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Rotaract Australia’s Quarterly Magazine RotarACTION AU

Edition XXII July 2015

1

Chairperson's Welcome ....................................................... 1

From the Editor's Desk ......................................................... 1

The ARC in 2015 .................................................................. 2

Official Conference Accommodation .................................... 2

Nepal Earthquake: Team Rotaract Australia Rallies Behind

ShelterBox ............................................................................ 2

National Project: Malaria ...................................................... 3

Australian Rotaract Awards .................................................. 4

RMQ Homework Help........................................................... 5

REMI Project in Lao ............................................................. 5

Australian Rotaract Games 2016 ......................................... 6

High School Students ‘Connect’ At Inaugural Interact

Conference ........................................................................... 7

Adelaide City Rotaractor Awarded Paul Harris Fellowship ... 7

A Night of Recognition .......................................................... 8

Rossmoyne Celebrates Charter ......................................... 10

Subiaco Murder Mystery..................................................... 11

Macau Visits Sydney .......................................................... 11

NZ Roundtrip December 2015 ............................................ 11

Chairperson's Welcome

I have just arrived back from the Big West Rotaract Institute in San Jose,

California. I was invited by BWR and Mitty Chang to speak and facilitate

a workshop as part of an exchange of ideas – Mitty supported our

Eastern Region Rotaract Training back in May.

The experience was wonderful and very insightful: I took away several

key ideas and learnings that we can apply to our Rotaract Training. One

of the many highlights for me was key note speaker, past RI President

Richard D. King, who really brought to life the impact Rotaractors and

Rotarians are making on the world. We look forward to leveraging future

opportunities and synergies with Big West Rotaract.

Rotaract in Australia is starting to thrive again, and I’m very excited about

the year ahead. The Rotaract Australia Board has been working hard

since April on setting up the year, and we even held a strategic planning

weekend in Sydney in June. We’re really excited to have all of the

Districts with Rotaract Clubs as signatories to the MDIO. I’m really

excited to work closely with our fantastic DRRs to help grow Rotaract –

both membership and the brand – across the country in 2015-16.

-Jake Weragoda, Rotaract Australia Chairperson2015-2016, Rotaractor

of the Year 2014, Paul Harris Fellow

From the Editor's

Desk

Thank you to all who gave feedback and provided content for this issue

of RotarACTION AU. Now in the magazine's third year, we continue to

bring you quarterly updates on Rotaract activities around the country.

RotarACTION AU is now complimented by monthly email updates, the

News Page of our website rotaract.org.au, as well as updates on our

Facebook Page "Rotaract in Australia" and Twitter feed @RotaractAU.

Watch this space for our new YouTube content!

With all of these channels we really rely on your input for content, so if

you have any good news stories, lessons learnt, or photos of Rotaractors

enjoying themselves through fellowship and service, let us know and

remember to tag #RotaractAustralia.

-Holstein Wong, Rotaract Australia PR & Marketing Director 2014-2016

2

The ARC in 2015 INSPIRE | CONNECT | EXPERIENCE

Get your ticket today conference.rotaract.org.au

In October, the Rotaract Club of Sandy Bay will be hosting the

6th Australian Rotaract Conference, in Hobart. The theme for this year’s

conference (I-C-E) draws inspiration from the Aurora Australis

icebreaker, which can often be seen in port when it is not navigating the

southern ocean to and from Antarctica.

Events will kick off on the evening of the 9th of October with a pre-

conference dinner and twilight yachting experience. The Derwent is a

central feature of Hobart, and there is no better way to see it than seeing

it from the water. Board a yacht and experience what it is like to sail the

same waters as those finishing the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race – just

don’t fall in, the water is cold down here!

The conference itself runs on the 10th and 11th – we’ve arranged a heap

of exciting speakers and workshops, centred on the I-C-E theme. The

theme for this year is to Inspire, Connect and Experience – We hope

to inspire and empower people in both their personal and

professional lives by providing a platform for professional

development. There will be four streams of workshops available: Life

Balance, Communication, Vocational Influence, and Rotaract Networking.

I personally can’t wait to learn some effective goal setting techniques

from the lovely Johanna Parker.

