Past Rotary International President, Royce Abbey

The Royce Abbey Award was established by the Rotary Club of Essendon to recognise their Member and our Past Honorary Member, Past Rotary International President, Royce Abbey.  It was adopted by the Rotary Club of Melbourne Board in 2004, to be conferred on a Member who is relatively new to the Club, has not been awarded a Paul Harris Fellow recognition, is well accepted by Members, has a good attendance record, and who has demonstrated strong commitment and complies with the Object of Rotary.

Chanthida Bou, was inducted on 24th May 2017 with the classification Estate Agent – Development.  She was born in Cambodia and moved to Melbourne as a young teenager with her mother and sisters in 1997, after the death of her father. Her early years were a challenge, with learning English, but she completed a Bachelor of Arts in 2006, from Victoria University of Technology. Chanti has a real estate licence and her own business “BOU & ASSOCIATES”.

Chanti has served as Chair of our Reception and Membership Engagement Committees is an active member of the International Programs Committee, a member of Central Group 2 and this year is our Membership Director.

Her selection as this awardee is for her very active commitment to membership and seeking fresh ways to bring the Rotary message to a wider audience during the pandemic lockdown. Chantida Bou and her team made good use of online technology, in particular Eventbrite, to host a series of events aimed at highlighting different facets of what it means to be a Rotarian. Each event was focussed on a different season in the professional life and career of a typical Rotarian.

• August – was on "Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities in Retirement" and heard from Rotarians who have retired from demanding careers on how they are using their professional skills to continue contributing to the community.
• September - was on "New and Emerging Young Leaders in Rotary" featured Rotarians in the active phase of developing their careers while growing their skills and connections and making a difference in the community.
• October - was on "Business and Professional Connections in Rotary" reflected on the experiences and insights of leaders and captains of industry in Rotary Melbourne who have served actively over the years on different projects and committees.
• November - was on "Positive Energy for a Better World", our first event featuring an international speaker and reaching a global audience, asked a bold question: is it possible to harness positive energy to create a better world for all of us?

The membership committee under Chanti’s leadership will continue to seek innovative ways to spread the Rotary vision and help more professionals see the benefits of becoming a Rotarian."

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