I am the most junior member of The Rotary Mt Eliza board. My tenure coincides with advanced planning for the imminent 100 – Year Rotary Australia anniversary and our forthcoming World Conference.
It is my good fortune to head a board of past presidents, governors, and other members experienced in every aspect of Rotary. For good measure, Mark Humphries is a supernumerary board member and District Governor – elect. His professional expertise involves, among other skills, data handling and management; an essential asset for our Club.
We have several accounting and finance specialists on the board, and indeed within our overall membership. I trust and rely upon each board member, some of whom volunteered to serve without my asking. This is indeed a compliment.
Mt Eliza Rotary does not operate in a bubble; we rely upon contributions from our Cluster and District 9820. D G Adrian Froggatt, assistant Steve Daly and Andrew Best at RISSPO have each provided guidance and assistance. President Chris Such from Somerville – Tyabb, with his Years of experience, is also of significant assistance.
The Break The Chains commitment that Adrian asked all Clubs to embrace is being addressed by Mount Eliza. Change is a fact of Life; Thinking outside the Square May mean that the ‘square’ is too small. A glass half – full / empty means to me that the glass is the wrong size to begin with.
When I consider ‘Service above Self’, neither I nor District qualify it by length, type or venue. There are a multitude of facets to Service, and one type is no more or less worthy than another.
Ross Schweitzer.
Over the past 3 weeks both Linda & I have had the privilege to attend many club change overs. We have so many great clubs in our District, it makes us proud to be part of this great family. There is no such thing as a free lunch! I have been honoured to present many different awards, present many Paul Harris Recognitions, perform several toasts and Induct Presidents.
Now that the change over season is nearly done, Linda and I are preparing for the year ahead. I just received a 12Kg box of President manuals and my Governor’s Lead Your District work book. Watch out, I might use the club to bounce off some ideas…..
District Governor Adrian talks about, RI President Mark as inviting you to Connect the World which is to build relationships at all levels to support the visions of Rotary. District Governor Adrian is also inviting you to make a special effort to supporting his Breaking the Chains vision. Which is aimed at making clubs and District irresistible and extraordinary, while remaining respectful of the past while vigorously embracing of the future.
It is going to be an exciting year. As Linda and I will be away from the club many times over the coming couple of years, I will use this column to keep you informed of our adventures.
Ross de Vent is a musician and multi instrumentalist with experience in singing, trumpet, piano and percussion.
Ross’s recent credits include:
Singing at, and panellist, in 2017, for Vision Australia’s ‘Dinner in the Dark’
Co-producing and performing in a concert of vocal duets and solos, in 2016.
Ross made his solo vocal debut, in Rossini’s ‘Petite messe solennelle,’ In 2015, with ‘Latrobe Chorale’.
Since 2013, Ross has been involved with church music, singing regularly at ‘Saint Mark’s Fitzroy,’ but also at various other churches around Melbourne.
Playing music from a early age, Ross holds a music degree from Monash University. Ross has played with community music ensembles For many years including playing ‘the Last Post,’ on trumpet, at local ANZAC and Remembrance Day commemorations.
Ross is totally blind and has right-sided paralysis, resulting from a stroke he suffered when he was a child.
Ross’s advocacy work takes various guises which include:
Teaching at the ‘National Braille Music Camp’ for many years, and in January 2017, he attended the inaugural ‘Braille Music Retreat,’ in New Zealand.
Audio description for live theatre, in Victoria, as audience advocate, at ‘Description Victoria’.
Ross transcribes printed sheet music into braille for blind musicians.
Current committees
The ‘Australian Braille Authority,’ for which Ross is currently setting up a ‘Regional Braille Forum,’ in Melbourne.
‘All Abilities Consultative Committee,’ Through Metro Access, for Mornington Peninsula Shire.
A circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) has been confirmed in China. It is genetically linked to a VDPV2 isolated from an environmental sample from Xinjiang province, collected on 18 April 2018. WHO is continuing to evaluate the situation and stands ready to support the ongoing investigation and risk assessment by national authorities.
Summary of new viruses this week: Pakistan— nine wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases and 3 WPV1-positive environmental samples; Angola— one circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2) case; China – one cVDPV2 case. See country sections below for more details.
