This it was a welcome change from the previous meeting with quite a good turnout. In addition, we had Harry on Zoom from up north. Greg welcomed our Guest Speaker this week was Jananta (Jan) Dwipa and our other Guests Tom Parks, Judy and Christine Barrett, Carol Hayllar, Sue Viney, Sharron Judd and Jeremy. (sorry Jeremy but I didn’t get your surname. Ed).

 

Next, Greg called the meetings attention to some flyers on each table for the Silent Wings Art Exhibition and Fundraiser (May 19 to June 4). This is presented by the Habitat Restoration Fund, of which Greg is a Board Member.

 

 

Greg handed the meeting so handed over to this weeks Chair, Chris. Without further to-do Chris introduced the Guest Speaker to talk on Honey Bees in our Backyards.

 

 

Jan explained that he runs a number of courses on Beekeeping as well as conducting workshops and mentoring new Keepers. He also acts as an ambassador for the Flow Hives. He is a 5^th generation beekeeper and ran through some of the basics:

Jan now introduced the Flow Hive. This is the first essential change top Hive in 100 years. The Rev. Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth developed what came to be known as the Langstroth Hive in 1851. Essentially he found the ideal “bee space” in which bees can build their comb and created frames to this space. The Flow Hive provides partially built honeycombs which the bees complete. It also allows the beekeeper to view the bees progress without disturbing them and then harvest the honey, again without disturbing the bees. This is an Australian owned, designed and manufactured product (honeyflow.com.au).

 

 

After some questions from the members, Jan showed a Flow native bee hive. It is especially designed for our native bees who don’t produce honey. Chris thanked Jan for his entertaining and informative talk and gave him a token of our appreciation. (are pens still a suitable gift in this digital age? Ed)

 

 

Chris now called for the Secretaries Report.

 

Mark ran through a number of subjects:

Chries called for Directors Reports, nil, and any Members Reports, again nil.

 

Next it was a TMG from Tony.

 

Tony spoke on the Tasmanian Wooden Boats Festival which was held recently in Hobart. He said that the sight of all the local and international vessel, from Tall Ships to canoes, was a sight to behold. Hobart put on a real show but he recommends booking at least six months ahead to anyone who is thinking of going next year.

 

 

Next, it was Lotto (won by Charles) and Fines with Murray going for the old (badges) and new (“well spoken treasurer” (not sure what my notes meant here. Ed.), Rob “being quiet” (or not. Ed.) and John again for the coffee shop).

 

Chris pointed out that the Market is on the 27^th and the putting up of the signs was arranged.

 

Greg announced that the Community Garden recovery was getting underway and Marion would provide the Club with updates.

 

Rick mentioned that he was trying to sort out the Bulletin distribution problems and it looked like it may be down to Telstra. He will keep the Club informed on any progress with either Telstra or ClubRunner.

 

Chris thanked all Guests and attendees and closed the meeting at 8:00.

 

 

If any members feel that they have not received the Bulletin it could be a technical hitch or the Editor has fallen asleep.

 

If the e-mail distribution is at fault, which is not unheard of, then you can get the latest Bulletin from the Club web page. Just scan down the right hand side and you’ll see a heading Bulletins. This will contain the latest and previous Bulletin. Just click on the one you want and then complain to the Editor about the content at the next meeting.

 

 

0481 487 895 Which will primarily be used for Club Market Business. Brochures to follow.

 

 

The winners of this award in 3 years is missing from the board & whilst 2 have been found the winner for 2018/9 is still not known. Peter Anderson was President in this year but he does not recollect who the winner was. Can all members & past members search through their cupboards & shelves & see if they have an individual award for this year please & advise me if anything is found. I would not like to display a partially complete board at handover.

 

The following is a precis of some background information & an update on this project.

 

Our Governance model is out of date and to be fit for purpose now and into the future, it’s time to bring about bold and revolutionary change. 

  

Due to a complicated and complex leadership structure, our Members and Clubs are without national influence, limiting their ability to deliver new projects of scale and attract and retain Members, and attract public attention. The number of Clubs and Districts in Zone 8 limits interaction with larger Government and Corporate entities, who seek easier and single points of senior level access. 

  

For the first time in our history, the Regional Council structure (at the core of the new Governance model) could give us a seat at the national table in each of our countries - the table that also seats Governments, multinational corporates, large philanthropic trusts, and high net worth individuals, all of which could leverage outcomes for community resilience within our Zone. In doing so, we have the opportunity to enhance our brand understanding and comprehension in this region using one unified voice that delivers projects of scale and impact, enhances club unity, improves member experience, gains more media exposure, and unlocks greater opportunity for fundraising growth.

 

A deep look over the last 20 years or so at our Zone 8 organisation leads us to the realisation that evolutionary change is not enough. We need a bold change to how we are organised, function and operate. We have established a pilot that allows flexibility to adapt to this changing environment.

   

The pilot will explore, test, develop and evaluate a new model over a 3-year pilot period commencing July 1st, 2023. 

 

This revised and rejuvenated Governance model puts Clubs and Members at the core, but also seeks to arrest the rapid decline in membership, the systematic churn of members that do join, and the resulting ageing membership base that prevails. It ensures leadership is not only retained but enhanced, strengthened, and made more relevant at all levels. It tackles the current complexity and difficulty for partners to access and interact with us, offering up easier, more accessible routes to collaboration. The pilot model also considers external competitive pressures, the waning relevance and image of our brand in our Zone and addresses the negative impact of fixed costs against a diminishing membership base.  

 

From July 1st, 2023, the existing implementation task force will begin working with the DGs and Districts, commencing work on recruiting the new Regional Council members and the Rotary Community Leaders who will be nominated and voted on by the Clubs.

  

From January 1st, 2024, the Regional Council would take office, continuing to operate in a matrix structure closely aligned to DGs and Districts. In practice, the new Governance model will continue to evolve as we explore, test, and develop our processes, programs, and structure. 

 

From July 1st, 2024, The Rotary Community Leaders (RCL’s) will replace the Assistant Governor (AG) role and will be critical to the success of the pilot. They will work in collaboration with the District Governor (DG) during each year of the pilot to provide smooth transition and member experience for our Clubs and Members.

 

The Governance model will be constantly monitored and evaluated by a dedicated team to gather our Region’s learnings and benefit. Of key importance is the way in which the pilot program addresses the needs of the 16 very diverse countries that form our Zone, particularly those in the Pacific Islands, which are unique, have significant differences between them and have special economic needs. 

 

Our region represents a large geographic area, covering vast cultural diversity, encompassing sixteen countries, 31,000 Rotarians and 1,000 Rotaractors, and serves as an excellent “test bed’ for such a pilot. The time has come to address some of the most persistent challenges in new ways.