Hello, welcome to the August edition of my DG eNews!
Official Visits So far this month I have completed 11 Official Visits. Thanks to those clubs that have made my experience so enjoyable and for members of those clubs who listened attentively to my message, laughed at my jokes and asked great questions! For those clubs I am yet to visit I look forward to hearing about what your club is putting in place Create Hope in the World.
Insurance Important Update. Our District Insurance Officer (DIO), Dallas Booth, wrote to Presidents and Secretaries last week to advise about changes to our insurance cover by AON. It is a must that all activities and events conducted by your club are sanctioned by your Board and minuted and that the exclusions to activities are noted and risk assessments are undertaken. Contact the DIO if in doubt.
I emphasise the importance of each club having a Verification Officer to monitor currency of Working with Children Checks (WwCC) and ensuring that all volunteers working with Rotary on activities involving children have a WwCC in place. Stiff penalties apply for breaches. A D9685 Cyber Security Committee has been formed and we are grappling with how we can effectively take responsibility at District and Club level with regards for the privacy of member, financial and official data. Please look out for additional information about these matters.
Say NO to Domestic and Family Violence Campaign and YES to Respectful Relationships Campaign.
A D9685 DV Committee has been formed and has met once. Thanks to those who have stepped forward to be part of this committee and to help lead some of the activities we have in mind. Additional reps are required from Cluster 2 (Riverside, North Shore and City North) and Cluster 3 (Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury Nepean). Let me know if you are interested in joining us.
Activities in the pipeline for 2023-24 include:
A walk in each cluster during the UN’s 16 Days of Activism 25 Nov – 10 Dec (arranged at Cluster level);
Club projects 9 (new or continuing);
A film fundraiser and photographic exhibition (to be confirmed);
A DV Seminar High Tea with guest speakers (date and venue TBC);
Club sponsoring of the high school programs ‘Love Bites’ and ‘Walk the Talk’ to engage young people in this conversation; and
Purple T-shirts (see design below) will be available for purchase and details will be made available shortly.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). I am pleased to announce that COTA (the District Board) has agreed to make available 1 scholarship to RYLA each year for the next 3 years titled the D9685 Liz North RYLA Scholarship. Liz North was former chair of RYLA and passed away earlier this year. This Scholarship is dedicated to her memory and her unstinting passion for RYLA. Applicants will apply in the usual manner with club sponsorship and the RYLA District Committee, chaired by Tony Durbin, will conduct the selection process. A club whose candidate is selected will have the opportunity to nominate a second candidate.
Science and Engineering Challenge Congratulations to Gavin Ralston and Barry Henwood for the successful conduct of these important youth events encouraging interest in STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects for students in Years 9 and 10. Winning schools will compete at the National Science and Engineering Challenge event hosted by District 9685 and 9675 and thanks in advance to Beecroft Club for agreeing to host the associated dinner. The event will be held at Sydney Olympic Stadium on 27 October 2023.
Youth Exchange. Welcome to our exchange students, newly arrived during the last 2 weeks and who are currently settling in with their initial host families. Thanks to the generosity of host clubs and host families we are welcoming 9 new students to D9685. The following students have arrived recently:
First Name
Last Name
Country
Host Club
Lisa
Wunderle
Germany
Central Blue Mountains
Kazushi
Shimizu
Japan
Mosman
Luis
Alonso Indiano
Spain
North Ryde
Paulina
Längle
Austria
Ryde
Justin
Cuennet
Switzerland
Umina Beach
Emiliano
Cortes Maureira
Chile
Carlingford
Iisa
Vilander
Finland
West Pennant Hills & Cherrybrook
Tomas
Brix
Czechia
Kincumber
Ingrid
Elkjaer
Denmark
Norwest Sunrise, Bella Vista
Fernanda Rapchan (Windsor), Marco Antonio Loncke (Mosman) and Sofia Oliveira (Turramurra) from Brazil who arrived in January will be here with us until early January 2024. Wow! They are half way through their exchange already!
The District Youth Exchange Committee is conducting our outbound/inbound training weekend at Blue Gum Lodge, Springwood on 4-6th August 2023 to orientate our new arrivals and preparing our 10 outbound students in readiness for departure in January 2024. My thanks to the YE Committee for their commitment and dedication to this life-changing experience for these young people.
