Stawellight – Rotary Stawell Newsletter – 30th September 2014
StawelLiGht
Rotary Club of Stawell Newsletter :
International Pres: Garry Huang – District Pres: Geoff James
Club Pres: Vaughan Williams – Club Sec: PE Pauline Sherrifs
September 30, 2014
Club Meeting
Reports:
PP John L reported on
- the Conoco-Phillips nominees from Stawell Secondary College. Each student will pay $40 towards their Science Experience and Rotary will pay $75 each. It was moved that Rotary send a cheque for the full amount $460 and that we collect the $40 from each student.
- Motion moved PP Val/Sgt Des – carried.
- Skene St Chairs project. A number of Stawell Business have been letterboxed. An email has gone to Ararat Rotary seeking their co-operation in a joint approach to selected Ararat businesses.
- PP Val reported:
- Meeting at RSL to clarify “Stawell Boys” who served in WW1, elegibility for inclusion on the proposed memorial plaque.
- Hat Day Friday October 10. Amcal have registered; C.Waack on behalf of StawellBiz has dropped flyers off in all businesses. . Val will visit SRH. Using CouncilShop for display. 4 Friends of Rotary have offered to help between 9 am -4.30 pm.
- Stawell Show 25 Oct. Has arranged for Rotary to be able to sell Car Raffle Tickets.PP Kimberley
- PP Kimberley expressed her wish to step down as meals coordinator. Sec Pauline agreed to take on role,
- Raquell to go to Royal Melbourne Show on Wednesday and will move to Sec Pauline’s home on Sunday. Alan, known to his mates as “Cookie” with more than 30 years experience at Frews, went through a brief but interesting history of the development of the abbatoirs especially after it was bought by Archie Frew. Over the years and not without difficult times which could have closed it when Markets through drought problems have occurred. But due to the perserverance and dedication of Archie Frew and then his son Robert towards the business and its workforce, Frewstals has grown to be the largest employer in Stawell and has recently gone from Tier 1 to Tier 2 Export level. The workforce over those years has grown from about 30 to well over 400.Stawell has much to be grateful to those who built Frewstals. Sec Pauline is preparing a full media release on Cookies’ talk. DG Geoff’s address to Stawell Rotary on the 23 September“At the International assembly in January, International President Gary Huang introduced his theme of “Light Up Rotary” by sharing a quote of Confucious saying, “It is better to light a single candle than to sit and curse the darkness”. I’ve suggested that the candle in this call to positive action is actually a symbol of “enlightenment”, and enlightement, in world religions and philosophies generally means being “on the right path” to “getting it all together”. That set my mind to thinking about what it might mean to have “Rotary Enlightement” or to be on the right path? Well, Gary illustrated his understanding of the theme by teaching us all a new Rotary song in Taiwanese, and he challenged us to teach the song in Chinese, to everyone in our District. So, today/tonight…we thought…we wouldn’t do that, but to set the theme, we would get you to sing a song that Meryl wrote to a tune by a well known Australian songwriter who lives across the passage from Meryl’s cousin – so join us in the chorus which ends with, “I am, you are, we are Rotarian”.Sing “I Am Rotarian” songWe join the leaders of the world from countries East to WestIs it the truth and is it fair and will it build goodwillCHORUSWe share a dream, we sing with one voice We educate, prevent disease, help children everywhereDevelop new communities so dignity won’t fade So conflict is prevented and world peace begins to growAnd hope the light of Rotary will shine on everyone
- Now, what we’ve just done is essentially the first of 27 key steps on the pathway towards “Rotary Enlightenment”. You might ask why there are 27 – well, that’s how many I discovered when I researched the Rotary experts! I did actually think about changing the number, but I Googled the number 27 on the internet, as you do, and discovered that 27 is actually a lunar symbol for “light in the darkness” – honestly – so 27 steps it is, and I want to share these possible steps on 4 levels – the personal level, the inter-personal or club level, the community level and the level of the Planet. As I said, we’ve just done the first.
