The District Servietteclubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000007687/en-au/... · March 2015 Rotary District 9710 - District Serviette page no !6 Naroomawent‘Bollywood’+for+the+Rotary+polio+fundraiser+and+premiere+of+the+Second+Best

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R o t a r y D i s t r i c t 9 7 1 0 - D i s t r i c t S e r v i e t t e p a g e n o !1

From the Governor’s Servie0e …

Two-‐thirds of the year gone … and we’re s4ll having a wonderful 4me. We con4nue to be amazed by Rotary and Rotarians. Every 4me I visit a Club or a Club event, I am reminded of those inspira4onal words of Past RI President Sir Clem Renouf: Rotary takes ordinary men (and women) and gives them extraordinary opportuni8es to do more with their lives than they had ever dreamed possible.

********** The month started in Batemans Bay at the Batemans Bay Youth Founda4on Dinner where 11 outstanding young men and women were provided with significant scholarships to assist them in their first year of ter4ary studies. BBYF is well supported by Rotary and is led by Past President Peter Wood. The BBYF awards are held in high esteem within the community with

Governor 2014-2015 Rowley Tompsett

“Together we can achieve more”

The District Serviette

March is Water and Sanitation Month

DG Rowley with Tiana Barenaba, Dr Peter Hendy MP, PP Peter Wood

and the Hon Andrew Constance MP

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by the Federal member, Dr Peter Hendy, and the NSW State Treasurer, Andrew Constance, as well as members of community organisa4ons and the Rotary Club. The keynote address given by one of last year’s awardees, Tiana Barenaba, had those aSending chuckling at the experiences of a first year university student … perhaps it was the memories evoked!

Then, more youth achievement at the Youth Exchange Rebounders’ camp at Tuross. It only seems like yesterday when these youngsters departed for their year’s life-‐changing experience. And so it was … life-‐changing. It was wonderful to see them return as young adults, buoyed by their experience overseas, and ready to start on the rest of their lives. As Rotarians, we have every right to be very proud of this great program and ensure it con4nues to provide these life-‐changing experiences.

Unfortunately other engagements meant I was unable to aSend the changeover for the Telopea Park High School Interact Club where Arig Saeed became President, following the footsteps of her older sister Amel, now the President at Narrabundah College Interact. The changeover was aSended by Canberra Sunrise Rotarians and staff from Telopea Park School.

We had a couple of days of interna4onal Rotary when we hosted Past District Governor Bob Cope and Jan from Missouri, USA. Bob and Jan are touring Australia and included a short stay in the na4on’s capital. Bob was Governor in 1979–80 at the when he was only 37. It was an opportunity to exchange views of Rotary today and 35 years ago. Bob is a re4red aSorney who served his State as a circuit judge and was thrilled to visit the Australian War Memorial and the High Court. Bob and Jan’s visit was a result of our membership of the Interna4onal Travelling and Hos4ng Fellowship. Have a look at the website; there will be many opportuni4es for you too.

It was a moment of personal pride for Denise and me when we took 4me out to travel to Perth to aSend the gradua4on of our youngest son. Luke graduated from Murdoch University with a double degree in Arts and Science acer eight years of part 4me study. A great achievement for a young man diagnosed with mul4ple sclerosis when he was 30.

PP Jonathan Lyle, represen4ng President Peter McDermoS, Arig Saeed (the President of TPHS Interact) and teacher Carole Sotgiu who is the

Interact Club Counsellor.

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STOP PRESS Southern Highlands Rotaractor and District Rotaract Representa4ve Travis Holland has been elected Vice Chair of Rotaract Australia. Rotaract Australia represents all of the Rotaract Clubs and provides a forum and training for Rotaractors throughout Australia. Travis’s elec4on as Vice Chair means he will become the Rotaract Australia Chair in 2016 –17. His elec4on is a fiing recogni4on of his dedica4on to Rotaract locally and na4onally. On behalf of the District, I extend congratula4ons and best wishes on this important and influen4al appointment.

