We were delighted to welcome our new District Governor, Deb Frugtniet, and her husband Craig to Surfers Sunrise on Wednesday.
Craig started the morning by sharing a very personal and moving story. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer while still in his 50s and, although his treatment has been successful, he spoke openly about the fact that the journey wasn’t always easy. Normally an upbeat person, Craig found there were days when the physical and emotional effects of treatment really got him down.
That experience is behind his choice of Lift the Lid as his Partner Project for Deb’s year as District Governor. Lift the Lid, an Australian Rotary Health initiative, raises awareness and funds for mental health research.
Craig isn’t asking clubs to do anything complicated. His hope is simply that each club in the District will hold an event, have some fun, start a conversation about mental health and raise a little money along the way. A simple idea, but one with a very personal story behind it.
Then it was Deb’s turn.
Deb described herself as something of an “accidental Rotarian.” A Rotary club happened to meet at a venue she managed. Curiosity got the better of her, she discovered what Rotary was all about — and the rest, as they say, is history.
For Deb, Rotary became a place to belong, an opportunity to serve and a way of making a difference alongside people who genuinely care about their communities.
That sense of connection is clearly important to her. Under the new regionalisation structure, District Governors are no longer required to visit every club. Deb, however, believes those personal connections matter and has made a real effort to visit as many clubs as she possibly can.
She also brought us up to date on regionalisation and what the changes will mean for our club. From 2028, our District footprint will change considerably, with the New South Wales component moving away and our area joining with Brisbane.
Deb also acknowledged the work being done by Rock as part of the Regionalisation leadership team.
It was a relaxed, informative and at times very personal morning. Thank you, Deb and Craig, for visiting Surfers Sunrise — and we look forward to supporting you both during the year ahead.
Photo (by Chris O'Connor): Craig and Deb Frugtniet, President Mario Fairlie.