With only 3 Rotaract clubs in Tasmania, this conference is a fantastic

opportunity for us to connect with ‘mainland’ Rotaractors and show off

our beautiful state. There will be the opportunity for delegates to explore

the Hobart surrounds and experience the Tasmanian culture by perusing

the local Salamanca Markets and the Museum of Old and New Art (the

infamous MONA!). There will also be an official conference dinner on the

night of the 10th on the waterfront which will gives us all the chance to

frock up, suit up and let our hair down.

To find out more about the conference please

visit conference.rotaract.org.au, find us on Facebook and follow our

tweets @2015_arc and @RotaractAU #RotaractAustralia

Official Conference Accommodation

10 minute walk to the conference!

Contact Imperial Backpackers directly to make your booking & tell them

you're from Rotaract

Phone : +61 (03) 6223 5215

info@backpackersimperialhobart.com.au

Nepal Earthquake: Team Rotaract

Australia Rallies Behind ShelterBox

"An earthquake measuring 7.8 in magnitude occurred between the cities

of Kathmandu and Pokhara in Nepal on Saturday 25th April. Since then,

several aftershocks have taken place, ranging from 5 to 6.7 in magnitude.

ShelterBox has 5 Response Teams on the ground. Over the weekend a

series of partnerships were agreed for 500 (UN specification)

tents each to be deployed with ACTED, IOM and Handicap

International alongside an additional 2,736 Shelter Kits and 1,754

ShelterBoxes for use by our own teams." Courtesy of ShelterBox

Australia’s newsletter.

Rotaract Australia responded immediately to the calls for help in Nepal.

With several of our Rotaractors and Rotaract Clubs having close ties to

those in Nepal, a collaborative effort has seen Rotaract Australia

contribute $8529.67 through ShelterBox.

3

National Project: Malaria

‎RAM‎ Conference | Brisbane | 22nd-23rd August

According to the World Health Organisation Malaria kills one person, somewhere in the world, every minute. Pregnant women and children under five are the

most at risk. In 2013, there were about 198 million malaria cases (down from 219 million in 2010) and an estimated 584 000 malaria deaths. People living in

the poorest countries are the most vulnerable to malaria. In 2010, 90% of all malaria deaths occurred in the WHO African Region, mostly among children

under five years of age. Malaria mortality rates have fallen by 47% globally since 2000, and by 54% in the WHO African Region.

Rotaractors Against Malaria have a fantastic opportunity for you to get involved with malaria eradication. The RAM Conference is on in Brisbane on 22nd-

23rd August and we're looking for Rotaractors to join Michael Shields (RA Immediate Past Chair) and Christopher Poole (Provisional Rotaract Club of North

Lakes) to attend as part of a Rotaract delegation. Chris is a dedicated Rotaractor who has been involved in several clubs in District 9600. The conference will

be a great chance to bring back some ideas to your clubs and districts on how we can contribute further. For expressions of interest, contact Michael Shields

at <ipchair@rotaract.org.au>.

Another way to take action today is by joining our efforts so that we may prevent Malaria around the world. Chemically impregnated bed nets assist

enormously in reducing the incidence of malaria and $10 will purchase a bed net. All Rotaract clubs around Australia have a BPay number and are

encouraged to join our efforts. For more information or to get your club’s BPay number contact Rotaract Australia.

So far we have raised a stunning $10 911.03!

4

Australian Rotaract Awards The Australian Rotaract Awards are now open and will close on Friday 18th September 2015.

Rotaractors work hard to make the world a better place. If you know of a Rotaractor, Rotaract Club or Rotaract District who has done exceptional work in the

past year, this is your chance to nominate them for a National Award, to be presented at ARC.

The Australian Rotaract Awards will be presented to winners at ARC Hobart in October.

In making your submissions for national awards please include details relating to each dot point, below the award title, as well as any photos and other

relevant information relating to the project. Submissions may be written, or make use of video, photographic or any other media.

Please submit all award nominations to Britt secretary@rotaract.org.au by 18th September.

