Changeover report – President Ken Hall 24 June 2021
(E-Club of District 9650)

This is a brief, consolidated report for the past twelve months of the E-Club and its activities.

The Club has been meeting by ZOOM every two weeks with a varied and interesting program which should continue into the 2022 New Year. Members have come forward with a range of interesting guest speakers which we have then been able to add to from our very own District Management committee members who have been only too willing to come online with ideas that we can use in the Club. We have also been able to have several face-to-face meetings – a hybrid meeting with our District Governor Debbie Loveday and the Christmas party at the Hall residence; and for the first time we have our annual changeover in a member’s house (thanks to Peter and Dawn) at Port Macquarie.

Community service, Vocational Service and Youth service continue to pay an important role in the activities of members. Much of our community service was on hold this year because of restrictions imposed through COVID-19 but we have been able to complete our fun, family day activity at Loomberah and our obligation towards building the obstacle course at Ebor Public School.

We have engaged with Youth through Public Speaking with; Tahlia Barwick who won the District Public Speaking final at the District Conference at Port Macquarie; support for the Far West schools and their students by purchase of a computer; and assisting a Tasmanian refugee student financially making it possible for her to go to NYSF in January 2021. I also attended the face-to-face sessions of NYSF at the University of New England as a Rotary volunteer to help with the organisation of the 8 students attending the activities.

Youth activities have taken off under the direction of our new Youth Director, Lyn Duncan. In the second half of this year the club will charter; a Rotakids Club at Rouse Public School and the students are already involved in a community service activity; an Interact Club at Oxley High School; and on-line meetings of RYLA students from the 2021 camp under our guidance as they move towards forming either a Rotaract or a satellite Rotary Club.

Membership continues to grow with members actively seeking out new members who can contribute make a worthwhile contribution to Rotary through our club. Our total membership has increased by 5 members to 21.  We also have some of our members struggling with their health at present and it is good to see all members of the Club rallying around support for them. A special thanks to Peter Kenny who is acting as our Welfare Officer and contacting members who are not travelling well. Plans in 2021 are to further engage with young people who can form a satellite Club on-line of our Club and this could give a positive input into the membership of the Club.

Our financial position is good, and we have been successful again this year in obtaining a District Foundation grant of $4000 to support our Youth in projects such as NYSF, RYLA and to provide a computer to Cameron Cook of Trangie that will support his education as a special needs student.

All members are financial, and I thank Justin for the work that he does keeping our books in shape. Invoices will be prepared early in the new year to go out to members, and we have sufficient funds in reserve to meet our semi-annual dues which come up for payment in July. Justin is also preparing a business case to move our accounting system to XERO and is seeking advice from our auditor before this proposal goes to the Club and the Board. I have indicated my appreciation to Justin for the work he has been doing with the books and am pleased to announce that Justin will become our latest Paul Harris Fellow at the changeover in recognition for all the work he does with keeping our books in good shape.

Thanks to Tanika as Secretary for all the behind the scenes work that she does to ensure all members are kept up to date and giving of her time for our regular fortnightly meeting prior to Club and Board meetings. Thanks also to Di as executive secretary in making sure all our records are up to date including ensuring we are compliant with Child Protection. We had a meeting in the new year organised by Di to ensure that everyone is compliant and that the District Youth Protection officer is kept happy. And my thanks to Dorothy as Public Officer to also ensure that all administrative activities of the Club are completed and signed off and on the side continues to make baby packages to go to New Guinea to support mothers coming to hospital to have their babies.

I would also like to express my appreciation to the whole Board.
Barry Hacker – Vice President, International and Foundation Director
John Barwick – Immediate Past President and Community Service
Dorothy Barwick – Membership, Public Officer and Public Relations
Di Hall – Executive Secretary and Vocational
Tanika Douglas – Secretary and Youth Protection Officer
Justin Baiocchi – Treasurer
Lyn Duncan – Youth

Great job from all of you! You have certainly made my job so much easier throughout the year as we work so cooperatively as a team.

I believe we have a happy, friendly, and effective Club and thanks to all members for your roles in keeping it this way. It has been a great year and I look forward to busy times in the next Rotary year as we Serve to Change Lives in the 2021-22 year.
RI President-elect Shekhar Mehta is urging members to become more involved in Service projects, saying that caring for and serving others is the best way to live because it changes not only other people’s lives, but also our own.
We will be working in our E-Club to see that this happens in our next Rotary year.

Ken

Finances provided by Justin Baiocchi – Club Treasurer.

Administration Account balance -$4,352.84
Project Account balance – $4,364.49
Foundation Account balance – $156.51
A very healthy position for the end of the 2020-21 year.
Both Foundation grants for the Years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 have now been finished and reports have been submitted. We have received back from the Stewardship chair PDG Ian Simpson the following:

The Final Report for the 2019-20 District Grant awarded to D 9650 E-Rotary Club to Construction of an obstacle course at Ebor Public School is completed & accepted.

The Final Report for the 2020-21 District Grant awarded to D9650 E-Rotary Club to support youth education, training & leadership development is completed & accepted.

Reading your report and reflecting on the Projects significant impact on the lives of 5 young people in the CW & NW of NSW made the thankless task of chasing Grant reports for once a personally rewarding experience.  I have a strong interest in helping disadvantaged youth achieve where possible and in this case the roles of Programs of excellence (NYSF & D9650 RYLA) make me proud to be a Rotarian – sincere thanks.

So I strongly Agree with your sentiment “this was a most successful use of District funds in supporting a number of students furthering their education, leadership often in the face of extreme disability”
In 2 years of Grant Stewardship this is by far the most outstanding use of District Grant $$$ that I have read about in a project final report.