From the President’s desk

3 April 2019
 

Hi all

Welcome to new member Nella Hall
Another new member! Last week we welcomed into membership of Rotary, Nella Hall. Nella, while vocationally Legal Services, is also the Deputy Mayor of Strathfield. So, there was no better person to introduce her to the membership, than Rotarian Gulian Vaccari, the Mayor of Strathfield. Nella has been delegated responsibility for the new Committee “Women in Rotary”. In our District, we have no imbalance of women in leadership, but at the Club level the number of women members is small. We know this from our own Club membership. A change needs to be promoted.

 

Welcome to visitor PP N Saravanapavan
Calling by, as a guest of our own Rotarian Thaya Ponniah, we welcomed from the Rotary Club of Colombo South, PP N Saravanapavan. He let us know that there was no greater President of the Rotary Club of Colombo South, than Thaya. It was a pleasure to thank Saravanapavan for his visit and to present him with our Banner. Through RAWCS, Australian Rotary Clubs are supportive of Sri Lankan Rotary Clubs and their projects.

Redistricting
In the last two months, I have discussed the issues driving redistricting, to bring forward an amalgamation of the two Sydney Rotary Districts, divided on a line, north and south of the harbour. The driver of the re-districting is the declining membership of Rotary Clubs in the greater Sydney metropolitan area. I do not consider our own Club is declining, in any way. We have a large membership of 49, not all of who can come to our weekly meetings, but we are a proud team always there to help each other. For example, the recent Chambers Road BBQ, where it was a great team effort. My view on re-districting is, we are alive, Rotary continuing its current scale of activities, not only here in Strathfield Club but in greater Sydney and we can continue having two districts. As for membership, the critical mass number for the District is 1,200. We are currently well above that number at 1,500. Let’s keep going!

Storage of Club Paraphenalia
On the corner of my desk, Rotary papers have been gathered. But last weekend, I went no more than to shuffle them together, and out there fell my Rotary Dinner Badge, missing for couple of months. While this tale is of no interest to anyone but me, it is reflective of the current Club’s storage of its meeting materials. It is scattered, with smaller items at the Golf Club, and the larger items at member’s homes. The problem is being discussed with the Golf Club, and hopefully will soon be resolved. Rotary does not travel lightly!

Club Banner
While on Rotary material, remember to take our Club banner with you, to present if you make up a meeting at another Club. Remember Rotary is worldwide.

Autumn Leaves

Charles