An outline of the available awards is as follows:

Most Outstanding Community Project

Most Outstanding International Project

Most Outstanding Professional Development Project

Note: Rotaract Clubs and Districts, as well as individuals, are eligible for this award

Most Outstanding Public Relations Activity

Notes: Websites, pamphlets, newsletters and any other promotional materials are eligible for this award. Clubs and districts are eligible.

Rotary – Rotaract – Interact Involvement Award

Significant Achievement Award

Note: Rotaract Clubs and Districts, as well as individuals, are eligible for this award

Rotaractor of the Year

Partners in Service

Rotarian Most Valuable to Rotaract & Rotaractors

Rotaractors Against Malaria Award

Most Conference Attendees

Will be awarded to the Rotaract Club with the most registered and attended Rotaract members at the Australian Rotaract Conference.

More information at the RA website http://rotaract.org.au/about/awards/

5

RMQ Homework Help

Rotaract Macquarie’s Homework Help Program won RA’s Best

Community Project Award in 2014. We recently caught up with RMQ to

see how the program has evolved over the last few months.

“The aim of this program is to help primary schools student from the area

with their homework.

Every Tuesday of school term, parents bring their kids to the Epping

community hub for around 90 mins. The students bring their own

homework to work on during this period of time and ask the tutor if they

don’t understand how to solve the problem.

The ratio between the tutor and student is around 1 to 1 most of the time.

So there are around 5 students and 4 tutors. There was a stage that I

needed to take care of 3 students. It was a bit challenging because all 3

students are doing different subjects. But overall it was manageable.”

-Eddy, Rotaract Club of Macquarie University, Homework Help Program

Volunteer

“Over the past three years, the homework help program has undergone

several redevelopments as the clubs vision and community expectation

shifted. Our program has relocated suburbs in the hope of attracting

specifically migrant students who are still learning English. This way we

hoped that the program would help not only with the students homework

but by helping to develop basic English communication through games

and play with the volunteers.

Through O week recruitment for our club in February this year we

received a lot more interest from new volunteers hoping to get involved in

the Homework Help program which was fantastic. The new blood has

reinvigorated the program and it is successfully achieving its goal as a

fun way for primary aged migrant students to assimilate effectively into

the Australian community.”

-Taylor Murphy, President 2015-2016

REMI Project in Lao Lower North Shore Rotaract raised $4,965 for their international project in

Lao – the REMI Project, and there are several learnings for other

Rotaract Club’s looking to do the same.

Lower North Shore (LNS) Rotaract is supporting the Renewable Energy

and Materials Institute (REMI) in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

to conduct a pilot study of how sustainable technologies can support

community development. Using a scientific approach, REMI is

implementing the use of renewable energy technologies, developed at

the Institute, in several rural villages and studying how these initiatives

affect the local environment, economy and society.

LNS Rotaract, with the support of their sponsoring Rotary Club Lindfield,

registered their project with Rotary Australia World Community Service,

giving it credibility and tax-deductible donation status. The club was then

able to confidently approach corporations, local businesses, Rotary Clubs

and individuals for donations. The REMI Project also won a Pink Umbrella Foundation grant, awarded

to RAWCS Eastern Region Projects at their quarterly meeting, and have

applied for a Rotary Foundation District Grant in D9685.

In February 2015 four members of LNS Rotaract travelled to Lao to

finalise project details with REMI and visit the project area. Through

RAWCS this volunteer trip was well organised and covered by Rotary

travel insurance. Club members will return to Lao next year to manage

and monitor the progress of the Project and there may be an opportunity

for other interested Rotaractors or friends of Rotaract to come along and

learn more.

Key Learnings:

Ask your Sponsor Rotary Club(s) to support your applications to access Rotary Club programs.

Register your international project with RAWCS

Seek donations from corporations and businesses

Apply for community and Rotary grants

-Danielle Fogarty, Lower North Shore Rotaract Club Inc. Vice

President, Paul Harris Fellow, PDRR 2011/12, RYLA Facilitator 2010-

2013

6

Australian Rotaract Games 2016

After the success of Adelaide Games in 2015, stay tuned for more information about Australian Rotaract Games in Sydney next February!

