Welcome to the 2020/2021 Rotary year.

It has been a challenging start to the year and we have been adaptable and responsive and looked for opportunities to be of service. We will continue to be of service and impact as needed. It is an exciting year ahead celebrating Rotary's Centennial year in Australia and New Zealand.

Below are some examples of our recent impact:

• Together, we recently collaborated with the Rotary Club of North Melbourne and raised much needed funds for residents of the high-rises who experienced an immediate lock-down.
• The face-mask making workshop we ran in April 2020 is more relevant than ever with the soon to be mandatory face-mask wearing in Victoria. If you are keen to help us make some please email: president@southbank.org.au, as Launch Housing has been in contact and are keen for us to donate some additional masks to them.
• Our millennial satellite club is an inspirational and innovative think-tank that we can leverage to connect to more young people in these hard times and currently they are trialling new collaborative digital tools.
• We are launching a Wellness Webinar this week, hosted by member Dale Cosgrave, to help our community learn tools to stay calm and centred during these uncertain and challenging times.Together, we recently collaborated with the Rotary Club of North Melbourne and raised much needed funds for residents of the high-rises who experienced an immediate lock-down.

We are well placed to be of impact and to open more opportunities for Rotary and our community and have an exciting few weeks ahead, including:

• workshop on Hackathons to help us digitally and collaboratively find solutions to 'wicked' community issues  (4/8/2020);
• presentation on a potential Centennial project the 'Inner Melbourne Emergency Relief Network' presented by Susie Cole on 28/7/2020, and a workshop on video presentations by our PE Jaqui O'Donohoe ( Public Image and Communications Director, Rotary Club of Southbank);
• presentation on international projects in Vanuatu and Fiji (21/07/2020);
• presentation by Mark Balla, toilet warrior who is creating more opportunities for girls in India to remain in schooling; and
• club projects and fellowship on 18/8/2020.

Let's stay ready, open, optimistic and focussed on creating more opportunities for those in our orbit.

On the 7th July we celebrated our changeover and welcomed in the new team for 20/21 including Jasmin Dhillon as President. Whilst we could not be together in person it was a fun event with many joining on zoom to celebrate. The date was also significant because it was exactly 2 years since Jasmin was also inducted in the club, along with our treasurer Lillian, who was one of the emcee's for the changeover night.

There was a raffle prize, which was a box of Shiraz 2010 (RRP $200) donated by Richard Stockman from Stockman Wines -  A very worthy winner was Martin Taurins!

We welcomed in the new board members, as well as our board mentor, Wendy Bennett The 20/21 board is included below along with a short line on what each board member is excited about for this upcoming year:

President Elect & Director (Public Image & Communications): Jaqui O'Donohoe
"I am keen to create connection and I am excited about getting our newsletter up and running, as well as increasing our social presence to share our stories with fellow Rotarians and also the broader public".

Vice President and Director (Club Service): Liam Jones

"I am looking forward to making this year a great one, particularly given these most unusual of times.This may be our chance to increase our reach globally as well as on boarding new members that may be looking for ways to curb their social isolation."

Immediate Past President: Sally Page

Secretary: Stuart McArthur
"No idea is too high or to challenging to bring to the table I look forward to working with you all to bring together all contributions from members of the club in this unique opportunity to be the home of the District Governor in 2020-21. Let's not only celebrate the centenary of Rotary but remind everyone of the uniqueness and diversity that represents all Southbank Rotarians".

Director (Vocational Service and Membership): Nick Kane
"I am excited about our new Orbit Satellite club and mentoring this group as well as making a positive difference to the way we introduce new members. I am also looking forward to being the sergeant at arms for our meetings this year which hopefully will be back to face to face soon".

Director (Foundation): Steven Aquilina
"I'm excited about challenging and motivating ourselves as a club to redefine "service above self" in this era of the "new normal" to find new and innovative ways to connect with one another in the pursuit of inclusive engagement and service to our communities.  I would like to see us all share our unique talents, skills and passions to create opportunities to make the world a better place for those most in need during these uncertain times."

Southbank Rotary Club has through the media of Zoom, already shared meetings and Changeovers with Malaysia and we have the opportunity through our Sister Clubs and by association their Sister Clubs to extend our communication with Rotary Clubs in India ,Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, London, Norway, Bali and Vanuatu to name a few.

