The Rotary Club of Boulder is one of two Rotary Clubs in the Goldfields (Rotary Club of Kalgoorlie being the second) and is a local arm of the international organisation that works towards the betterment of community through networking of local businesspeople and fostering stronger relationships between businesses and community.
Dave attended a few meetings out of curiosity and found the group’s work and purpose resonated with his values and joined officially, a little over ten years ago.
Until you do it, you don’t realise how beneficial being a part of something is… Until you actually join or get involved in something like the Rotary Club of Boulder you don’t know what you are missing.
“I’ve always been involved in some kind of community service since high school, and I joined at a time I was looking for new ways to be engaged and make a difference and get me out of the house. I was also playing hockey at the time, which was great, but I wanted to get back into more community service. One of Boulder Rotary’s biggest initiatives is what’s now known as the Goldfields Family Assistance Fund… and when I joined, I’d just become a father for the first time and the aim of that fund is to support families who have to travel for treatment for sick children… as a first time parent it really struck a chord with me and then just the scope and assistance the club can provide for the Goldfields community is impressive.”
Rotary Club of Boulder has several regular big events on their calendar they organise and fundraise for including the Australia Day breakfast, the annual Radio Auction – an event held in the last half of the year, but preparation starts as early as March, an annual Race Day at the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Racing Club, and projects helping communities in Bali and Tanzania.
“One of the cool things about Rotary and why it works so well is that it’s very transparent. Very transparent in where we spend the money, all funds go to the project, we have no admin costs, it’s all volunteer… there’s some associated costs, but very minimal and they’re all paid for through in-house fundraising. For our international projects a lot of fundraising is done by the members and 90% of our fundraising directly benefits the Goldfields and Goldfields families needing to travel for medical treatment for a sick child.”
The Rotary Club of Boulder is also unique in that it is the only branch of the international organisation in WA that has an all male membership. This is intentional, not as a means of exclusion, but to create a supportive space focused on men’s mental health and wellbeing. Female members are welcome at the Rotary Club of Kalgoorlie branch and the club values inclusivity and regular collaborations with mixed-gender and women’s groups and wider community initiatives to make a positive impact together.
“As an all male group, it’s a rare opportunity for guys to just be guys in a healthy way, and have that social connection and support… and just spend time with friends. There’s no egos, no judging, everyone is equal and everyone has an equal say. We can have healthy disagreements, but there’s no grudges, it’s a safe space. There are instances when we have members going through major health concerns, relationship difficulties or other life challenges and these guys know they can come along to a meeting or chat to a member, or not talk about, if that’s what they need, and have a break from whatever they are going through. Rotary can be an opportunity to not have to deal with whatever it is for a spell. I’ve absolutely made some great friends at Boulder Rotary. The social side of it is so important and it’s key… one of the pillars that supports the organisation. We couldn’t do what we do if we didn’t all get along, we rely on each other to get the job done…for me, if I don’t go to a meeting one week (*Boulder Rotary has a standing Tuesday night weekly meeting) for whatever reason, it’s a noticeable gap. I really miss it.”
The door is always open for new members or those just curious to find out more. While there can be a perception that Rotary is just for older people, people who have retired and looking for a new outlet that going to work used to fill, or at a point in their career where they have a little more freedom in their work commitments, this is an outdated view and the organisation is welcoming to new members of all ages and actively encourage younger and older generations to get involved. They are looking for people who feel they have something to offer and looking for a way to contribute and connect with other like-minded individuals.
“It’s very, very rewarding to hear about the families in the Goldfields our work helps, and more rewarding again to know there are families around the world we are actively helping who we will never meet. The easiest thing to do is find us on Facebook and send a message or contact us through our website, just get in touch and come along to a meeting at The Tower on a Tuesday night. We even have travelling Rotarians from other countries look us up and say hi when they happen to be in town. I did that exact thing with a South African branch when I was on holiday. It was a lot of fun and amazing to see how similar and different clubs are… it was as simple as reaching out and saying I’d like to meet you.”
Dave is currently serving a 12-month term as President of the Rotary Club of Boulder.
Rotary Club of Boulder website: https://www.boulderrotary.com.au/
Interview by Sarah-Jayne Eeles