Rotary Central Melbourne

10/06/2026

Program for meeting, Tuesday 16th June 2026

Rotary Central Melbourne convenes at the RACV Club on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, and you are cordially invited to join us in the Theatrette, situated on the Chancery Level of the RACV Club.

The meeting will commence at 7:40 am and conclude no later than 8:30.

Our distinguished guest speaker will be Jon Scheele, who will engage us in a discussion on ‘AI at Work - Practical Tools for Everyday Professionals.’

AI is not exclusively reserved for tech professionals, and its applications extend beyond merely facilitating web searches. Jon will share practical insights on how individuals and small businesses are leveraging AI tools to optimize productivity, enhance communication, and achieve more on a daily basis — safely and without requiring a technical background.

Jon Scheele has been at the forefront of technology adoption in business for several decades and regularly writes and speaks on technology. He hosts The Loop Asia podcast and organizes the annual Apidays Singapore conference.

Jon holds a Bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering, a Master's degree in Business Administration, and Graduate Diplomas in Applied Finance and Digital Communications. Having lived and worked in Australia, the USA, and Singapore, Jon has also served as an adjunct lecturer on Fintech at the National University of Singapore's School of Computing and as a Volunteer Career Adviser at Workforce Singapore. Additionally, Jon is a member of Central Melbourne Rotary.

29/05/2026

Program for meeting, Tuesday 2nd June 2026

Rotary Central Melbourne meets at the RACV Club on the first and third Tuesdays of each month in the Theatrette, Chancery Level of the RACV Club. The meeting will commence at 7:40 am and conclude around 8:30 am.

Our guest speaker will be Dr Gayle Smerdon who will share ‘What to do when everything sucks.’
Gayle is the author of The Bad Day Playbook, a guide to navigating tough days with clarity, humour and practical actions. Gayle is a workplace learning specialist, speaker and author who helps people make work less exhausting and more meaningful.

For more than two decades, Gayle has worked across universities, government and not-for-profits, helping leaders and teams navigate change, build capability, and create healthy cultures. Gayle studies how organisations function (and malfunction), exploring the interplay of systems, culture and behaviour. Her favourite question is simple: “Is this important and are we helping?”

13/05/2026

Program for meeting, Tuesday 19th May 2026

Rotary Central Melbourne meets at the RACV Club on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, in the Theatrette, Chancery Level of the RACV Club. The meeting will commence at 7:40 am and conclude at 8:30 am.

Our Guest Speaker is Liz Williams, who will present on the topic - Election Integrity – why does it matter? There are many components to ensuring elections are fair, transparent and accurate. Liz will talk about election integrity, how it is measured and how we stack up.

Liz Williams worked in election administration for the majority of her career including 15 years as Deputy Electoral Commissioner at the Victorian Electoral Commission, overseeing state and local council elections and redivisions in Victoria. Her work has also allowed her to engage across a range of local, national and international settings including parliamentary committees, industry and academia.

Since her retirement from the VEC, Liz has been appointed to a number of independent expert panels to review and recommend improvements to Victoria’s political finance laws (Chair) and local government electoral structures. Liz believes that Victoria demonstrates good practice in election delivery but the integrity and independence of our electoral bodies and the way elections are funded are ongoing priorities.

11/05/2026

10/05/2026

Rotary Central Melbourne supports two local homeless welfare hubs via its Winter Sleeping Bag for the Homeless Project:

• Youth Projects Living Room (located in Hosier Lane) and;
• St Mary’s House of Welcome (located in Fitzroy).

Both organisations provide services to homeless people in the CBD and inner suburbs. This includes the distribution of over 400 sleeping bags each winter to help those sleeping rough through the cold weather.
With the support of a District 9800 Local Foundation Grant we are very happy to share that 228 sleeping bags were collected and distributed during April/ May. The Rotary Foundation Grant was a powerful way of leveraging the funds that the club contributed and demonstrates just how important TRF is in making a difference. Rotary Foundation - Rotary District 9800. This impacts 228 homeless people who will now at least have something to keep them warm over the coming Winter months.

29/04/2026

Rotary Central Melbourne meets at the RACV Club on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. You are welcome to join us in the Theatrette on the Chancery Level, commencing at 7:40 am and concluding at 8:30 am.