7

High School Students‎‘Connect’

At Inaugural Interact Conference

On Monday May the 11th over 100 High School Students, from 12

Interact Clubs, were up bright and early to attend the first ever ‘Connect’

Conference for Interactors.

The Conference, organised by the District 9675 Rotaract Board, provided

Interactors with a chance “to develop their leadership potential, engage

with each other and, have fun,” said Vanessa Hu, Conference Organiser

and Projects Director for District 9675 Rotaract.

Held at the UTS Aerial Function centre, the day was jam packed with

networking activities, team building exercises, and fantastic speakers.

“We tried to keep the sessions short, sharp and active to hold the

students’ attention,” said Ms. Hu.

The effect of this bold new model was obvious for all to see said, Lisa

Kim, District Rotaract Representative who was blown away from the

energy and enthusiasm of the Interactors.

“I was so encouraged to see students from all the Interact Clubs so

enthusiastic and passionate about making a difference in the world. I’m

confident they will succeed in their mission”, said Miss Kim.

A highlight of the conference for many was the ‘Design a Project’

challenge.

The project suggestions offered up by the young students were diverse

and included events to tackle homelessness, raise awareness of juvenile

justice issues, a ‘Battle of the Bands’, and a movie night.

All of the suggestions were given over for review and voting amongst the

Interactors, who eventually declared the suggestion of an Interact

Amazing Race/Games to be the winner.

“I loved attending the Conference,” said Harri Jani, from Homebush Boys

High School Interact Club, “it was an avenue for us as students to

collaborate our efforts to maximise our impact on the wider community. I

can’t wait to come back next year!”

The event was also a testament to the power of what Rotaract can do to

build the leaders of tomorrow.

“This was the first conference I have ever organised and it was one of the

most challenging and worthwhile things I have done,” said Vanessa Hu,

the praise for whom was echoed continually around the room at the

recent District 9675 Rotaract Changeover.

The entire District Rotaract team would like to extend their most sincere

thanks to District Governor for 9675, Barry Antees, who had the idea for

this event and empowered us as a District Rotaract team to take

ownership of this project.

Thank you Barry for your help, support, and guidance with the

conference, we couldn’t have done it without you.

We would also like to thank Rotary for funding provided to support the

cost of this fantastic initiative.

-Aidan Simmons

Rotaract District 9675 Director PR/Marketing

Paul Harris Fellow

Adelaide City Rotaractor Awarded

Paul Harris Fellowship at Changeover

The Caledonian Hotel in North Adelaide provided the perfect place for

Adelaide City Rotaract Club to welcome in the new Rotaract year and to

formally introduce the new board. The night was filled with lots of fun and

quality time with many of our valued friends and members. One very

8

special moment (and a wonderful surprise) was provided by District

Governor John Campbell who presented Elisabeth Beltrame with a highly

regarded Paul Harris Fellow Award.

Elisabeth is an exceptionally worthy recipient who received the award for

her outstanding service and dedication as district 9500’s first District

Rotaract Representative. Adelaide City Rotaract Club is proud to have

Elisabeth as a member and excited for all of the opportunities to help,

learn, and enjoy that the new year will bring.

-Paige Honor, Secretary, Adelaide City Rotaract Club

A Night of Recognition

On Sunday 31st of May, Rotaractors and Rotarians from District 9465

and 9455 came together to celebrate the efforts and work of the Rotaract

Clubs in District 9465. A night in which outstanding Rotaractors are

celebrated and rewarded for their hand work.

Each year District 9465 has 4 special awards to present.

Rotaractor of the Year / Stephen Kendall Award- This award is to

recognise a Rotaractor who goes above and beyond for their club. It is a

person who is completely dedicated to the Rotaract family and is highly

valued among their peers.

The Ian Ball Award – The Ian Ball Award is an award that recognises

the values instilled by the ever-dedicated Ian Ball. Those Rotaractors

who are reliable, dependable and are always willing to help out the club

in any way that is required.

Rotarian of the Year / Helping Hands Award – This award recognises

a Rotarian who has gone above and beyond their service in assisting and

helping Rotaract grow and develop. It should go to a Rotarian who is

valued by the Rotaract Clubs and believes their service should be

recognised.