The doors of opportunity are open to extend our Rotary International Family and share our passion and desire to make our world a better and safer place"

We all look forward to a successful year ahead for Rotary Southbank 

The Southbank club recently pulled together with the North Melbourne Rotary Club to support the Somali Women's Development Association (http://www.swdai.org.au/). Part of this community was locked down in the high rise quarantine affected by Covid-19.

Sainab Sheikh, President Elect of the North Melbourne Rotary Club is the founder of the organisation and was driving a project to support those in quarantine by collecting and distributing food and essential supplies.

We look forward to having Sainab Sheikh join our club in the near future to talk more about their projects!

May is the month for raising money for MS research! There are over 25,600 Australians living with MS and MS Research Australia want to kiss goodbye to MS forever. The 30th May is MS Day and so the whole month is dedicated to moving to raise awareness and funds. The goal is 50km but you can change this to make sure it's a challenge. I personally am a long distance runner so I decided to up the ante and do 500kms for the month!

A number of our Rotary Southbank members joined the Rotary Action Group of MS Awareness for the month with a goal to lace up those shoes, get walking or running and raise money.

As a team we had a goal of $2,500 and the team smashed it with $3,891 raised. Everyone set their own distance challenge and had the month to reach it. Many surpassed their goals with Southbank member Nick Kane setting a challenge for 50km and instead doing almost 250km!

I personally loved the challenge of 500km, which was an average of over 16kms per day. I would wake up early and do 12kms in the morning and then a small run or walk in the evening. On a Saturday I would push out a long run with my longest being 27.5kms in the Dandenongs. This meant

I could have the occasional smaller day to rest and recover for my poor tired legs.

Being a long distance runner, this challenge was a great way for me to continue to train when all my trail races have been cancelled. When I received donations it was also really touching to hear the stories of some of my colleagues and friends who had been touched by MS in their lives and to know that by running I was making a difference. I definitely thought of those people on the mornings when the alarm went off early and I didn't want to brave the cold wet mornings but they inspired me to get my butt out there.

Such a great effort by our team -  Rotary Action Group of MS Awareness.

Check out our page and donate now whilst you still can https://www.themay50k.org/fundraisers/ROTARYACTIONGROUPOFMSAWARENESS

Rotary has had a cherished history since 1905 in Chicago, USA and now has some 35,000+ individual clubs around the world, all uniquely different and all powered by a willingness to use its members' skills and passions to make a difference to the world we live in.

Likewise, Rotary provides the power of networking with other individuals and clubs both locally and internationally to join leaders, share ideas and take action to make a difference.

A recent innovation in Rotary is the concept of a Satellite Club - a club that is linked to and supported by an existing Rotary Club with its own focus, its own projects and its own meeting schedule (which may be similar to the parent club, or completely different).

Rotary Club of Southbank is currently in the process of setting up 2 new Satellite Clubs - One for Millennials and one for Senior Executives.

Already over the last 4 weeks, an active group of 7 young millennials have been meeting online each Thursday night and are looking for a few more young and motivated people to help launch this new initative.  Their first project with the support of Darrell Lea involves chocolate.  Stay tuned for more details - Or join the club to see what they are doing for their communities during this time of hardship.

Please contact us now if you would like to know more information.

Who would have thought we would see the world change so dramatically that none of us remains immune to the impact of COVID-19.  Whilst the pandemic has caused us all significant disruption to our daily lives, on a personal level, within the workplace, and at Rotary, we as Rotarians, are fortunate to still be able to continue what we do bestproviding service to our communities, albeit at a distance.

There is no doubt that we are working differently by observing social distancing and being vigilant about washing our hands and keeping our homes and workplaces as clean as possible. Many of us may be feeling the impact of restrictions with travel and at home, as we all take responsibility for "flattening the curve".

There are many things we can all do to keep ourselves energized in all areas of our lives by taking a leadership approach through this time of crisis.  Even if you are not in a leadership role, you can still be a leader at Rotary, in your workspace, and even at home.  No matter what your role is, you are performing in it because you are considered a leader and expert in what you deliver, and there is no better time to demonstrate your expertise and show leadership qualities than through a time of crisis.