National Youth Science Forum (NYSF)
Further to information provided at the President’s Meeting on 22 July, clubs are encouraged to continue to identify NYSF candidates and submit applications in the usual way.
Regionalisation
The D9685 Regionalisation Advisory Committee is chaired by PDG Kalma McLellan. Please ensure you and your club are aware of upcoming activities that are part of the pilot. More information in this Newsletter.
District Meetings
The G-Train, CPTA, Presidents AGs and the District Team have all met with me during the past 2 weekends. We are all keen to support your clubs and assist you to create hope in the world.
I trust you will now take time to read the newsletter for additional information.
The Rotary Foundation – Our Foundation – Our Charity
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all clubs within our District for their unwavering support to The Rotary Foundation during the 2022-2023 period! Your dedication as Centurions, Paul Harris Society members, and Major Donors to the Annual Fund will play a pivotal role in empowering our District to undertake significant local and international projects in 2025-2026, under the leadership of District Governor John Campbell.
We value your contributions to the Annual Fund in this Rotary Year, as they hold the potential to provide essential resources to our District in 2026-2027, subject to the outcome of the Regionalisation pilot. Together, we can make a lasting impact on our communities and beyond. Thank you for your unwavering support!
In the current year, we have been allocated $US 143,000 from the contributions made to the Annual Fund during 2020-2021. Half of this amount is designated for District Grants, while the other half is allocated for Global Grants. As of now, 34 clubs have already submitted their applications for District Grants, meeting the deadline of 31 July. These grants provide clubs with an opportunity to enhance their impact by supplementing the funds they are raising independently.
The applications cover a wide range of projects here in our communities as well as around the world.
Local project applications include:
Ryde – National Survivor Advocate Programme
Lane Cove – Recycled Environment-saving Plastic Replas Buddy benches
Umina – First Aid Courses in Primary Schools
International project applications include:
Wyong-Tuggerah – Education and Malnutrition Support in Sri Lanka
The Ponds – The Veinanumi Project - Empowering Women's Menstrual Health in Fiji
Brisbane Waters – Skills Training in Tailoring
Click here to see the full list of district grant applications.
At present, we are in the process of carefully evaluating all the applications before they are submitted to The Rotary Foundation for ultimate approval. Our meticulous review involves ensuring that each club has fulfilled all the mandatory requirements and assigning a priority score to each application. In the event that we have limited funds to accommodate all applications, we will keep the unsuccessful ones on a Waiting List, in case a selected applicant is unable to proceed with their project. Our aim is to inform all clubs about the status of their projects by early September.
To expedite the approval process, kindly ensure that your club has submitted the signed MoU and fulfilled the TRF giving goals in Rotary Club Central.
Please contact me (0419 980 529) or our Grants Chair, David Rivett (0418 410 106) if you have any questions about District or Global Grants.
At the 2023 Rotary International Convention in Melbourne, I asked all Rotary members to become champions in our effort to illuminate mental health needs near and far. This includes helping one another feel more supported, advocating for mental health services, and building bridges with experts in the field to expand access to treatment. It’s an important task and a big ask. But it’s also something that should feel familiar to every Rotary member — because everything we do is in the spirit of caring, giving, friendship, and compassion, and has been from the beginning of our organization.
We’ve grown into an amazing global network of 1.4 million interconnected community leaders — leaders who share a deep commitment to doing good in the world. But what makes Rotary powerful isn’t just what we do for the communities we serve. We also support and empower each other, by creating a safe space for our members to bring their whole, authentic selves. We show each other comfort and care.
These connections are deeply meaningful. The U.S. surgeon general recently declared loneliness a public health epidemic. Dr. Vivek Murthy said, “We must prioritize building social connection the same way we have prioritized other critical public health issues such as tobacco, obesity, and substance use disorders.” I am proud of what Rotary has done across generations to build those kinds of social connections — and this magazine focused on loneliness and what Rotary can do about it in its January 2023 issue.
Our worldwide community and our foundational value prioritizing Service Above Self makes Rotary a powerful global advocate for mental health. A recently published study by Ohio State University found performing acts of kindness was the only one of three mental health interventions tested that helped people feel more connected to others. Study co-author David Cregg said, “Performing acts of kindness seems to be one of the best ways to promote those connections.”
