At our meetings we aim to have fellowship and fun, enjoy a good meal and listen to an interesting speaker as well as communicate activity updates to members. There is an opportunity to have a drink with fellow Rotarians and guests before the meetings commence at 7:00pm and the Sergeant-at Arms, who manages the meeting, rings a bell to give a 5-minute warning. He or she has the job of making sure everyone is at his or her table by 7:00pm.
The President asks all to join him (or her) in Rotary Grace, which is found on the back page of the Bulletin, and then we toast the Queen and the people of Australia. Once these formalities have been completed, the President will start the meeting by welcoming Rotarians and guests, and making announcements appropriate at the time. Each of our members receives our club newsletter (Hills Views) each week by e-mail but a limited number of hard copies are produced for the tables. The President gives Directors and others an opportunity to make announcements about Club or District activities and there is a further opportunity for fellowship when dinner is served. The main part of the meeting now takes place with a presentation by our guest speaker who is introduced by a member. Our Club strives to have interesting speakers with the topics over fields far and wide but on occasions such as tonight, special presentations and wards are made. Members are given an opportunity to ask questions to our speaker, followed by a vote of thanks by a member.
The Sergeant then conducts the fine session where members are fined (hopefully a gold coin). This part of the meeting is a lot of fun with members being fined for any perceived misdemeanors or if they have any obscure relationship with recent happenings or events. While the Sergeant plays the major role, members are given the opportunity to cross fine each other.
From time to time (usually four times a year) the club will conduct a Club Forum or Assembly instead of having a guest speaker. The purpose of this is to promote open discussion by all members of issues and activities relevant to the club’s operation. After the drawing of the raffle, the President informs all about next week’s meeting, thanks members and guests for attending and requests all to stand for the National Anthem. We aim to finish our meetings by 8:30pm though when we have partner’s nights, or a special presentation night such as tonight, appropriately, we may find ourselves finishing a little later.