The meeting started with an update on the Rotary Foundation by PRIP Ian Riseley, who described the Rotary Foundation’s new area of focus, “Supporting the Environment”, and how the Foundation’s successful grant program has generated more requests for grants. The Rotary Foundation is now a registered class 1 charity in Australia. Previously we could only collect tax deductible gifts for expenditure overseas. In future The foundation can accept tax deductible gifts for expenditure on Australian projects, particularly from private ancillary funds.

He then introduced Jennifer Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, who will become Rotary International’s President for 2022-23. This groundbreaking selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in the organization’s 115-year history. The RI Convention in her year will be held in Melbourne. 

A Rotary Foundation trustee until her confirmation as President Nominee, Jones has been a Rotary member since 1997 and has served Rotary as RI vice president, director, training leader, committee chair, moderator, and district governor. She played a lead role in Rotary’s rebranding effort by serving as chair of the Strengthening Rotary’s Advisory Group. She is the co-chair of the End Polio Now Countdown to History Campaign Committee, which aims to raise $150 million for polio eradication efforts.

Jennifer described The Rotary Foundation’s 29 million US dollar distribution of Global Grants and Disaster Relief Grants, and the increase of stress in this year of Corona Virus, requiring us all to look after each other. 

The End Polio Now program continues, with Polio now eradicated in Africa. This year the End Polio campaign was held back, but the health workers became involved in tracing and treating Covid patients. 

She praised the work of PRIP Ian Riseley in getting the environment recognised as a TRF area of focus, and already over one million trees have been planted under this program. 

A Q&A session followed, and Jennifer described how Rotary and other environmental groups had been consulted before the decision to add the new Area of Focus. 

Jennifer said that when RI President she will focus on winning the fight against Polio, and then continue to work with our partners on the next challenge. The unspoken answer to “What will follow the End Polio Now Campaign?” seems to be “Malaria? Watch this space”.

She made the point that we can make a difference in the world without being political, and ended her talk by saying how much she was looking forward to seeing many of us at the RI Convention in Melbourne in 2023.

A number of Rotarians were recognised for their Contributions to The Rotary Foundation: Craig Bowen was admitted to the Legacy Society following his bequest of one million dollars, and among the names you will probably recognise are PDG Bronwyn and Mark Stephens who became Arch Klumph Society Members, Philip Archer and Ian Salek who are  Major Donors.  

In giving a vote of thanks RI Director Jesse Harman spoke on “Pride” and “Hope” as qualities that sustain The Rotary Foundation.