Here are some ideas on how you can influence Rotary's mission of providing service above self:

1. Be mindful of those around you.  Everyone is experiencing some level of change right now. Take the time to listen, to show empathy and to get to know those around you. Be understanding. Be supportive. When you focus on others, you tend to rise above your own issues.
2. Build morale by being positive. Every single person within any group impacts on the next by what they say and do, no matter what their role. Getting caught up in negativity is a choice. Instead choose to be positive. You will be surprised how much more satisfying your day will be, and how this will also impact on others.
3. If something is bothering you, decide who can help influence a solution or provide the right advice and talk to that person. There is nothing to be gained by complaining to people who can't do anything about your issue, or are unlikely to be able to give you good advice. Doing so, only adds to their stress load, and brings their morale down, as well as yours.
4. Use your initiative and be a team player. Being a team member means collaborating with and supporting those around you so that the team as a whole remains cohesive, productive and positive. Ask yourself what you can do to help others when you have the time. When you do something good for others, you feel good too.
5. Build relationships and provide the best service to others. In Rotary, if you are not providing service directly to our community, you are providing service to someone who is. At this time when people generally have some level of anxiety, it is the time to build deeper trust with those around you. You don't need a reason to pick up the phone to someone and genuinely ask how that person is doing, especially if you are sincere in your care. It's easy to build good relationships in good times, but in challenging times, you have the opportunity to build better than good relationships. You can build trust.
6. Stay focused on Rotary's mission.  It's certainly easy to lose focus during these times when the world is in crisis. However, we all have a role to play and we are fortunate to be part of an organization that is making a difference. Focus on this big picture, be the person who reminds everyone else of this mission and help turn conversations towards better ways of delivering the best possible outcomes.
7. Learn to be a winner. Is something not going your way?  Some times things won't, and it may not seem fair. Some times we are not always privy to the big picture and will not understand why a certain decision is made. But there is no point in sabotaging your own happiness, job satisfaction or voluntary work by not continuing to perform to your best. Being a winner is rising above setbacks, as winners know there is a bigger game at play.

As the saying goes, we are all in this together, so let's serve the best we can.

Rotary Club of Southbank sponsored Jennisha Arnanta for 2019 RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award). It is a residential camp unlike any other. Over seven days, participants are immersed in a program centered around  four key themes: Challenge by choice, diversity, community and time out. We give young people aged 18-25 the opportunity to step away from the distractions of their busy lives and provide the space to think about what is important to them.

Jennisha is passionate about people and public speaking, and values experience above all things. She believes that to be a well-rounded person, one must keep growing through exposure to new experiences, opportunities and constantly challenging oneself to push beyond the limits. She has been involved with Toastmasters at University of Melbourne (District 73) for the past 2 years as a Public Relations Officer to further pursue learning good communication skills and the art of being a good public speaker.

In early 2020, she travelled to Miaoli, a village in Taiwan as part of a program with AIESEC organisation to teach English to underprivileged children and execute cross-cultural exchange. When she is not cooped up with her studies, she makes it a point to go out and meet new people through volunteering or business events.

Some key messages were shared and we were left with real ways we can all make a difference, including calling out behaviour and acting with courage. Some of my biggest take away lines were 'We stand on the shoulders of the women who came before us" and " What you walk past, you accept"

Jaqui O'Donohoe

You are invited to join us at a Business Leaders Breakfast to raise funds for the Australian Bushfire Disaster Relief Appeal.  Bookings are now avaliable via Trybooking.

Keynote Speaker

Andrew Crisp

Emergency Management Commissioner for Victoria.

Download a Printable Flyer (to print or email to fellow Rotarians and Business partners)

Make a One-Off Donation to the Australian Bushfire Disaster Relief Appeal.

Incoming RI President announces 2020-21 presidential theme

Rotary International President-elect Holger Knaack is encouraging Rotarians to seize the many opportunities Rotary offers to enrich their lives and the communities they serve.

Knaack, a member of the Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany, revealed the 2020-21 presidential theme, Rotary Opens Opportunities, to incoming district governors at the Rotary International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA, on 20 January.

Rotary isn't just a club for people to join, but rather "an invitation to endless opportunities," said Knaack, who becomes president on 1 July. He emphasized that Rotary creates pathways for members to improve their lives and the lives of those they help through service projects.

Click on the Link below to view the rest of the article (and note the photo above of our current Dstrict Governor Grant Hocking at last years' International Assembly.)

https://www.rotary.org/en/holger-knaack-sees-opportunities-rotary-change-thrive