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RotarACTION AU Edition 15 April 2016

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Cover Image: Rotaractors Against Malaria; Our DRR-elects for 2016-2016

RotarACTION AU is Rotaract Australia MDIO's

quarterly magazine. Subscribe at http://rotaract.org.au/news/updates/

Chairperson's Welcome ............................................ 1

From the Editor's Desk .............................................. 1

Australian Rotaract Games 2016 ................................. 2

Perth Game Time ......................................................... 2

Congratulations Rotaract Australia MDIO 2016-2017 . 2

Malaria Month............................................................... 3

East Coast Round Trip ................................................. 3

Rotary Global Rewards ................................................ 3

Australian Rotaract Training ......................................... 4

Australian Rotaract Conference 2016 .......................... 5

Council on Legislation: What this means for

Rotaractors ................................................................... 6

Malaria 101 ................................................................... 7

Diamond Valley Rotaract in the News ......................... 8

North Lakes Rotaract Fresh Starts Fundraiser ............ 8

RMQ's Instagram Win .................................................. 9

Rotaract Australia Merchandise ................................... 9

Monash Rotaract's Video ............................................. 9

Burrumbuttock Hay Runners ........................................ 9

RA's voice on the RI Rotaract/Interact Committee ...... 9

District 9700 Update – Twin Clubs! ............................ 10

Western Sydney U Rotaract’s Charter ....................... 10

Sydney's Newest Provisional Club on the Northern

Beaches ..................................................................... 11

Young Citizens of the Year ........................................ 11

District 9710 Update: ACT & South-East NSW ......... 13

Western Region Training ........................................... 14

Update from MED MDIO on refugees ........................ 14

International Service Travel Opportunity with Rotarian

Malaria Partners ......................................................... 15

DRR Training ............................................................. 16

D9600 Weekend Away .............................................. 16

Coins for Cambodia ................................................... 17

An Insider’s Guide To The Rotary International

Convention and Rotaract Preconvention ................... 19

International Rotaract Events..................................... 22

Chairperson's Welcome

We’re into the last quarter of the year and it’s been full on! Malaria Month has taken off, with Rotaractors and

clubs joining the fight to eliminate malaria. Rotaract

Australia hosted DRR Training in Canberra, and I’m excited to see the calibre of leaders we have for our

Rotaract Districts in 2016-17.

Congratulations to our incoming Rotaract Australia

Executive. There are busy and exciting times ahead

for Travis, Bec, Amanda, Bianca and David. A huge

thank you must go to our outgoing team, who have

been exceptional in raising the bar this year. I

appreciate the efforts Travis, Brett, Britt, Holstein,

Grant and Michael have put in.

We look ahead to a busy schedule of Australian

Rotaract Training events to be held around the country

in May and June. I encourage all Rotaractors to take

the opportunity to build your skills and network by

attending one of these programs.

Now is the time to grab your ticket to ARC Brissy!

Make sure you block out the October weekend to be in

Brisbane with like-minded Rotaractors from around the

country (and the world!). You won’t be disappointed.

-Jake Weragoda, Rotaract Australia Chairperson

2015-2016, Rotaractor of the Year 2014, Paul Harris

Fellow

From the Editor's Desk

I am extremely proud of what Rotaractors around

Australia have achieved this year to date - coming

together for the Australian Rotaract Games, several

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new provisional clubs (Northern Beaches!), new

charters (congratulations Western Sydney U!), rallying

around our national project, Rotaractors Against

Malaria, and some fantastic district events.

Over the past two years I have really enjoyed

promoting and sharing these success stories with the

wider community - all the dedication and activity in the

community is reflected in this bumper issue of

RotarACTION AU - however, this will be my last

edition of our quarterly magazine. It is time to let in

some fresh ideas so please join me in welcoming

Amanda Firkins as the incoming PR & Marketing

Director!

-Holstein Wong, Rotaract Australia PR & Marketing

Director 2014-2016

Australian Rotaract Games 2016

Rotatact Games took place at Sydney University from

6-7th February, 2016. The event was sold out, with 96

people registered in 12 teams of 8. In attendance were

Rotaractors from every state in NSW, Canada,

Belgium & NZ.

Photo by Evan Burrell

Rotaract Games was a weekend away, packed full of

sports, teambuilding and socials. Activities catered to

the sporty, intellectual, social and more, to allow

everyone to participate and have fun – wherever their

strengths lay.

The Friday Night started with a Nightlife Tour around

Newtown, of one of Sydney premier party zones. This

was followed by assorted Games on Saturday and the

Saturday Social at 80 Proof (which went off!).

On Sunday, there was an amazing race, where teams

photographed themselves doing silly things at

landmarks around Sydney. On Monday, we had a lazy

day at Sydney’s scenic Manly Beach for everyone who was still in town.

We raised over $1800 for various causes including

Sport Matters, Rotaractors Against Malaria, & Rotaract

Australia. Diamond Valley, as the winning club,

donated their $500 prizemoney to Orange Sky

Laundry.

The next Rotaract Games will be held on 3-6 March in

Perth. I look forward to seeing you there!

-Rick Leong, ARG2016 Committee Chair

Perth Game Time

There are many amazing aspects of Perth that make it

a fantastic place to host the next Australian Rotaract

Games. Some of them are – amazing beaches, great

parks, friendly people, small town feel in a larger city,

tasty wineries on our door step, hip new bars and

restaurants, we are the most isolated capitol city in the

world, we are the sunniest place in Australia, and we

are home to Little Creatures Brewery in Fremantle. All

these things await you, upon your arrival in Perth –

3rd-6th March 2017. Save the date and watch this

space for registration launch!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1721064468109862/

-Stephanie Webb, DRR District 9455 WA

Congratulations Rotaract Australia MDIO 2016-

2017 We’re very excited to announce the new Rotaract

Australia executive team for 2016-17 has been

elected. The team members are:

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Chair Travis Holland (Southern Highlands, District 9710)

Vice Chair Bec Weragoda (Sydney City, District 9675)

Secretary Bianca Lobo (Monash, District 9810) Treasurer David Brand (Brisbane CBD, District

9600) Communications Director Amanda Firkins

(Hawkesbury, District 9685)

Full profiles and contact information will be available

on RA’s website soon.

