Wow! What a year it has been. Fast-paced, hectic and such a privilege to serve as your District Governor. I loved every minute!
A recent highlight!
Singapore turned it on for the Rotary International Convention 2024!
Held at the magnificent Marina Bay complex, the space easily held approximately16,000 Rotarians from around the globe. The colour, the happy faces, the buzz was exciting! From the flag ceremony of the opening of the event, followed by the amazing opportunity to hear Graca Machel* speak about the right of all girls to have an education and the need for children and women to hold equal place in societies to the closing remarks by RI President Gordon McInally when he asked us all to continue to work on mental health among all that Rotarians do, there were so many ‘take-aways’. RIP Gordon encouraged us to look forward to a more peaceful and hopeful future while working on those programs that continue: End Polio Now, our work in the 7 areas of focus and so much more. The entertainment, cultural highlights, food and House of Friendship added to the jam-packed program with a dragon or two!
* (*the former Minister for Education and Culture for Mozambique and the only dual first lady - as wife to Samora Machel (Mozambique) then Nelson Mandela.
Mixing with so many who share common Rotary goals, sharing moments with other Rotarians about how we do what we do was inspiring. Learning new approaches and participating with the 42 from our District enjoying all that the convention and Singapore had to offer was uplifting. And yes, we did enjoy a Singapore Sling together at Raffles!
Congratulations to our Jennifer Scott AM who was the 2024 RI Convention Chair – the work she and countless others put into every aspect was evident and reflected at every turn. Congratulations to Melanie Lewis our Environmental Chair who, despite not feeling the best, presented a wonderful session on End Plastic Soup – we can all do more in this space. Also well done to DGE Niranjan Deodhar who took part on a panel on annual giving and how this benefits your club. All Rotary projects world-wide are the results of our giving.
At the closing ceremony RI President’s wife, Heather McInally. sang with Australian DGE Michael Lapina beautiful songs from Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables which was a highlight for me! The banner has now been handed to RIPE Stephanie Urchick and we must support her in all that needs to be done as we go about telling the world of the Magic of Rotary – all who attended the convention certainly felt that!
And the grand finale was the Red-hot Pipers!
I began the Rotary year with 4 goals. I am delighted that clubs have rallied to address them. With greater attention paid to member engagement in activities and social events clubs have built capacity and enhanced club culture to be reflective of who we are and our impact to create hope in the world. Clubs have collaborated to a greater degree, and this has energized projects and brought new life to community events. I cannot express my gratitude enough to each Rotarian and club that has contributed in some way to the Say NO to Domestic and Family Violence and YES to Respectful Relationships Campaign. Our collective efforts to raise awareness, engage in walks, raise funds, conduct a webinar and plan for a corporate fund raiser as well as a multitude of support projects for local women’s shelters has made me incredibly proud of our efforts. Thank you. The 4th goal, giving to the Rotary Foundation needs your support. As we move toward the end of the tax year please consider individual and club donations. To date our District donations are down on previous years. Let’s make up for it in these final weeks.
This year has occurred with the backdrop of preparation for the Regionalisation Pilot which will launch on 1 July 2024. Congratulations to our recently elected Rotary Community Leaders (RCLs): RCG-1 Russell Zimmerman, RCG-2 Jade Catherall, RCG-3 Michele Ellery, RCG-4 Russell Grove and RCG-5 Ruth Vumbaca. Each of them has begun their training to lead their D9685 Rotary Community Group (RCG) over the next 2 years.
My thanks for all you have done and given (time, energy, effort and funds) to contribute to our local, national and international communities during 2023-24 and for making me feel so welcome whenever I attended your meetings or events. Thanks again for the work you have done and will continue to do as a Rotarian. It has been my privilege!
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you for the hope you've created in our world this Rotary year. It has been truly remarkable to witness the active participation of Rotarians and clubs in our Foundation programs, whether through district grants or utilizing DDF for Global Grants.
To date, 33 clubs have completed their district grant projects, with 5 more nearing completion. These projects have brought hope to communities near and far, from refurbishing parks in Tanzania to combating malnutrition in Sri Lanka. Additionally, 26 Global Grants were approved this year, supporting projects ranging from providing water for farming to constructing toilets and offering medical interventions like HPV vaccination for girls.
This level of participation in our Foundation programs is incredible and is only possible because of the generous contributions that Rotarians and clubs make to the Annual Fund. Without your support, these projects could not have come to fruition. I urge you to consider supporting our Annual Fund to help build our seed fund, enabling Rotarians to continue creating meaningful and sustainable projects locally and internationally, collaborating with the larger Rotary family.
Over the past four Rotary years, our giving to the Annual Fund has totaled close to USD 300,000. This year, we have already reached USD 154,000. While this is a significant achievement, there is still more to be done. I am confident that with your continued support, we will surpass the contributions of previous years.
We are on the brink of eradicating the second communicable disease from our world, giving hope to children that they will not be touched by Polio. Many of us may be unaware of the impact of this dreadful disease, yet it could be just a plane ride away, as seen recently in Canada. I humbly request you and your club to make generous contributions to the PolioPlus fund, as our annual giving has been below previous Rotary years.
Additionally, the RISPPO Grants officer is seeking ideas for projects that can be funded via CSR grants, as well as clubs interested in implementing these projects. These projects could be current District Grant projects that are upscaled or new initiatives. Two areas that I believe we can focus on for CSR grants are Domestic Violence and Mental Health.
