Melodie loves her role as District Governor
 
When Melodie Kevan first enquired about joining Rotary there were very few clubs that had female members and applying to join was quite a long-winded process of proving one’s eligibility. Some twenty-two years later she is the Governor of District 9465 and there’s hardly a day goes by that she’s not visiting a Rotary Club within the district, attending a Rotary function somewhere in the world or answering numerous phone calls and email messages. She’s also an avid Facebook user, promoting Rotary’s many avenues of service. Never a dull moment for Melodie.
 
This week, DG Melodie was the special guest of the Rotary Club of Armadale and enjoyed a chat-style interview with Past President Peter Warren, as she shared various aspects of her Rotary journey and what it’s like to take on the role of District Governor. Melodie is a long-standing member of the Rotary Club of Applecross, where she has held many leadership responsibilities, including, of course, Club President. Throughout her journey through the stages of District Governor-Nominee, then District Governor-Elect and now District Governor, Melodie has been accompanied and greatly encouraged by her husband, Past District Governor, John Kevan.  Together, they travel some amazing distances across the metropolitan area, across Western Australia and sometimes interstate and overseas. Although there are certain monetary allowances afforded to a District Governor, Melodie typically covers the shortfall from her own resources.
 
Despite their extremely busy schedule, Melodie and John still enjoy some quality time with their grandchildren and they often host visiting Rotarians from around the world. They have made very many quality friendships through Rotary and enjoyed staying with fellow Rotarians when visiting other countries When asked who her favourite hero was, Melodie suggested her own grandmother would qualify for that accolade. The District Governor is keen to see clubs going the extra mile to recruit new members and would especially love to see more women joining Rotary, as they have so much to contribute. She encouraged the club to send a good representation to the Rotary in WA Membership Forum at Alfred Cove on Sunday 01 November (see notice on page 3).  Melodie also loves to see younger generations getting involved through Rotaract, Interact and  programmes such as Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), Rotary Youth Programme of Enrichment (RYPEN) and Youth Science Awards.
 
Following the armchair interview, DG Melodie spent some time reviewing the club’s annual checklist of activities and congratulating President Gail and members on the wide range of community and humanitarian projects that the Rotary Club of Armadale is involved in. She was delighted that we had recently admitted two new members and that we have a strong public presence through various events and online.
 
Melodie made special mention of the great work done by Past President Jeff Cairns and Rotarian Eileen Alford in coordinating the BowelScan programme that has had a huge impact across the district and probably saved many lives. She also made special mention  of Past President Craig and his Ride to the Other Side team, which has generated great publicity and raised significant funds for Rotary and other worthy charities.Members enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions of Melodie and give some feedback.