To finish the month on another high note, we aSended a wonderful fundraiser hosted by the Woden Daybreak Club: a screening of The Second Best Marigold Hotel with the proceeds assis4ng PolioPlus and Lifeline. It was great to see the evented supported by so many Rotarians, including PDG Michael and AG Julia Pedler, AG Brian and Helen Goldstraw, AG Graeme and Heather Kinraid and AG Lyn Duckham. I know other centres have also had well-‐aSended film evenings.

Finally, a big thank you to the Rotarians at Canberra North who have accepted me as a member, and who have provided a warm welcome to Denise. I also thank the Rotarians at Hall for their friendship over the past years and wish them well in their future endeavours. For Denise and me, a new door has opened and we embrace this opportunity with hope and enthusiasm.

Cheers

Rowley

FRIENDSHIPS FORGED DURING LUNCH

A group of Rotarians met recently for Sunday lunch. The setting was a restaurant in Braidwood, the Rotarians were from Bungendore, Batemans Bay and Canberra North clubs. What’s unusual about that you ask?

The occasion was the second annual get together for the clubs. New friendships were forged, ideas exchanged, and Rotary’s 110th Birthday was celebrated – in the company of District Governor Rowley and Denise, who we were honoured to have join us. Bungendore and Batemans Bay clubs have a ‘sister’ relationship and members of both clubs are working on ways to expand this. It’s hoped we can work together in the future to help each other with projects and join each other from time to time in meetings and other activities. This lunch is now an annual event in both club’s calendars and those who participated voted the day a great success for Rotary friendship.

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The Rotary NSW/ACT Inspira4onal Woman for 2015 goes to D9710 Nominee from Yass

Fay Moore “a truly inspira8onal women”

I have just returned from Sydney and the presenta4on of the pres4gious NSW and ACT Rotary Inspira4onal Women’s Awards 2015. District 9710 had five nominees: Fay Moore, nominated by RC Yass Heather McAlpine, nominated by RC Gerringong Sunrise Kimberly Abbot, nominated by RC Gerringong Sunrise Libby Weir, nominated by RC Pambula Jennifer Woods, nominated by RC Belconnen These worthy nominees were joined by 19 other nominees from the NSW and ACT Rotary Districts. About 450 Rotarians, family and friends were at Doltone House, Pyrmont to see Fay Moore from Yass declared the Rotary Inspira4onal Woman for 2015.

My thanks to District Chair Margaret Atkin and her commiSee for the wonderful job in presen4ng five nominees from this District. Also thanks to the Rotary Clubs who took the 4me and effort to nominate inspira4onal women from their communi4es. 83 year old Fay Moore has served the Yass community for over 50 years as a Guide leader, a netball par4cipant, Yass Meals on Wheels, Yass Fire Brigade, the Smith Family, the View Club and most recently the Senior Ci4zens Club. She is one of the community’s unsung heroes; truly an inspira4onal woman. Denise and I join with President Kirsty, nominator PP Alfred McCarthy to congratulate Fay on a wonderful contribu4on to the Yass

Photo: President, RC Yass, Kirsty Holmes, DG Rowley TompseS, Fay Moore, and D9710 Inspira4onal Women Award District Chair Margaret Aitken.

Rowley

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District Governor Rowley TompseS

Vice District Governor Rob Woolley

Immediate Past District Governor Maureen Manning

District Governor Elect Monica GarreS

District Governor Nominee Steve Hill

District Secretary Anthony Jobson District Treasurer PDG Phil MeweS

Assistant Governors Vere Gray

Debbie Harris Julia Pedler Jan SouthcoS Graeme Kinraid Mark Wallace

Margaret Hedger Fiona Kibble

Robert MacCulloch Lynne Duckham Melissa Tooke Brian Goldstraw Hugh Boulter

District Assembly18-19 April 2015.

