At the Rotary Melbourne meeting on 28 June 23 we witnessed the presentation of a Paul Harris Fellow 3 Sapphire Award to Amanda Wendt. We congratulate Amanda on her year as District Governor and thank her and the 2022/23 leadership team for inspiring our district with unlimited enthusiasm, and demonstrating commitment to Service Above Self.
Citation
The Paul Harris Fellow was established in 1957 in honour of Rotary’s founder and is combined with a US$1000 contribution in support of humanitarian and educational programs of The Rotary Foundation, funded, implemented and managed by Rotarians and Rotary Clubs around the globe. Foundation programs provide educational opportunities, food, potable water, health care, immunisation and shelter for millions of persons. It is the tradition of this Club that the naming of a Paul Harris Fellow is based upon the contribution of individual members and deserving members of the community who practice the Rotary motto – “Service above Self”.
Amanda Wendt was inducted into the Rotary Club of Melbourne on 15th November 2017 with the classification Marketing Engagement, having previously been a member of the Rotary Clubs of Melbourne Park and Fortitude Valley.
Amanda has served as the Club’s Membership Director as well as being an active member of the R100 committee, Corporate Membership committee and Second Bite.
Her District roles include Assistant Governor, Stonnington; Director of Public Image and Communications; Rotary radio presenter; Foundation Committee Advisor; World of Difference, Cambodia; Young Leaders Summit; Victoria Police mentoring program, Community Engagement Mentor; and Vocational Service Committee Member. She has been recognised by District 9800 for her Australia-wide education program to Rotary districts on contemporary methods for member recruitment and retention and this year she is our District Governor.
Amanda has travelled internationally with Rotary serving on the International Communications Committee and has spoken at many events, including Rotary International Conventions in Seoul and Atlanta, and delivered a keynote presentation at the 2018 Rotary International Assembly in San Diego on the topic ‘Understanding the Generations’ where she spoke on ways to attract, engage and activate millennials in Rotary.
Amanda is our district’s youngest governor, the first under 40, and Rotary Melbourne’s first female District Governor in our 102-year history with 47 years since the club’s last District Governor, Frank Newman, in 1975/1976.
As District Governor, Amanda has been an Ambassador and advocate for the Rotary Club of Melbourne across our District, and in the year of the Melbourne Rotary International Convention, to Rotarians across the world, including garnering support for the Rotary Peace Bells. She has put the spotlight on and modernised Rotary across Victoria, and has helped activate new volunteers to Rotary projects, such as the Big Difference at Federation Square, coordinating the packing of 100,000 emergency relief meals.
It is the job of every year’s District Governor to leave the district stronger than they found it. Amanda and her team achieved this. We congratulate Amanda on her year as District Governor and thank her and the 2022/23 leadership team for inspiring our district with unlimited enthusiasm, and demonstrating commitment to Service Above Self.
Congratulations to our newest Paul Harris Fellow with three Sapphires.