This is a good team with a reasonable geographic

spread, and lots of diverse Rotaract and professional

experience. We look forward to working with the RA

council of DRRs throughout the year.

Malaria Month

So far we have raised over $2300 for Malaria Month

on our dedicated crowdfunding site

http://malaria.rotaract.org.au/

Our dedicated crowdfunding website is still going

strong! Created in conjunction with Easy by Design, it

has been a fantastic tool for crowdfunding and tracking

donations to our national project. To keep up the

momentum we are going to continue using the

platform to raise awareness and funds for malaria

elimination. Sign up for a fundraiser for you or your

club!

East Coast Round Trip

The Rotaract East Coast Trip Australia 2016 was a two

week adventure from Sydney to Brisbane and back.

Six international Rotaractors from around the world:

Gabrielle and Stephen from Canada, Michelle a

Canadian Expat living in China, Sadek from Algeria,

Minerva from Mexico and Liz a UK expat living in New

Zealand visited over 10 towns and cities and over 20

Rotaract and Rotary clubs. From rainforests and

national parks to lighthouses and beaches, jetty

jumping and leaches it was an intense two weeks that

won't be forgotten anytime soon! If you want to see

where we went check out our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/East-Coast-Trip-

502725269898814/

Spending the day with the Upper Blue Mountains

Sunrise Rotary club

-Courtney Krahe, Rotaract UTS

Rotary Global Rewards

Rotaractors do good for the sake of it, but Rotary

partners have recognised our efforts and put together

"Rotary Global Rewards" with discounts and offers

from various businesses. See more at the website

https://www.rotary.org/en/member-center/rotary-global-

rewards

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Australian Rotaract Training For the first time, Australian Rotaract Training is open to all Rotaractors! If you’re a club President, Board Member, or

just a passionate Rotaractor, get along to Australian Rotaract Training in a state near, or far, from you.

NSW 13th – 15

th May in Wedderburn, outside of Sydney

TAS 22nd

May in Launceston

VIC 3rd

– 5th June in Drummond North

QLD 10th – 12

th June at the Gold Coast

SA 17th – 19

th June in Halbury

Register online today! Registrations close 10 days from the event http://rotaract.org.au/services/training/

Training will include general leadership and team building; training dedicated to each board role; project ideas and

planning; and behavioural topics such as effective communication, managing conflict, and your legal responsibilities.

We have worked hard to refine Rotaract Training from years gone by, and have the backing of a training company to

ensure training is better than it’s ever been!

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Australian Rotaract Conference 2016

The Australian Rotaract Conference is only a few months away! Guest presenters include Young Australians of the

Year Orange Sky Laundry, world renowned motivational speakers Kay Danes and Keith Abraham, and one of

Rotary’s very own stars, Mac Millar. The Conference is set to be held by the beautiful city botanic gardens at QUT, Gardens Point. The weekend has everything from adventure activities (rock climbing, abseiling, kayaking and cycling),

inspirational speakers and networking opportunities. Between the inspiring stories and incredible social events ARC

2016 is not to be missed! http://conference.rotaract.org.au/

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Council on Legislation: What this means for Rotaractors

In a ground-breaking move, the Rotary Council on

Legislation approved an amendment which will go a

long way to bridge the gap between Rotary and

Rotaract. What happens next is now in our hands. For

the first time in history we can be both a Rotaractor

and a Rotarian. This momentous decision brings us

yet another step closer to being true ‘Partners in Service’.

District 9675 Rotary/Rotaract social event

Historically, the relationship between Rotaract and

Rotary has been disjointed and inconsistent. There

exists a broad feeling that Rotaractors only come to

Rotarians for funding and Rotarians only come to

Rotaractors for volunteers at their local BBQ.

I have had a long involvement with both Rotaract and

Rotary and genuinely believe both organisations have

so much more to offer each other than labor and

funding alike. Rotaractors have energy, ideas,

ethusiasm and the ability to communicate effectively in

our fast-paced online world. Rotarians bring a wealth

of experience, networks and resources. Think of what

we could achieve working together!

The updated legislation will create a number of shared

benefits, the two closest to my own heart are:

1. Cementing the standing of Rotaractors

amongst Rotarians as the community-minded

leaders of tomorrow

2. Enhancing our sense of belonging as

Rotaractors in the greater Rotary movement

Naturally, this will also result in a number of secondary

benefits like:

1. Earlier engagement of Rotarians in Rotaract

projects (and vice versa), leading to:

A feeling of shared ownership for events and

projects

Greater sharing of resources and ideas

Increased attendance at events

More funds raised

Greater overall impact in the community

2. Increased understanding of Rotary

Increased knowledge of and uptake of global

opportunities, e.g. Young Leaders Summit,

Rotary International Conventions, Peace

Scholarships, New Generations Exchange

Appreciate and understand the potential and

processes to create large-scale change

(particularly through the Rotary Foundation

and Global Grant System)

3. Smoothen the transition from Rotaract to

Rotary

Provide a clearer avenue for Rotaractors to be

involved in Rotary Clubs

Increased ability for Rotaract to shape the

greater Rotary organisation now

Younger, dynamic and diverse Rotary Clubs,

therefore potential to attract more members of

the community in the 30-40 age range

Overall I feel optimistic about this change and am

positive that this amendment will help us bridge the

gap between Rotaract and Rotary.

On a personal level, it will enable me to be more

involved in Rotary, without giving up my active

involvement in Rotaract and I absolutely look forward

to joining a local Rotary Club soon.

I encourage all Rotaractors and Rotarians to discuss

how to leverage the opportunities the amendment

brings and hope to see more Rotaractors become

official members of their local Rotary Club in the near

future.

Rotary have supported Rotaract through this great

opportunity. It's now over to us!