TUMUT

The training team has completed the program for the District Training Assembly to take place at the McAuley Catholic School in Tumut on 18 and 19 April, from 12.00pm Saturday to 12.45 Sunday, registra4ons are now available on the District website at hSp://www.rotaryd9710.org.au/district-‐training-‐assembly-‐2015.html

http://www.rotaryd9710.org.au/district-training-assembly-2015.html

http://www.rotaryd9710.org.au/district-training-assembly-2015.html

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Narooma went ‘Bollywood’ for the Rotary polio fundraiser and premiere of the Second Best Marigold Hotel, ‘and a what a great night it was,’ said Narooma Rotary President Angie Ulrichsen. ‘Everyone had a fabulous 4me, the Kinema was packed, most people dressed up, the place was buzzing and it was a win-‐win for Rotary and the Kinema. ‘We raised $1,400 from the film premiere and the raffle’ Polio is a crippling disease that can lead to irreversible paralysis and death, and it mainly affects children under five. There is no cure, only preven4on.

Asst District Governor and local End Polio Now ambassador Vere Gray said Rotary is the lead private sector partner in the Global Polio Eradica4on Ini4a4ve, a partnership of the World Health Organiza4on, Rotary, US Centres for Disease Control and Preven4on, and UNICEF with assistance from the Gates Founda4on. ‘In 1988 when this program began, there were an es4mated 350,000 new polio cases across the world each year,’ Ms Gray said.

‘Since 1988, more than two billion children in more than 122 countries have been immunised, eradica4ng polio in all but three countries -‐ Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. ‘It’s appropriate we are watching a film set in India, because India was the most recent country where polio has been eradicated. ‘We’re so close to eradica4ng polio worldwide, but it takes more funds. If we stopped now, it’s es4mated that in 10 years, the disease will again spread throughout the world.’ The Gates Founda4on is a great supporter of the End Polio Campaign. It currently matches each dollar raised by Rotarians 2:1, so the $1,400 raised in Narooma will become $4,200.

Narooma

goes

‘Bollywood’

for

End Polio

Now

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IN MEMORIUM

Past President Bert Roberts PHF Rotary Club of Canberra East

Bert Roberts joined the Rotary of South Mount Isa in 1969 and transferred to the Rotary Club of Canberra East in mid-1971. He held positions across all Rotary Avenues of Service including Vocational Service Director (1973-74), Community Service Director (1974-75), and Club Service Director (1976-77). He served as Club President in 1977-78.

As in all his endeavours, Bert was known for his tireless efforts, calm wisdom and considered and balanced advice. His wit and keen sense of humour always helped develop and maintain an ‘esprit de corps’ within the Club. He played an active role in all Club activities and projects, but was especially enthused by projects involving youth development and leadership, particularly the selection of attendees to the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and the support for young and indigenous healthcare professionals through the Club’s contributions to the work of Australian Rotary Health. Bert also actively participated in the Club’s ANZAC Day activities and was often available to assist in the early hours before the pre-dawn services. Bert understood and empathised with the plight of farmers and rural communities during times of fire, flood and prolonged drought. He therefore offered strong support, including additional financial assistance for the Club’s “Gifts for Rural Families” project which provided assistance, support and elements of comfort to rural communities in western New South Wales during those harsh times. His encouragement and support continued through the Club’s current involvement with the Salvation Army’s Rural Project.

Bert’s personal involvement with the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal also saw him engage the cooperation and assistance of the Rotary Club of Canberra East which has now provided continuous support of the collection efforts for more than 40 years.

The participation and commitment to Rotary by Bert was both visible and at times, invisible. Until recently, he continued to be very ‘hands-on’ in most of the Club’s fund raising activities. But he also made personal financial contributions to projects and activities that sat comfortably with Rotary objectives and his community values. These included projects with a focus on youth, the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged. On many occasions Bert was pleased to contribute behind the scenes on the understanding that his involvement remained undisclosed.

Bert embodied Rotary values and ideals. His service to the Rotary Foundation and to the Rotary Club of Canberra East was recognised in 1983 when he was named a Paul Harris Fellow and in 2007 with him being made an Alf Gillespie Fellow. Both awards recognise the enormous contribution he made to the community through Rotary service and the esteem in which he was held.

