Rotary boss visits city

MARK Maloney, Rotary International President made a quick visit to Ballarat during a whistle stop tour down under recently.

Arriving from Melbourne, Mr Maloney attended a civic reception at the Town Hall and then addressed local Rotarians at a Presidential Dinner before leaving for Gdansk, Poland the next morning.

Mr Maloney, a lawyer from Decatur, Alabama, who is undertaking an around the world trip to meet with the global network of Rotary clubs, said “every journey is what you make of it.

“Rotary provides the opportunity in connection with others to have an impact on the world in humanitarian service. I am keen on keeping the entity of Rotary healthy.

“It is a platform for ordinary people, business, community and professional leaders in small towns and medium size cities and large metropolises have the opportunity to have an impact on the globe.”

Ballarat’s eight Rotary clubs belong to District 9780 which stretches from just over the South Australian border and north to Swan Hill.

Rosanne Kava, District Governor was instrumental in inviting Mr Maloney to Ballarat in order to showcase the District’s clubs.

“We are thrilled and excited to welcome President Maloney to our Rotary District,” she said.

Rotary Connects the World is the theme he’s chosen for his year-long presidency.

It is his belief that there is a need for innovative clubs that are still membership organisations but operate in new ways.

During his travels this year Mr Maloney has seen more and more examples of inventive ways of running Rotary clubs

“I am looking forward to not only discussing the goals of Rotary Connects the World at a global level but hearing firsthand about its impact in a local setting,” Mr Maloney said. “I am sure there is a subset in the younger generation that if presented with the right type of membership organisation they would be eager to join.

“While they are seen as a mobile phone generation, I think they still want that person-to-person connection, so we have to change with the times.”