Sometimes life delivers coincidences so unlikely that you simply have to wonder: what are the odds?
At a recent Rotary Club of Mt Eliza meeting, member Clare Pearce shared two extraordinary stories of chance encounters and unexpected connections that had everyone listening closely.
For 40 years, Rob Cracknell has been a dedicated member of the Rotary Club of Mt Eliza, giving his time, experience and leadership to support the Club and the wider community.
Over four decades, Rob has been involved in and led numerous Club projects, fundraising ventures and community initiatives. His contribution is a wonderful example of Rotary’s motto, Service Above Self, and his commitment has continued through many changes in both the Club and the wider community.
Rob’s professional career has been equally distinguished. He has more than 50 years of international leadership and experience in the wheat industry, primarily in senior management and technical roles with the Australian Wheat Board and BWD Limited. He later established his own consultancy, Crackers Consulting.
His expertise and contribution to the wheat industry have been recognised internationally, including through his Fellowship of the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology.
Reflecting on his 40 years with Rotary, Rob spoke about the changes he has witnessed and, particularly, the privilege of seeing new members bring fresh ideas, energy and perspectives to the organisation.
For Rob, Rotary has been about much more than longevity. It has been about the people he has met, the opportunities to contribute and the inspiration that comes from seeing others make a difference.
The Rotary Club of Mt Eliza congratulates Rob on this remarkable milestone and thanks him for 40 years of service, leadership and commitment to our Club and community.
For many years, the Rotary Club of Mt Eliza has proudly supported the Overseas Development through Art (ODA) School in Siem Reap, Cambodia, helping provide opportunities, education and stability for vulnerable children.
At a recent club meeting, longstanding Friend of RCME and ODA Communications and Fundraising Coordinator, Shirley Hawe, shared an update on the incredible progress being made at the ODA boarding school and its journey towards greater self-sufficiency.
Has technology made us more connected, or more isolated?
What is one thing our generation got wrong?
Is the world actually getting better, or simply different?
These were some of the questions members of the Rotary Club of Mt Eliza were challenged to consider at a recent club meeting.
Last Sunday, 27 volunteers came together on private property in the Flinders area to help restore native vegetation and strengthen important wildlife corridors across the southern Mornington Peninsula.
The project followed an approach to Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation, with Rotary asking how it could best support their work. Rather than providing a financial donation this year, the organisation identified a different and equally valuable need: people power.
Rotarians joined 20 Year 9 students, parents and friends from Woodleigh School to spend the day planting more than 500 trees.
And planting the trees was only the beginning. Each seedling also needed a protective guard to help prevent damage from local kangaroos and give the young trees the best chance of becoming established.
At our meeting tonight, members of the Rotary Club of Mt Eliza had the opportunity to explore that question through the experiences of four people who have been involved with RYLA in very different ways.
RYLA, the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, is much more than a six-day leadership program. For many participants, it can be the beginning of a much longer journey of leadership, service and connection with their community.
Our first speaker, Keshian, shared his experience as a RYLA leader. His story highlighted the significant commitment that goes into the program, including the months of preparation required to create a meaningful experience for participants.
Alyssa then shared her experience as a RYLA participant. She spoke about her personal journey throughout the six-day program and the skills, insights and confidence she gained from the experience.
We were particularly pleased to hear from our own Rotarian, Chloe, who was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Mt Eliza to attend RYLA earlier this year. Her reflections provided a valuable insight into the experience from a participant's perspective and demonstrated the impact that Rotary's investment in young people can have.
Our final speaker, Suzanne, demonstrated how a RYLA experience can become the beginning of something much bigger. Having participated in RYLA herself, Suzanne went on to become involved with Rotaract before progressing into Rotary. Her journey is a wonderful example of how one youth leadership experience can develop into a lifelong commitment to leadership and community service.
The evening explored many important themes, including what it means to serve our community, different approaches to leadership and the opportunities Rotary provides to develop the next generation of community leaders.
For Rotary, supporting young people is about more than sponsoring a program. It is about creating opportunities for young people to discover their strengths, develop leadership skills, build connections and find their own pathway to making a difference.
Tonight was a wonderful celebration of the many people who contribute to RYLA and the lasting impact the program can have.
We are proud to have supported Chloe's RYLA journey and look forward to seeing where it takes her next.
A sincere thank you to Keshian, Alyssa, Chloe and Suzanne for sharing their stories and helping us understand the many different dimensions of the RYLA experience.
Service Above Self
Mount Eliza, VIC 3930
Australia