The Rotary Club of Canberra East is very grateful for the many forms of Rotary service given by Bert Roberts; particularly for the sense camaraderie he inspired when working together, his good humour and the fellowship we enjoyed with him each Monday evening over 43 years.

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Clubs combined to celebrate 110 years and the Community gains a new oncology unit

Proceeds from the last Rotary’s Moruya Christmas Races were given to Moruya Cancer Carers at a combined mee4ng of Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma Rotary Clubs at Moruya last Wednesday. The mee4ng also celebrated Rotary Interna4onal’s 110th birthday. Rotary Assistant Governor Vere Gray said Rotary’s contribu4on plus that of Moruya Jockey Club resulted in the Christmas Races on 21 December raising $21,500 for Moruya Cancer Carers, ‘a great effort all round’. She thanked everyone involved, including Jockey Club manager Brian Cowden, Moruya Interact members and Rotarians, and the community for suppor4ng it. Moruya Jockey Club President Peter Atkinson said the night was ‘the

culmina4on of a wonderful coopera4ve effort by the three Rotary Clubs and Moruya Jockey Club’. ‘Our Jockey Club is not just a racing club, it’s also a community club that assists community groups,’ he said, presen4ng a cheque for $12,000. Batemans Bay Rotary President Alan Russell said the three Rotary clubs are not big clubs but ‘we do great things, and this combined effort for Moruya Cancer Carers was an amazing effort’. He handed Moruya Cancer Carers Chairman Cr Rob Pollock a cheque for $9,500. ‘I can’t thank you enough,’ Cr Pollock said. ‘I keep on being overwhelmed and humbled by our community. ‘Everyone is touched by cancer in some way, everyone acknowledges our current oncology facili4es are inadequate, and at the races everyone was keen to contribute to the cause.’ The mee4ng also paid tribute to Ron and Tralee Snape of Central Tilba, ins4gators of the community’s push for beSer oncology facili4es and recently recognised as Eurobodalla Ci4zens of the Year. Rotary’s latest contribu4on brings the total dona4ons to Moruya Cancer Carers to over $200,000, including some funds promised, and also includes proceeds from the first Rotary Christmas Races in 2013. Cr Pollock said the community’s push for beSer oncology facili4es, and backing that push with substan4al fundraising, had brought forward the NSW Government’s plans for a new oncology unit by probably at least four years. He explained the new oncology unit at Moruya Hospital is being built under the new Federally funded sub-‐acute unit to be opened that Friday. ‘The new oncology unit with space for 12-‐treatment chairs, along with the new renal unit, will be completed midyear,’ he said. ‘Our local Member Andrew Constance and NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner recognised our community’s efforts, and the NSW Government responded with funding.

Moruya Jockey Club President Peter Atkinson, Moruya Cancer Carers President Rob Pollock, President Batemans Bay Rotary Club Alan Russell and Rotary Assistant Governor Vere Gray

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PromoBng membership with new ideas, even some that challenge tradiBon.

Rotary member Michael McQueen, a bestselling author and founder of The Nexgen Group, talks to district governors-elect on 20

January about keeping Rotary relevant. Photo Credit: Rotary International/Monika

Lozinska

Strengthening Rotary's membership is not just important for incoming district governors, it's cri4cal. That's the message they received from several key speakers at their training event, the 2015 Interna4onal Assembly in San Diego. For membership to grow, leaders must be willing, for example, to ease stringent club mee4ng protocols and make other efforts to accommodate a younger, digitally oriented demographic. Seventy percent of Rotary members are 50 years or older, while half of the world's popula4on is under 30, according to Rotary leaders. The contrast shouldn't be something to fear, but rather something to embrace, said Rotary member Michael McQueen, a bestselling author who studies social change, youth culture, and cultural issues and whose consul4ng firm, The Nexgen Group, specializes in demographic shics and social trends. To engage this young demographic, McQueen says that staying relevant is crucial. He shared three key ways that enduring organiza4ons can do that: recalibrate, re-‐engineer, and reposi4on. But relevance does not involve compromise, McQueen stressed; the values, priori4es, and commitment of Rotary should never change. "Any organiza4on that is willing to compromise its DNA in order to stay relevant never lasts. Acer all, if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything," said McQueen, a member of the Rotary Club of Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia. RI General Secretary John Hewko expressed a similar view when he addressed the assembly. He said it's clear that members have been able to accomplish a great deal, but asked what they are "willing to do" to make Rotary stronger. "So I'm asking all of you, in the coming year, to be voices for doing everything we can in Rotary, not just everything that's comfortable or easy or the way things have always been done," he said. "Be advocates for thoughvul, posi4ve, and las4ng change. We have a great tradi4on in Rotary, but it's our tradi4on. We made it, we own it -‐-‐ it doesn't own us; if it no longer serves its purpose, we can change it.” ……..con4nued page 6

