Club Management & Fellowship Vice President’s Report 2010-2011

The following should be read in conjunction with the Powerpoint presentation that accompanied this report which can be viewed by clicking here.

As Vice President, my responsibility was for Club Management & Fellowship.

In comparison to my fellow VP, I was assigned the easy side of our Club’s Organisation Chart.   With one month to go, I trust that Trevor and I can truly say ....it has been a great year for our Club.

Now down to business.

MANAGEMENT & FELLOWSHIP

Management was delivered with quite efficiency.  It happens with experienced hands, stalwarts that are always at the coal face with an eye on gaining new recruits

Our charge is to continue the tradition which is even more significant as we are in our 90^th year

Fellowship was delivered with new innovation, from Group level to Club opportunities

A Re-focus on membership participation was applied – asking the tough question:  why are you a member?

Our Club Organisational Chart looks daunting at first but - it does work.

Under Club Management & Fellowship, there are five Directors each with a portfolio and a spread of 18 Committees.  Some are just Management and some are a combination of Management & Fellowship

Management, the backbone of our Club keeps the wheels moving and supports what is a 7 day a week involvement

It Works with on-going commitments – both service & contractual

It Replenishes Membership - the life blood of our Club

It Supports Committees to achieve their objectives

It Counts the dollars through bookkeeping, investment & audit

Corporate Issues - Director, Peter Marfleet was responsible for 4 Committees

This year:

·                     Club Governance came under the microscope as an outcome of a focus group identifying 20 Board level risks.  A register & management plan was developed for on-going implementation. 

Well done Governance Committee & Chair, Arnold Mayfield

·                     Public Issues worked on project identification with a focus on issues of public importance affecting the community and with topic suggestions incorporated into the selection of forthcoming speakers.

Well done Public Issues Committee & Chair, Colin Neave

·                     Fund raising through 5 events & appeals...the traditional Grand Final, Melbourne Cup and wine sale fund raisers were supplemented by the Club dinner and the new initiative, the White Elephant sale.   Overall, the sum raised was in the order of $46,000 and included donations for the Pakistan Flood, Xmas and Rochester Appeals.  Whilst not initiated as a fund raiser, the outcome of the 90^th Anniversary Dinner was fortunately in the black! 

Well done Fund Raising Committee & Chair, Peter Jones

·                     Acclaim achievement -  Italian Opera Fellowship  

Our two Directors on the Acclaim Awards Ltd Board, Peter Rogers and Peter Marfleet contributed to this achievement and provided our Club with the opportunity to attend the Awards Grand Final and the Charity Concert.

Well done to you both.

Membership - Director, Bernie mcintosh was responsible for 3 Committees

This year:

·                     Membership development processed nominations with membership opening where it still stands – at 273

Well done Membership Development Committee & Chair, Michael Selth

·                     A new member focus on mentoring & gatherings was initiated to ensure new member involvement in Club activities from the outset, which combined the Sponsor, the Group Captain and Committee Chairs.

Well done Membership Involvement Committee & Chair, John Shaw

·                     Membership Review approved 10 inductions & produced key Reports for the Board  on RI’s new attendance requirements, excused status and nomination procedures.

Well done Membership Review Committee & Chair, PP Barry Watts

communications - Director, chris knight was responsible for 4 Committees

This year:

·                     There was a transition of Club Historian & renewed archive focus.   Mindful of filling the shoes of John Kendall who served our Club with distinction for decades in this capacity, our new Club Historian is keeper of the records, producer of citations and is initiating new avenues for collection and recording.

Well done Club Historian Bruce Davidson & the Archives Committee

·                     Club Information – excelled in text and technology with the on-time and under-budget Directory, wide use of SMS messaging, setting a new standard for weekly Bulletins, pursuing the oral history initiative and perpetuating the Club quiz.

Well done Club Information Committee & Chair, George Koskar

·                     Promoting Rotary achieved excellent RDU coverage of the HomeGround achievement and marketing of the 90^th Anniversary endeavour.

Other coverage included 08/08 inaugural Monash Medal, Angus Mitchell Oration, Vocational Service, Community Service, Young Achievers Awards and provided material for the District Conference AV segment.

Well done Promoting Rotary Committee & Chair, Ralph Roath

·                     The website is constantly updated, day-in, day-out.

It is a labour intensive task well met.   The Website is more and more a member resource and is the public face of our Club.

Well done Website Committee & Chair, Phil Bowley

club meetings - Director, bev brock  was responsible for 3 Committees

This year:

·                     Luncheons - impeccably delivered.  We all just see the outcome of liaising with the Windsor, setting and clearing all the Rotary gear, dressing the President, supporting Jo and the Reception Committee and seating the latecomers.  All a weekly task.  I am told that a new recruit has lowered the average age of the Committee.

Well done Luncheon Committee & Chair, PP Murray Campbell

·                     Program this year achieved greater balance & diversity.  It combined the calendar of Awards with an array of speakers, both humanitarian and commercial, who told us their stories, some interesting and challenging stories, one even performing Hip Hop.  All members are encouraged to assist by suggesting interesting speakers.

