Welcome to Southern Mitchell Rotary!

This is an amazing organisation that is dedicated to providing service to others, promoting high ethical standards, and building goodwill in the community we all live in and around the world.

As a new member, you can look forward to involvement in an international network of dedicated professionals, and to making a difference in your community. You will have the opportunity to meet and learn from like-minded people who are passionate about making a difference in the world.

Your membership will also provide access to hundreds of programs and activities, such as international exchanges, professional development, and a wide range of community service projects. You will also have the opportunity to make lifelong friendships and develop valuable skills.

We are excited to have you as a member of Southern Mitchell Rotary. We hope that you will find your experience with us to be rewarding and enjoyable. Together, we can make a real difference in our community and in the world.

Welcome aboard!

WHERE ROTARY STARTED

On the evening of Feb 23rd in 1905 at room 711 at 127 Dearborn Ave Chicago a 38yo lawyer named Paul Harris held a meeting with three others with the objective of forming a group that would facilitate meeting other local business people. That group became the world’s first service club and it was named Rotary because the meetings initially rotated around the offices of the participants. At the end of 1905 there were 30 members.

The first four Rotarians ->>>
From left: Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, Hiram E. Shorey, Paul P. Harris.

The first four Rotarians. From left: Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, Hiram E. Shorey, Paul P. Harris.

THE OBJECT OF ROTARY

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

FIRST: The Development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service. Rotarians have the opportunity to create relationships with many business, professional, and community leaders.

SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society. Being a Rotarian authenticates the person and their business or profession.

THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life. Rotarians nurture this personal characteristic; the cornerstone of building and sustaining relationships.

FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service. Rotarians become better world citizens and often build lasting international relationships.

Rotarians influenced by the object of rotary have made their families, businesses, communities and the world better.
What they did is a by-product of who they are and the impact The Object of Rotary had on them personally.

CLUB SERVICE

  • Membership and Mentoring

  • Club Communications

  • Nominating Committee

  • New Member Orientation

  • Fellowship

  • Fundraising

VOCATIONAL SERVICE

  • Bursaries and Scholarships

  • Vocational Awards

  • Student Mentoring Programs

  • Industry Recognition

COMMUNITY SERVICE

  • Community Projects

  • Donations

YOUTH SERVICE

  • Rotaract and Interact

  • Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA)

  • Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE)

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

  • World Community Service

  • Youth Exchange

MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Attend at least 30% of our Club Meetings in each half year

  • Membership Growth

  • Participation in Club Programs, Projects and Committees

  • Financial - member dues.

THE ROTARY FOUNDATION

  • is a separate legal entity with 16 Trustees

  • The Rotary Foundation (TRF) administers the Annual Program Fund (APF) and the Permanent Fund (PF)

  • Annual Program Funds are invested for 3 years & the revenue pays for TRF administration

  • In year 4, 100% of APF is disbursed, 50% under direct instruction by the District which donated the funds.

  • PF is invested but not dispersed - income from PF supports Foundation Programs.

ROTARY USES FOUNDATION DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS - EXAMPLES

  • Polio Plus - a multi year program committed to eradicating Polio from the world. Only 2 countries remaining (Afghanistan and Pakistan) more than US$600 million donated. Partnerships with UN, Gates Foundation etc

  • 6 Rotary Peace Centres Worldwide

  • Largest non-gov provider of scholarships - Ambassadorial (1 year) and Cultural (3 mths)

  • Humanitarian Grants (Water, Health, Hunger, Literacy, Disaster Relief etc.)

  • Local community projects.

MEMBER FINANCES

  • Individual Rotarian’s dues cover District and RI membership and administration plus a copy of Rotary Downunder.

  • Member fees are $200 p/a (pro-rata on joining) plus $20 per month invoiced in the first week of each month.

Peace and Conflict Prevention and Resolution
Today, 42 million people are displaced by armed conflict or persecution. Through our partnerships with several leading universities, Rotary Peace Fellows develop the skills to strengthen peace efforts, train local leaders to prevent and mediate conflict, and support long-term peace building in areas affected by conflict. We provide up to 100 peace fellowships per year at Rotary Peace Centres.

Disease Prevention and Treatment
More than 100 million people are pushed into poverty each year because of medical costs. We aim to improve and expand access to low-cost and free health care in underdeveloped areas. Our members educate and mobilize communities to help prevent the spread of major diseases such as polio, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. Many of our projects ensure that medical training facilities are located where the workforce lives.  

Providing Clean Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
More than 2.5 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation facilities. At least 3,000 children die each day from diarrheal diseases caused by unsafe water. Our projects give communities the ability to develop and maintain sustainable water and sanitation systems and support studies related to water and sanitation.

Saving Mothers and Children
At least 7 million children under the age of five die each year due to malnutrition, poor health care, and inadequate sanitation. To help reduce this rate, we provide immunizations and antibiotics to babies, improve access to essential medical services, and support trained health care providers for mothers and their children. We empower the local community to take ownership of health care training programs.

Basic Education and Literacy

67,000,000 children have no access to education and more than 775,000,000 over the age of 15 are illiterate. Our goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.

