This was our first Zoom Club Assembly and very well attended it was too. We discussed how we might meet post COVID-19.
It may well be that until an effective vaccine is created and in wide use, some of our members may not feel safe attending “face to face” meetings.
Perhaps a form of hybrid meeting where members can Zoom in and be “present” at a face to face meeting? This may present some challenges to get clear audio visual quality.
For some members too, the Zoom meeting format is difficult to manage or a tool with which they are not comfortable for privacy or other reasons.
We also need to be aware that some catering venues may expect a minimum number of meals to be paid for which may limit our Club’s ability to “hybridise” economically.
Another possibility is to book a venue where a meal is not part of the get together. We don't necessarily have to be eat'n when we're a meet'n.
If the focus of our Rotary experience is “service” then perhaps we should redesign the way and the where and the how of our meetings to be secondary to the why we meet?
In the good weather, outdoor meetings could be trialed
A stable venue (meaning a regular and consistent location as distinct from a place where one keeps horses) may be important to engaging and recruiting new members.
How and when our Club returns to face to face meetings will be “a work in progress” with all suggestions welcomed.
A survey is being sent out to members – please check your emails.
And then there’s the money…we haven’t been paying a weekly meal fee and many members have been donating something of the money not so spent to The Rotary Foundation. As contribution to a result, our Club has made a significant contribution to the Foundation’s vital work.
We haven’t had any fundraising activities in the community and so our charitable funds are way down.
Perhaps this is an opportunity for our Club to review the manner in which we get community projects done.
In this regard, PP Robert Wheeler told us of the success of the Mission Beach Rotary Club which, whilst small in member numbers, achieved through leveraged fundraising, grants and in-kind donations and support the creation of a very popular community facility.
We discussed the concept of members making a voluntary contribution each week above the venue and meal costs but paid at a frequency which doesn’t impose unduly on the Club Treasurer.
We also considered a monthly contribution from members whilst face to face meetings are not occurring to be put towards administration costs.
We are encouraged to visit via Zoom the meetings and activities of other clubs as well as District events (details appear in the District emails we receive) and via Facebook.
Much to consider!
The meeting concluded with a display of some very fine artwork by Elizabeth and Elaine as well as a tribute to the wonderful work of PDG the late Clem Renouf who pioneered the move to eradicate polio.