-Bec Weragoda, Rotaract Australia Vice-Chair-Elect

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Malaria 101 Chris Poole, Committee member for Rotaractors

Against Malaria, gives us the low down on Malaria to

round off a month-long campaign to raise awareness

for this cause:

My first ever Malaria event was the annual Rotarians

Against Malaria Conference in 2015. At the conference

I spent a significant amount of time googling terms

under the table to make sure that I knew what was

being discussed. In this hope I have written this to

explain what Malaria is and some of the terms used.

What is Malaria?

Malaria is caused by the parasite called Plasmodium

and is transmitted through four different types of

mosquitoes (vector). It mainly occurs in tropical and

sub-tropical areas and causes high fever, chills and

other flu-like symptoms. Plus, if left untreated, this

parasitic disease can cause death.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in

2012, there were 217 million malaria cases and 627,

000 malaria related deaths, mostly in African children.

In fact, one child dies every minute from this disease in

the African continent.

Where is Malaria Found?

Malaria is found in tropical and sub-tropical regions

where there are warm temperatures, high humidity and

lots of rainfall. In order for malaria to occur, the climate

must be one in which anopheles mosquitoes can

survive and multiply. The Plasmodium parasite must

also be able to complete their life cycle inside the

mosquitoes. In effect, this parasitic disease occurs

year-round in endemic levels within sub-Saharan

Africa, New Guinea and South America.

How is Malaria Spread?

Malaria is typically spread through the female

anopheles mosquitoes. This particular mosquito is a

“dusk-to-dawn” mosquito, meaning it only comes out at night, which is why people in warm climates are

encouraged to use sleeping nets. When the mosquito

bites someone already infected with malaria and

ingests their blood, the parasite is taken in as well,

developing inside them and infecting their saliva. Once

the parasite has completed a full life-cycle within the

mosquito, the disease will be spread to the subsequent

humans bitten by the mosquito.

What are the Symptoms of Malaria?

Symptoms can range from mild flu-like symptoms to

severe disease and death. However, if this parasitic

disease is caught and treated effectively and promptly,

it is usually not severe. Malaria is split into two

categories, complicated and uncomplicated.

Symptoms of uncomplicated malaria include fever,

chills, sweating, headaches, body aches, nausea and

vomiting as well as fatigue. In countries where malaria

is not common malaria is, in fact, often misdiagnosed

as influenza.

How is Malaria Treated?

The WHO recommends all suspected malaria cases

be tested using parasite diagnostic testing. The most

common treatment for malaria is the artemisinin-based

combination therapy (ACT); however, resistance to

antimalarial drugs is a recurring problem. Furthermore,

access to testing and drugs often does not reach the

poor communities where this parasitic disease is more

prominent.

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Diamond Valley Rotaract in the News

Congratulations Katherine Shields and the rest of the

Diamond Valley team for being featured as a valuable

community group. Banyule 100 celebrates all that is

positive about young people – their contribution to our

community, their talents, opinions and achievements.

This project aims to cast a spotlight on 100 significant

people in the Banyule community – those who are

either young people aged between 12 and 25 or adults

contributing positively to the lives of young people.

http://banyule100.com/2016/03/23/52-diamond-valley-

rotaract/

North Lakes Rotaract Fresh Starts Fundraiser One of Rotaract’s many strengths is innovating and

exciting fundraisers. The Rotaract Club of North Lakes

has pushed the boundaries with their Fresh Starts

Fundraiser. The fundraiser was held on the 3rd

of April

to promote and fundraise for the clubs Fresh Starts

program. This program provides free haircuts to

anyone in need within the Redcliffe peninsula.

Club members with Jed pictured middle

As the club developed the program and looked at how

to raise the funds needed to support the program. Club

member Jed Theed (pictured below) wanted to assist

the club in any way possible so he decided to donate

his dreadlocks. All 63 of them.

On Sunday the 3rd

of April on a busy beach in Redcliffe

the club set up a site with stands for club projects, food

stalls and the De-Dread Jed Stall. The club had

promoted the event within the local community and

online and was run in conjunction with the local

markets. On the day friends, rotarians and members of

the public converged to cut off the dreads buy buying a

dread for $10.

Federal Member for Petrie Luke Howarth supporting

the club’s fundraiser; Members of the public leaving a

message on our sensory garden message board.

The day raised over $1000 for the Fresh Starts

program and generated a high amount of awareness

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about the club’s programs and Rotaract in general.

Overall a great success.

RMQ's Instagram Win

Thanks so much to everyone who liked our Clean Up

Australia Day photo! With 316 likes, we won the

competition! We'll be donating the TWO ShotBox

cameras we've won to the prize pool for our annual

trivia night later this year. So it could be yours if you

come along! Stay tuned for more info.

Rotaract Australia Merchandise

Head to www.rotaract.org.au/merchandise to grab your

order today. Drink bottles are $6, bottle openers $3

Monash Rotaract's Video

The PR & Marketing team at Monash Rotaract have

used Wideo.co to create a short video clip based on

the Rotaract Australia theme "HELP" (part of "Help,

Learn Enjoy"). Check it out on our Rotaract Australia

YouTube channel or at the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6av0VjbVho

Burrumbuttock Hay Runners

Griffith Rotaract Club held a fundraiser for the Hay

Runners and made $1600!

https://www.facebook.com/Burrumbuttock-Hay-

Runners-1397618033820716/

Griffith Rotaract's thankyou sign to the Hay Runners

went viral on social media

RA's voice on the RI Rotaract/Interact

Committee

Congratulations Will Wood! Our District 9700 DRR has

accepted a position on the RI Rotaract and Interact

Committee for 2016-2017. If you have any issues that

you think should be raised at the RI level please get in

touch.

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District 9700 Update – Twin Clubs!

Community Club or University Club?

This is the choice we were given when forming the

Rotaract group in the city of Wagga Wagga.

Wagga Wagga is a city of 60,000 people and currently

has both a university campus as well as a sizeable

young professionals population comprised of a large

portion of health and medical professionals.

