Hi Everyone
Our daily lives as we know them have been thrown into upheaval in the last week as the growing advance of COVID-19 impacts so much of our lives. It is not just the overwhelming, almost comical, shortage of toilet paper, but also the rush on hand sanitiser which can actually have a positive impact on containing the spread of the disease.
This time last week, our plans for coming weeks were filled with events, celebrations, get togethers and life not so very far from normal. But now that has al changed!!
COVID-19 (Corona Virus) IMPACT
There is no doubt that we are and will be feeling the impact of the COVID-19 virus for many months to come. The authorities are now focussed on a process of ‘social distancing’ in an effort to reduce the speed of spread of the virus. The effect of this process is to ensure our health services are not overwhelmed. It will mean that the virus is around longer but we will be able to manage it better.
A message was sent from RI President Mark Maloney recently which in part stated:
We have proven abilities to reach out and collaborate to offer immediate help to people in need at a rapid pace. These are precisely the skills needed all over the world today.
This is good advice and needs to be applied depending on the circumstances of your own self and your own club. I know that many traditional events right around the District are being cancelled or postponed, and this is hard to take on board. Some clubs are choosing to suspend meetings for a short time until the peak of the infection passes. This is an individual club decision depending on your demographic and situation.
Combined District Conference cancelled
As many of you would now be aware, and in light of advice from Prime Minister Scott Morrison last Friday D9675, DG Dianne North and I took the decision to cancel our joint Reasons Conference in Wollongong this coming weekend. Welfare of all attendees had to be our priority, and the guidelines left us with no choice at all to ensure the ongoing health and welfare of our attendees.
Together with the entire Conference Committee, we had been looking forward to providing attendees with an amazing event, fabulous speakers and the chance to connect with Rotarians from across the Greater Sydney basin.
After two years of dedicated hard work in preparing for the event, this is a very disappointing outcome. The committee is now working to wind back all arrangements, with full refunds provided to registrants. However, the disappointment is ongoing, and there will also be other financial implications to be resolved in the near future.
Thanks to so many of you for the words of support to me and to the Committee in the wake of this decision. It remains hard to accept that the pinnacle event of our year will not occur, and that this also applies to so many other Districts around the country, as well as other larger gatherings planned for coming weeks; events such as PETS, Assemblies, national and international gatherings.
At time of writing the International Convention in Hawaii is progressing, and those of us registered to attend will need to monitor advice over coming weeks as COVID-19 develops and progresses.
Remote Meeting Options
For those clubs who choose to suspend meetings for a time, there are some other alternates that may assist with ongoing communications and collaboration, and to overcome any sense of isolation. I include below some options courtesy of one of my national classmates south of the border:
Seize the opportunity to innovate and improve in other areas.
- Now is a great time to enhance your electronic communications such as club bulletins, websites and social media such as Facebook.
- Connect into the social media pages other community groups and organisations in your community. This is a great way to stay connected and even broaden your reach.
- Connect with your communities by helping our less fortunate neighbours cope with the effects of isolation and fear, or by supporting our health authorities to address this situation.
- Assist health authorities communicate best practices or provide needed equipment or support into your communities.
- Many people are familiar with Video Conferencing programs with the District and e-Club using Zoomprogram successfully on a regular basis for many years. It is not as difficult as many may think, and works with both phones and with PCs of any sort.
The Rotary e-Club of Greater Sydney would like to offer any assistance it can to help Rotary clubs and committees to continue to meet as per normal - but online rather than physically.
Zoom Video Conferencing - account sign-up
I am urging clubs to consider implementing use of video conferencing programs. There is an opportunity for cluster clubs to collaborate on a subscription to reduce the cost and share the access. Scheduling of meetings can then be managed to ensure there are no clashes.
The E-Cub would be happy to help Clubs and/or Clusters use Zoom as a meeting platform. The E-Club has a subscription, as does District 9685, or you can sign-up for a Zoom account; plans and pricing can be found here -
https://zoom.us/pricing.
- There is a free account option with restricted function, ie only 40min duration.
- There is also a Pro Account ($20.99/month), as used by the District Team.
Zoom Video Conferencing – training on how to use it
The E-Club would also be happy to host one or more training sessions to demonstrate how to use Zoom for your meetings and best practice tips specifically for Rotary club meetings.
They can also provide "helpdesk support" to assist Rotarians who are trying to set up and use Zoom for the first time, including acting as meeting host (subject to member availability).
Stay Safe
Whatever methodology you and your club adopt over coming weeks, please take care of you! These challenges are as unknown as those we faced during the bushfire crisis. Each one of you is needed to ensure we are all able to continue our support for that crisis, as many victims are still very much in need of our help to get their lives on track.
Yours in Rotary
Kalma
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