We wish to acknowledge and pay respect to the traditional owners of this land
– the Aboriginal people past and present.
It is upon their ancestral lands where we are today.
As we share our knowledge, Rotary practices and ideas, through this newsletter and all of our activities, may we also pay respect to the knowledge embedded forever within the Aboriginal Custodianship of Country.
As a 10-year-old Ruby Seeto believed that everyone should give back to others in return for those who have helped them in the past.
The daughter of a past District 9920 Governor Ron and wife Sharon Seeto, it is no surprise she has embodied Rotary’s ethos of (Service Above Self).
In 2006 at the age of nine Ruby was diagnosed with a rare cancer that involved the removal of a 1.6kg tumour, 70 per-cent of her liver, as well as her gall bladder, after a seven hour operation Ruby went through 14 rounds of chemotherapy and over the next 12 months of hospital care in great pain, she helped manage that pain by doing what she loved constantly drawing pictures.
On her release, Ruby decided she wanted to do something to all those that had helped her through that difficult past year, and also, support other children in similar situations. Using her artistic skills, she designed a Tea Towel (because everyone needs a Tea Towel).
With the help of her mum and sister, Ruby arranged for this first tea towel to be screen printed and then sold them through her family and friends. The Tea Towel were so successful she raised $4,000 for Koru Care.
This was just the beginning since then she has struck up a partnership with a family-owned linen Company to produce the Tea towels and has sold over 80,000 (she makes a new design every year) and raised over $500,000 for the Starship Foundation.
Ruby will be just one of our special Conference presenters on Saturday 13th March 2021, so I urge you to register now, and don’t wait till the conference purchase a tea towel now.
Why not check out our Conference at our website now.
Conference information can be found at: https://www.district9685conference2021.com
That was my advertisement for our conference, now for the newsletter Editorial
Over my 45+ years in Rotary I have meet many Rotarians at Rotary-related events and on these occasions, I frequently ask, ‘What does your club do?” In most cases the first thing they tell me about is all the Club’s fundraising efforts and how much money they give to other organisations.
So, my next question is, “what else does your club do?” which is mostly met with an awkward silence or a long pause and sometimes a “What do you mean?” As they dig deep to come up with an answer.
Why you ask, do I ask these questions? It has been my observation that most clubs too easily see their main purpose as raising money for other organisations, and they expend most of their volunteer resources to raise money at the expense of becoming directly involved in serving the community. Even our own RDU magazine last couple of months had a flyer in it that asked you to leave some money in your will to the St Vincent de Paul society.
So, it should be no surprise to anyone that we are seen and known in our community as (the bank of Rotary). Just ask a no-Rotarian, what does Rotary or their local Rotary Club do? And I bet they will tell you that the club raises money to give away to other organisations.
Yes, I know That fundraising for Polio or to support of your local or global Rotary projects is certainly an act of service. But, I have also seen fundraising consume most of their club’s energy, which leaves little left for rolling up their sleeves and engaging personally in service in their local community.
After a fundraising project has finished, the first thought in the club is almost always, “what new fundraising project can we do now’?
Through my travels in the past and as DG this year I have heard many enthusiastic and inspiring stories from Rotarians related to their personal and direct involvement in service. And I have seen clubs energised and strengthened by their direct service projects. I have not seen a similar sense of enthusiasm from fundraising activities. We must be mindful of our members age and their capacity to do service work, but there are numerous things out there that we can do in the community without taxing our older members to exhaustion.
Fundraising is still an important role in any Rotary Club, but it should not take the (Self) out of (Service Above Self).
In closing I would like to wish you all a very happy and beloved Christmas or holiday time enjoy your time off and lets come back next year (we hope) to a world a little more normal. Even if you don’t believe in Christ or Christmas it is a wonderful time to enjoy time with family and friends and to give to others.
A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this year just that much better for people in this COVID-19 period.
And remember “If it stops being Fun stop doing it”
And the last word
Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today
Inhale the future, exhale the past
Let every bruise make you stronger
Every tear makes you braver
And every heartbreak makes you wiser
Because the only moment that truly matters, is
This one right now
You cannot Change the past
You cannot predict the future
But you can live for the Present (that is why it is called the GIFT of life)
Thank you D9685, for your support and participation during Foundation Month. We have many new CENTURIONS who signed up during CENTURION WEEK. This initiative created quite a bit of interest and I will advise you how many signed up in next month’s E-News. Stay tuned!
