Good afternoon, fellow Rotarians and friends.

August is Rotary Membership Month, a time when we're encouraged to invite others to experience Rotary and to reflect on what makes our organisation so special.

So today, rather than focusing on Sir John Monash himself, I thought we'd begin by remembering one of the men who invited Monash to become a Rotarian in the first place.

Lieutenant-Colonel James Layton Ralston arrived in Australia in March 1921 alongside James Wheeler Davidson. Both were distinguished Canadian Rotarians, commissioned by Rotary International to establish Rotary in Australia.

Like Monash, Ralston was a lawyer, a decorated First World War officer and a passionate believer that leadership carried an obligation to serve others. After the war, neither man simply returned to private life. Instead, they dedicated themselves to building stronger communities.

When Ralston and Davidson met Sir John Monash in Melbourne, they found a kindred spirit. Here were three men, from opposite sides of the world, all shaped by the tragedy of war. They were united by a conviction that peace would be advanced not only by governments, but through ethical leadership, friendship and service. Together they established the Rotary Club of Melbourne - the first Rotary club in Australia and New Zealand.

Ralston later returned to Canada to become his nation's Minister of National Defence during the Second World War, while Monash continued his extraordinary contribution to Melbourne. Their paths diverged, but they remained connected by a belief that leadership is measured not by rank or reputation, but by service.

As we celebrate Membership Month, perhaps this story reminds us that a single invitation can have an extraordinary impact. Ralston invited Monash into Rotary. Today, each of us has the same opportunity to invite someone who may help shape Rotary Melbourne's next hundred years.

For good food, good fellowship and the opportunity to serve, we give thanks.

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