Rotary District Newsletter Issue 5 2020 (Nov 26, 2020)

Christmas Message

We have made it…… it is almost Christmas. It has certainly been a very interesting and challenging year. Personally, this year has certainly flown by with so many challenges presented at work and at home, and to all levels of Rotary. From my view at the top as the District Governor, I am proud to say Rotary in our District has adapted, changed, and grown from this experience. We will continue to grow and change as we face opportunities to revive our club activities.

Linda & I wish each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas a happy and safe New Year. Next year we are looking forward to being physically out and about and lending a hand at your club activities over the next few months.

Remember, over the next few weeks, spend time with those you love and care for, we rely on each other.

Time to enjoy breaking out - after lockdown

At last we are looking good for a new normal after months of enduring hardship and sometimes very scary times, we are beginning to look and feel a little more comfortable, now that COVID restrictions are loosening up. Even Bunnings BBQ’s are starting back up with socially distanced new sausage serving regulations! You know things must be returning to normal if you can get an opportunity to raise funds for your club with a spot at Bunnings!!

BUT – remember whatever you are planning there are still restrictions in place and there are guidelines that must be followed. Therefore, you need to ensure that you follow the processes that are applicable to your area and please make sure that you also connect with District Insurance and advise them of the activities you are pursuing.

We have had an interesting year so far, how quickly things can change, within days we were forced into a lockdown situation. Rotarians moved quickly to support the vulnerable in the community by keeping in contact, providing comfort and keeping a serious eye of the ever-increasing danger that this new virus posed. Once we all found our feet, our Rotary clubs adapted just as quickly, we met online, we opened our hearts and minds to find new ways of engaging with communities, we found new ways to raise funds. We adapted and even inducted new members who have never attended a traditional meeting.

Time now to plan moving forward. I say move forward, as I believe, it is now more than ever time to challenge and adapt to new ways to encompass some of the flexibility we have gained. Moving forward, what can we do? We can look at what we did in the past and what we did during our lock down, now we need to look forward and see how we can bring the best of both into our Rotary clubs, change and be vibrant. One thing we need to embrace is change, things will not return to how they were, and we all need to accept some change is inevitable.

What does change look like? Well, that will depend on you, your Club, and your Community needs.

Times are going to be tough for a while yet and we see already, even while COVID still rages around the world, more disasters both natural and man-made are happening in our region. While we recover in all aspects of our life, one thing will remain, our communities will rely on us more than ever before, so we need to grow so we can make a difference.

Embrace different meeting styles

How great was it to sit at home and join in to local, district meetings and even international conferences and dare I say save time, money, and petrol? Let’s save that time and use it for good. Let us plan the in-person gatherings so they are fabulously enjoyable and embrace Rotarians and fellowship of being together and use some of the technology to do the routine tasks. We have seen how technology can be used, so why not look at how you can integrate technology going forward, when members are travelling or unwell, the use of technology will keep them engaged. Members who work a distance from meeting places can be part of the meeting by using technology.

Hybrid meetings, is where there is face to face and online technology
Alternate online with face to face meetings
Have one meeting per month face to face
Run board meetings online
Alternate guest speakers, online and face to face
Live stream your meeting onto online platforms eg YouTube, Facebook etc
Run club activities or social nights online.

Remember to advertise your meeting to various community groups, friends of Rotary, anyone in your community. Plenty of people have recently joined Rotary clubs because they see we are doing things differently.

Past District Governor Adrian asked clubs to ‘break the chains’, I am asking you to continue breaking the chains and embrace new ways of doing things. We have proven that technology can assist us, so how can we embrace the use of technology and grow our clubs?
The next generation of community volunteers are people who value making a difference but do not necessarily want to spend the time sitting in a dinner meeting. People are time poor, so how can we encourage these people to be part of this great organisation? Change is the key. Change what we do and how we do it.

Just like all our clubs are different there is no one style that will work for everyone, each person and their club will need to find what works for them and what works for their club. Even the word club may need to be challenged. Why not challenge the status quo by engaging with visioning?
I will be looking at ways of how clubs could better embed technology into their meetings. This may involve some additional tech equipment, I will make sure it will be simple to use and still be effective.

If you have feedback from your recent on-line experiences, I would love to hear from you. Please share with me your ideas and help us continue to grow our membership.

Mark