President Rob Mactier’s Inaugural Address

I am truly honoured to become the 48th President of our Club. Looking back over 48 years that the Club has existed, we can be very proud of its achievements of members past and present; we can look forward to the future knowing that we will strive hard to maintain the high standard of projects that make a difference to people lives here and abroad. Past President Jo - on behalf of the members and friends of the Rotary club of Richmond, I would like to thank you very much for your contribution as President. You have done an excellent job; one senior member of the Club said that the morale of the Club has never been higher during your term - a fine compliment of your leadership. You have put the Club in a strong financial position from income received from parking fees from the excellent partnership you have initiated with the Abbotsford Convent. You have achieved all the goals you set out for yourself - never an easy task. On a personal note, I have enjoyed working with you throughout the year and I look forward to working with you as the Club Secretary. Now, it gives me great pleasure to present to you your Past President badge, also, a small gift to place in your study as a token of our appreciation and as a memento of your year as president. There’s more - no it not six steak knives- just a bottle of champers to celebrate your year as president. Also we must thank Michael for being there for Jo and for helping out- doing car parking duties when needed as well. On behalf of the Club please accept this small gift as a token of our appreciation from the members and friends of Rotary. There are instructions on the bottle: “one nip to be taken daily before the evening meal and continued until the bottle is empty”. I would like to thank the retiring board members: Chew Chan, Brian List and Melissa Carfax-Foster, for the contribution you have put in over the last two years, we are most grateful. Thank you. I would like to congratulate the recipients of a Paul Harris Fellow this afternoon - Trevor Pang, John Benger and Annie Wysham. You have received this award in recognition of the excellent work you have all done for Rotary and especially for your Club. You should be proud of your achievements as we are proud of the work you have done, and long may it continue! I would like congratulate Kristen Widdop for receiving the New Member award for 2011, as she done a great job for looking after Jordana Senff- a youth exchange student from Brazil.

Furthermore, I would like congratulate the inaugural winners of the Presidents Prize, Premier Trading Company. I would like to introduce the new board for 2011 – 2012. Could they come up in order as they are called- Past President Jo Cowling, President Elect Sue Bolton, Treasurer Aviars Lode and Secretary Jo Cowling, 2nd year directors Annie Wysham - Marketing/PR, Mark Dwyer - Foundation and Judy Nettleton – International, 1st year Directors Trevor Pang - Club Service, Nia Holdenson - New Generations and Tim Baker - Community Services. Nia and Tim are apologies as they are both overseas- Tim and Ann are having a well deserved rest, tramping over the hills and dales of Scotland. Please give the board a round of applause for they will guide the club wisely throughout the year, and I will enjoy working with them to achieve our aims. Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary, would be jealous! Other chairs are- and would they stand as they are called- Liz Bartlett- Fundraising (Liz is not here today as she suddenly became ill. We wish her a speedy recovery) Les Frampton- Membership, Janice Kesterton- Bulletin and Program, Annie Wysham and Phil Mylecharane- joint Sergeant-at-arms. (These two are not shy in coming forward, as we all know, and will take great delight to make sure you have no change in your pocket when you leave the meeting. My apologies now). Please thank them as they have challenging jobs to do and we wish them every success in their endeavors. The theme for this year is ‘Reach within to embrace Humanity’ which I think as a Club we do very well already - so therefore my vision for the Club this year will be the same as in President Jo’s year. Why? Because the Club is punching well above its weight and I am very conscious of the fact that we are all volunteers first and foremost. While attending the President Training Seminars we were privileged to hear the world President Ray Klingingsmith speak. We too, heard from Rotary International Director Stuart Heal at the District Conference in Adelaide as well as past and present District Governors. One word came up in every speech and that was “CHANGE”. We will only move down that path with the board and members approval. One change that will happen will be that the Club will make its tentative debut on FaceBook and I must thank Kristen Widdop for volunteering to be the editor and I wish her the best of luck. Chadstone and East Malvern are on FaceBook and already have had five enquiries asking if they can become members. The Club will support our very successful community service projects such as the Rotary Youth Arts Project where disadvantaged young people can learn photography or dance, through which they will gain confidence to move onto the Next Step Program where they learn to handle money, do first aid, obtain their drivers license, but above all improve their communication skills so they become valued citizens in the community. Other educational projects we do are Mock Jobs Interviews at Melbourne Girls College, Slade Literary Awards, Ainger Public Speaking Awards and the Yarra Primary School Garden Project. We will send students if selected to National Youth Science Forum, Science Experience, Model United Nations Assembly, and the Rotary Youth Program.

