MAGAZINE MONTH Rotarians and Rotary clubs are invited to make a special effort to recognise and promote Rotary regional magazines – especially Rotary Down Under – during Magazine Month in April each year.
April 2010 Program The Official Magazine of Rotary International, The Rotarian, has been published continuously since 1911. Thus the Rotary World Magazine Press, of which your official regional magazine Rotary Down Under is a part, is celebrating 99 years of service to Rotary this year. Rotary clubs are invited to make a special effort to feature Rotary magazines during or near Magazine Month (April) each year. Rotary Down Under is 45 years old this month – a grand achievement! Bring your club programs alive with this Magazine Month suggestion list and organise a special promotion within your club to celebrate RDU’s 45th birthday!
Every Rotarian is responsible for Rotary’s public relations An informed Rotarian is a better Rotarian. Rotar y World Press publications are a vital communications link between Rotary International and Rotarians in your District. The network consists of 31 regional magazines published in 26 languages. Rotary Down Under is the ONLY direct link between you as a Rotarian and the RI Board of Directors! Rotary Down Under is the best resource and educational tool available to you and your Rotary club..
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MAGAZINE MONTH
Suggested programs featuring Rotary Down Under Please encourage your Rotary club to arrange a Club forum to discuss your Magazine Month program and plan special events, programs and competitions. Me mb e r s s h ou l d b e a d v i s e d i n advance (through the club bulletin or by announcements) that they will be invited to participate fully in the Magazine Month program – after all, they are the shareholders! The program may be introduced by giving the brief facts set out on the next page (history, content, ownership). Some questions to stimulate discussion might be posed, such as: 1. What should be the purpose (or purposes) of a Rotary magazine? 2. Is Rotary Down Under serving that purpose? If not, in what way or ways is it failing? 3. At the beginning of the 1990/91 Rotary year, the format and presentation of Rotary Down Under was upgraded and is now published in full colour. In September 2005, we introduced a new lifestyle section “Rotarian Life”. What do you think of the new section? In April, 2007, we redesigned the entire magazine. 4. Is there reasonable balance between: • International and regional material? • The Four Avenues of Service? • Material from all parts of the area of readership? 5. Which article (or articles) in the last three issues of Rotary Down Under do you consider most likely to help ‘advance the Object of Rotary and develop Rotary programs’. 6. What was the most challenging and effective project completed by this club in the past three years? Did we share the idea and the techniques we developed in completing this project with our fellow Rotarians in other clubs through Rotary Down Under?
Keeping in touch with Clubs and members When you have completed your club dis cussion, pleas e don’t keep your
conclusions to yourselves. Be sure to write to Rotary Down Under to inform us of the result of your discussions. Once every two years, Rotary clubs and Rotarians throughout the South West Pacific Region have the opportunity to influence the editorial policy of Rotary Down Under by way of a Magazine Month survey. Clubs and individuals have the opportunity to indicate magazine likes and dislikes and, if general consensus is strong enough, management effects the required changes. In recent years, such sur ve ys have resu lte d in t he introduction of additional mailbox pages, better photographs, shorter articles and many other changes. The most recent professional survey was a reader survey conducted by McNair Ingenuity in October 2007, but clubs and members may communicate with RDU to discuss points of interest at any time.
Brief history Established as a regional magazine in 1965, Rotary Down Under remained a complementar y publication to the official magazine of Rotary International – The Rotarian – until 1976 when it was approved by the R.I. B oard of Directors, for an experimental period, as an acceptable alternative to the official magazine. In 1978, the experimental period having been successful, Rotary Down Under became the world’s first Rotary regional magazine to gain full recognition by the R.I. Board as an “approved and prescribed” regional magazine. In 1980 it was designated an “official” regional magazine of Rotary International – the first of the many regional magazines to gain official status. The official magazine and the official regional magazines of Rotary now comprise a worldwide news and information network known as the Rotary world press – 31 magazines in 22 different languages. In 1991, Rotar y Down Under was honoured with a special Award from
Rotary International as the magazine which best promotes the ‘True Image of Rotary’. At regular intervals since that time, t he d e s i g n and c onte nt of R otar y Down Under has been updated to meet modern demands. The Rotarian Life section, introduced in 2005, has proved very popular.
Subscription is compulsory Subscription to an official Rotary regional magazine is mandatory. It is a condition of membership, agreed by all Rotarians when they accept membership. Rotary Down Under is completely self funded. We rely on your subscriptions and receive no major funding from Rotary International.
