Julie was our chairperson for today's club meeting at Cilantro. Guests included Jenny Stone, Margaret Stoya, and James Grant. Glenda and Charles joined the meeting via Zoom. Jo performed invocation and the toast to Rotary.
CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Next week's meeting on 31/7 is an evening meeting at Cilantro, commencing at 6:30pm. Sue informs there are only 3 places left for people to take up. Payment will be processed on the night.
- High Tea at Onyx on 20/7 raised $6,000 for Cystic Fibrosis - a wonderful effort from all concerned.
- D9815 Conference Registrations - open on Monday 29/7. Conference registrations are processed online. Accommodation is booked separately. The On to Conference committee is currently looking at accommodation for a group booking. We are expecting a quote for a group booking from Barclay on View in Bendigo for consideration.
- Cheltenham S.C. Training at Sandown Racecourse - Monday 19/8. Helen is still seeking 3 volunteers to help out on the day from 9am - 2pm. Mostly, this will involve assistance with setting up and providing directions to students on where to go.
GUEST SPEAKER - Kevin Egan - Member behind the Badge
Today's talk provided a wonderful opportunity to learn more about our newest club member - Kevin Egan - with snippets of his life growing up that demonstrated life is often a journey with many twists and turns. Kevin grew up in a family with 3 brothers, and we learned he didn't enjoy school or academia and did not do well. He was encouraged to leave at an early age. Initial work was in furniture manufacturing where he stayed until age 29 before moving to a sales position where he found he had good people skills. With a strong desire for self-development, Kevin returned to night school, then attended university, and finished with a Masters in Business Administration. He became self-employed and has worked in education. Kevin enjoyed a four-week trip to China earlier this year where he participated in running workshops and seminars on leadership and development programs at the Zhejiang Insititute of Mechanical Engineering (ZIME) in Hangzhou which is approximately 200km south-west of Shanghai. ZIME is an international school that has a connection with Box Hill Tafe, and has 35,000 students in the 18-20 age group. Kevin has written a book titled Doing Business in Australia, and much of his time in China was providing students with insights on Australian business. During Kevin's time in China, an interesting observation was to often see two flags on display in many workplaces - the flag of China and the old Soviet flag. He found the local food to be magnificent. Kevin is married with two children and enjoys many family holidays - including separate holidays one on one with his children. A lesson learned through life is to have a positive attitude and persistence, and not allow outside negative influences take hold, but chart your own course. Kevin is proud he overcame his life's early adversity to lead a more fulfilling life of his choosing. Kevin has now joined the National Speakers Association of Australia. Thank you Kevin for your very inspirational talk - greatly appreciated by everyone.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
Happy Birthday Sam for 20/7
Margaret celebrates a 6 year anniversary in Rotary this month.
ROSTERS - were announced.
The meeting closed with this year's theme - The Magic of Rotary.