For the first three awards nominations are called from each Rotaract club

and then decided upon by a judging committee.

It was with great pleasure that I was able to award Kim Dawes the

2014/2015 Stephen Kendall Award, Alex Hill, the Ian Ball Award and

Janet Moore, the Helping Hands Award.

Kim is always available to help out when required, and goes over and

above her duties as President. She has sacrificed time with her family on

a number of occasions for both fundraising events and on our

international project to Jakarta where her input and effort was second to

none. Kim has recently accepted a second term as President on top of

her work, study and family commitments and is always working tirelessly

in the background to make sure the club is running smoothly. She is a

truly valued member of her Rotaract club of Rockingham/Kwinana.

9

Alex goes about his business quietly but with precision. His work as

treasurer of both the Rockingham Kwinana Rotaract and the District

Rotaract is second to none and he is always happy to assist in any event.

Alex is always the first to put his hand up to organise personal

development days which encourages not only our personal development

but also our teamwork.

L-R: Kim Dawes, Kero O’Shea and Anthea McCormick

Alex was an integral part the Rockingham/Kwinana Rotaract Club

international project in Jakarta and he helped lead the club to achieve our

fundraising goal which allowed them to help the Jakarta Metropolitan club

to renovate a school in need.

As if all of the above wasn’t enough to warrant Alex to be nominated for

the Ian Ball award he had also designed and printed the district and his

club banners.

L-R- Kim Dawes, Mike Nella and Alex Hill

As President of both the Rotary Club of Rossmoyne, and parent to the

Rotaract club of Rossmoyne, it’s impressive how Jan manages to juggle

us both, yet she never fails to show up at meetings. She’s been an

inspiration for some of the Rossmoyne Rotaract members even while

they were in high school Interact Clubs, guiding them through the most

tried teenage years and into adulthood.

Janet was instrumental in guided the club towards their recent Charter

Night and supported them over the last years during ups and downs.

L-R: Janet Moore and Anthea McCormick

As DRR I also have the privilege to award the DRR Appreciation Award-

This award is presented to someone that the DRR feels has been

instrumental in the support and running of the District. With so many key

people and supporting Rotarians and Rotaractors it was hard to choose. I

was honoured to award both Mike Nella and Ian Ball these awards for

2014-2015.

As the youth chair for the Rotary District Mike is required to attend all out

meetings however his support surpasses this. He can always be relied

upon to come up with creative ideas and suggestions and has all the

Rotaract Clubs in his heart. He truly is someone with a heart to join

Rotaract.

Ian Ball is a name known to all WA Rotaractors. As a past Rotaractor,

DRR, member of MDIO and recipients of a Paul Harris Award, Ian is

always willing to offer advice and guidance. However with Ians’ recent

move into membership of a local Rotary club we were expecting him to

be drawn into serving at his club. But, without fail, whenever we needed

him Ian was there, and in particular a valued support with the handover of

our Dial A Santa project.

All in all the awards night was a success and just a small glimpse into

some of the amazing Rotaractors, Rotarians and projects that we have

here in WA.

-Anthea McCormick, DRR, District 9465

10

Rossmoyne Celebrates Charter

Rotaractors, Rotarians, family and friends all came together in a night of

glitz and glamour to celebrate the Charter Night for the Rotaract Club of

Rossmoyne on Saturday, June 20th.

Charter Night menu

The club was revived in January 2012, after the previous Rotaract Club

folded many years prior, by Janet Moore (President of the Rotary Club of

Rossmoyne, 2014-15) and the graduating Charter members of the

Interact Club of Rossmoyne. The Club grew from these humble

beginnings and in 2013 applied for and was awarded its Charter.

President 2014-15 Arlene Ooi, President Elect and Secretary 2014-15

Luke Mitchell, and Immediate Past President and Vice President 2014-15

Eeshwar Rajagopalan.

Sadly, as a number of members left soon after the club received its

Charter, the Charter Night was delayed. After rebuilding its membership,

the members made a historic night for the club into a truly memorable

one.