Rotary partners Rotary partners can both subscribe to RDU. Some people question the wisdom of receiving two copies of the same magazine in the one family but the second copy has invaluable promotional use when provided as a reading resource to a librar y or utilised as a gift for exchange students, civic leaders or even guest speakers/visitors to a Rotary club.
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MAGAZINE MONTH Content Rotary Down Under contains “official” information and special articles published concurrently in The Rotarian, international news and features as well as a balanced selection of regional news and information contributed by Rotarians. Each month the magazine brings you messages from the R.I. president or the board of directors, vital Rotary information, Rotary club and project news from near and far, letters from members, a notice board giving dates and times of coming events at a glance – and even a page of humour gleaned from Rotary club bulletins.
Ownership Rotary Down Under is wholly owned by its readers: the Rotarians who subscribe to it and who serve in the clubs for which it is the prescribed official publication. The governing body is the RDU Council of Governors, comprising all serving Governors and R.I. Directors in Australia, New Zealand and our near island neighbours. It is managed by a Board of Directors comprising past officers of Rotary International appointed by and responsible to the Governing Council.
RDU Merchandise and Promotions RDU Supplies became part of Rotary Down Under in January, 1981. In 2007 the Supplies organisation was franchised to a private company as part of a restructure process for the Rotary Down Under organisation and adopted a name change. RDU Merchandise and Promotions remains the property of RDU Inc. Little has changed – the business is still operated by the same staff who guarantee the
same prompt service and provide an income stream for Rotary Down Under. Contact details are as follows: RDU Merchandise and Promotions 60 Prospect Street, Rosehill NSW 2142 (PO Box 9368, Harris Park NSW 2150) Phone: +61 2 9897 3118 0800 738 695 (within NZ) Fax: +61 2 9637 8052 Email: supplies@rotarydownunder.com.au Go “on line” and utilise our e-commerce facility via: www.rotarydownunder.com.au
Projects for Club magazine committees 1. Distribution to hospitals, doctors’ surgeries and other professional waiting rooms. Collect unwanted magazines from club members each month, and replace supplies in waiting rooms at regular intervals. 2. Sponsor magazine subscriptions as gifts for guest speakers at your club. 3. Sponsor magazine subscriptions for schools, institutions and colleges in your area. New copies should be in all libraries in your district. 4. Promote Rotary Awareness by donation of Rotary books and publications to school and civic libraries. 5. Sponsor subscriptions for your Rotaract and Interact club. Their members like to feel they are part of the Rotary ‘family’ and such consideration will help. 6. Establish a file of Rotary Down Under and The Rotarian magazines for your club’s use. Such files should be available for quick reference at a table near the entrance to your club meetings. 7. As part of your Magazine Month
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program, and at different times during the year, request different club members to search the files for a novel project or function idea that can be utilised by your club. Stage a five minute Rotary Down Under ‘quiz’ at each meeting during Magazine Month. Warn members that questions will be asked from the last two issues of RDU (5 questions per meeting) and offer an attractive prize to the winner of the month-long pointscore! Organise a Rotary Down Under debate during Magazine Month. Encourage two teams of club members to argue the relative merits of Rotary Down Under and The Rotarian. Recognise your club members who do most for public relations during Magazine Month. Present certificates/awards to those who contribute articles to RDU and/or your local media! Use your imagination…plan your own unique Magazine Month program and let us know so we can share your idea throughout the ANZO region! Conduct a club assembly during April to obtain consensus on the questions in the last survey.