To paraphrase the Taco Ad kid " Por que no los dos?"

The Wagga Wagga Rotaract group has accepted the

challenge to create two clubs in the long term. As with

any new Rotaract group in a new city within a new

district, Rotaract's reputation does not preceed it. The

clubs must convince the population of young students,

professionals and workers to join an unknown entity.

This is a task made much easier when addressing the

need of two different groups of young people in the

city.

PROMOTING PEACE: Treasurer and student Clare

Lawlor and president and fellow student Courtney

Smith are campaigning for 'new blood' to join the

club.

With a student population of 7000, CSU Wagga

Wagga campus can cater for a university based

Rotaract club to provide an opportunity for students on

campus. The community club will cater for the local

populace of young professionals and workers who

want to participate in the local projects.

Although this is a slow process for the group, with

every meeting they are making progress. They

recently recruited 17 people at the Charles Sturt

University Clubs day and are working hard to form a

sizeable base from which they can eventually divide

into two clubs to service the different young people in

their communities.

With a sizeable population, a supportive approach

from the six Rotary clubs in the area and

perseverance, the formation of twin clubs that can

service two distinct groups of young people while

giving each other the mutual support and networking

opportunities that would exist in more dense

metropolitan districts, will be a possibility in the near

future.

-William Wood, DRR D9700

Western Sydney U Rotaract’s Charter

Western Sydney University was founded in July 2015

by a group of passionate young leaders ready to

create a positive impact in the world. Embedded with

the vision that Rotaract can be a platform for ideas and

concerns by the community, WestSydU Rotaract strive

to empower students and young professionals to be

confident young leaders through community service,

personal and professional development and social

networking.

Western Sydney University Rotaract is a vibrant,

diverse club on the rise in District 9675. Chartering in

April 2016 with 63 members and announced as the

largest charter night since 1978, this relatively new

club has already made fantastic progress. This club

has actively supported Pink Hope, The Shepherd

Centre, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and

Western Sydney Homeless Connect, among several

other university-based initiatives, Rotaractors Against

Malaria, raising over $3500 for these causes.

Western Sydney U Rotaract is strong for their monthly

social events from dining at Lentils as Anything in

Newtown to partying at Cargo Bar. With their passion

and enthusiasm, WestSydU Rotaract truly provides

members the opportunity to expand their network and

make lasting friendships, as well as develop

professional and personal skills. All this would not

have been possible without the support of our sponsor

Rotary groups: Rotary Club of Camden, Rotary Club of

Campbelltown, Rotary Club of Macarthur Sunrise,

Rotary Club of Narellan, Rotaract Club of Picton,

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Rotary Club of Ingleburn and Rotary Club of

Wollondilly North.

Introducing some of our club officers

Judith Mogi - President - Joined Rotaract to

empower students and young professionals!

Jeannette Le - Socials Director - Joined

Rotaract because I love being surrounded by

happy people!

Alyssa Llorando - Membership Director -

Joined Rotaract because I love meeting new

people.

Sydney's Newest Provisional Club on the Northern Beaches

Coming soon, The Northern Beaches Rotaract Club!

30 odd years ago there were a number of Rotaract

Clubs on the Northern Beaches, and the various

Rotary Clubs in the area are still going strong. After

speaking to all of these clubs about starting a Rotaract

Club in our area, they all became immediately

interested and wanted to know how they can support.

Immediately Belrose and Upper Northern Beaches

Rotary agreed to be sponsoring Rotary Clubs and

began assisting with the recruitment process. Two

weeks later the first information meet and greet was

held at Dee Why RSL attended by the Youth Directors

of Belrose and Upper Northern Beaches, two

Macquarie University Rotaractors, current DRR,

incoming DRR and 7 eager future Rotaractors. We

also heard there are 5 more interested but unable to

make the night.

Next and first official meeting will be held next week

Tuesday 26th April at Dee Why RSL 7pm.

Young Citizens of the Year

Recently, as part of Australia Day celebrations across

the country, Rotaractors Ashelee Jaensch (Macquarie

University Rotaract, NSW) and Michael Shields

(Diamond Valley Rotaract, VIC) were recognised by

their local communitees as upstanding citizens, each

being awarded the Young Citizen of the Year by their

local council. To celebrate their successes, understand

what it takes to be a leading community figure and

learn how other Rotaractors can follow in their

footsteps, Rotaract Australia Treasurer, Brett Sham,

interviewed them in this exclusive article for

RotaractionAU. Ashlee is currently the Secretary of her

Rotaract Club and Michael is a Past DRR and Past

Chairperson of Rotaract Australia and a Paul Harrris

Fellow.

RotaractionAU (RA): Congratulations on receiving

this award. What does this award mean to you?

Michael Shields (MS): It’s very special. I think it made

me realise that my contribution is valued and that I can

make a real difference in peoples’ lives. Receiving the

award on Australia Day is something I will remember

for the rest of my life.

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Ashlee Jaensch (AJ): I am both honoured and

overwhelmed to have been selected as the recipient of

such a prestigious award, and am continuing to enjoy

my commitment to my local community within this role.

RA: How has your involvement in Rotaract contributed

to you being recognised with this award?

MS: Rotaract has played a huge part in me being

recognised. Rotaract has given me so much

confidence and an incredible network of people to help

make a difference in the local community. Through

Rotaract I have got involved in [the Shire of] Nillumbik

in so many ways I wouldn’t have ever been able to on

my own. It has helped to make volunteering fun and

fulfilling. I have been a coach, team manager and

board member of Eltham Eagles Soccer Club. I did a

lot of volunteering when working on my Duke of

Edinburgh and Queen Scout Awards including weekly

visits to a local Nursing Home.

AJ: I received this award for commitment to

community, both personally, and through my Rotaract

endeavours, [including] weekly classroom volunteering

at a school for moderately to severely intellectually

disabled children, commitment to rural health

(particularly the National Rural Health Students

Network) – I am currently taking steps toward

establishing a rural health club at Macquarie

University, as I am very passionate about addressing

the future challenges of rural health in Australia – [and]

as an active member of the Rotaract and Rotary

family, including current secretary and board member

for RMQ, and 2015 RYLA recipient / participant.

