We gather together on the lands of the traditional custodians, the Wurundjeri people. We pay our respects to all of Melbourne’s First Peoples, to their ancestors and Elders, and to our shared future together.
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Presidential Press
Thank you to the twenty five Camberwell club members and thirteen partners and friends of members who attended in support of the Rotary Club of Canterbury “FORaMEAL” project. It was a year to the day when we last did this.
Also in attendance were many Canterbury Club members so this was a fine example of club collaboration which resulted in the packing of 15,300 meal packs. A great outcome!
There was also a lot of delicious food and a variety of cuisines available, some of which I got to take home – Thank you Nania Pandher. Delicious!
Members hard at work!
Just a reminder of some events which are:
25/2/25 – Camberwell Historical Society meeting. Prof Michael Buxton will discuss Urban Planning and Heritage protection.
25/2/25 – Balwyn Rotary have organised a Visit the Metro Tunnel Project
7/3/25 – Hawthorn Rotary President Dorothy Gilmour is inviting all members to a Rotary Safe Families on-line Joint International mega meeting
Full details are in the Club news section of the bulletin.
I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday 19th February at Conochie Hall when speaker Graham Ross will be discussing the importance of the Gardiners Creek Catchment. Our District Governor Nominee Graeme Hope will also provide an update on the upcoming Multi District Impact Summit.
Let the Magic of Rotary continue to Create Hope in our Communities and the World!
Sunday 30th MARCH - note this time has changed to 1pm
Our annual MYELOMA WALK fundraiser this year will be at Heidelberg - we are linking up with another myeloma community group ( given the day no longer falls on our Hawthorn Makers Market day - as has been the case in the past )
For Greatest WALK merchandising materials ( tees, hats etc ) go to the link below to purchase online - but make sure you order before the 21st FEB - to ensure it will arrive from the mail house in time for the Walk.
Friends and family are welcome - we understand the walk is not too strenuous through the parklands
Let's get in behind the myeloma community and this walk - our Club has a very proud history helping establish this not for profit to help those with this incurable blood cancer.
Any queries - contact Adrian Campbell - 0431 146 530
Chris Carra, Susie Lachal, and I had the pleasure of attending (on-line) the official opening of the Toilet Facilities at Kompong Thom High School. Below as are some pictures of the participants and facilities and social media post. This has been a great International project with funding also received through the Rotary Foundation.
George de Souza
Deputy Governor of Stung Seng Province (middle) with Principal and Deputy Principal
Gemma Sisia is returning to Australia in February and March 2025 to share the latest updates, stories, and inspiring achievements from The School of St Jude in Tanzania.
Joining her are two incredible alumni and aspiring young Tanzanian professionals and leaders, Winnie, and John, who will showcase the school’s tangible impact.
Check out our itinerary and event schedule to find out where and when our delegation will be speaking. We look forward to seeing you there!
We have only five club members scheduled for this event on which we are being supported by Andy Spry a former member. If anyone believes they can make it, then please register as soon as possible. This is a great fellowship opportunity and hands on project for our Club.
Have you ever wondered which Sunday you have been allocated to? Can't find the email from Alan? Then look no further!
This new widget has been added to our website Home Page - it's in the right-hand column, right under the 3 most recent Bulletins. And it will be published in each Bulletin as well. Just click on the blue "CSM Signup List" link. It's quick, simple and if Alan has to make changes during the month, it's "live" so always up to date. Try it!
AABWA International Women's Day Luncheon 8 March 2025
You are warmly welcome to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) Luncheon coordinated by Rotarian PP Kim Wen (Rotary Kew). Kim is a formidable business entrepreneur who is highly skilled in promoting business networking.
As an inaugural event, your support is much appreciated as it hoped this will have the same reign of the previous IWD event a number of members supported, founded by Rotarian Kerry Kornhauser AOM. Please book through Try Booking.
Rotary International Golf Fellowship 6th-11th April 2025
This is for golfing Rotarians. There are a few spots available for the event at South Lakes Golf Club, Goolwa, South Australia.
