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Cairns Mulgrave Rotary Club
Boxed Gift Pens
Available Now
$15.00 each.
Please see Secretary Mike if you would like one
PRESIDENTS
MESSAGE
No message this
week.
CHANGEOVER 2003
$65 per person Saturday July 5th
6.30
Champagne and nibbles on the platform at Cairns Central Station
6.45 Board the train for the Freshwater Connection with the Barrier
Reef Jazz Band
7.00 Arrive Freshwater Connection. Enjoy a beautiful 3-course dinner,
dancing and formalities
10.30 Board the train for Cairns Central Station Dance to the Barrier
Reef Jazz Band back to your car It's elegant, fun and different
Theme for the evening
CHICAGO
Please add you name and number of people who will be attending to
the next page
Please note all money has to be paid by Friday 27th June - as it
will be too difficult to collect the money on the platform of the
train!!
Rotary at a Glance
Down Under there are 1, 198 clubs and 36, 333
Rotarians in Australia and Papua New Guinea and 254 clubs and 10,
211 Rotarians in New Zealand and the Pacific nations.
JUNE
- RECREATIONAL & VOCATIONAL FELLOWSHIP MONTH
What a month it has been, including
as it did the marvellous Rotary International Convention in Brisbane
at the beginning of June.
And the main comments I keep hearing
from those who were in attendance is that it truly reinforced the
magnitude, internationality and fellowship of this great organisation
to which we are all privileged to belong, as well as highlighting
again the tremendous humanitarian work that Rotary does throughout
our world.
Despite there being over 16 000 Rotarians
from 130 different countries present, it is quite amazing the number
of old friends we were able to meet as we moved around the Convention.
It is equally amazing how many new friendships we were also able
to make.
From our encounters, I believe that
we were represented by Rotarians from over 20 clubs from every corner
of our District - given the logistics involved, this was a fine
effort. I am sure that many district Rotarians have now gained a
much greater awareness of the nature of Rotary International and
what we as individuals can achieve when united in service across
the world.
A highlight of the Conference was
obviously the re-presentation of the Charter Certificates by President
Bhichai Rattakul to the Rotary Clubs of Dili and Kabul, representing
the two newest nations in Rotary International.
It was a great honour for Dili President
David Boyce, Darwin President John Emslie and myself (representing
all District Rotarians) to participate in that presentation before
such a huge audience.
Congratulations also to the Host Organising
Committee and to the Brisbane Rotary Clubs, for their impeccable
organisation of the venue, House of Friendship, host entertainment
and transport - their faultless performance has again put Australia
at the forefront in the eyes of all international visitors.
The overall highlight of the Convention,
however, was the announcement by RI President Bhichai Rattakul and
Rotary Foundation Chair Glen Kinross of the outcome of the Polio
Eradication Campaign, with its most challenging goal of raising
US$ 80 million to ensure Rotary achieves a polio-free world.
The amount raised by Rotary across
the world by the time of the Convention is a staggering US$ 88 557
000! Truly an inspirational effort in today's troubled world.
However this does not mean that we
can relax or cease our fundraising efforts - every additional dollar
contributed will ensure that total elimination of the scourge of
polio will be realised in the shortest possible timeframe.
In terms of our District's progress
towards our annual fundraising goals, however, we still have a long
way to go, with very little time remaining. In particular, we are
still well short of our goal for Annual Giving to the Rotary Foundation.
While our overall level of contribution
to both the Annual Giving and Polio Eradication has been excellent,
the joint commitment for this year has resulted in a significant
reduction in our annual giving, which will leave the district with
a significant shortfall in District Designated Funds in three years
time.
Another issue of concern is that the
Foundation funds received to date have been contributed by only
22 of the 53 clubs in the District! I would strongly urge each of
the remaining 31 clubs to immediately make at least a token donation
of $100, say, to the Annual Giving Fund of the Rotary Foundation,
so that we can truly say that by the end of the current Rotary year,
all District 9550 clubs have supported the tremendous humanitarian
work achieved throughout the world by the Rotary Foundation, which
is after all our own charity!