RA: Tell me about your journey with Rotaract?

AJ: My journey with Rotaract commenced after

attending RYLA in January 2015. After learning about

Rotaract’s many avenues of service, and meeting

many Rotaractors at RYLA, I became a member at the

Rotaract Club of Macquarie University. Rotaract has

provided me with an amazing platform to share, foster,

and grow ideas with like-minded individuals, in an

effort to contribute positively to the world around me.

My involvement with Rotaract has spanned just over a

year now, and it has been filled with many momentous

occasions. Some personal highlights of Rotaract:

Annual RMQ Trivia which raised over $4000 for a local

organisation, The Shepherd Centre. Not only was this

a great event to be involved in, but I have been lucky

enough to volunteer at The Shepherd Centre since,

which has provided me with the ability to see how this

financial contribution is used to support the families

and children within this community. In general, making

life-long friendships and networks within the Rotaract

circle, has been the most remarkable experience so

far. To be part of a strong collective of dedicated, and

progressive young individuals is truly inspiring, and I

hope to continue these relationships when I transition

into Rotary, later on down the track.

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MS: I went along to the first interest meeting of my

club as my dad was one of the Rotarians involved with

starting the club and have been involved with Rotaract

for Almost 8 years. I have travelled the world, met

extraordinary people, improved myself in so many

ways and had the opportunity to contribute to so many

wonderful projects and fundraisers. I was Charter

President of my club The Rotaract Club of Diamond

Valley, DRR, Southern Region Representative for

Rotaract Australia and Chair of Rotaract Australia.

Interota in Canada was an incredible experience, and

other highlights in Rotaract include the Care

Compassion Gala Dinnner, Eltham Festival and

helping organise the Australian Rotaract Conference in

Melbourne. I’ve also been involved with other Rotary

programs, including RYPEN, RYLA and RAM.

RA: Why do you volunteer?

AJ: I volunteer because it provides me with the

opportunity to contribute to my community, whilst also

allowing my current skills, and develop new ones.

MS: I love the opportunities volunteering gives you to

meet people and experience new challenges.

RA: How do you think we can get other young people

to volunteer and support us in Rotaract?

MS: Ask them. One of the biggest barriers to

volunteering is nobody has ever asked. Start asking

people and making them realise what they have to

offer can make a world of difference.

AJ: I believe that young people such as me are at a

pinnacle stage in their lives when they are able to

apply their skills and actively contribute to

their community. Providing service in any capacity not

only allows you to make a difference to your

community, it is also key to developing crucial and

necessary skills that will be of value to your future.

RA: You both sound like very busy people! Do you

manage to fit anything else into your lives outside of

volunteering?

AJ: [I’m] currently in my third and final year of my

undergraduate degree in Speech and Hearing

Sciences at Macquarie uni, with ambitions to continue

my studies in a Masters of Audiology or Speech

Pathology. I hope to work in regional, rural and remote

communities upon graduation. Particularly interested in

Indigenous Health

MS: I work in my family business. We sell collectables

including stamps, coins, military and sport

memorabilia. We have a shop in Heidelberg a northern

suburb of Melbourne which is open 6 days a week and

keeps me extremely busy.

RA: What advice might you have for some of our

readers?

AJ: Most importantly, we all have different skills and

attributes, so pick an area that you have an interest or

passion in.

MS: If you have dream of doing something Rotaract

can help make it happen. If you’re not a part of

Rotary, ignore all the stereotypes and give it a go. It

has changed my life forever.

RA: Do you think you will join Rotary?

MS: This is my least favourite question in Rotary. I

already have joined Rotary. We are part of what

Rotary is doing every day. Over 160,000 young adults

in Rotaract are working towards the same goal as

Rotary to make the world a better place. I will continue

to be a part of this for as long as I’m here.

District 9710 Update: ACT & South-East NSW

The world of Rotaract in District 9710 has been off to a

great start in 2016. This district covers ACT and south-

east NSW and is home to six clubs – Brindabella,

Canberra and University of Canberra (RCUC) in our

nation’s capital, and Sapphire Coast, Shoalhaven and

Southern Highlands based around the NSW towns of

Merimbula, Nowra and Bowral respectively.

Around a third of the Rotaractors in the district came

together in March for a training day, covering topics

such as emotional intelligence, public speaking and

understanding yourself and others, with everyone in

attendance agreeing that it was a fun day of learning.

Canberrans also recently hosted another training

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occasion – this time, for Zone 8 DRR training, with

around 15 locals taking the DRR-elects out for a good

time on the Friday night.

Some of our clubs’ recent activities have been the Sapphire Coast boat party with Rotaractors and other

young locals dressing up in their best op shop finds,

and the Southern Highlands’ summer outdoor cinema

series. On the horizon is a trivia night hosted by

Canberra Rotaract on 27 May, and Brindabella is

planning a fundraising event combining their

changeover.

We also have some stellar individuals in this district,

with Janine Linklater finally being awarded her

Rotaract Australia ‘Partners in Service’ award at a joint meeting between RCUC and their sponsor club

(Rotary Club of Hall). Rory Tarnow-Mordi will take on

the role of DRR next year, while still leading Australia’s involvement in the Asia-Pacific Region Rotaract

Conference. Even further abroad, Seb Cox from

RCUC is spending a year in Tanzania to set up

Rotaract and Interact clubs at the School of St Jude,

with wonderful success so far.

-Bec Bamford, DRR D9710

Western Region Training

On Saturday March 12, Rotaractors from across

Western Australia came together to have an

enlightening day of knowledge sharing. During the day

our members were engaged in team bonding activities

as well as different sessions. These sessions included:

Strategic Planning for their clubs, how to run an

effective event, the importance of marketing correctly,

Rotary/Rotaract relationship, and membership.