This research suggests what we’ve known all along — that doing good helps transform not just the communities we serve, but it also transforms us. As we put a greater focus on mental health, let’s not think of this effort as something new to Rotary, but rather as something we can do better and as a result have a greater impact on ourselves and the people we serve. We are not starting this effort from scratch. The Rotary Action Group on Mental Health Initiatives has been focused on these kinds of issues for several years — and we will be looking to members of that group for leadership as we continue to build awareness. Mental health care fits comfortably within several of our areas of focus. As of May, there are 41 global grant-supported projects with a mental health focus. Many of them have tremendous promise, and we will be highlighting them in the months ahead.
So let’s work together to erase the stigma associated with emotional well-being, raise awareness of mental health needs, and improve access to preventive and interventional mental health services.
The next RLI Course is being held on Friday 11th August to Sunday 13th August 2023. Our next course, currently open for registrations is 11-13th August this will be the 76th course that has been run in our District. Please click this link to register for our August Course now. This is an excellent opportunity to increase your knowledge of Rotary, and to develop your leadership skills.
Remember this!
Well, it is on again this year for the 6th year in a row. Mark and Dave Anderson, Rotary Club of Beecroft, work tirelessly in the preparation for this event, and on the day of the Train Ride. As a District, we need to support this amazing cause and event.
The date for this year is once again, Tuesday, 24th October 2023. Put it into your diaries.
For information about Ride the Train to End Polio, click HERE.
More information and details will follow as we get closer to the date.
2. Update on Regionalisation
a. Regionalisation Club Representative
Many thanks to all D9685 clubs which have nominated their Regionalisation Club Rep! Great progress! If your Club has not yet selected a representative who could receive all of the information about Regionalisation planning and its future implementation, now is the time! Please advise PDG Kalma McLellan when the representative has been selected.
b. Regionalisation Updates
In the coming months the Regionalisation Team will be sharing:
● Position descriptions for Regional Council and Specialist Network roles ● How the Regional Council will be elected and the timeframe for elections ● Guidance on community groupings so clubs can start conversations with members
If you want to know more, become part of the reference group by subscribing here. If you have any questions please reach out to the Regionalisation team via the website feedback form or as mentioned above, via emailing rotaryregionalpilot@gmail.com.
D9685 Regionalisation Team
3. The Rotary Foundation Recognition dinner We are pleased to extend an invitation to all our esteemed members to join us at The District Rotary Foundation Recognition Event on Monday, November 6th, at the Epping Club. The event will begin with registration at 6:15 PM, followed by the main program starting at 7 PM.
We are especially delighted to announce that our foundation's trustee chair, PRIP Barry Rassin, will grace the occasion as the guest of honor. This recognition event holds immense significance for The Rotary Foundation and our district. It is a time to come together and celebrate the remarkable achievements of individuals who have played a crucial role in the success of The Rotary Foundation's initiatives and goals. By acknowledging their valuable contributions in a public forum, we aim to inspire and motivate others to actively participate in Rotary projects and contribute to the Foundation's noble endeavors.
We encourage you to attend this event and extend the invitation to your fellow club members as well. The gathering will not only be a celebration of philanthropy but also an excellent opportunity to showcase the positive impact Rotary has on communities worldwide. Through increased visibility, we can attract new members, donors, partners, and supporters, thereby enhancing Rotary's public relations and creating greater awareness about our charitable work. Let us come together on this special evening to express our gratitude, celebrate our achievements, and strengthen the spirit of Rotary. We look forward to your presence and support at The District Rotary Foundation Recognition Event. See you there!
Click here to register for the event and show your support to Our Foundation Our Charity.
4. End Plastic Soup Seminar, 27th July, presented by Melanie Lewis
If you mised the excellent seminar presented last Thursday night, please click on the link below.
End Plastic Soup, District 9685 Seminar 1, 27 07 2023 1
5. Review of RAWCS Administration Fee on Donations
RAWCS administration fee of 2.5% is no longer sufficient to cover the fixed administration and regulatory compliance costs. This has resulted in a small operating loss in 2022-23 and a projected loss in 2023-24 unless adjustments are made.