- Repeat last line
- REPEAT CHORUS
- Exchange ideas and act on them until the work is done
- We light a candle in the dark and pray the flame will glow
- REPEAT CHORUS
- We heal the sick and feed the poor, provide disaster aid
- We value Service above Self and show the world we care
- I am, you are, we are Rotarian
- We are one but we are many and from all the lands on earth we come
- And benefit all those concerned, this test we will fulfil
- To all we think and say and do we add the 4 Way Test
- Part 1. Personal
- President Vaughan Introduced Alan Cook, Frewstals Quality Assurance Officer who had agreed to step into the guest speaker role when Darryl Holloway had to withdraw following the need to take his wife to hospital.
- Sec Pauline requested BOM reports by Friday.3 October.
- Pres Vaughan reminded members re the need to prepare budgets and will speak to Service Directors. Next Planning meeting to be on 14 October.
- A question was asked about “Smart Start “ following query from SSC. PP Val to follow up. Concern expressed about short time frame.
INDIVIDUAL LEVEL Step one – Engage our preferred skills and interests in enjoyable Rotary service
Meryl and I have just engaged our preferred skills and interests, my guitar playing, her song writing, and we’ve used them to share the good work of Rotary and had some fun at the same time. That’s the essence of Rotary, and what enlightened Rotarians do – they join their skills and interests together to do good in the world whilst having some fun. Research shows that if we aren’t getting some sense of personal satisfaction out of how we do good for others, we will soon lose interest and leave. So Enlightened Rotarians will work with their clubs to ensure that they do things they like to do as an integral part of their Rotary service.
Step two – Nurture our own spark of leadership.
Leadership experts say everyone can be a leader because leadership is essentially having a vision of how things could be better, sharing that vision, and living our lives in accordance with that vision. In other words, being true to ourselves. Rotary is about taking leaders in the community and our vocations, and making us better leaders, by giving us many opportunities to share our visions and improve our leadership skills. Enlightened Rotarians grab those opportunities as they arise, and put themselves forward for club and district leadership roles they think they can grow into. This relates to the next step.
Step three – Learn more about Rotary.
Research shows that our interest level and motivation increases when we become more aware of what Rotary does in the world, and how and why it does it. So enlightened Rotarians will read stuff, attend conventions, conferences, training events, join action groups and Rotary fellowships etc. just to keep learning. One of the best ways to learn about Rotary and develop our leadership skills is to sign up to do a Rotary Leadership Institute course.
Step four – Endeavour to live by the Four Way Test.
Living by the four way test is enlightenment in a nutshell, and enlightened Rotarians will always strive to put it into practice. Not easy, but as psychologists tell us, if we can at least say and do things according to the 4 way test, we’ll eventually come to think like that as well, and the degree to which we can do that will keep our clubs wonderfully supportive places where members will flourish and stay, and make this world a far better place.
Step five – Make the Foundation a personal charity of choice.
A couple of years ago, I was talking to a Rotarian at a conference and he said he never goes to the meeting when the DG attends, because all they do is ask members to give to the Foundation – then I told him I was going to be DG and we changed the subject! But I’ve included this because the act of giving regularly to Rotary’s own charity with whatever small amount we can afford, symbolizes and seals our commitment to Rotary. What we’re doing is putting our money where our mouth is. Besides, the Rotary Foundation is one of best charities for Rotarians – it has been independently rated as one of the best charities in the world, and the big bonus is that money comes back to our district so our clubs can direct it to projects that excite us – we have a direct say in how our money us used.
That’s what an enlightened Rotarian is like, let’s look at what enlightened clubs do.”
Part 2 on the Club/Interpersonal Level – next newsletter.
****************************************************************************************************
In the Pipeline>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
- Tuesday 7 Oct – Club Board Meeting. Reports in writing to Secretary by 3 October.
- This time our RYE Student Raquell will give her presentation. Go Raquell.
- Friday 10 Oct – Rotary Hat Day – the fun-draising day where you wear a hat and make a donation to help shine a light on mental illness in Australia.
- Tuesday 14 – Club Meeting
- Tuesday 21 Oct – Club Planning Meeting
- Stawell Show 25 October – Raffle sellers needed.Jest In Time :- with thanks to Sec Pauline
|
