PERTH ROTARY | PRESIDENTS UPDATE | 21st 
July 2020

Please IGNORE these emails, they are scam emails and we are taking steps to stop them.   You can tell they are SCAM emails as the email address after my name is incorrect.

 

Should you have any concerns or queries in relation to the above, please do not hesitate to contact me via my club email address - president@rotaryperth.org.au or phone 0429 451077. 

 

Last Friday we were privileged to welcome Fadzi Whande, Global Diversity & Inclusion Strategist as our guest speaker. Diversity alone is not enough if we do not reach a state of belonging where everyone is included.  Fadzi tells us that ‘Inclusion is a personal responsibility’.

 

 

Diversity and Inclusion is also a collective responsibility which is espoused from the very highest levels of Rotary International and the reason why we try to ……

 

“walk the walk as well as talk the talk” ………in every aspect of our meeting structures. 

 

Growing and diversifying our membership to make sure we reflect the communities we serve and are inclusive of all cultures, experiences, and identities is a top priority of Rotary International and therefore of our club.  We're creating an organization that is more open and inclusive, fair to all, builds goodwill, and benefits our communities.

 

To help us achieve this goal, the Rotary International Board of Directors passed a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statement:

 

“As a global network that strives to build a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, Rotary values diversity and celebrates the contributions of people of all backgrounds, regardless of their age, ethnicity, race, color, abilities, religion, socioeconomic status, culture, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

 

 

Fadzi was invited to speak at the TedEx Perth last year. https://youtu.be/aBXBiTQfdVY We encourage you to go on line and have a listen – Fadzi is courageous, creative and challenges our thinking and attitudes. 

 

We also Welcomed Di Wilcox, founder of Magic Coat for Kids as a Corporate Member of the Perth Rotary Club. Please find a copy of Di Wilcox | Magic Coat for Kids bio at the end of this bulletin.

 

A reminder that District Governor Jon Bilson will be the guest speaker at our After-Business Drinks Meeting (5.30pm – 7.30pm) Thursday 23 July.  DG Jon has requested that if members have not already done so, that they go on line to listen to his DG address at the 2020/21 District Changeover, as he does not want to repeat what has already been said, rather, DG Jon wants to engage with members in a meaningful two way conversation about Rotary, District 9455 and your experience at Perth Rotary. 

 

You can listen/watch the DG Changeover address at the following link. //https://youtu.be/Nv1E9hbP4CA, then get ready for a very different DG visit.

RSVP for this event is via a trybooking link  www.trybooking.com/BKHZY and tickets are $40/pp.  Your ticket includes canapes & cash bar available.  Whilst I understand it is not possible for all members to attend, I sincerely ask you to make every effort to be in attendance at this meeting representing our club within District 9455.

 

We also look forward to welcoming our second Corporate Member for 2020/21, GreenBatch.  Perth Rotary is very excited to bring on board our first corporate member with an environmental focus immediately following the Rotary International announcement of Friday 26 June of the 7^th Area of Focus for Rotary International:-

 

“The Rotary Foundation Trustees and Rotary International Board of Directors have added a new area of focus: supporting the environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Di Wilcox is Founder and CEO of Magic Coat for Kids a social/emotional well being program for children. 

 

 

After 20 years of teaching, Di realised that our children are under increasing stress and pressures which was increasing their anxiety and anger levels leading to mental health issues at a young age. 

 

She wanted to create something that taught children simple and effective concepts that enabled them to feel more calm, confident and have the ability to problem solve as well as recognise and manage their own emotions.

 

After some research in the areas of CBT and Positive Psychology, Di created The Magic Coat. Using the analogy of putting on a bright yellow coat using their imagination, children are taught that all the characters that live inside the coat pocket each represent a strategy that they can use throughout their day to help them manage worry, negative feelings, build confidence and have empathy for others.

 

Di also believes that for a program to be effective with children a common language must be created that parents, teachers and children can all use together which is why the workshops and resources created for The Magic Coat are all for parents, teachers and children to do together.

While Di originally wrote the program for children to use in classrooms it is now being used for adults and children in prisons, women's refuges foster care and child care centres.

It has also been successfully used in indigenous communities including Broome, Mt Magnet, Cue and Meekatharra.

 

With overseas and interstate interest, it is a program that Di hopes will help children around the world.

 

The Board of Directors and members of Perth Rotary welcome Di Wilcox and the Magic Coat for Kids.