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Upcoming Events
Lunch Meeting - Club Assembly before Board Meeting
The Brisbane Club
Nov 19, 2018
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
 
Lunch Meeting - DG Visit
The Brisbane Club
Nov 26, 2018
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
 
Lunch Meeting Cancelled due to Cocktail Meeting
Dec 03, 2018
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
 
Christmas Celebration - United Service Club
United Service Club
Dec 07, 2018
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
 
2019 Rotary International Women's Day Breakfast
United Service Club
Mar 06, 2019
7:00 AM – 8:45 AM
 
President's Message
17th November 2018
 
President Chris was away this week, so there is no President's message.
 
However, President Chris wishes that members be reminded that there are two important club meetings coming up and a strong rollup is important for the functioning of the club:
 

Monday 19th November - Club Assembly

The third Monday of each month is slated for a club assembly and board meeting. Club officers will be presenting reports and be present to answer members' questions. Members can also put forward issues for consideration by the board. A strong rollup is important for the quality of club governance. 

Monday 26th November - DG Visit

District governor Wendy Protheroe will be visiting the club at the meeting on 26th November. Wendy will be addressing the club on current Rotary activities and priorities in district 9600 as well as taking members' feedback on the same, and she will be meeting with the board in conjunction with the meeting. Please be sure to be at this meeting so the club presents its best face to district!
 
TIRS, Mark Williams

Vol. 96 No. 
5 September, 2018

Upcoming Speakers
Nov 26, 2018
Rotary District 9600 District Governor
Mar 06, 2019
Achieving diversity, the experience of the Queensland University of Technology
Mar 06, 2019
Achieving diversity, the experience of the Brisbane City Council
View entire list
Meeting Responsibilities
19 November - Meeting
 
Chairperson
Delahunty, Dela
 
Minutes Secretary
SHEPHERD, Clive
 
26 November - Meeting
 
Chairperson
GIBSON, Cameron
 
Minutes Secretary
DE LACY, Jaqui
 
10 December - Meeting
 
Chairperson
GRESHAM, Phil
 
Minutes Secretary
WILLIAMS, Mark
 
17 December - Meeting
 
Chairperson
HOLTMANN, Gerald
 
Minutes Secretary
SHEPHERD, Clive
 
ClubRunner
Stories
Meeting Notes - 12th November 2018
Chair for the meeting was Mark Williams who opened the meeting with grace and toasts before inviting VP Keith to deliver his opening remarks.
 
  • VP Keith Thanked Denise Schellbach for organising the successful Friday-evening event at the USC on November 5th. 
  • Keith informed members that our sibling club, RC Taipei Tatung would be celebrating its 35th Charter anniversary in April of next year, and that we are all invited. Keith recommended RC Taipei Tatung as being very good hosts and hoped that we would be able to send a strong delegation to help them celebrate. More details to follow.
  • Next week's meeting would be a club assembly and a board meeting would follow. At the club assembly, Dan Adler would present the membership development proposal that he has been working on these past couple of months. 
  • The following meeting would be the DG visit. Strong attendance requested.
Chair Mark then called for members'spots:
  • Rtn Denise Schellbach reported that the USC cocktail meeting the previous Friday had been a great success, with 18 mambers and guests attending and 11 staying on for dinner afterwards.
  • Denise also informed members that she would be operating Eddie's Van again this year, but instead of previous years where it started in early December and was for 5 days a week, this year it would start on 31st December and continue 7 days per week until the end f the school holidays.
  • PP Greme Whitmore informed members that all but 80 of the trifecta tickets had been sold and that after costs and the $1000 prize, the club made $2288 for charity. Thanks to those who bought tickets.
  • Graeme was also the bringer of bad news to membership on several sporting fronts. All Blacks lucky to win over England, Wallabies lost to Wales, and no good news in the cricket either.
  • PP Daniel Vankov reported that the International Women's Day breakfast on 2nd March 2019 had now officially launched and registrations were being taken on the web.
Member in the spotlight this week was Stan Francis, who gave members an informative briefing on motor neurone disease (MND). Stan Francis was recently diagnosed as having MND and has done a lot of research on the topic, making the presentation both poignant and authoritative.
Stan Francis also held the winning ticket in the raffle, but was not able to wrest the joker from the full deck of cards.
 
VP Keith closed the meeting with the singing of the national anthem at 13:50pm.
Fighting malnutrition with better corn

By Don Reiman, Rotary Club of Boise, Idaho, USA

Semilla Nueva means “New Seed.” In Guatemala the “new seed” developed by Semilla Nueva is creating new life for some of the world’s most malnourished children.

Semilla Nueva technician Noe speaks to farmers about their new seed. Photo by Sarah Caroline Müller/Semilla Nueva

In March 2013, my wife and I traveled to Guatemala to check out Semilla Nueva, a nonprofit our Rotary club was considering supporting as part of our international service. Our past history with nonprofits taught us it was important to make sure the Rotary club’s resources would be backing a valid and sustainable project. What we found and experienced far exceeded our expectations.

The Problem

In Guatemala, corn has been the staple crop consumed across the country for generations. It’s cheap and easy to grow. But  it also lacks the key nutrients needed in a healthy diet, resulting in widespread malnutrition affecting nearly half of all children in Guatemala. Malnutrition impacts children’s growth, mental development, school attendance, earning potential, and lifelong health. It creates a cycle of poverty among families and communities.