Well done and Thanks for your effort, CENTURION CHAIR PP Gavin Ralston.
CLUB PROJECTS and FOUNDATION GRANTS
The scorecard for D9685 Clubs in 2020 stands at 38 District Grants and 14 Global Grants so far this year. That is a great achievement and it is a lot of doing good in the world!
Grants Chair, Haran Ramachandran has published a Grants Dashboard on the D9685 website providing much information on these projects. Just go to the Foundation TAB under Club Service and click on GRANT ACTIVITIES. You will find it interesting
CLUB GIVING AWARD- END POLIO IN 2020
Fundraising in COVID times is challenging. However, RI President Holger has requested all Clubs to donate USD1500 to End Polio. So in 2020, the D9685 Club Giving Award – EP will be awarded for Club donation of AUD2200 or more.
We would really like to present one of these to your Club.
The centenary celebrations are coming together – starting to get exciting!
We have secured branding on a double decker tourist bus for a 3 month period, which will be available for club and community events
Clubs already have centenary baton relays in planning.
Peace poles are on order for erection in schools
Vege seeds have been collected very successfully for Step-by-Step Christmas hampers – thank you all so much, it is a great collection. If you still have some, please let me know ASAP as the hampers are being packed very early December.
For those with a green thumb, a list of region-appropriate propogations has been received and includes, among others:
Grevillea Rosmarinifolia “Juniperina” or “Bronze Rambler”
Brachyscome Multifida
Chorizema Cordatum “Flame Pea”
Callistemon Citrinus
Scaevola Aemula “Fan Flower”
Hardenbergia Violacea “Happy Wanderer”
Agapanthas
French Lavender
Osteospermum
Viburnum Tynus
If you are interested in the complete list, please contact me!! We hope to have these available from Mar-May 2021.
Let me know how YOUR club is planning to celebrate next year!!
Just a reminder that we are asking every Club to prepare a 3 to 5 minute video about what you have been achieving during this annus horribilis. The videos are due to the Communications Director by the end of January. The finalists will be featured at the District Virtual Conference in March 2021 and the winners will be awarded a PHF to give to someone of their choice. This is a bit of fun, a bit of a promotional opportunity for your Club and should be an enjoyable challenge for all.
2. LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT WEBSITE
All Learning and Development materials have now been placed on a separate website linked to the District 9685 website. If you need any materials for learning and development programs within you Club, view the materials from the President Elect Training (now PELD) and District Assemblies over a number of years. Click here to reach the website https://landd.rotarydistrict9685.org.au/ . You need to set up an account for which you will receive an email confirming the set-up and also confirming your login and password. This is a totally confidential email automatically generated by the program, and as such has, and will, only be seen by you, the person setting up the account. For instruction on how to set up the account, click HERE.
3. DISTRICT CHANGEOVER, 2021
The date has been set for the District Changeover from this Rotary Year (2020-2021 DG David Clark) to the next (2021-2022 DGE Lindsay May).
The Changeover will be held on Sunday, July 4th, 2021 and will be a lunchtime event (place and time TBA). Please put this date into your diaries.
4. REGISTERING FOR THE DISTRICT CONFERENCE, 2021
Registering for the District Conference can be done here:
Finding out more information about the Conference can be found at the District Website HERE
5. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE CLUBS SUPPORTING "TREES OF JOY"
So many of our District's Clubs are running the Christmas Tree of Joy project. All of them are truly exceptional. If you see one of these Christmas trees in your local shopping centre (and there are many), stop by. Give the Clubs your support, or more importantly, tell your family, friends and neighbours to go along and support those in need that are being provided gifts they would never have been able to get.
6. CLUBRUNNER UPDATES
Many Clubs have just held their Annual General Meetings, and have elected their new Boards for the 2021-2022 Rotary year. This is a reminder to enter all of the names of the Board Members for 2021-2022 into ClubRunner either through your own Club's ClubRunner site, or through the District website. Go to Member Area, Organisation, Executives and Directors, select "Next Year" to go to 2021-2022, and enter the names into the portfolio areas. You can change some of the portfolios based on the needs of your Club.
District 9685 shares in the celebration of the 104th birthday of long standing St Ives Rotary member, Wal Edwards. Congratulations Wal. A wonderful achievement for a wonderful man.
The Opening Night for the inaugural Carlingford Community Art Show was held on Tuesday 24th November, with District Governor David Clark, AG Robert Erskine, Club President Bob O’Shea and Club President-elect Sudhir Mooray announcing the winners of the various categories, as judged by well-known Australian Artist Ken Done. Given this is the first of what we hope will now be an annual event, we were delighted with the number and quality of entries.
