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Rotary International Conference Acting President invited a very excited Jennifer to give us a summary of what she called “a truly and inspiring experience”, the event of course was the Rotary International Conference 2023 held in Melbourne. We were greeted prior to registration by one of the multitudinous volunteers, who helped make the whole experience easy and accessible. I was delighted to see our District 9705 Shaun from Rotaract directing me to the registration desk. Getting free public transport throughout Melbourne was a bonus. There were many group meetings prior to the official events, one of which I attended with about 400 Rotarians on the Friday, a Rotary walk from Federation Square to the Rotary Peace Park in the Botanical Gardens, for End Polio Now. I even met the British woman who created the slogan and lit up the British Parliament Houses for the inaugural event. At the Peace Park there was a tree planted by Paul Harris when he started Rotary here in Australia (the plaque says 1905) along with many other RI Presidents. Sunday was the official opening at the Rod Laver Arena, I heard figures from 12,000 – 17,000 attended. The Flags of 182 Rotarian countries, were paraded. Inspiring speakers from our world of Rotary presented. The House of Friendship at the Melbourne Convention Centre was HUGE. I was blown away by the presentations in the “dome” at the virtual reality zone. The Convention Centre also hosted all the breakout sessions, Singapore 2024 registration and official luncheons. Another event I attended was the International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians AGM, and Handover Dinner. So many Japanese and Korean members. They are off to cruise in Tasmania for post Conference fun. The closing ceremony was very special, as Jennifer Jones said farewell; and Gordon McInally introduced his year. The entertainment of a Bee Gee’s Tribute Band had everyone dancing in the stand. Jennifer Jones’ husband presented her with a wonderful painting full of significance by the artist who designed the year logo. To repeat – A truly and amazing event ….. Glad I went.” ******************************** “Stories of Resilience” - Wednesday 31st May With District grant funding for improving resilience in our community, our club was able to host a Leeton Business Chamber breakfast with the support of Leeton Connect. Titled ‘Stories of Resilience’ we heard from a panel of representatives from four pillars of our community. Krystal Maytom welcomed all in attendance and made the introductions, Moderator Court Sayer-Roberts and panel members Kath Dunn and Cheryl Whymark (retail), Bobbie Pannowitz (professional services), George Weston (trades sector) and Peter Herrmann (agriculture). Panel members shared their stories and experiences of overcoming adversity and bouncing back to success in their field of expertise and finding wellbeing in their personal and family lives. The panel members spoke about: - Kath Dunn and Cheryl Whymark – the restructure of a retail business after a family member passes.
- Bobbie Pannowitz – the loss of her mother and struggles of upbringing to now graduating as a lawyer.
- George Weston – writing your own destiny, from migration, education difficulties and starting a business.
- Peter Herrmann – dealing with the many challenges of farming in a changing climate.
Anyone who was there would agree with me when I say this was a truly inspiring panel of speakers, they spoke with passion, truth and openness about their personal experience. They proved once again that we don’t know what anyone has gone through to get to where they are now. They are all amazing people. Some of their words of wisdom which stuck with me included: when the times get tough don’t forget to laugh; poor choices equal poor outcomes; if you have a dream, believe in yourself and your community; have a support system; believe in yourself and help others; doing your best helps other people to do their best; and finally; treat people with kindness and respect. ******************************** |
