Posted by Helen Nodrum
Members may recall that our club through the international service team, donated $3,000 in last Rotary year to the Philippines.
This money was directed through Terry Kane to the Rotary Club of South Davao, who have reported back to us that the funds were used for the following three causes:
Manabo Tribal School
Mother Theresa orphanage
Missionaries of Charity home for the elderly, sick and dying
To honour our donation our club was invited to join in on Friday 16th July to their clubs change over ceremony and acknowledgement of donors to their work. The event was conducted virtually via Zoom, thankfully the Philippines is only two hours behind Australia so their 7pm start was good for us being 9pm here.
 
Terry Kane, Linda O’Brien, Peter Nolan and I joined in with 53 other Rotarians from their districts to celebrate their 54th handover and induction of new officers. The Rotary Club of South Davao was founded in 1968.
Past President Bertel Ingmar Bertelsen handed over the gravel and monument of responsibility to incoming (newly minted) President Michael Gerard Chellathurai.
We were treated to a video presentation of the last 53 years of service projects that the club has been involved in. Their work crossed over into many dimensions including health, treating those with leprosy, school for the blind, environment and tree planting, building villages, food relief, and lots of fellowship outings. The message for me was that in fellowship we are empowered to serve to change lives.
 
Their ceremony was slick, streamlined and beautifully M C’d by one of their members, Annie Kaye, who just happens to work professionally in event management. We knew the evening would go well when, all in attendance dressed for the occasion as if meeting in person, there was a slide placed up first with Etiquette and rules of discipline for Zoom meetings and all club members happily joined in singing their Rotary hymn.
I was indeed grateful for the opportunity to respond with a small speech after the club had acknowledged our donation.
 
Rotary truly is a unique organisation that provides us as members the doorway to so many opportunities.
It resonated deeply with me that here I was in my lounge room and with technology, taking part in a meeting ceremony in another country in real time. Not only that but the agenda, language, ideals, processes and speeches were the same as here in Rotary Australia. The same theme ran through the evening “Serve to change Lives” , I am truly enriched at this demonstration of how Rotary connects the world.
 
 
Their ceremony was slick, streamlined and beautifully MC’d by one of their members, Annie Kaye, who just happens to work professionally in event management. We knew the evening would go well when, all in attendance dressed for the occasion as if meeting in person, there was a slide placed up first with Etiquette and rules of discipline for Zoom meetings and all club members happily joined in singing their Rotary song.
I was indeed grateful for the opportunity to respond with a small speech after the club had acknowledged our donation.
 
Rotary truly is a unique organisation that provides us as members the doorway to so many opportunities.
It resonated deeply with me that here I was in my lounge room and with technology, taking part in a meeting ceremony in another country in real time. Not only that but the agenda, language, ideals, processes and speeches were the same as here in Rotary Australia. The same theme ran through the evening “Serve to change Lives” , I am truly enriched at this demonstration of how Rotary connects the world.