The Solution

Different varieties of corn were tested.

At Left: Different varieties of corn were tested.

Semilla Nueva realized that in order to address poverty in Guatemala, they had to address malnutrition. Our Rotary club and others partnered with Semilla Nueva through a Rotary Foundation global grant.

Through trial and error, Semilla Nueva developed an innovative approach. They entered the Guatemalan corn market, offering farmers a more nutritious corn seed. This seed, called Fortaleza F3, is biofortified with more quality protein and zinc than normal corn; both vital to healthy development. Compared to similarly-priced seeds, it also yields larger harvests at a lower price, helping farmers with their income.

Our 2013 trip allowed us to witness the process Semilla Nueva used to identify and develop the new seed. What we saw convinced us that Rotary dollars were being used in a responsible, productive program. We focused on three major aspects of the Semilla Nueva program:

  1. We worked on the test farm where multiple varieties of biofortified corn were grown side by side. This allowed for a comparison of seeds to see which ones produced the best corn in Guatemalan soil and climate.
  2. We traveled to local farms, taking soil and crop samples and spoke to the farmers. One of the brilliant approaches used by Semilla Nueva was to encourage the more progressive farmers to plant a small portion of their farm using the new seed. The benefits of the new seed were irrefutable when seen next to the traditional crop. At harvest, the quantity and quality of the corn proved the superiority of the new seed.
  3. Finally, we met with Semilla Nueva’s leadership and discussed their vision, business plan, and long-term strategies for sustainability. A key to their success is engaging scientists, local and national politicians, government representatives, and local farmers.

The Impact

At the end of 2017, Semilla Nueva launched their pilot sales season and within five months they sold out their 1,000 bags of starter seed. Farmers loved the high-quality harvest and profits gained from the seed. More importantly, families, communities, and other consumers were eating more nutritious corn. Today, Semilla Nueva helps other seed companies grow biofortified corn. As of May 2018, their nutritious corn reached 105,698 individuals across Guatemala.

2013 Rotary club visit

Rotary clubs visit participating farmers in 2013.

Rotary grant dollars are literally “seed money” for growing a sustainable program to eliminate poverty in Guatemala.

After the successful pilot, they are already planning for next season. We’re working on a new global grant so Semilla Nueva can produce and sell more bags and types of seeds. The goal of getting biofortified corn to all communities throughout Guatemala is becoming a reality. With their corn reaching tens of thousands, and ultimately hundreds of thousands of people, Semilla Nueva and Rotary are fighting malnutrition and reducing poverty.

Source: Rotary Voices

7 tips for creating compelling social media content

By Ashley Demma, social & digital specialist for Rotary International

It’s hard to believe that social media has been around for more than twenty years. From the early days of crafting the perfect AIM away message in the late ‘90s to the rise of sharing photography on Instagram … social media has certainly come a long way and continues to evolve. It’s important to remember why we started getting “social” in the first place: to connect with one another.

Elizabeth Sanchez and her mother, Reina Montes, harvest vegetables from a community garden in Harvard, Illinois, a  project of the local Rotary club. Use photos like these in your social media posts to show Rotarians as People of Action, and clearly address the problem, solution, and impact. Photo by Monika Lozinska/Rotary International

Sharing stories that show Rotarians as People of Action on social media is an easy and effective way to amplify your club’s success to the world and build awareness and understanding of what we do. Below are 7 tips to create engaging social media content:

  1. Write for friends, family, and community members that may not be familiar with Rotary. ​Avoid Rotary jargon and colloquialisms. Fans and followers who engage with your posts can easily become prospective members!
  2. When telling your story, be sure to identify the problem, your solution, and its impact. (For example: A Rotary club in Harvard, IL, USA, assists with a community garden that addresses food scarcity among residents and now thousands of families have access to healthy produce.)
  3. Social is a visual medium, so include a photo with every post. Good photos include showing people actively working at service projects and events (like the image above); more than just a group shot, try to show people getting their hands dirty, giving out supplies, etc.
  4. Try new features! Facebook makes it easy to stream live video from your club’s projects. Instagram Stories have a variety of polls, questions, gifs, music, and more to bring life to your posts. Variety keeps your posts from getting stale, so don’t be afraid to think outside the box.
  5. Tag participating members and community partners in your posts. Share relevant content posted by your members and partners to your own feeds. Like and comment on posts to help increase their engagement rate.
  6. Include the hashtag #PeopleOfAction in your posts to increase awareness of our public image campaign which highlights the dedicated and compassionate individuals like you who commit themselves to creating positive change in communities around the world. (We’ll even share our favorites on Rotary International’s channels!)
  7. Use the Brand Center, your one-stop shop for logos, creative assets, guidelines, and more. Be sure to visit often as new materials are added for your use.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Jump in and get creative. Email the social media team at social@rotary.org if you have any specific questions and we’d be happy to help.

Source: Rotary Voices

Club Officers

President                   Chris Muir
Vice President           Keith Watts
Secretary                   Mark Williams
Treasurer                   Warren Walker
Imm. Past President  Daniel Vankov
President Elect           Michael Stephens
Sergeant-at-arms       Luke Marshall
The Rotary Club of Brisbane Inc.
ABN 75 152 438 499
GPO BOX 2909 Brisbane Qld 4001
District               9600
Club Number   17787

Brisbane City Cluster Assistant Governor

Lisa Bateson

District Governor

Wendy Protheroe

Rotary International President

Barry Rassin