-Stephanie Webb, DRR District 9455 WA

We had the privilege of having a handful of Rotarians

on hand to help present on some of these topics and

for them to learn a bit about our Rotaract Clubs and

Rotaract as a whole. Their knowledge and experience

was well received and one were hope to continue to

have at our events.

We even have decided to create an event as Western

Australia on behalf of Rotaractors Against Malaria.

Thank you to all attendees, presenters, and those who

helped plan and run the event. It is something that

couldn’t have happened without you all. Until next

time.

Update from MED MDIO on refugees

The MED MDIO newsletter for Jan-March 2016 can be

found here http://med-mdio.org/newsletters/ Our

counterparts in Europe are working tirelessly to aid

those affected by the refugee crisis.

A piece that will be published in the next issue of the

Rotarian (May 2016), on some work done to support

the refugees' integration.

15

International Service Travel Opportunity with Rotarian Malaria Partners

Do you really want to make a difference?

Experience Wild Africa and

Help save children from Malaria.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Trip scheduled for November 2016

Spots still available

Contact us now!

malaria@rotaract.org.au

16

DRR Training

Each year, incoming District Governors from around

the world come together to train for their roles. In

Australia, Rotary International Zone 8 appoints a DRR

trainer to conduct a similar program for incoming

DRRs.

DRR Training is intended to provide DRRs the

opportunity to learn about their roles, make plans for

their districts, connect with each other and Rotaract

Australia, and generally ensure that DRRs are able to

contribute effectively to Rotary’s aims and goals.

The program attracted 17 participants from 13

Australian Rotary International Districts. Some districts

sent multiple attendees who were either co-, assistant,

or future DRRs.

The program was co-ordinated by the Zone 8 DRR

trainer, Past District Governor (PDG) Rowley

Tompsett. PDG Rowley established a supporting

committee of Past DRRs from host District 9710 and

neighbouring District 9675. The committee was:

PDG Rowley Tompsett, RI Zone 8 DRR

Trainer, District 9710

PDRR Jake Weragoda, Chair (2015-16),

Rotaract Australia, District 9675

PDRR Travis Holland, Vice Chair (2015-16),

Rotaract Australia, District 9710

PDRR Jess Main, District 9710 District

Rotaract Committee Chair

PDRR Meghan Barell, District 9710

DRR Rebecca Weragoda, District 9675

DRR Rebecca Bamford, District 9710

PDG Rowley and the team is grateful to the 13

Districts that supported their ingoing DRRs to attend.

This is an investment in the future of Rotaract and

Rotary in Australia.

-Stephanie Webb, DRR District 9455 WA, gives her

account of DRR Training:

It all started with an early flight, full of excitement and

maybe a few nerves, to Canberra for a weekend of

training. District Rotaract Representatives (DRRs)

were invited for this training weekend, to learning

about the role and Rotary/Rotaract, but possibly

possibly more important ourselves and those we will

be working with for the year. We were welcomed at the

airport by the current DRR, Bec Bamford, she then

provided a quick tour of parliament house on the way

to our hotel. She informed us of some of the going ons

and where some places to visit for food and shopping.

After a little rest we headed to the Friday night school,

where we had the opportunity to meet the other DRRs

and Canberra Rotaractors.

On the Saturday we started off with learning what our

weaknesses, strengths, and goals are. It was

wonderful getting to hear the other district leaders

state their goals and getting to share ours. It will be

nice to find ways to help them reach their goals. We

also had sessions on: Legal/Insurance, Organization,

Marketing Avenues, and what we believed our role as

DRR will involve. We ended the day with a cocktail

function were we introduced to the District Governor.

Sunday focused on the strengthening the relationship

between Rotary and Rotaract to bridge the gap and

have members move onto Rotary once their time in

Rotaract ends. The other portion of the day was spend

focusing on unresolved issues from the day before.

Thank you to our district for providing us the

opportunity to learn information we hope to bring back

into the district. Also, the opportunity to network with

the other DRRs from around Australia that we will be

working closely with for the next year. Also thank you

for Rotaract Australia for putting on a well run and

informative weekend.

D9600 Weekend Away

District dinner featuring Brisbane CBD members

Merinda Speedy & Alex Jenkins, Brisbane Rivercity

members Josh Cunningham, Alicia Van Woensel, &

Gareth Seeto, Sunshine Coast member Joseph

Davies, and potential member Lisanne Verhoef.

17

It’s difficult to believe that one year ago there wasn’t a

single Rotaract club in district 9600. One year after our

first club in the district celebrated their successful

charter, we are holding our first district event. The

Rotaract Clubs of Brisbane CBD, Brisbane Rivercity,

the Sunshine Coast, and North Lakes were all invited

to attend a weekend away full of fun, frivolities, and

relaxation. The event was held on Queensland’s Bribie

Island, a midway point for all the clubs.

After a few initial hiccups, including finding a suitable

date, we met at the beach on Saturday afternoon. This

open timeframe allowed Rotaractors to arrive when it

was suitable for them. Saturday night we met for

dinner at the local surf club, carpooling with members

from the other clubs. This was our chance to meet and

chat with people we don’t normally get to see.

Thanks to a connection one of the Rotaractors has

with the Bribie Island Scouts we managed to stay at

their den for $15 per person. A bargain price which

made the event accessible to all, particularly our

members currently on student wages. That night we

played Exploding Kittens, and started a (somewhat

short lived) bonfire. The next morning was spent

playing more games, including a heated match of mini

ping pong, Brisbane Rivercity’s incoming President

Josh Cunningham versus Sunshine Coast’s current

President and DRR-elect Ada Gain. Ada won*. Being

Easter time, we also held an Easter egg hunt and

finished with a swim at the beach.

Ping pong heats up between Josh Cunningham

(Brisbane Rivercity) and Ada Gain (the Sunshine

Coast)

Meeting in an informal environment gave us the

opportunity to network in a fun and safe environment,

and was also a great start to our ongoing district

relations. Following the success of the weekend we

plan to host another weekend away sometime in

Spring, before the Australian Rotaract Conference

comes to Brisbane.

