AUGUST 2026 DISTRICT 9685 NEWS
Visit www.rotarydistrict9685.org.au for regular updates
DISTRICT GOVERNOR'S UPDATE
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
POLIO    RAWCS    ROMAC
CLUB NOTICEBOARD 
 
Email items for the District News to communications@rotarydistrict9685.org.au by the 25th of each month
  DISTRICT GOVERNOR'S UPDATE AUGUST 2026:
 
 DG JULY 2026 Highlights, awards & recognitions [Read here]  
 
District 9685 official facebook page [Follow here           
 
DISTRICT 9685 NEWS & UPDATES: [Read more here]
 
Have you empowered a member of your Rotary Club?
 
Club Development Champion should have been added to the Club Leadership team in ClubRunner. If not, the President will continue to receive updates.
 
Our first edition was emailed.  It covered;
  • The RLI (Rotary Leadership Institute)
  • Setting goals in My Rotary
  • Action and Fellowship groups
Together, we can create clubs where every member feels informed, valued, connected and inspired to serve.
 
Read more about;
 
 
Hands on Rotary Club Goal Setting workshop
One of the most important things your club can do early in the Rotary year is to set meaningful goals in Rotary Club Central. These goals provide your roadmap for the year ahead and help measure the impact your club will make in your community.
I'd like to invite you to join me for a hands-on, interactive Zoom workshop where we'll work together to complete your Rotary Club Central goals.
 
During this workshop, you'll:
✅ Navigate Rotary Club Central with confidence
✅ Understand the key goals every club should consider
✅ Set realistic and achievable club goals
✅ Enter your goals during the session
✅ Ask questions and receive live support
 
Please come prepared:
💻 A laptop or desktop computer (recommended)
🔑 Logged in to My Rotary (my.rotary.org) before the session begins
👤 Your My Rotary username and password
👥 Presidents, Secretaries, Membership Chairs, Foundation Chairs, Club Leaders and Board Members are encouraged to attend.
 
Registration is essential 👉 Register [here] or 
via link: https://rotarydistrict9685.org.au/.../hands-on-rotary.../
📅 Sunday 16 August 2026
🕕 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
💻 Zoom Meeting
(Will be emailed to registered attendees)
 
 
Celebration Luncheon photos [link here
Thankyou very much to Maureen & Rod Rose for the wonderful memories captured at the Celebrations & Awards Luncheon.
(Please contact Communications9685@gmail.com if photos do not download)
 
 
🎉Welcome NEW Rotarians to 31 July 2026! 
NEW members receive a welcome email from the District Governor. Clubs - please continue to nurture, engage and connect your new members, the first 90 days matter enormously.            
 
  RI President Yinka Babalola 2026/27
As members of Rotary, we are all united across cultures, languages, and communities. Together, we share a responsibility not only to bring about change but also to ensure that the effects endure.
That is why this year, we are called to Create Lasting Impact.
When we work alongside communities, invest in people’s skills and leadership abilities, and measure our progress, we ensure that positive changes can continue in our communities and in ourselves long after a single project ends. When we focus our efforts and work together, we can maximise our impact in the year ahead.
Yours in Rotary, Michele
District 9685 Governor
Rotary Club of Lower Blue Mountains
Let’s celebrate our good news loudly!🎉Send your club, project or event news, plus photos to: communications9685@gmail.com  
Early Bird Tickets to Sept 30: Register here!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
District 9685 Grant submissions due 15 August 2026
See Resource information and forms: [here]
 
Thank you to all D9685 Club Foundation representatives for attending our
2026 Foundation Seminars, for resource assistance please contact District 9685 - Rotary Foundation Grants Chair 2026-27, David Rivett:david.rivett@bigpond.com
 

PDG Niranjan Deodhar 
District Foundation Chair 
 

 
Congratulations to all of the project managers and deputy managers of D9685.
To date we have 91 projects in 23 countries, 30 of those being in Australia.
 
The uptake of the Rotary Australia Compassionate Grants has been excellent with 22 projects having the advantage of being matched up to $15,000 due to the generosity of Dick and Pip Smith who have donated another $1m to RAWCS from their Foundation.
 
Some of our newer projects that utilise the matching funds:
  • The Safe Room project –trialling an avenue for victims to access support without their perpetrators finding out - Ryde Rotary
  • Providing a car lift for a wheelchair – Upper Blue Mountains Sunrise
  • Providing an Accessible Spinner for a playground allowing for using wheelchairs access to outdoor fun – Greater Blue Mountains
  • Mary’s House DV Refuge - delivering approximately 250 hours of specialist counselling and trauma-informed programs for women and children living in refuge or transitioning to longer-term housing – North Sydney Sunrise
  • School breakfast program - delivering basic breakfast food to schools and Neighbourhood centres – Toukley Wyong
  • Healing Harmonies- Music program at Derby high school in remote Western Australia is a primarily Indigenous music program designed to keep children engaged in school by providing a safe, creative outlet through rap, song writing and music production – E-Club of Greater Sydney
Think about special needs in your area and consider applying for a RAWCS grant.
 
Our Quarterly Meeting will be held 15th August at the Grandview Hotel in Wentworth Falls from 2.00pm. We would love to have you come along and hear some great guest speakers and stay for dinner.
 
 
READ MORE [HERE]
 
BOOK [HERE]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PDG Mina Howard
District RAWCS Representative
 
END POLIO UPDATE JULY 2026 NEWS [ READ HERE ]
 

Vale Ray (Biggles) Hancock, Rotary Club of Kenthurst

Final Programs available:book [here]
DISCOVER ROTARY
Start Your Rotary Journey with Confidence
MAKE THE MOST OF ROTARY
Discover more opportunities to connect, contribute and grow
email: rli@rotarydistrict9685.org.au
Rotary Pitch For Purpose Finals: Book your tickets: Here
Saturday, 19 September 2026, ⏰ 9.00 am to 1.00 pm
Western Sydney University, Parramatta South Campus
 
 
 
 

Where Vision Meets Action.

From 30 October to 1 November 2026, Rotary South Pacific will gather at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre for two powerful days of leadership, connection and action.

Hosted by Rotary International Director Jennifer Scott AM (Conference Convenor) and chaired by PDG Tony Monley OAM (Conference Chair)

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