Well done Program Committee & Chair, Greg Romanes

·                     Reception applied each week with friendly efficiency.

Always there, ever helpful to visiting Rotarians and guests, quick to rope-in an Ambassadorial Scholar, an Exchange Student and a new member to the meet and greet line-up.

Well done Reception Committee & Chair, Debra Yin Foo

FELLOWSHIP

Fellowship is the driver of interaction

·                     It Builds relationships

·                     It Combines talents

·                     It Identifies skills – as members get to know each other

·                     This year there were event opportunities galore - ....when one looks at the list, it is varied and interesting from rowing on the Yarra to the European Masters Exhibition at the National Gallery, the Club Dinner at Chois, the Acclaim Opera Concert at Dallas Brookes Hall, the Adelaide Conference, numerous Group activities, the 90^th gala at the MCG.... and just great luncheon meetings in this room.

·                     Fellowship can be inclusive of family

·                     It is the FUN element of Rotary

Fellowship - Director, doug marshall was responsible for 4 Committees

·                     This year Group activity continued the traditional role with a new slant.

It combined the usual pattern of ‘fireside’ gatherings to planned Group outings, support of Club events, visits to other Clubs and played a vital part in supporting the 90^th Anniversary initiative.

The Captain of Groups convened two Group Captains meetings this year and wrestled with the old chestnut issue of ‘participation’.

With determination and a new focus, the opt-in, opt-out initiative was launched with the establishment of a ‘No Name Group’ and a mechanism of encouraging perennial follow-up.

It is particularly noted that the Captain of Groups conferred before induction with each new member and their respective Group Captain to ensure welcome contact is made from the outset. 

Well done Captain of Groups, PP David Wittner & all Group Captains particularly PP Gerry Johnson

·                     Interclub visits – 5 clubs (big & small)...to Keilor, Sunshine, Brighton North, Central Melbourne Sunrise and Camberwell involving 44 members – a great way to see how other Clubs operate and perhaps change the perception of how other Clubs see us. 

Well done InterClub Committee & Chair, Robert Fisher

·                     Let’s Go – a focus on our health....whilst appalling weather curtailed the Let’s Go Rowing, members have been treated to a greater awareness of personal health and fitness from measuring our waist-lines against standards set by Diabetes Australia, attending the Baker Institute Assessment Clinic, being a Blood or Organ Donor and finally reducing our salt intake.

Well done Let’s Go Committee & Chair, Kevin O’Flaherty

·                     On-to-Conference – another ripper trip.....planned to the ‘T’ involving 20 members and partners rooming the wilds of South Australia in convoy .. and then joined by 3 other members at the 1^st class Adelaide Conference.    And shortly, cinematographer extraordinaire Hugh Bucknall will reveal all  on opening night of his epic production “The Great Race”.

Well done Bob & Heather Glindermann & your team

Please give yourself a hand

VP Highlight of Management & Fellowship:

Great to work with President Philip, a chap who knows where he wants to go ... and knows who to help him get there.

I inflicted a degree of unpredictability to some of the things that happened around him this year and tested his forbearance.

The spontaneous arrival of sparkler-lit birthday cakes on our 90^th accompanied by Barry Rawlings at the piano;

The surprise visit of Professor W Osborne and Commissioner James (Jim) Davidson .... to finally, what was expected of our President at the MCG.

Through it all, Phil was totally accommodating.

Great to work with our Office Manager, Jo Mavros, who is truly unflappable and a fountain of Rotary knowledge.

The new focus on Group composition & involvement now provides a effective outcome for Group Captains and an on-going challenge for the Captain of Groups to increase participation

There was an increased level of Club Fellowship opportunities in a year of quality involvements

We marked our 90^th birthday at or meeting on 20^th April with a surprise that livened-up PP Barry Counsel’s day

Rotary in Australia was elevated through delivery of an outstanding 90^th anniversary event

The aim was achieved – 90 years of Rotary in Australia was recognised by Her Excellency, The Governor General and nearly 400 Rotarians and guests representing 41 Clubs from near and far.  It was a most memorable night.

My vision for the 100^th includes not only a simultaneous celebration in all Capital Cities and participating Regional Centres electronically linked  but also to have a national project rolled out to foster a Centennial involvement and spirit throughout each of our 22 Rotary Districts.

To conclude:

Through my VP experience, I have gained a much greater knowledge of the workings of Rotary and our Club in particular ....... and more importantly, I have gained a greater appreciation of the efforts of so many of our members. 

The later is the real eye opener. 

It says much about the Rotary ideal of ‘Service above self’ as it does for the depth of expertise and level of dedication of so many of our members.

President Elect Austen, if the observation of Trevor and me is correct, as detailed in our respective Reports, you have a strong base to move your agenda forward next year.

As a younger member in 1996 who was trust onto two committees once in the door, who, a few years later by rotation became a Group Captain and then a Committee Chair, it all appeared daunting to me at the time. Today I see it all as one of the greatest involvements of my life.

For these opportunities and for listening to my Report ......I thank you

Kevin Sheehan

Vice President Club Management & Fellowship

8^th June 2011