*Note – The author is incredibly biased. Officially it was

an agreed ‘tie’.

-Ada Gain, President Rotaract Club of the Sunshine

Coast 2015-16, DRR-Elect 2016-17

Coins for Cambodia

Human and Hope Association in Siem Reap,

Cambodia, is a unique NGO in that they are entirely

run by locals. Over the past few years, with the

assistance of former Rotaractor/Rotarian, Sally

Hetherington, they have been building up their

grassroots organisation into one which focuses on

alleviating poverty through training and education.

18

Human and Hope Association is headed by Thai San,

a 24-year-old Cambodian who graduated high school

just two and a half years ago. He is a founding

member who went from volunteer part-time English

teaching, to being a community liaison to being

promoted to Director in 2015.

Thai says, “By working as a director at HHA, I gained a lot of knowledge and skills through training and

working which I have no worry about my future

anymore. I also understand that the responsibilities to

develop our community is the local staff.” It costs approximately $5,300AUD to run Human and

Hope Association each month, providing more than

150 villagers with sewing, English, preschool, Khmer

and art classes, access to their library, microfinance

loans, a family farm program, community workshops

and university scholarships. To help the team at

Human and Hope Association fund these crucial costs,

Rotaract Australia Marketing and PR Director, Holstein

Wong, is advocating a campaign called ‘Coins for Cambodia’. Individuals and clubs can sign up at http://www.humanandhopeassociation.org/coins-for-

cambodia/ and download a tin cover. They can then

make their own money tin using recycled milk cartons,

shoeboxes, bottles or cans and start saving their loose

change.

To put things in perspective, here is what your loose

change can achieve:

5 cents – Print a community announcement

10 cents – A pencil for an opportunity

scholarship

20 cents – A paintbrush for art class

50 cents – Provide a villager with a toothbrush

after partaking in hygiene workshops

$1 – A kilogram of rice and vegetables for a

sewing student stipend

$2 – A packet of seeds for participants in the

family farm program

This is a great project for Rotaract Clubs to take on,

and there are handicraft packs available for the highest

individual and club fundraisers. The loose change

challenge officially begins on June 1st, however you

can register and start saving now!

19

“Although it is small amount of money but it really does make a BIG difference to our community because our

villagers will gain a good knowledge and skills,

resulting in them moving out of the poverty bracket.” –

Thai San

An Insider’s Guide To The Rotary International Convention and Rotaract Preconvention

In the lead up to this year’s Rotary International

Convention and Rotaract Preconvention in Seoul,

Korea, Rotaract Australia Treasurer, Brett Sham,

explains why he is so excited about Convention and

reflects on his past convention experiences, and what

you have to look forward to at this year’s convention

and why you should join him, and thousands of other

Rotaractors and Rotarians from around the world in

Seoul. Registrations are still open, but only for a short

time, so be quick!

- PDRR Brett Sham PHF

Each year, the Rotaract Preconvention (Precon) and

Rotary International Convention (RICON) is a major

highlight on my calendar and something I really looking

forward to. This year’s convention in Seoul, Korea, will

be my fourth Precon/RICON experience since joining

Rotaract in 2011. In fact, I’m so hooked on Precon and

RICON that I had registered for this year’s convention

whilst still at the Convention last year in Sao Paulo!

For me, being at Convention is where you truly see

what the International in Rotary International means.

Brett with the Big West Rotaract MDIO Leadership and

RI General Secretary John Hewko and his wife Margot

at the official Zone dinner

Brett with Florian Wackermann, Chairman of the

Rotary International Rotaract and Interact Committee

at the Rotaract Preconvention Leaders’ Meeting

You may be thinking, why would I want to fly half-way

around the world to sit in a convention hall and listen to

speakers for 6 days. Well there is much more to

Convention than that – there are workshops, the

House of Friendship, networking and interactions from

around the world, cultural experiences and social

events. Each of us join Rotaract or Rotary, or are

involved with Rotary projects and programmes, for our

own interests and reasons and there’s something at

Convention to cater for everyone. For me, Convention

fever hits once I step off the plane in a foreign country

but still feel so at home once I see the many friendly

faces and Rotary logos everywhere I look – from

posters and billboards to t-shirts and baseball caps.

20

Attendees at the Rotaract workshops, Rotary

International Convention, 5 June 2015, Sao Paulo,

Brazil.

Last year’s Preconvention was a huge affair, with over

520 delegates from more than 40 countries in

attendance, and this year is shaping up to be another

large turnout. It’s great to meet Rotaractors from all

around the world and spend two days engaging with

many great presenters, panels and workshops,

covering topics from leadership, fundraising,

partnerships with Rotary, managing conflict and

making your club shine. Despite participants coming

from all around the world, they are always able to

overcome the language barriers and there are many

ideas that are shared and lessons learnt that we can

use to benefit our clubs here in Australia. In previous

years I’ve had the opportunity to run workshops on

District Rotaract Representative (DRR) training and

membership growth and engagement and this year I’ll be presenting on strategic planning. However, my

highlight of any Preconvention is the opening plenary

session and in particular the Roll Call of Countries,

with the now synonymous “Service above Selfie”. It

was great to see everyone representing their country

with pride and passion and observe how truly

international Rotaract is.

What is also clear at Preconvention is that no matter

where we come from, we are all united by our

commitment to serving our communities. The

outstanding projects panel showcases some of the

leading Rotaract projects from around the world – in

Sao Paulo this included an anti-bullying campaign

which is being implemented in schools throughout Italy

and has led to the Rotaractors meeting with the

Education Minister to drive real change; a project in

India to up skill and train women to allow them to move

from being toilet cleaners to new jobs, lifting them out

of poverty and raising their social standing in the

community; and a nutrition program to provide fortified

biscuits to school children in India, which now benefits

thousands of children across the country. Listening to

these Rotaractors share their stories and successes

left me with a renewed energy to get involved with my

club and help drive real change and make a difference

with our projects, and I hope if you attend, you too can

walk away inspired.