And finally, what a year it has been!
In the course of our travels around this challenging and rewarding
district, the most significant message received is the strength,
commitment and spirit of service of each and every one of our Rotary
clubs.
In a year in which President Bhichai
has focussed on a "bottom up" approach to Rotary, it is clear that
this approach is alive and well in the clubs of District 9550. While
we may not have achieved all of the goals and objectives that we
set ourselves at the beginning of the year, there is no doubt that
we have progressed significantly towards each and every one of these
and that we have well and truly "sown the seeds" for further progress
in the years ahead.
As we prepare for the hand over to
the incoming teams at both club and district level for the coming
Rotary year, we can all take pride in the significant advances that
have already been achieved, while recognising that we must continue
to focus on such key issues as membership development and retention.
There is no question that our district
will benefit greatly from the leadership of incoming Governor Mike
Rennie, and subsequently from DGN Trevor Williams, both dedicated
and highly competent Rotarians.
To District Secretary David Court,
all Assistant Governors, District Chairs and each and every District
Officer who have contributed to the success of the year in so many
ways, my sincere thanks and appreciation. This has certainly been
a team effort and if we have had successes, it has only been through
the efforts of so many dedicated Rotarians.
In conclusion, to all of you on behalf
of Gloria and I, our sincere thanks for giving us such a wonderful
opportunity and the privilege of serving you as your District Governor
for 2002-03. It has been a most challenging and rewarding experience,
but made particularly special through the warmth and friendship
shown to us both by all Rotarians and their partners.
Let us all welcome Mike Rennie and
Heather and his district team for the coming year, and assure them
of our total support as we "lend a hand" to "sow the seeds of love"
for 2003-04.
Jeff Crofts Governor, Rotary
International District 9550, 2002-2003
"...To Sow the Seeds of Love is
to find opportunities to serve every day, every moment of our lives.
To Sow the Seeds of Love is to think of others first, and ourselves
in terms of what we can do for others..."
THE
YEAR TO COME
RI President Elect Jonathon Majiyagbe
has set Rotary a simple theme for next year but one that is indeed
most powerful in its articulation of the service we, as Rotarians,
routinely and voluntarily provide.
He asks us to Lend a Hand in our clubs,
in our vocations, in our communities and in our world. He also asks
that we share with him in giving priority to:
· addressing the great need of world
wide illiteracy;
· combating the ravages of avoidable disease;
· giving aid and opportunity to those in poverty; and
· offering fellowship to the Family of Rotary
Moreover, President Elect Jon exhorts
us to recognize these areas of need universally, not only in overseas
countries, but also in Australia where sections of our own communities
are marginalized as a result of poverty and illiteracy and do not
share mainstream opportunities.
Significantly, he argues strenuously
for the family of Rotary. He asks that we share our compassion and
our service, not only with the outside world, but also with our
fellow Rotarians.
He asks that we include our whole family
in our Rotary life and that we devote time to meeting the needs
of our fellow Rotarians. Fundamentally, he reminds us that we are
a team and that without each other our capacity to serve our community
is that much more limited.
Consistent with this, our District's
objectives for the coming year combine President Elect Jon's broad
global focus with the local need to be more family friendly and
inclusive in our Rotary lives, more vigorous in our promoting and
sharing of Rotary and more active in our District's affairs.
It is vital to our international programs
that we support our Rotary Foundation, it is equally vital to our
effectiveness that we support each other and it is fundamental that
we need good leadership and participation at the District level.
All that remains for us to do is to tell the Rotary story.
This is the challenge and I know we
will all share it and meet it, together.
DG Elect Mike
More
Church Notices
The Rector will preach his farewell
message after which the choir will sing: "Break Forth Into Joy."
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were
married on October 24th in the church. So ends a friendship that
began in their school days.
At the evening service tonight, the
sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our
choir practice.
Eight new choir robes are currently
needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration
of some older ones.
Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles
and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple
children.
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