The meeting was opened by MC for the day Karen Kim, with acknowledgement of the traditional owners, and welcoming members and guests.
Past President Adrian Nelson delivered the reflection which is included later in this bulletin. President Catherine proposed the loyal toast and then adjourned the meeting for the meal service break.
At the meeting resumption President Catherine began by welcoming distinguished guests, newly appointed Consul-General of Japan (Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia), FURUYA Tokuru who was to be inducted as an Honorary member of Rotary Melbourne, Roland Jabour, Honorary Consul of Morocco, and Councillor Gladys Liu, a past Rotary Melbourne member and Member of the House of Representatives for Chisholm in the Morrison Government. Several other guests were also welcomed, and their details are provided at the end of this Bulletin.
Past President Chris Wang OAM then came to the podium to introduce Mr Tokuru Furuya to be inducted as an Honorary member of Rotary Melbourne, following which Furuya-san spoke briefly of his gratitude to be welcomed into the Club for his term in Melbourne as Consul-General for Japan.
Past President, and current Vice President Mary Barry then spoke about the ForaMeal emergency food packing event on 9 April 25 at RMIT in Swanston Street. Full details and access to the booking page is included later in this Bulletin.
MC Karen Kim then addressed the Club briefly about the opportunity to experience the immersive augmented exhibition of the Notre Dame de Paris exhibition at the Melbourne Immigration Museum on Saturday 26 April at 2:00pm and encouraged members to book early to avoid disappointment.
The meeting then celebrated the 40th anniversary of Grahme Bond’s Rotary Melbourne membership.
President Cathrine concluded by reminding members of memorial event celebrating the life of Past president David Jones at the MCG on Tuesday 25 March at 3:00pm, to which all will be welcome.
Past President Reg Smith then briefly introduced Trudi Matshe, who addressed the meeting on “Her Story – Making the Impossible Possible”.
One of Rotary Melbourne’s newer members, Trudi shared her life’s profound journey and mission. Born in Zimbabwe, Trudi’s path led her through living in seven different countries, where she emerged as a powerful speaker and founder of the Her Story Circle organization, focused on empowering women globally.
Trudi recounted her near-death experience from heart failure in 2017 and attributed her recovery and outlook to the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasizes a deep connection to others. She shared her parents' legacy of community service and their influence on her life, despite their humble means. She introduced her family and highlighted how they, too, embody her values of creativity and social contribution.
Trudi detailed her move to New Zealand in 2001 with minimal resources, starting a business from hand-painted fabrics, which evolved into a successful medical recruiting agency that spanned 18 years. Through her foundations, she has significantly supported education and nutrition for children in Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa.
Her personal struggles, including living in her car post-divorce, led to the creation of a platform for women to share their stories, which scaled globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has launched numerous philanthropic projects and continues to seek ways for women's empowerment through creative and entrepreneurial initiatives.
The address concluded with an engaging Q&A session where Trudi shared her resilience philosophies and the inspirations driving her and her children's remarkable paths.
In closing the meeting Past President Reg reminded members that next week’s meeting will be conducted at No 35, at the Sofitel on Collins, and will feature Nikki Blanch as guest speaker on the topic “Meals with Impact: Positive Change”
You can view the full meeting proceedings click here and the speaker’s address by clicking here.