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R o t a r y D i s t r i c t 9 7 1 0 - D i s t r i c t S e r v i e t t e p a g e n o !1 0

Probus Travel Insurance on offer to Rotarians

McQueen suggests adjus4ng some of the tradi4ons, processes, and protocols that "could be the very things that cause us to lose relevance." In McQueen's na4ve Australia, the Rotary Club of Toronto Sunrise, New South Wales, has three members sharing leadership responsibili4es for a year as co-‐presidents. The club reports that having the skills and ideas of three leaders is promp4ng other changes, and has already resulted in a 25 percent gain in membership. According to McQueen, change and innova4on are led by people with fresh perspec4ves. Rotary members can draw new ideas from new members, guest speakers, family members, even children who tag along to club mee4ngs. "The beauty of people with fresh eyes is that they don't know how things have always been done because no one has told them yet," said McQueen. "They have no trouble thinking outside the box because no one has told them what the box even looks like."

And young people, he said, "represent an enormous opportunity for this organiza4on from a membership point of view. They are an ambi4ous bunch of natural networkers who, contrary to popular opinion, have a strong sense of civic duty."

Change is never easy, McQueen conceded, but Rotary members must be open to it. "We must avoid the trap of ever feeling we have arrived at the winning formula, which we then set in stone. Acer all, the moment you think you've made it, you've passed it."

Growing membership is a major goal of Rotary President Gary C.K. Huang. Engaging youth, invi4ng more women into clubs, and embracing change are all important to increasing and keeping members, Huang said.

Some4mes, he noted, adding a member is as simple as asking someone to join. Since he took office on 1 July, Huang has recruited several dignitaries while traveling, including Ed Royce, a U.S. congressman from California; Mulenga Sata, deputy mayor of Lusaka, Zambia's capital; and Beatrice Lorenzin, Italy's minister of health. All of them, Huang said, praised Rotary's work before being asked to join.

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Across this great land of ours, State Governments build state of the art hospitals and people come from far and wide to have their health needs addressed. Pa4ents are ocen accompanied by loved ones, who pa4ently sit by beds providing TLC and extra help where it’s needed. At the end of each day when home is far away, where do the loved ones go?

Fortunately, Rotary and other service clubs have seen the need for a safe haven for carers, and many hospitals now have on site accommoda4on for rela4ves and carers. Without excep4on, everyone who has used carers accommoda4on facili4es has been apprecia4ve that in their 4me of need – when their loved one was unwell and they were far from home -‐ support was there.

Recognising the importance of having carers accommoda4on on site at hospitals, service clubs in the Bega Valley have recently joined forces to make it happen at the new South East Regional Hospital, currently under construc4on in Bega,

Working under the banner of Community Carers Accommoda4on South East (CCASE) Inc., the combined service club effort has strong Rotary involvement at the local level, and we are keen to give our Rotary family across District 9710 the opportunity to get behind the project.

The goal for CCASE is to construct an 18 bed accommoda4on facility, comprising 3 wings of 6 rooms each, built around a common kitchen / living area. The Development Applica4on is ready to submit to Council, and construc4on will occur in 3 stages on land made available on site by the local health service.

With an es4mated budget of around $2M it is a big project. Bega Cheese have come on board with a generous corporate dona4on to kick things off, and fundraising efforts are underway .. a year in and the project has raised just over $150,000. Clearly we’re going to need to pull out the big guns and get more help!