A important request It is imperative that all clubs appoint a suitable qualified RDU/Public Relations chairman or representative each year to announce highlights from each new edition of RDU as part of club programs once a month. This person would also prepare articles and photographs for RDU on all unique club projects and activities and liaise with local media. ■
New club charter – How to subscribe to RDU and report the event Please email the following information to “francescampbell@rotarydownunder. com.au” at Rotary Down Under House in Parramatta; or to “berylrobinson@ rotarydownunder.co.nz”, if it is a new Rotar y club in New Zealand or the Pacific Islands: • The name of the new Rotary club which is in the process of being chartered. • The name of the sponsoring Rotary club. • Approximate charter dates/month. • The name, email address and phone numbers of a contact in the new club
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(ideally the Charter President, Secretary or public relations chair) who will forward Rotary Down Under information so that future Rotarians can receive monthly Rotary Down Under newsletters as soon as possible. As soon as District Governors officially announce the charter of a new Rotary club, the District Governor or their nominee should forward coverage of the proposed charter event to “editorial@ rotarydownunder.com.au” for a new Australian, Papua New Guinea, Solomons
Islands or Timor Leste Rotary Club; or to “berylrobinson@rotarydownunder.co.nz” if it is a New Zealand or Pacific Islands Rotary club. The editorial contribution should be up to 300 words in total and answer the mandatory questions - “about who, what, why, when, where & how” (in Word format). Two or three close up, tightly posed, action digital photos (400+ KB/dpi for magazine quality), with photo captions at the bottom of the article, will also be appreciated. ■
MAGAZINE MONTH
RDU DISTRICT CHAIRS 2009-2010 AUSTRALIA Rotary Down Under Group Representatives are available to talk to you or your club at any time – and especially during Magazine Month GROUP 1
GROUP 5
Districts 9910 – 9920 – 9930 – 9940 – 9970 – 9980 PDG Stuart Heal 87 Inniscort Street, Cromwell 9191 Central Otago, New Zealand Phone: +64 3 445 4094/274321847 Fax: +64 3 445 4594 Email: heals@xtra.co.nz
Districts: 9500 – 9520 PDG Peter Sandercock 13 Allen Terrace, Glenelg East, SA 5045 Phone: + 61 8 8295 7734 / 0416 153 577 Fax: + 61 8 8295 6331 Email: ppsandy@bigpond.net.au
GROUP 2
Districts 9450 – 9460 – 9470 PDG Colin Thorniley 50 Cale Street, Como WA 6152 Phone: +61 8 9450 6644 / 0418 500 179 Fax: +61 8 9450 1901 Email: colin@q-net.net.au
Districts: 9780 – 9790 – 9800 – 9810 – 9820 – 9830 PDG Vance Hilton 10 Greenstead Amble, Kurunjang Victoria 3337 Phone: +61 3 9743 0118 / 0418 564 273 Fax: +61 3 9743 0118 Email: vohilton@alphalink.com.au GROUP 3 Districts: 9670 – 9680 – 9690 – 9700 – 9710 – 9750 PDG Jennifer Scott PO Box 279, Wentworth Falls NSW 2782 Phone: +61 2 4757 2974 / 0414 367 631 Fax: + 61 2 4757 1450 Email: scottadr@optusnet.com.au
GROUP 6
Have you checked our Websites? www.rotarydownunder.com.au www.rdu.rotary.org.nz Email: enquiries@rotarydownunder.com.au Contact Del Jeal for further information – Phone: +61 2 4739 4987 Fax: +61 2 4739 8902 Email: deljeal@nepeanblue.com.au
District
Name
Rotary Club
9450
PDG Ian Murray
Mount Lawley
9460
PDG John Kevan
Applecross
9470
DGN Jodie Sparks
Ascot
9500
Graham Fussen
Tea Tree Gully
9520
PDG Peter Sandercock
Holdfast Bay
9550
Katanya Lee
Ross River
9570
PP Tony Barnes
Yeppoon
9600
Barry Clark
Bribie Island
9630
PP Marie Grant
Loganholme
9640
PP David Bonifant
Surfers Paradise Central
9650
PDG Ken Hall
Tamworth
9670
Pam Wellham
Wallsend Maryland
9680
Annona Pearse
Erina
9690
PDG Jennifer Scott
Central Blue Mountains
9700
DG Irene Jones
Bathurst Daybreak
9710
DG Michael Pedler
Canberra South
9750
PP Garry Browne
Sydney
9780
DG Chris Sims
Highton Kardinia
9790
PP Ian Bushby
Bundoora
9800
Peter Lamping
Gisborne
9810
John White
Boronia
9820
PDG Ray Stewart
Narre Warren
9830
PP Rod Oliver
Launceston
NEW ZEALAND (NZ RDU PROMOTION COMMITTEE) District
Name
Rotary Club
9910
Felicity Anderson
Takapuna
GROUP 4
9920
PDG Welly Choy
Auckland City Sunrise
Districts: 9550 – 9570 – 9600 – 9630 – 9640 – 9650 PDG Des Lawson 731 Esplanade, Lota QLD 4179 Phone: +61 7 3348 6607 / 0418 991 337 Fax: +61 7 3893 0416 Email: deslawson@ecn.net.au
9930
PDG Fergus Cumming
Rotorua
9940
PDG Barbara Williams
New Plymouth West
9970
PDG Rex Morris
Nelson
9980
PDG Martyn Jensen
Waimate
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