All WA Rotaractors who attended the Charter Night

The Charter certificate was presented to the President Arlene Ooi by DG

Brian Eddy, while Immediate PDG Erwin Biemel presented the

membership certificates. The original Board members honoured for their

work in establishing the club and a surprised Janet Moore was awarded

the District 9465 Helping Hands Award, which recognises a Rotarian who

has gone above and beyond their service in helping Rotaract grow and

develop.

Charter Members with their Certificates, along with President of the

Rotary Club of Rossmoyne Janet Moore (President 2014-15) with the

Certificate of Charter

Following the award presentations, the Club’s Changeover introduced

2015-16 President Luke Mitchell and his Board, including Vice-President,

Treasurer (and Immediate Past President) Arlene Ooi and Secretary (and

President-Elect 2016-17) Wilhelm Law.

With the formalities over, the friendliness of Rotaract truly showed as

everyone mingled and an impromptu birthday celebration for one of the

Rotaractors was begun. With our Charter celebrations over, the Rotaract

Club has a number of projects planned for the year ahead. You can keep

up to date with the Club’s activities on its Facebook page.

-Eeshwar Rajagopalan, Vice President (2014-15)

11

Subiaco Murder Mystery

The Rotaract Club of Subiaco hosted our inaugural casino-themed

Murder Mystery Night on Friday, May 1 at the Irish Club of Western

Australia. Over 80 people participated who helped raise $3122.30 for Be

Benevolent – a charity providing free education and support for

underprivileged children in India. The event was especially successful

thanks to the generous involvement of Monte Carlo Fundraising.

Each participant was assigned a character prior to the event. There were

a variety of characters ranging from tabloid news reporters, reality TV

stars, the mayor, secret agents and even the town lunatic. Upon arrival

participants received the name badge of their character and their first

batch of clue cards. The clue cards were used to play the game,

prompting participants (characters) to speak with each other. There were

three rounds of clues which increasingly helped determine the murderer.

People who were invited included other Rotaractors and Rotarians; their

friends or partners as well as anyone else who was interested in having

fun and being charitable. Money was raised through the admission fee

and the raffle, where the prize was a trip to Bali for one week, and

awards were given to Best Actor and Best Dressed. Due to the success,

the Rotaract Club of Subiaco looks forward to organising more big

fundraising events in the near future.

-Guy Spiccia, Subiaco Rotaract

Macau Visits Sydney

The Sydney Rotaract Districts (9685 & 9675) co-hosted 10 guests from

the Rotaract Club of Macau. Members representing UNSW Rotaract,

Sydney Uni Rotaract, Lower North Shore Rotaract, Macquarie University

Rotaract and Sydney City Rotaract: guided them during a walking tour of

Sydney’s main attractions; hosted a clean-up Manly beach service

activity; led an excursion around Taronga Zoo and organised a goodbye

dinner at Dove and Olive / Gelato Messina in Sydney’s famous Surrey

Hills. This was a fascinating cultural exchange and a great opportunity to

promote peace and international understanding.

-Ricky Leong, Rotaract Club of Macquarie University,

District 9685 DRR 2014-2015

NZ Roundtrip

Ever wanted to visit NZ? Rotaract New Zealand is organising a 16-day

roundtrip around their beautiful country in December 2015. The

Roundtrip will be themed around 'Random Acts of Kindness' and will

involve a group trip for 8 International Rotaractors lasting 2 weeks. In the

14 days you will travel through both the North and South Island and will

be hosted by various Rotaractors and Rotarians from the different

districts. The aim is to improve international relations and fellowship

through service and tourist activities in the host country.

If you attend, you will be expected to fund your own flights to and from

New Zealand, but will be only expected to fund a maximum of 50% of the

costs of the Roundtrip itself. Current roundtrips exist in many countries

(examples including Canada, Mexico and Germany) and serve as

amazing links for Rotaractors throughout the world. As part of our trip

themed 'Random Acts of Kindness', we propose to perform random acts

of kindness while travelling as a group and posting that in the public

sphere. We will also be including a minimum of two pre-organized service

projects as part of this two week trip through the North and South

Islands.

Applications will stay open till the first Monday of August 2015. Search

"Rotaract New Zealand Roundtrip" on Facebook to apply.

-Rotaract MDIO team New Zealand