To help develop these ideas and projects, the grants office is looking for three people from each district who are passionate about making a larger impact in the community, particularly in the areas of Domestic Violence support and Mental Health. If you are interested, please reach out to me so that we can provide the names of the champions for these causes from our district.
The Rotary Foundation District Team is also looking for members to get involved in shaping our district's foundation goals and improving member participation in our foundation programs. The district team is here to help and support clubs turn their ideas into grant applications. We are also available to share our foundation stories with clubs through speaker programs. Please consider requesting one of the team members to be a guest speaker at your club meeting.
I understand that this message has taken up a fair bit of space in your inbox, as well as your valuable time. Thank you for your continuous support of our foundation. Together, we are making a difference in the world.
It’s customary for a Rotary president in the final month in office to recap the past year on this page, and I am proud of all we have achieved together. But I want to focus on our future, and that begins with polio.
We have reached an astonishing 3 billion children with the polio vaccine, and we have averted an estimated 20 million cases of paralysis. But it’s not enough. We must continue supporting the End Polio Now campaign to reach zero cases and keep our promise to the world’s children.
Polio is not our only global commitment. In fact, Rotary has been working toward global peace even longer. Spreading Positive Peace through service projects and Rotary Peace Centers around the world is more important than ever.
We must also continue to build peace from within, and that begins with supporting mental health and wellness among our fellow Rotary members and the communities we serve. Rotary has an opportunity to help build a global mental health system that currently does not exist, and I urge all members to consider joining the Rotary Action Group on Mental Health Initiatives to keep up the momentum we began this year.
It’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve as your president. You have given Heather and me memories we will cherish forever. I look forward to our continued friendship and our collective commitment to Create Hope in the World.
1. The Rotary Down Under Magazine has some fabulous features this month, eg. one on Mr Rotary (Bob Aitken OAM), and one on men’s health!
The June edition of Rotary Down Under has been sent out digitally to those who receive it in this format. Members who receive the printed version should receive their copy this coming week.
It is always packed with interesting articles. This month you will find the articles on men’s health of particular interest, and particular information about bowel scan being relevant to everyone.
Click on the image above to view the article about Mr Rotary (Bob Aitken OAM) in the June issue of the RDU Magazine, pages 16 to 23
Click on the image above to view the Men's Health supplement in the June issue of the RDU Magazine, pages 28 to 51
2. Rotary Convention Reports and Photos - Click on the Photo Album
You can see these events listed in the District Calendar, or for RLI, in the newsletter in the RLI section on the left hand side of this newsletter, or on the District website. However, this is just a reminder of what is coming up before the end of this Rotary Year:
4. Message From Bob Selinger, First Nations Partnerships Programs for District 9685
Crows Nest Rotary recently supported Jessy Coulson (see below) with $500 to cover half of the fees for her attendance at a Professional Learning course at Cape York. Her school paid the other half. This could be an opportunity for clusters of Clubs to support one or more Aboriginal students in reclaiming their heritage. Please contact Jessy Coulson if your Club is interested.
Hi Bob,
Firstly, I wanted to send another thanks to yourself and the team at Crows Nest Rotary for supporting me in attending the Professional Learning with Red Earth in July.
I am reaching out again to see if the club would be willing to support students attending a trip to Central Australia in late September. After working hard to get this interstate trip approved and organized, I am happy to report it is going ahead, despite almost not meeting the minimum attendance requirements.
Currently, I have 19 students set to join a 5-day cultural immersion to Central Australia with myself and another teacher. The trip costs approximately $3200, which is unaffordable for some families of students in my Aboriginal Studies course. With this in mind, I am looking for ways to support these students financially or if the Rotary Club could consider contributing to help reduce the cost per student.
You have already been incredibly helpful, and I don’t want to come across as greedy. I completely understand if you prefer to support other schools or students with different opportunities. However, if you don’t ask, you don’t know, so I am reaching out just in case there is an opportunity for support.
Kind regards,
Jessy Coulson Learning and Support Coordinator (Year 10 - 12) HSIE Teacher Cammeraygal High School (Senior Campus) 149 West Street Crows Nest 2065 Ph: 9954 7100
5. Some More Ideas from the RDU Magazine
Five Ways Your Club Can Prioritise Public Image in April 2024 (670)Posted April 5, 2024
Appoint a public image chair to coordinate the sharing of your club’s stories with your community.
Set goals to enhance your club’s public image in Rotary Club Central, where you can conveniently record club goals and track progress.
Watch the ‘Getting Started with the Brand Centre’ video to get an overview of the tools available to help you tell your club’s stories.
Take one – or more! – public image courses in the Learning Centre. Among them are ‘The Rotary Brand’ course, which conveys the benefits of a consistent, recognisable brand, and ‘Our Logo: Representing Rotary’, which demonstrates how to use Rotary’s logos consistently and correctly.
Use the People of Action messaging and materials in the Brand Centre to build awareness and understanding of Rotary and the difference your club makes.
Click on the image above for more information about Rotary Fellowships.
Rotary Fellowships are international groups that share a common passion. Being part of a fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world, explore a hobby or profession, and enhance your Rotary experience.
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
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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. 
Monthly theme for June is Rotary Fellowships