Economic and Community Development
Nearly 1.4 billion employed people live on less than $1.25 a day. We carry out service projects that enhance economic and community development and develop opportunities for decent and productive work for young and old. We also help strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities.

Protecting the Environment
Supporting the environment becomes Rotary's very recent seventh area of focus. It joins peacebuilding and conflict prevention; disease prevention and treatment water, sanitation, and hygiene. RI past President Ian Riseley is the chair of the Environmental Issues task force, which he has championed the new area of focus.

End Polio Now
Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever. Your support will help eradicate this paralysing disease. Since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979, Rotary members have contributed more than US$2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralysing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than US$10 billion to the effort. MORE

THE 7 AREAS OF FOCUS FOR ROTARY + POLIO ERADICATION

Stay Connected with Club and District using the ClubRunner Mobile App!

Completely, free to download and use, this app will let you access the key info you need while you're on the go. Password protected just like your website, the ClubRunner Mobile app allows you to view your member directory, contact your members and executives, read the latest articles posted to your website, learn more about your upcoming events and speakers, view your meeting details, track your attendance statistics and receive push notifications with important announcements from club admins, right from your smartphone or tablet!  Search for Clubrunner where you normally source your Apps.

You joined Rotary because you want to make a difference and because you believe in our motto: Service Above Self. Because you’re committed to integrity and making change happen, and because the areas that we focus on are important to you. Rotary’s 1.2 million members combine their resources and connect across the world to move communities forward with clean water, health initiatives, education, and more.

When you get involved, it’s not just your community, club, and projects that benefit — you benefit, too. As an active Rotarian, you’ll develop skills like public speaking, project management, and event planning You’ll meet interesting people from your community and from around the world. You’ll tackle local issues that are important to you and your fellow club members.

You’ll feel the shared sense of purpose that comes from working together to better your community. When it comes to being an active Rotarian, the opportunities are endless. Volunteer to help with our club’s current signature service project. Get involved with one of the programs sponsored by your club. Identify a need in your community and design a hands-on project that addresses it.

Collaborate with other clubs in your area, including Interact and Rotaract clubs, on a joint service project
or event. Share your ideas about how to achieve club and project goals with club leaders, and take the lead
on carrying them out. Your suggestions could become the next big initiative in your community.

Become involved in our local community projects.

Participate in Rotary’s international service projects.

  • Support Project Lemur helping primary school children in drought ravaged southern Madagascar.

  • Browse others’ projects on Rotary Showcase at www.rotary.org/en to inspire local initiatives.

  • Support The Rotary Foundation, which provides millions of dollars in grants for Rotary’s humanitarian
    service efforts around the world.

  • Attend Rotary events to exchange ideas and celebrate with members around the globe.

  • Learn with other Rotarians by attending a Rotary International Convention or a District Convention.

  • Give to PolioPlus and join the movement to End Polio Now. For only 60 cents, you can vaccinate a
    child against polio.

  • Rotary is all about building lifelong friendships - connecting with fellow Rotarians across communities,
    cities, countries, and cultures. Just one connection can lead to a great partnership.

Update your Rotary profile at www.rotary.org/en to receive information tailored to your interests and connect with members who share those interests. Use your Rotary profile to connect with club leaders and get the information you need to participate in projects and your community. Discover inspiring stories of fellow Rotarians at Rotary Voices, the official Rotarian blog.

You don’t have to use a computer to make a connection.

Outside your club meetings, there are lots of opportunities to meet with other Rotarians in person. Here are a number of ways to get started:

  • Make Rotary a family affair. Explore Interact, RYLA, and Rotary Youth Exchange opportunities for your kids and invite your spouse to your club’s meetings.

  • Attend the RI Convention and meet and celebrate with other members from around the world and learn how to expand our impact.

  • Go to meetings at other Rotary clubs both locally or, in fact, anywhere in the world to find international service partners and form new friendships.

  • Learn about another culture. Spend time abroad in a Rotarian’s home through a Rotary Friendship Exchange.

  • Join a Rotary Fellowship or Rotarian Action Group to meet other members who share your interests and passions.

Our Get Together protocols…

  • Weekly on Wednesday unless advised otherwise 6.30pm for 7.00 pm in the Golden Reign Room at Kilmore Trackside.

  • If you want a meal, order and pay at the Bistro, provide your name and request it to be brought out at 7.30pm with the Rotary meals.

  • Obtain your chosen beverages at the bar before commencement at 7.00pm.

  • If unable to attend, apologies please to Rotarian Ian Lee via phone or text - 0400 842 042

6.55pm - Five minute bell
7.00pm - Official opening, Welcome, Rotary Toast, Introduce visiting Rotarians, Rotarians introduce their guests, Apologies
7.05pm - President’s opening remarks
7.06pm - Chairperson takes over meeting and introduces guest speaker
7.30pm - Formalities commence - Attendance, Secretaries Report, Family of Rotary, 3 Minuter
7.45pm - Director’s Reports - New Generations, Environment, International, Vocational, Community, Foundation
7.55pm - International Toast - Joke for the week
8.05pm - Sergeant’s Session (you will need some gold coins to donate to the Rotary Foundation), “The Swindle” (you will figure this out eventually)
8.15pm - President’s words for the week, close and fellowship.