Rotaractors from all around the world during the Roll

Call of Countries at the opening plenary session of the

Rotaract Preconvention

Those who have attended a Rotary International

Convention know what an amazing spectacle it is;

walking through the entry gates, through the House of

Friendship and into the convention hall for the

excitement of the opening plenary session with tens of

thousands of Rotarians and Rotaractors. The calibre of

speakers at RICON is always impressive, and there

were two that stood out for me last year. Bella Field

took us through her inspirational personal journey of

tragedy and loss and how she turned that around and

the good that has come from it. Following the death of

her sister at a young age from an aggressive brain

tumour, she has worked to raise over £90,000

($190,500 AUD) for a local children’s hospice that

supported her sister during her battle. What is truly

remarkable is that Bella is only 10 years old and has

been fundraising since she was aged 6. The other was

Oscar Arias, former President of Costa Rica and Nobel

Peace Prize Laureate, who spoke about his leadership

in achieving peace and political stability in Central

America. Both these speakers received rousing

standing ovations from the audience.

21

Past RI President Gary Huang with ten-year-old Bella

Field at the Rotary International Convention, whilst she

receives a standing ovation from the audience for her

story of tragedy and inspiration

The best part of convention is being able to get

involved and to use your personal experience in

Rotaract to contribute back. I was honoured to be

invited to present at the Rotary International

Convention on Thirtysomethings: How Clubs &

Districts Can Provide Rotary Experiences for Young

Professional, which aimed to shift away from the

current narrow focus of many clubs and districts on

membership, to a broader focus on engagement with

young professionals, and look at many the many

elements of the Rotary “ecosystem” including Rotaract,

RYLA, alumni associations and community corps. I

talked about my personal journey through Rotary, from

RYLA to Rotaract and the power of these programmes

to attract young people. It was a capacity crowd, so it’s

reassuring to know that this is a topic that many

Rotarians from around the world take seriously.

But beyond the speeches, panels and workshops,

much of the appeal of the Precon and RICON are the

cultural and social activities that take place away from

the convention halls. In Sydney this included a cruise

along Sydney Harbour, in Sao Paulo it was a bar crawl

along its infamous party strip, Rua Augusta, a carnival

parade and dancing the night away at

Odoborogodo, an authentic hole-in-the-wall samba

club. These events are the perfect opportunity to

reconnect with familiar faces from previous

conventions and catch up, as well as be introduced to

new friends.

In Sao Paulo I was also able to further continue

Rotaract Australia’s collaboration with Big West

Rotaract (the MDIO covering the west coast of the

USA), and I attended their official Zone dinner with

their Chairman Mitty Chang and General Secretary

Jermaine Ee and Director Bobby Marsh, where we got

to mingle with their Zone RI Director and Director-

Elect, as well as RI General Secretary John Hewko.

Another great thing about travelling overseas for

Precon and RICON is the opportunity to do a post-

convention trip. After last year’s convention, I was

fortunate enough to have two and a half weeks in

Brazil and the US. I travelled to Rio de Janeiro with

Rotaractors from the US, where we met up with

Rotaractors from Germany and the Caribbean and

hung out with Rebounders (past Youth Exchange

students) from Brazil. I then spent time with many

Rotaractors across California, including my good friend

Erika Rodrigeuz, who some of you may know from her

time as a member of the Macquarie University

Rotaract Club whilst here in Australia on exchange.

This year, after Seoul, I’ll be heading off to Hong Kong

and Macau with some of my international Rotaract and

Rotary friends.

“The foundation upon which Rotary is built is

friendship; on no less firm foundation could it have

stood” – Paul Harris.

I’m forever grateful for the opportunities and

experiences that Rotary has provided me, through

RYLA and Rotaract, and always come away from

Convention more inspired to continue along my

journey in Rotary and follow the mantra of Service

Above Self. Preconvention and RICON is something

you should experience at least once in your Rotaract

life (and I bet if you go once, you’ll want to keep

going). Life is all about opportunities, and you’ve taken

the first step by joining Rotaract; now take the next

along your Rotary journey. The friendships you form,

the memories you make and the energy and passion

you leave with are what make traveling around the

world to attend the Rotaract Preconvetion and the

Rotary International Convention absolutely worth it.

I hope to see you in Seoul!

The 2016 Rotary International Convention will be held

in Seoul, Korea. There will be a Young Leaders’ Summit on Friday 27 May; Rotaract Preconvention on

Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May; with the Rotary

International Convention running from Sunday 29 May

to Wednesday 1 June. To register, go to

riconvention.org

You can also watch an exclusive interview Rotary

International did with Brett whilst at the Sao Paulo

convention at goo.gl/VmQgHX

22

International Rotaract Events

International Rotaract events are a great way to meet

Rotaractors from around the world, collaborate and

share ideas. Check out the following list of upcoming

events and round trips, and make sure to share them

with other Rotaractors you know.

https://www.facebook.com/RACtrips/

District 5730 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

(RYLA) Camp

Floydada, Texas, USA

5-10 June 2016

Young Leader’s Summit (YLS), Rotaract Preconvention and RI Convention

Seoul, South Korea

28 May- 1 June 2016

Contact Jake if you're keen to go as we'll be coordinating accommodation and shirts for the trip: chairperson@rotaract.org.au

Montenegro Trip

https://www.facebook.com/mnetrip/info/?tab=page_info

http://www.montenegrotrip.me/

July 30th to August 7th 2016

Canada PACE Roundtrip

Want to see a beautiful country with amazing people (along side great Rotaractors)? Why not apply for the Canada Roundtrip?

August 25th to September 4th, 2016

Deadline: April 30 at 23:59 GMT.

To learn more about PACE, please visit

www.rotaract5040.org/pace-trip

Asia-Pacific Region Rotaract Conference 2017

APRRC 2017 will take place in Phuket, one of the most charming cities in Southern Thailand.

https://www.facebook.com/aprrc2017/

25th-28

th May 2016

https://www.facebook.com/InternationalRotaractEvents