MC: Richard Dent
Reflection: Prepared by Past President Robert Fisher, delivered by President Reg Smith, standing in for him.
After meal service, President Dr Carol Bond welcomed members, visitors and guest, especially our District 9800 Governor, Graeme Hope who would later address the club.
Youth Exchange student to France, Cecilia Nam, otherwise known as CeCe, accompanied by her mother, Melanie Nam and Robin Whyte who would be inducted as a Club member later. A complete list of guest attending is included later in this Bulletin.
President Carol then invited Robin Whyte to come forward for induction into the membership of the club, accompanied by Robin's sponsor, Deb Yan Fu, who introduced her to the club. Deb noted Robin’s experience in healthcare sector, having previously held positions in both state and federal healthcare sectors, as well as senior executive experience in hospital, community service, mental health, aged care, and disability services.
Robin will have the Rotary classification of Executive Leadership Healthcare System and will be a member of the Central Group. Her mentor in the club will be Rosemary Nixon.
After reading the membership charge, President Carol invited Robin to say a few words in response. Robin expressed her absolute pleasure to be joining this club and praised the membership and induction teams who smoothed her way to come into the club, and get to know some members. She is looking forward to engaging in her areas of interest healthcare, community services, homelessness, and suicide prevention.
Noting that Rotary Melbourne has a long history of hosting many young people from all over the world and our support for the youth exchange program, expressing pleasure pleased that we are supporting an outgoing District - scholar to spend a year in France, Cecilia Nam. Cecilia the delivered her outgoing address.
Cecilia Nam, a Year 10 student at Melbourne Girls College, introduced herself to Rotary Melbourne following her selection as a District 9800 Rotary Youth Exchange student for 2027. She will leave Australia in January to spend 12 months living and studying in France.
Cecilia described herself as energetic, outgoing and keen to embrace new experiences. Sport is an important part of her life, with interests including netball, athletics and scuba diving. A self-described “social butterfly”, she enjoys meeting new people, making friends and taking on new challenges — qualities she hopes will serve her well during her year abroad.
She is looking forward to developing new friendships, immersing herself in French culture and experiencing a very different way of life — including, she added enthusiastically, enjoying plenty of French food.
Although Rotary itself is a new experience for Cecilia, she said she was attracted to the organisation by its values, particularly “Service Above Self”, and by the kindness and commitment to education and wellbeing she has already encountered.
Despite admitting to some understandable nervousness in addressing the Club, Cecilia’s enthusiasm, warmth and appetite for adventure were readily apparent. She concluded by thanking Rotary Melbourne and President Carol Bond for supporting her and providing this opportunity. Carole thanked Cecilia for her address and noted we would look forward to hearing her speak on return from her exchange experience
John Peabody came forward to highlight the RIMERN fund raiser being organised by the Rotary Club of Canterbury on Monday 14 September at 6:30pm for 7:00pm at ther Auburn Bowls Club, 2B Munro Street, Auburn East. The event will feature a topical debate on the topic “Life is Better Now than it was 50 years ago. A team of experienced Rotarians will be up against Canterbury girls HS champion debating team. Moderator and Guest speaker will be Elida Brereton, speaking about "Generational Change, Artificial Intelligence and the Future World". Elida was a School Principal and Actor and starred in the ABC TV Series Summer Heights High. Tickets are $40 for adults and $20 for students. Check out the brochure later in this bulletin.
Carol then reminded members that nominations for membership of the 2026-27 Nominations Committee close on Wednesday 2 September at 2:05pm. Nomination forms can be obtained from Honorary Secretary, Sue Smith.
In closing her remarks, President Carol called on members to support the Club’s weekly meetings. Our competitively priced lunch is conditional upon minimum numbers attending. Carol asked members to diarise their commitments to attend on a regular basis.
President Carol then introduced District Governor, Graeme Hope to address the club.
Graeme Hope four priorities for District 9800, framed by Rotary International’s Action Plan and the message of RI President Yinka Babalola: make Rotary welcoming, undertake impactful projects and ensure the Rotary experience is personally transformative.
Drawing on his own Rotary journey, Graeme recalled joining the Rotary Club of Camberwell after being introduced by a professional mentor. A defining experience came through a club project establishing a bakery at an orphanage in Vietnam. Seeing firsthand the nutritional, educational and financial benefits for the children demonstrated to him the connection between local Rotary fundraising and lasting international impact.
His first priority is creating a great club experience, moving beyond simply welcoming members to deliberately fostering belonging. New members should have mentors, pathways to involvement and guidance through Rotary’s many opportunities.
Second is connecting with the next generation. Graeme warned that Rotary’s ageing membership makes change essential. Younger people often cannot accommodate traditional weekly breakfast, lunch or dinner meetings and are more attracted to service-centred, flexible forms of participation. Rotaract, hybrid meetings and project-based volunteering offer important pathways.
Third is membership growth. Clubs should ensure their membership better reflects their communities, maintain contemporary, mobile-friendly websites that demonstrate impact, and use public events, volunteering and environmental projects to attract prospective members.
His fourth priority is supporting and leveraging The Rotary Foundation. Graeme encouraged both personal giving and greater collaboration between clubs, using Foundation grants and District networks to increase the scale and impact of projects.
In discussion, Graeme addressed mental health, youth engagement and proposed Victorian redistricting. He encouraged clubs to draw on District expertise and remain open to new approaches.
His central message was one of continuous improvement: understand what Rotary has achieved at its best, set measurable goals to do even better, embrace change, and create a Rotary experience in which people feel they belong and can make a meaningful difference.
To view the recording of this meeting which includes a clip featuring Rotary International President Yinka Babalola, Click here.
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