If you or your Club is interested in joining forces to make this project a reality, or you’d just like to hear more about what’s happening, we’d really welcome hearing from you. Just get in touch via the CCASE email at [email protected], message us on Facebook or give Lynne Koerbin a call on 0409 446 818.

SE Regional

Hospital under

construc4on in

Bega

Service Clubs Join Forces in the South East by Lynne Koerbin, Pambula

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Not-‐for-‐pro(it trends to watch in 2015

Kathy Richardson, Our Community Kathy Richardson has just returned from a study tour of the US. Travelling on an Eisenhower Fellowship, Kathy inves8gated how not-‐for-‐profits—such as Rotary—are ranked and rated in the US, and how not-‐for-‐profits themselves understand and measure their impact. She also looked at developments in communica8ons and funding. Kathy’s inves8ga8ons uncovered a range of trends that are already being felt in Australia or will most likely be felt here very soon.

The Future Is Informal.

Forget honorifics. (Hooray! We never liked them anyway.) We’re all on a first-‐name basis now. And we’re wearing jeans and T-‐shirts. And we’re mee4ng in cafes, not offices. In fact, we’re working in cafes. Or in co-‐working spaces that look and feel a lot like cafes, full of hipsters tapping away on MacBooks. Australia already has a number of these “spaces” (the places formerly known as “places”). You’re going to see a lot more of them. You might even find yourself working in one some4me soon.

The Future Is Visual.

No one reads anymore, not even you. (You’re only reading this because we put it in list format, broke it up with headings and added some graphics. Trust us, it’s true.) You need to find the quickest route from informa4on to meaning: you’re going to need headings, dot points, pictures, graphs, compelling stories that unlock the numbers. You’re also going to have to stop puddling around in the grey. You need to find the headlines, the killer stats. If you can’t do it, find someone who can help.

The Future Is Data.

Your organisa4on already holds a whole lot of data. Soon you’re going to have to get a lot beSer at extrac4ng it, understanding it and using it. Some believe data will solve all the world’s problems, and others think it’s snake oil. The truth lies somewhere in between.

The Future Is Algorithms (the Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth).

Here’s how it will probably go. You’ll wade in to your organisa4on’s ocean of data and paddle around in the shallows for a while, but then the force of the 4de will start pushing you out to sea and soon you’ll find yourself up to your ears. You’ll need to get out past the breakers, and you’ll need something to carry you there safely: an algorithm, a formula to help you make sense of the numbers. A word of warning: you can’t avoid all of this by standing on the shore. If you opt out, a giant wave is going to crash over you—see point five.

Judgement Is Coming.

America is blessed/cursed (depending on your viewpoint) with a thriving ecosystem of organisa4ons that list, rank and rate not-‐for-‐profits. Each one uses different criteria to inform their judgements. Most are designed to improve the informa4on flowing to donors, and the concerns of not-‐for-‐profits themselves are at best secondary. All indica4ons are that this trend is going to hit Australia soon. Brace yourself.

The future is outcomes (and impacts).

Is what you’re doing working? Do you even know, precisely, what you’re trying to influence? Really? Welcome to the era of data-‐driven, evidence-‐based prac4ce. This means you’re going to have to stop selling your success stories (which, let’s be truthful, are ocen stories of your outliers) and start selling your true outcomes: what happened to the en4re popula4on you touched. It’s really really hard to figure out what works in crea4ng social change (and which bit of it was down to what you did), but that’s no excuse for not trying………………….cont.

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The Five Peaks Challenge is on Sunday 26 April, 2015 in and around Canberra. It is conducted by Woden Rotary and is similar to previous years with two distances (118 km and 83 km) but this year in addi4on to the five peaks (Mt Stromlo, Red Hill, Mt Pleasant, Mt Ainslie and Black Mt) we have added Dairy Farmers Hill (in the Arboretum) for a sixth peak -‐-‐ all peaks can be by-‐passed if desired. This is fun day which is non-‐compe44ve and raises money for designated chari4es.