Please complete the entry form if you wish to attend. There are also can also opportunity to play or participate in the tours organised for partners of Rotarians.
The Rotary Leadership Institute - One Day Learning Program
Rotary Leadership Institute is a 1-day learning program for new and newish members, prospective board members and avenue of service chairs. It is a fabulous day of networking, information sharing and personal development based on Rotary history, programs and projects.
This is special invitation for the President elect, president nominees, new board or committee members, and those who have only been in Rotary for a few years.
The session will be led by PDG Julie Mason, with facilitation by PP Lesley McCarthy and Jane Pennington. Please attend this rewarding and positive experience. Lunch, morning and afternoon tea, drinks, a learning handbook and resources provided.
For further information, please contact Lesley McCarthy 0417 532 259
We are so pleased and proud to share that in 2024 we supported 110 Education CHANCES Scholarship recipients. We wholeheartedly thank each of our eleven partner schools for their partnership throughout 2024. We know that working together helps to best support the education outcomes for all young people.
In December and January we granted over $120,000 in scholarships to young people in our partnering schools and tertiary institutes in Boroondara for 2025 scholarships. We look forward to celebrating our recipients and sharing their educational journeys. We would like to extend a very heartfelt and sincere thank you to all of our generous supporters who allow our scholarships to continue to have an impact on the academic endeavours of young people in Boroondara.
An essential part of our scholarship program is application submissions from our nominators from each of our partner schools. Nominators are those people within schools who may be a part of the school wellbeing team, a chaplain, a school leader or a teacher. These people work closely with young people to support them each and every day and develop relationships with each young person and their parent/s or caregiver/s. They are best placed to understand the academic progress of a young person, their goals for the coming year and their future and their needs outside of school.
When the applications are received from our partnering schools, our General Manager reviews each application in the first instance. Each application then goes through an independent review and moderation process by a team of volunteer reviewers who are passionate about Education CHANCES and the work we do and committed to supporting and nurturing the educational future of young people in Boroondara.
One of our goals for 2025 is to strengthen relationships with local primary schools. The purpose of this is to promote our Transition Scholarships for Year 7 students beginning their secondary school education. We know just how important this time in a young person’s life is and equally, how demanding this can be financially for a family. Education CHANCES supports academically talented young people beginning Year 7 to have the resources which they need to begin school. We look forward to strengthening relationships with local primary schools in 2025.
We remain incredibly grateful for the generous support that we receive, year in year out. We look forward to keeping you updated about the impact of your gifts on our students in future editions.
Advancing Women, Building Peace - A Panel Conversation
Rotary celebrates International Women’s Day 2025! International Women's Day is celebrated each year on 8 March to help recognize the achievements of women and support equality for women and girls.
Register and submit your questions for the panelists at the Advancing Women, Building Peace webinar. This online discussion takes place Tuesday, 11 March, at 11:00 Chicago time (UTC−5). If you can’t take part then, register anyway and you’ll receive a recording of the session.
This conversation featuring speakers from around the world will focus on the critical leadership role women have in building sustainable peace and how Rotary is uniquely positioned to support these efforts. The event is open to Rotary members and nonmembers of all genders.
Rotary and our members have a long history of promoting peace and working to address the causes of conflict in communities around the world. We use sustainable, measurable activities to create environments where peace can be built and maintained.
Research shows that when peace efforts include women in systematic and representative ways, the solutions address women’s interests and the results last longer. “Women’s participation in peace processes is about more than gender equality,” the UN has said. “It is about revolutionizing peacebuilding: creating solutions that reflect the needs of all people and address the underlying conditions that drive conflict in the first place.”
PDG Murray Verso, Zone 8 End Polio Now Coordinator, recently produced and article in February’s edition in Rotary on the Move. He outlines impact of the changes to the current US administration foreign aid on the polio eradication program.
The current U.S. administration is withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO) and has announced sweeping changes to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) ordering a near-total freeze on all foreign aid.
The WHO is a founding partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and historically the US government has been the second biggest contributor to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
What impact will these moves have on our goal for a polio free world?
