Fellows,

A quick “toksave” if I may:

Thanks

• To those members continuing to work extremely hard to push through the backlog of donated goods from the DIK program. In a few short months the Club has got a much better handle on what donated goods it has under its control and a system for linking them to recipients. There has been a massive effort put in to ensure that our Club is meeting its governance obligations with stakeholders in this program too. Look at the photo’s on our website and see for yourself the numerous small but meaningful donations completed so far. Most importantly, please get involved where you can and encourage a few of your staff too. Getting hands on with donations is a great way to understand and appreciate the powerful work that Rotary does. Great work by those involved in last Saturday’s Community Chest at Buimo Road Clinic!
• To those members who have identified prospective new members and brought them along to the club meetings as a guest this past month. Please complete the form I handed out on Tuesday night and return to me as soon as you can. The next Board meeting will assess those membership applications. Many hands make light work. Please continue to invite your guests along meanwhile.
• To Treasurer Dennis for sorting out Club bank account, old invoices and the latest financial statement for the Club.
• For the continuing improvement to our website. Despite the “Best Website” award, Rob (with his webmaster hat on) continues to improve our website so it is user friendly and a great platform to promote the club from. Please make it your ‘home page’ and register to keep abreast of activities. I find the Club Calendar very handy. Don’t forget it is easy to link into Rotary e-club 1 from our website if you are on the road and need to do a make up meeting. www.rotarylae.org

Annual Charity Golf Day

Our next fundraiser occurs on Friday the 16th September at the Lae Golf Club – just 2 weeks away TODAY!!! Thanks to the golf day committee (now including PP Chris Wakelin) who are working away behind the scenes to bring this event together. Luckily we have the support of the ‘style council’ (rotary partners) again too. Yes, we lost Digicel as a major sponsor this time around but there is still plenty of support and plenty of interest. Please claim the date and be available to help out just prior and on the day. Please promote the golf day to your friends and colleagues over the coming weekend and or contact Steve, Buddy, Chris Wakelin or myself if you can help.

New Generations

New Generations Service, the fifth Avenue of Service, recognizes the positive change implemented by youth and young adults through leadership development activities, involvement in community and international service projects, and exchange programs that enrich and foster world peace and cultural understanding.

As you know, we have incorporated this into our three year Club Leadership Plan* and a number of 2011-12 our projects. Two examples are – the Category C Schools project and identification of a young person for Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA).

Over the three year course of the Club Leadership Plan we have also committed to:

• developing a schools-based program for educating young people about Rotary; and
• developing a Rotaract Club for 18-30 year olds.

Would the Chairs of the relevant Club Committees and Project Leaders accountable for the abovementioned projects and programs please give focus now and commence actions towards achieving these. Our Paul Harris Fellow Aihi Miria is showing the way with the Category C Schools project and has commenced his planning and communications for this project. Think outside the square and also remember that we may be able to utilize project partners, including with our sister club, Huon Gulf on some of this.

* the Club Leadership Plan was emailed to all members and is also in the members section of our website, under the resources subsection.

Morobe Show – Partnering with RC Huon Gulf

On the subject of partnering with Huon Gulf RC, we have a fundraising project together for the 50th Annual Morobe Show in October. This is about 6 weeks away and no doubt they will be in contact with us shortly for this.

Have a great weekend.

Yours in Rotary,

Anthony Whitfield
President 2011-2012
Rotary Club of Lae Inc

Fellows,

I write to advise that member feedback shows we have an adopted Club Leadership Plan 2011-14. Congratulations all! Great team effort.

A lot of consideration and thought has gone into the plan and even more effort since in ensuring we have a great start to the year, including:

• DIK containers are being dealt with in a professional and efficient manner;
• Friends of Rotary volunteers & community partners are being engaged with on projects;
• 2011/12 Service Project goals being scoped and planned for commencement;
• Terrific levels of Public Awareness in the Post Courier;
• The most successful ball fundraiser the club has ever had;
• Recognition of our website as the best in the whole district;
• Sponsors lining up to partner with us;
• Planning for the Golf Day fundraiser commenced.

Even though that’s an impressive list, there is more. Please keep a balance with work and home life though. Manage your time so everybody is happy, most especially you!

August is Membership and Extension Month for Rotary International and as you know I’ve been emphasizing at our weekly meetings the very great need to bring new members through the doors. Next Tuesday I intend to bring the form work that sets out the clubs process for membership.

Meanwhile, please think to ask the people whom you might have had along as a guest on a couple of occasions (Lyndon Taitare, Major Lindsay Brown, Enoch etc.) and also anybody else that you have approached recently who you think would be a good contributor to the Rotary Club. This is the month to get a few more bodies in the door. Please advise Secretary Rob in advance of the meeting.

Why is it time for new members? Because we have this adopted plan to execute now.

And it makes sense to. For example, we are doing literacy projects at schools but have no teachers/lecturers as members. We are supporting clinics and the hospital but have no doctors or nurses as members. Our Treasurer needs to have the support of some other number crunchers, so we need a CPA or 2! Our webmaster guru must begin the search for others who are IT savvy! Larry has a big burden to share with a willing person….20ft of it at a time. Seeing that picture of Mark Flewin (our DIK coordinator) after emptying that container last weekend I know he needs help!! Rupert has a lot of skills to share with young professionals, Barry and Cesar are eager to develop the ideas we have about vocational projects into something really significant for Lae. And last but definitely not least half the population in Lae are women….but we have no women in the club at present!!

So lets bring other good people in to help us.

If you feel you need information to pass to a prospective member, please use our great website as a reference point www.rotarylae.org or the www.rotary.org website has plenty of resources or contact any of the club executive and we will be happy to email something or provide a hardcopy.

Have a great weekend. Tomorrow morning I am handing over the 3 computers I was granted on Tuesday night to the Liberty Baptist Church toward their youth programs. Give me a call or email if you want to join in the fun of a handover of goods. Mark also has things happening.

Regards,

Anthony