• Rotary Peace Fellows Seminar to be held on 13 April at  Womens ‘ College, University of Queensland from 10amto 5pm. No cost, includes lunch
• Rotary Club of New Farm hosting a Gatsby function at the Brunswick Hotel on 10 May at 7pm- tickets $50.
• 2023 Rotary International Conference will be held in Melbourne from 27-31 May, 2023. 2023 is the Rotary Club of Brisbane 100^th Celebration year.
• Keith said that Tony Pilkington will chair a session at our next meeting on 15 April  “How to make our Club Irresistible”
• No meeting on Easter Monday, 22 May.
• On 29 May, James Peterson will be our guest speaker on “Story about Mental Health’, particularly in youth which Denise Schellbach has sent reminder for all to attend.

By John Hewko, Rotary International General Secretary

The desire to give back, become involved in your community, create connections, and use one’s skills to benefit others is a cornerstone of civil society. But how can young people find these opportunities while facing the challenges of a widening skills gap, lost personal connections through digital isolation, and an uncertain future?

Let me begin with a description of a young person who may sound familiar.

A young person alone in a big city. A young person looking for friendship, looking for connections with other professionals from diverse backgrounds.

A young person looking to make an impact but unsure where to begin. That man was Paul Harris, Rotary’s founder.

Back in 1905 when Paul started the organization we know today, he was only 36 years old.

He certainly had that spirit of youthful innovation that we must try to emulate. Because, to those early Rotary members in the first Rotary club in Chicago, Rotary was like an oasis in the desert.

And over a century later, our Rotaractors are part of a generation that grapples with its own challenges and deserts, in a world of increasing social and political upheavals.

Many graduated during a global economic depression, and perhaps had to struggle to get that first job or pay off student loans.

Many have witnessed rising social inequality and political polarization. Many are disenchanted with business practices that don’t meet our high ethical standards.

It is not time to lose hope – because we want Rotary to be your oasis in the desert. A place where new ideas can be explored, friendships are made, opportunities are realized, and your talents are used to improve lives.

The Chicago in which Rotary was born is not so different from the environment we exist in today. Paul Harris experienced first-hand the struggle between the forces for positive social change and the aggression of a fast-growing city. It was a place of stark contrasts, between astonishing wealth, abject poverty and high unemployment.

But innovators like Paul, looking at first for nothing more than friendship and business connections, began to turn the corner. What started as a fellowship of four people grew into a large and thriving service organization of 1.2 million members and nearly 200,000 Rotaractors who carried out 111 million volunteer hours of work last year in communities at home and around the world.

The myth that Rotary cannot be a place for young people to make their mark on the world is just that – a myth. Through Rotary, you are able to create lasting connections, discover new experiences, and make a positive impact.

Learn more about Rotaract and find a club near you.

Source: Rotary Voices

By Gary Bennett, past president of the Rotary Club of Kelowna and current member of the Sunrise Rotary Club of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

I read with great interest what President-elect Mark Daniel Maloney had to say about growing Rotary in the March issue of The Rotarian. He is spot on. Healthy membership is the life blood of any organization and Rotary is no exception. Because we all benefit from a thriving membership, all of us share a responsibility to help grow Rotary and bring in new members. President-elect Mark’s emphasis on growing Rotary is a welcome reminder of our opportunity to help.

When you think about why people stay or go, it really isn’t that complicated. People have many competing commitments in life. No one is required to be a Rotarian; it is voluntary. People will seriously consider joining if they perceive the net benefits they receive exceed the costs. Members will stay if that experience proves true. And it follows logically that the reverse is true. A person will not join if they think the net experience will not be positive, and they will leave if the experience has not been beneficial.

Fortunately, The Four-Way Test and the Rotary Code of Conduct, can help us in building that positive experience. They are all about treating people fairly, building better friendships, and creating goodwill. These principles go far beyond Rotary. They are the backbone of judicial systems around the civilized world and the envy of anyone living under totalitarian rule. These are the things people are drawn to. If our clubs are perceived to operate under these principles in our community, people will be drawn to us.

Here are ten things every member can do to create a positive experience:

1. Apply The Four-Way Test and Code of Conduct in your lives and in your club proceedings. Before judging or expressing a point of view, sending an email, taking any action, find out the facts of a situation. After doing that, determine if an action is fair to all, will build goodwill and better friendships, and will be beneficial to all concerned. If not, don’t act.
2. Become an advocate for policies and practices that are based on truth, fairness, inclusivity, and diversity.
3. Always greet members with warmth and interest.
4. Treat members with the respect you would like to get.
5. Take the time to listen and evaluate diverse opinions and defend the right of members to express a view different from yours.
6. If you have a concern with another member, speak to them personally. Don’t send a complaining email.
7. Before you send an email or communicate with others, make sure the assertions you are making are based on fact. Always use an appropriate tone. Ask yourself, is it fair and will it build goodwill and better friendship?
8. Get involved and spread the news about Rotary’s good work.
9. If someone expresses a concern about Rotary, listen and see what you can do to correct the situation.
10. None of us are perfect. We all can display poor judgment at times. If you find you’ve made a mistake or offended someone, apologize as soon as possible. Not only will your action be good for Rotary, but you will gain respect for doing so.

The above is not an all-inclusive list; you may have ideas to add to it. Share your ideas with others.

I believe if we as individual Rotarians all adopt the strategies above, we will gain enormous respect and fondness from our Rotary peers, and each of us will be much happier being part of an organization that operates in this manner. Moreover, our club’s reputation for being welcoming and fair will spread throughout our communities. This will result in people gravitating toward Rotary who are seeking fellowship and an opportunity to serve their community. Getting and keeping members will become much easier.

Source: Rotary Voices