With almost 400 quality art works by Australian Artists accepted for exhibition and now available for sale, we seek your support to have a browse through the Art Gallery and find one that brings you joy ! Artists are from NSW, VIC, SA and QLD and all would appreciate making a sale in the rep-up to Christmas after a challenging year. Our club will also earn a commission from the sale which we are donating to two fantastic organisations who provide support services to victims of domestic violence and homicide - Parramatta Mission and Grace’s Place.
Sunday 8th November was ‘The Day the Teddy Bears had their Picnic’. AND WHAT A DAY IT WAS! At McMahons Park, Kurrajong.
Kurrajong North Richmond Rotary hosted a Teddy Bears’ Picnic complete with games and yummy food hampers with a good old Rotary Sausage Sizzle for over 100 local residents, visitors and guests.
Jim Berrell, the President of the Kurrajong North Richmond Rotary Club said the highlight of the day was presenting ‘Interplast’ with a labour of love ... 222 hand knitted Trauma Teddy Bears for young children undertaking life changing surgery.
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
For these latest podcasts, see "Read More"
Kidney Dialysis in Remote Communities….thanks to Rotary
Wednesday 25th November 2020 was a significant date for the Rotary Club of Wahroonga as it was the 45th anniversary of the foundation of the Club; the charter night event was held at the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Police Citizens Boys' Club (now PCYC) in George Street, Hornsby.
The Club’s charter was granted by Rotary International on the 10th November 1975. To help celebrate our 45th anniversary, President Janelle Speight organised a special cake.
Friends of Nepean Emergency (FONE), a project of the Rotary Club of Lower Blue Mountains, has been offered the opportunity to participate in Penrith Panthers “Trees of Hope” campaign. Members of the public can vote for the best decorated tree, with the winners receiving a cash prize. FONE’s aims are primarily to support children and their parents in the Emergency Department. More than 500 young patients each month will be provided activity resources to entertain themselves whilst undergoing treatment for illness and accidents at Nepean Hospital Emergency. The activity kits will include two colouring books (one for 3-7 years old, and one for 8-11 years old) along with crayons, pencils and stickers.
FONE’s Committee chair said, “We welcome this opportunity to raise awareness of the work they do in the Emergency Department at Nepean Hospital. Our Xmas tree has an Australiana theme with handmade ornaments of koalas, kangaroos, crocodiles and emus as well as painted gum leaves and gumnuts. The colourful bags on the tree contain pencils and stickers, representing the children’s activity kits given out at Nepean Emergency department.”
Panthers members can visit the Christmas Trees in the Club’s foyer. Please Vote for Number 2 FONE tree and make a difference to the many children and families that will be treated at Nepean Emergency department.
Pictured L to R:- Amanda Roots, Irene Morrison, Carolyn Fitzpatrick, Karalyn Brown
Rotary Fellowships are international groups that share a common interest. Being part of a fellowship is a way to make contacts and/or friends all around the world. You could explore a hobby or profession to enhance your Rotary experience.
This week’s fellowship highlights the: The International Golfing Fellowship of
Rotarians (IGFR). Their welcome message includes:
“The International Golfing Fellowship of Rotarians is one of the 75 social groups that share a common passion. Being part of our Golfing Fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world. Enjoying life amongst Rotarians while playing golf on the most exclusive golf courses on the globe! There is nothing better! IGFR was founded at the birthplace of golf, at St Andrews Scotland, in 1964. She has spread her wings over Australia, Europe and North America and is now exploring the continent of Africa, Asia and South America.
Every Rotarian of any nationality can apply for membership.” For more information regarding this Rotary Fellowship, visit:
to let us know of any bereavements you would like published.
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 2021 Rotary International Convention will be here soon — and it’s going to be an unforgettable experience. Taking place 12-16 June in Taipei, Taiwan, the convention will offer fantastic entertainment, motivational speakers, inspirational sessions, and uplifting energy. Enjoy all of it with old friends and new ones.
We hope you’ll join us in Taipei to Feel the Energy. Don’t forget to invite your friends — download the promotional kit and share our official video about Taipei on your social networks.
The Membership Resource Guide has been updated. The hyperlinked resources below (underlined) can be downloaded on www.rotary.org by clicking on the hyperlink. If you experience any trouble when downloading resources, please email membershipdevelopment@rotary.org
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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