The money will follow the data. There’s a new breed of donors out there and they’re not all that interested in your intuition or even your 30 years of experience in the :ield. They want to see the evidence. Those who ignore the push towards evidence-‐based practice are going to run a real risk of being left behind. Not-‐for-‐pro(its don’t have a monopoly on social outcomes. Anyone in the business of creating or purchasing social outcomes is part of the game. Many not-‐for-‐pro:its are looking a lot like businesses, while some businesses are getting serious about their social impacts. Then there’s the rest: social enterprises, B-‐Corps (Our Community is one), impact investors, corporate social responsibility practitioners—there’s a whole lot of shape shifting going on. We’re all on the same team. We have to learn to play together. The walls are tumbling down. Traditional power structures are being undermined by the democratising effects of technology, social media and crowdsourcing. Trust in institutions is waning. You don’t need to be old or experienced or well-‐educated or credentialed or well-‐respected or male or white or well-‐known to make waves—a 22-‐year-‐old with a killer algorithm in her back pocket can change the world. Don’t get stuck in the 20th century. In the end, we’re talking about human beings. Social workers do not want their decisions made by computers. Algorithms can’t turn bad data into good information. Funders and donors get bored with great programs. “Social problems” affect real-‐live people. And many people (most people?) actually don’t care all that much about data if the evidence doesn’t equate with their ideology and worldview. Everything we do—all of us, everything—must take into account human behaviour.

Adapted from Our Community Matters, Editions 1 & 2, 2015

40 young people made up of Sapphire Coast Rotaractors and guests go on an interna4onal cruise to celebrate diversity and purchase a Shelter Box. The night was organised to bring young people of the community together as well as raise funds. Rotaractors of the Far South Coast have found it really tough to get new members as they have found that most people have no idea who they are, but acer the cruise they hope to get more people involved. The evening raised $300 which puts them halfway towards a shelter box.

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DON’T FORGET POLIO As we celebrated the 110th Anniversary of Rotary in February, we also recognised the 30th year of our battle for Global Polio Eradication. We have never been closer to our goal. But "This Close" is not close enough. Have you held a fund raiser for Polio yet? Has your club donated to the Rotary Foundation for the End Polio Program yet? Did you fund raise at a movie night? Have you had a “World’s Greatest Meal”? It is not too late. EVERY CLUB in the District is asked to donate. Many individuals have also donated. To those clubs and individuals who have donated, thank you for your contribution and for caring. Since 1985, over 13 million children have been saved from the paralysis of polio. If we stop now, it’s estimated that in 10 years, the disease will be spread throughout the world again. Polio is a crippling disease. 1 in 200 have permanent paralysis. There is no cure, only prevention. So we can’t stop. After all the effort and commitment of Rotarians around the world as well as the World Health Organisation, other partner organisations, and the Gates Foundation we CAN’T STOP.

There is good news. Of the three endemic countries, Nigeria hasn’t had a case for six months – and only six cases last year. Afghanistan had 26 cases last year and has had none this year so far. In Pakistan, in 2015 only nine cases have been reported this year (308 cases in 2014). Significant progress has been made reaching huge numbers of previously unvaccinated children.

The major outbreaks what occurred around twelve months ago in the Horn of Africa and in the Middle East have been stopped. South East Asia has been officially declared polio free. A grateful India has launched a new campaign to raise funds, being the most recent country where polio has been eradicated (see picture).

Dealing with the last few cases is proving the most difficult and most expensive part of the whole 30 year campaign. Fellow Rotarians, please don’t be discouraged or think we don’t need to finish the task. We do.

We promised the children of the world that we would eradicate Polio. Please continue to donate so that we can keep our promise.

Vere Gray D9710 Polio Chair (Please remember, I have banners, brochures and badges to help with promotion. I am also available to speak at your club.)

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The District Servietteclubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000007687/en-au/... · March 2015 Rotary District 9710 - District Serviette page no !6 Naroomawent‘Bollywood’+for+the+Rotary+polio+fundraiser+and+premiere+of+the+Second+Best