RAWCS will always maintain transparent financial reporting to donors and stakeholders, showcasing how their contributions are utilized and emphasizing the importance of covering costs but to also demonstrate that RAWCS is one of Australia’s leading charities when it comes to the amount of donations that actual go to the humanitarian programs, “Cents to the Cause”. For more information, click HERE.
6. Rotarian Journey into Cambodia - Sustainable Cambodia
Compared with surrounding developing countries in the region, Cambodia ranks one of the highest in national poverty. According to the most recent Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey (CSES), the incidence of poverty is considerably higher in rural areas with 40 percent living on less than 35 cents a day.
Sustainable Cambodia is a unique non-profit organization, co-founded by Rotarians, governed by Rotary values and using all-volunteer international staff. Sustainable Cambodia Australia (SCA) and Rotary Clubs from around the world bring education to rural Cambodian children, and work hand-in-hand with the village families, empowering them to create self-sustaining communities with clean water, ample food, and opportunities for self-reliance. Through practical educational and economic opportunities, children and their families sustain and continually improve their quality of life. The long-term goal is to empower rural communities to spread this unique model throughout the country of Cambodia, ultimately helping millions of Cambodians to transform the quality of life in their communities.
The Rotary Club of Central Blue Mountains manage this project for zone 8. Several Rotarians and clubs in D9685 support the project, either by supporting school or university students, or assisting with Village projects. If you would like to know more about our project or the upcoming tours please contact PDG Jennifer Scott on 0414367631 or jennifer@scottadr.com
If you are looking for resources to help you with My Rotary, here is a list of what is available. Click HERE for the list. You can find these at the following link on My Rotary rcc.rotary.org/#/resources. There is information on many areas, eg. How To Set a Goal in Rotary Club Central.
8. Rotary Police Awards State Event (see poster in Club Buzz)
This year the State Police Awards event will be on Friday 3rd Nov 2023 at Hyatt Regency, Sussex Street, Sydney, I have attached the Save the Date poster for reference.
Note: Police nominations are now open to the Police commanders and the public awards – closing Friday 25th August.
The public nomination links are below for the appropriate categories.
On a further note – we are always after donated prizes for this State Awards event for our Raffle / silent auction prizes – If anyone can help, would be greatly appreciated to contact me.
Trina Phillips, Joint Chair - Rotary NSW Police Officer of the Year Awards (POOTYA)
Radio is a powerful way to spread your Club stories. If your Club has a project, local or overseas, which would interest the wider general public, discuss it with Rotary Matters presenter Ian Stuart who will be glad to help spread the word. Ian.stuart@optusnet.com.au 0416 138 860
Here is a story about the new satellite Rotary club established under the auspices of Ku-ring-gai Rotary Club. In the meantime.
to let us know of any bereavements you would like published. It would be much appreciated if you also sent a short biography and photo for an information link in In Memoriam.
You may also inform your Assistant Governor, the District Secretary, or the Governor. Remember to also update your club's member database on the District website.
THE MONTHLY THEME FOR AUGUST IS MEMBERSHIP AND NEW CLUB DEVELOPMENT
Think of your friends, co-workers and family members who have a heart for service and would enjoy the fellowship, friendship and service opportunities that Rotary offers. Invite them to a meeting!
RLI is a training course offered to Rotarians to develop their skills in leadership and management within Clubs to improve performance, knowledge and enjoyment in leading or helping to lead Clubs in the District.
The next opportunity is RLI 76 which will be held on-line.
RLI 76 - 11/12/13 August 2023
(More courses to follow in the future)
The courses consist of three parts over one weekend, all delivered by Zoom. Course materials will be sent to registered participants directly.
You are receiving this email as a member or friend of one of the Rotary Clubs within Rotary International District 9685. If, for any reason, you do not want to receive communications of this nature, please unsubscribe by un-checking the box in the 'Privacy' tab of your member profile on the District website, or by selecting the 'unsubscribe' link at the foot of this newsletter.
District eNews is reviewed weekly for publication on Thursday at least every two weeks. Content provided and all rights reserved by Rotary International District 9685 Inc
"The Club Buzz" is where you will find some exciting and relevant programs or events happening in our Clubs and in District 9685. 
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