Also present David Partis – released unscathed from MIQ – and Carey Church, returned from leave of absence.
Congrats to Gretchen Bosacker – legal in the Shaky Isles for another three years (and hopefully longer!)
Silvio arrived in NZ in 2016, and in Cambridge in 2018. He has a degree in marketing and advertising, and after an interesting career before and after arriving in NZ in (including work in a beauty salon and vegan then BBQ restaurants), he is now running his own E-commerce business.
Asked why he picked NZ as a destination from his home in Brazil, it seems that his decision was arrived at after learning of the experiences of a group of uni mates who had enjoyed a working holiday here – including good parties, perhaps?
He asked that members intending to attend the District Conference have their names in by the end of Feb.
Jan Bilton advised of the visit to the Hamilton Gardens on 18 February – the tour will cost $10 per head, and the subsequent 2 course meal at the restaurant $35 per head – numbers to be confirmed by next meeting. We will be joined by visitors from the Te Awamutu club.
President Bev outlined the District plans for grants under the Covid Open Doors Project – see separate report from Bev
The raffles were won by Ian Rogers and John Bishop – one in charge of selling tickets and the other in charge of the draw.....draw your own conclusions!!.
President Bev closed the meeting at 7.45 pm.
Welcome to the New Year—2021: the year we celebrate the centenary of Rotary in Australia and New Zealand! In 1921 four Rotary Clubs were created in Melbourne, Auckland, Wellington and Sydney. From there, Rotary and Rotaract clubs were created everywhere across Australia and New Zealand.
What a wonderful achievement for our organisation: an epic milestone and now districts, clubs and Rotarians from across our region have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to commemorate 100 years of doing good in the community, both at home and abroad, and to lay the groundwork for a new era for Rotary ‘down under’ into the future.
The Centenary provides an ideal opportunity for us to raise our profile in the community. With clubs planning exciting projects and activities to commemorate this occasion as well as participating in the projects planned by the R100 team, there are plenty of items to share with Rotarians, family and friends through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
But don’t overlook mainstream media! Journalists will be very interested in your stories—the key is to provide the information in a clear and concise manner. And remember—a picture paints a thousand words—so take special care in selecting the ideal photograph(s) to accompany your media article.
Fortunately, the R100 team have developed the material you need to assist you publicise your special project or activity.
Check out the R100 toolkit under the Resources tab and download what you need.
Why you should care about Rotary branding
As a Rotary brand specialist, I see Rotary signs everywhere. I guess you could say it’s an occupational
hazard. Even my children spot Rotary signs wherever we go. So when I attended a local Rotary event in my hometown last year, I couldn’t help but notice how Rotary’s logo was being used.
At first, I was thrilled to see the club’s logo featured on a banner welcoming attendees. But then, I spotted another banner featuring the Rotary wheel as a pancake. Inside the tent, the club hung up a huge banner displaying the old, retired Rotary wheel. Club members who greeted us were all wearing polo shirts with the old wheel on them, but they were handing out brochures that included their newer club logo. Here were five different opportunities to promote the club, and each used different Rotary logos. It was bewildering.
So what?
When a club logo isn’t used properly, it can create confusion and mistrust. In 2012, Coca-Cola temporarily replaced the iconic red can with white cans that featured polar bears on it for the holidays. But they had to pull them from shelves when retailers and customers reported being confused. The cans looked too much like Diet Coke cans, and that’s not what consumers wanted.
This is one example of what happens when a logo is altered. By just changing the can color, the public was frustrated. They didn’t trust the product anymore. And that impacts the brand.
Now imagine that each Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact club had its own logo. How would the public know which Rotary club to trust, to join, or to donate money to?
When a club alters the Rotary logo – like turning the Rotary wheel into a pancake, changing the fonts, or adding additional colors – it weakens our global brand. That can impact our ability to attract future members, earn the trust of donors, encourage volunteers to help on our service projects, and even secure partnership opportunities. Old branding tells the public that this club is outdated. Inconsistent branding sends mixed messages of who we are.
Studies show that consistent logo use builds organizational trust and awareness. Isn’t that something we all want for Rotary — to be a trusted organization in our communities?
Over the next year, we are going to talk a lot more about branding and how to use Rotary’s logos properly. We are working with you to build a strong Rotary because a strong Rotary – one that is recognizable, trusted, and united – has a much greater chance of attracting members, donors, volunteers, and partners. Our regional and district leaders will join us in sharing that message.
You can help by taking a look at your club logo. Do you see your club name along with the Rotary or Rotaract logo? Are you using the correct Rotary color palette? Is the Rotary wheel clearly visible, free from other graphics or designed elements? If not, then it might time to update it. It’s really easy—just visit the Brand Center to get started.
By Liz Thiam, Rotary brand specialist, Rotary International - reproduced from Rotary Voices, January 2021
and Chris Smiley (guest of Colin Davis).
An only child of medical parents (Dad a surgeon, Mum a nurse) the recurring theme of his talk centred on “partying”, with photos to support. Also mentioned in passing was his love of tennis, his budding career in which, according to Silvio, was a casualty of and came second to the partying.