Rotary members across the South Pacific help the people of Vanuatu
Rotary South Pacific In Unison Newsletter, Feb 2025
On 17 December 2024 a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Vanuatu, followed by multiple powerful aftershocks. The devastating disaster caused a significant number of fatalities and injuries, displaced thousands of people and damaged major infrastructure. Critical assistance was required immediately. Fortunately, Rotary members leapt into action!
District 9910 Governor Jenn Wong, The Rotary Foundation (TRF) team at Rotary International’s Sydney office, and TRF Trustee Dennis Shore joined forces to promote District 9910’s designated disaster fund and TRF’s global Disaster Response Fund to Rotary members in the South Pacific.
Members, clubs and districts responded to the call out immediately. To date, it is estimated that a combined total of over AU$200,000 was raised across all fundraising, including a Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) project. This is an extraordinary result! Your generous donations flowed to essential water, sanitation, and hygiene projects, ensuring that affected communities regained access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities. In fact, the first priority project – restoring access to clean water in two villages home to approximately 10,000 people – has already been successfully completed.
District Governor Jennifer Wong emphasises that Rotary is committed to supporting Vanuatu’s long-term recovery. ‘While the immediate crisis response has been remarkable, our work is far from over. By continuing to invest in water, sanitation and hygiene projects for schools and medical clinics, we are laying the foundation for a stronger, healthier future for Vanuatu.’ says Jenn. "We are grateful
for all the support from Rotary members across the world but in particular from across Rotary South Pacific.’
The Regional Council commends the collaboration demonstrated by Rotary’s rapid response to this natural disaster.
Dennis Shore Trustee, The Rotary Foundation 2023-27 — February 7, 2025 (published in Rotary on the Move, Feb 2025)
The month of February in the Rotary calendar is 'Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month'. Of course, it is also the month of Rotary’s 120th birthday anniversary and the connection is entirely appropriate.
Peace building is in Rotary’s DNA and is enshrined in the mission statement of both Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace
To underscore this commitment, RI President Stephanie Urchick is convening a Presidential Peace Conference in Türkiye on February 20-22, 2025. The event will coincide with the first cohort of Rotary Peace Fellows studying in Rotary’s newest Peace Centre, Otto and Fran Walter Rotary Peace Centre, in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, located at Bahçeşehir University (BAU) in Istanbul, Türkiye. The crucial need for skilled peace builders with specialised knowledge in this region is starkly evident.
Over the past week, communities across North and Far North Queensland in Australia have been devastated by torrential rainfall. The heavy weather has cut power, forced hundreds to evacuate, and required the Australian Defence Force to erect a temporary bridge near Ingham for critical supplies.
District 9560 has appointed Rotary member Neil Andrews as District Disaster Coordinator to spearhead the response effort. The district is also supporting the Rotary Club of Hinchinbrook to work with other service providers and partners to provide AU$500 EFTPOS cards to residents prioritised by authorities as displaced evacuees. The club currently has AU$10,000 initial funds and District Governor Andrew aims to release a further AU$5,000 of district disaster funds, with the consent of their Board.
If you, your club or district would like to support District 9560 with donations of money to help the people of Queensland with their most immediate needs, please contribute to the District 9560 Disaster Fund using the following account details: BSB 633-000 and Account Number 186414595
Thank you kindly for your consideration and thank you for your service in Rotary!
Rotary SAFE Families has gone global! We are so excited to be invited to share our Rotary SAFE Families initiative with the world.
We are becoming an advocate for not only prevention of family violence and abuse in Australia, but to global peace and mental health literacy.
We have made this decision in the hope we can help build a culture of peace (family) whilst preventing family abuse and violence to anyone, anywhere, anytime!
We are honoured to be joined in our global endeavours by three inspirational Rotary International leaders – Immediate RI Past President Gordon McInally, Immediate RI Past Vice President - Pat Merryweather-Arges, Chair Rotary Action Group for Peace - Grace Van Zyl
Please join us at our first global Mega-Meeting on Friday 7 March at 11.00 AM (AEDT)
Your help is needed! Volunteers are required for the following event. Click on 
