor people. Funds are raised by telemarketing. The telemarketing company retains 40%, 40% goes to the company putting on the circus and 20% goes to the sponsoring rotary club. The program is marketed as a Rotary program. I am unaware of it being adopted by any club in our district but our District Board is opposed. The money raised doesn’t warrant the damage to our brand resulting from:
- Being associated with telemarketing
- Using the rotary name to promote a program where 40% goes to the telemarketer.
The weekend before last we attended the National Youth Science Forum interviews at Walcha. The program is very ably run by Stuart Bayley and his team. There were only 17 spots available and more than 30 applicants. The applicants we met and on whose interviews we sat in were very impressive - certainly glad that we did not have to make the choice.
Last weekend we attended the Youth Exchange Program Outbounders Briefing Weekend in Armidale, including a memorable evening on Saturday night where the students entertained us with addresses which reflected their great diversity of background and later with a couple of songs again led by De on ukelele. An impressive group of young people. Only disappointment is that we are not as a district sending and receiving more students –truly an amazing and life changing program. Peter and Sue Paff and their team are doing a great job. Their treasurer Michael Parry has a son who is an exchange student in France and their district sends more than 100 students overseas as part of the YEP program each year – in fact the club which he is visiting itself sends 8 to10 students each year. I’m sure we can do more.
Many thanks for club support of DonateLife Week. It is a national rotary campaign and we have the cover of August edition of Rotary Down Under which features a photo of the grandson of yours truly. Check it out on http://digitaledition.rotarydownunder.com.au/?iid=124930#folio=1
De is already receiving support for her partners program - Jack Wilson Kidney Research Program - in partnership with Australian Rotary Health. Many thanks. Three applications have been received for appointment of a young scientist as a Ph.D. research fellow for 3 years to improve outcomes for children who have had kidney transplants - it will improve outcomes for transplant recipients generally.
Diana Christian has prepared and we have circulated an application for those interested in representing our district at the Youth Summit in Seoul. Already one position has been filled by the RYLA committee and we are looking for two applications from inland and two from the coast. Applications close at the end of August.
Our Facebook page is now being well managed by Belinda Crossingham from Foild Pty Ltd, a social media company which is providing its services this year without charge plus PDG Rob Anderson. Anyone who has any great photos are urged to send them to Belinda – belinda@foild.net - Rob seems to need no assistance!
Please check out our new District website - rotary9650.org.au.
So far the role of District Governor has been very busy but a lot of fun.