Rotary Stawell Inc.

Rotary Club of Stawell Newsletter :

International Pres: Garry Huang – District Pres: Geoff James

Club Pres: Vaughan Williams – Club Sec: PE Pauline Sherrifs

 

November 25, 2014

 

Last meeting was a great vocational night at the Stawell SES where Alan and Aaron took us through the activities and responsibilities of the State Emergency Services (SES) with particular reference to our own district.

 

After a good meal put together by SES ladies, A & A then showed us through their control and communication centre and illustrated the rapidly changing technologies of communication. They expalined what happens when they are called to an emergency, road accident through to floods and fires, they showed the vehicles they use to rescue people, from the 1 million dollar Rescue Vehicle equipped with all kinds of impressive equipment including the ‘jaws of life’ and the various other apparatus they use. One thing that came over loud and clear is the passion for their work and their dedication to training so that can efficiently do the many tasks expected of a SES volunteer, the road rescues, the accidents in the Grampians, the floods that can devastate communities such as was experienced by the community of Glen Orchy, to playing their part in the trauma of bush fires.

 

We were also pleased to meet Don and who were invited by PP Val.

 

Conoco Phillips Science Experience students prepare

 

The students are being co-sponsored by Rotary and the Stawell Secondary college to attend special science experience programs at Victorian Universities. All the Year 9 students are considering post secondary careers that will involve science studies.
L-R Ashleigh , Joshua Collins, Sam Pridham, Victoria Collins, Science Teacher Catherine Pilopil

 

In the Pipeline >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

2/12 Board Meeting

6/12 Woolworths BBQ 10-1.00pm

9/12 General Meeting and Last day for Toys for Tots

16/12 Christmas Break-up at John Artz –last day for Christmas Hampers – 16 items of same.

January 10 2015 : Raquel’s 18^th birthday

 

Jest in Time <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

 

An elderly couple Marie & Frank were recently attending a church service at their retirement village.

About halfway through the service, Marie took a pen and paper out of her purse, and wrote a note and handed it to Frank.

The note said:” I just let out a silent fart, what do you think I should do?”

Frank scribbled back: “Put a new battery in your hearing aid.

 

And then again :

 

A father buys a lie detector robot that slaps you when you lie. He decides to test it out on his son at supper. “Where were you last night?” “I was at the library.” The robot slaps the son. “OK I was at a friend’s house,” the son admits. “Doing what?” asked the father. “Watching a movie: Toy Story.” The robot slaps the son. “OK it was porn!” cried the son. Father yells “What? When I was your age I didn’t know what porn was!” The robot slaps the father. The mother laughs and says, “He certainly is your son!” The robot slaps the mother

 

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Our popular hardworking DG Geoff has been busy with his Board looking at the way ahead for our District. All members have been circulated a copy. The following is the opening comments

 

DISTRICT 9780 STRATEGIC PLANS FOR 2014-2017 VER. 1.04 (10-11-14)

The Process So Far

 

The Board members of our District have for a number of years been planning to develop a set of Strategic Plans for the District. The process finally got started during 2013-2014 when all district members were invited to participate in an online survey during November 2013 using the “Survey Gizmo” tool.

The survey asked participants to list their perceptions of our District’s strengths and weaknesses in ten key areas of District Management . Only 46 members completed the survey, but it was a start! The summary of those survey responses along with a synopsis of RIP Gary Huang’s main thrusts for the 2014-2015 Rotary year, a summary of Rotary International’s latest Strategic Planning Report in December 2013, our Rotary Zone’s Regional Membership plan for Australia, and a summary of feedback from attendees at Multi District PETS were sent to all members of our District Board and a number of current Rotary leaders in our District such as Rotary Leadership Institute leaders, and our District Web Administrator to read and digest over a period of time.

 

After familiarizing themselves with these documents, participants were invited to complete a “Participant Reflection Activity” in the ten key areas. This activity invited participants to reflect on how or where they would like our District to be in three years’ time, in the areas of Training, District Administration, Planning & Communication, Finance, The District Conference, RI Convention Promotion, Public Relations, Membership & New Clubs, Rotary Foundation Activities, District Programs and Committees, and District Clubs’ Operations, and return their responses to be collated.

 

Participants were then invited to attend a Strategic Planning event on Sunday, May 18th 2014 in Ararat. When participants arrived, responses from the Reflection Activity were collated on Butcher’s paper around the walls in the ten areas. Participants were invited to add any further items, and then they were each given 20 sticky dots to stick beside their two most important vision statements on the butcher’s paper sheets in each of the ten areas. Participants then moved into ten separate groups based on the ten areas. Each group was given the butchers paper vision statements in one of the key areas – complete with their sticky dots. The group was asked to frame a set of general District goals for their allocated focus area to be in place in three years, based on the dot priorities and group members’ understanding of the prior preparation documents. That set of district goals was tabled at a subsequent Planning workshop in August, 2014 and a few minor adjustments were made to produce the set of goals [What(do we want to do)] and strategies [How (to do it] listed below. Each goal and its related strategies