On an international level, we will support the Rotary Foundation, which in turn supports Rotary Club Projects all over the world, Rotary Medical Aid which assists children from overseas to receive major life-changing major surgery. Then there is the Vietnam PCAST Project where a team from Melbourne University are fitting cheaper, easier-to-fit artificial lower limbs, that will eventually see the training of local people to manufacture them and assist lower limb amputees throughout Vietnam. We will support the ongoing Timor project. All outstanding projects led by outstanding Rotarians, you would agree. We will support the Heritage Cluster, especially Fitzroy’s bowling night for indigenous health, but more importantly to wrestle back the bowling shield from Fitzroy, by hook or by crook, that we won in the original competition in 2009! Recently, Past President Jo, Annie Wysham and I went along to a City of Yarra function to acknowledge the work of volunteers in the district. I did not realize the sheer number of charitable organisations there are in the Richmond area! Seeing as I have bit of time I would like to get out and connect with these organisations so that in future we may be able to help them out if they need it. I have been touched by the offers of support given by the members of the Club and if we all can share the load we can meet the challenges of membership, fundraising and our projects to keep this Club vibrant and more importantly have fun doing the work. We can then all walk round being proud that we are members of a great organsation called Rotary. I would like to close the meeting but before I can do this, at I must thank several people: First of all could I thank the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club for allowing us to enjoy their beautiful facilities and the staff for the beautiful meal and service. I would like to thank Brian and Jenny List whose organisational skills are par excellence - this Changeover Luncheon would not have happened without their skill and attention to detail. I should also mention Jo Cowling, Maureen Pang, Sue Bolton and Tony Webb for their assistance. I would like to thank the following for joining us today - DG Keith Ryall and Gabrielle and I like to wish you both a great year as our District Governor. As I said at the Carlton Changeover that we are here to assist you in anyway to help make the District Conference a huge success- better then PDG Ian. Knight’s record conference! Past District Governor Iven Mackay and Marilyn, congratulations on a great year! PDG Judy Nettleton and John, AG John McMorrow and Rosalind - I look forward to working with you and the Heritage Cluster in making it another successful year. Past Assistant Governor Henry Drury and Jane - thank you for all your work you have done for the Heritage Cluster.

The Mayor of the City of Yarra - Alison Clarke. Past District Governor Des Jones and Beryl. Des has been recycled into the new president of the Rotary Club of Carlton. It’s amazing what can be recycled these days - including myself, as I am second time round too. President of Fitzroy Ann Haynes and Peter. Ann has been recycled too. President of North Melbourne George Zindilis, who has not been recycled (phew!) President Elect Clinton Wong of Southbank - good luck for the year and we will keep in contact! Fellow Rotarian Richard Logan of the Rotary Club of Hawthorn. And finally, Jordana Senff, our Youth Exchange student from Brazil. Thank you all for honoring us with your presence here today and I look forward to working with you all throughout the year, helping to make the world a better place to live. Thank you! Furthermore, I would like to thank the sponsors of the Club - without their support we would not be able to do as much as we do now. We are eternally grateful for your generosity - a very big thank you! I would like to thank the boys from the former Richmond Hill Club for coming including Frank Randle, the charter president of the former Richmond Hill Club, who introduced me to Rotary in 1988. I would like to thank everybody for coming along on this special day for Jo and myself, including members, partners and friends of Richmond Rotary. I am very sorry not to name you all, but it would take too long as there are so many to mention! A special thank you goes to my sister who came down from Kevin Ryall country (Bendigo) Finally, if I don’t acknowledge my daughters Annabel, Lucy and Clemmie and thank them for coming, I will be in more trouble then Ned Kelly! Thank you girls, I am touched by your presence. Thank you.