Our guest speaker for Tuesday 5 May 2026 is Matthew Shawcross, who will talk on the theme ‘We Don't Like School, We LOVE It!'

Matthew will share how Primary Schools engage vulnerable children in their learning, both from an academic and social-emotional perspective.

Matthew is a dedicated educational leader, currently as Principal at both Sacred Heart Primary School in Fitzroy and St Joseph's in Collingwood. He is known for his commitment to fostering inclusive, student-centred learning environments.

With a strong background in primary education, Matthew has developed a reputation for nurturing both academic excellence and personal growth in young learners. Matthew’s leadership style emphasises collaboration, innovation, and a deep respect for the unique needs of each student, ensuring that every child is supported to reach his or her full potential.

He is passionate about empowering educators through professional development and encouraging the use of contemporary teaching practices. Under his guidance, schools have thrived like vibrant communities where curiosity is encouraged, values are lived, and students are prepared with the skills and confidence needed for lifelong learning.

Central Melbourne Rotary provides in-kind support to these schools when surplus items of new clothing and footwear are available, which they then share with students and family members.

16/04/2026

Program for meeting, Tuesday 21 April 2026

Rotary Central Melbourne meets at the RACV Club, 501 Bourke Street, Melbourne on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.

If you would like to visit our meeting you are welcome to join us in the Theatrette on the Chancery Level.

The meeting commences at 7:40am and concludes at 8:30am. Members and guests are welcome to stay for coffee, breakfast or a chat in the Bistro following the meeting

Our guest presenter will be Bryce McNair, who will remind us of the important work of Australian Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM), why it exists, how it works, the challenges it faces, some success stories, and what we can do to assist.

Bryce is the Rotary Southern Region Chair of Australian Rotarians Against Malaria. He has a background in law, economics and accounting and spent eight years as a ministerial adviser in Melbourne, Darwin and Canberra. Bryce ran a laboratory and two industry associations and was a management consultant before becoming a teacher. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Albury Wodonga Sunrise.

14/04/2026

Report from Meeting held on 7th April:
Guest speakers - Patricia Wilson and Warwick Cavell on the topic - Community Employment Partnership – Making a real difference to people with a disability.

Central Melbourne Rotary Vocational Committee members Warwick Cavell and Patricia Wilson (Belonging Matters) spoke about how they are working together to improve employment outcomes for people with intellectual disability and autism through the Community Employment Partnership (CEP). Emily Raymond is one of the CEP job seekers who secured a job through connections at Box Hill Central Rotary club and shared her story about the difficulties of finding a job through traditional means and how working has made a positive impact on her life.

This is not a project of charity but of community action. Employment is not only important economically and financially, but it builds our competence, skills, confidence and social connections. It’s a huge part of our lives and contributes significantly to our sense of belonging and self-esteem.

Emily said - Ask yourself what would your life be like without meaningful employment?
Patricia wants to help businesses meet their needs and assist in finding skilled staff to fill tasks that are not getting done or are being done by others who are not entry level workers. Diverse workplaces improve business morale, workplace culture and can broaden a business’s customer base. The takeaway for us was, who do you know that Patricia could chat with about potential work opportunities for her clients and to explain the support structure in place to assist a potential employer.

28/10/2025

Please note that due to the Melbourne Cup public holiday on Tuesday 4 November, the next meeting will be on Wednesday 5 November 2025.
You are welcome to join us in the Theatrette, Chancery Level of the RACV Club, commencing at 7:40 am and concluding at 8:30 am.

Our guest speaker is Richard Lawrence, who will discuss ‘Getting Projects Done Under a Military Regime’.

Richard has coordinated the Rotary Club of Essendon’s projects in Myanmar for the past 25 years. Projects include medical equipment to poor hospitals, education needs at schools, vocational training academies and children’s homes. He travels to Myanmar every year and others who wish to visit are welcome to join him as he follows up on Rotary projects.

Richard has been a member of the Rotary Club of Essendon for 29 years, and was President in 2008. He has worked in various professional roles initially in Real Estate and then managing his own business in the petroleum and aviation industries.

In recent years Richard has joined the Board of the Community Bank Keilor East as well as the Board of the Let Them Flourish Foundation.
Richard is also a current Board member of the Rotary Club of Essendon.

24/09/2025