Our next meeting will be 6:00pm for 6:30pm on Wednesday 25 March at the Graphic Arts Club, 182 Coward Street, Mascot 2020.
Visitors are very welcome - please make yourself known at the bar!
Membership Fees are now due
President's Message
Welcome to this Newsletter of the Rotary Club of Botany Randwick Inc. Our club has been serving the local and international community since 1948.
Rotary promotes the ideal of service through fellowship. Attending our meetings allows members to enjoy the fellowship of other club members, enrich their professional and personal knowledge, and meet other business leaders in their community.
As a Club we support a wide range of projects. As well as having a broad range of local and international community projects, we are particularly focused on the Rotary projects, Australian Rotary Health, Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) and Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC) together with The Rotary Foundation.
We welcome everyone to come along to any of our meetings to join in the fellowship and to learn more about what we do.
The speaker this week will be Nikki and Fiona from No Loose Ends. They will speak about why organising your life admin, legal and financial details and personal wishes is one of the most important things you can do to make life easier for the people you love so your family isn't left dealing with confusion and guesswork, in the event that something happens to you.
We will also finalise our planning for support of the BBQ at the Ronald McDonald House Walk-me-Home event of 29 March.
Afterwards we will adjourn to the Graphic Arts Club Restaurant for dinner, drink and a casual chat.
Our last meeting - 11 March
Last week our Honorary Member, Aunty Barb Simms, told us of her four days accompanying Martin Luther King III during his recent visit to Sydney.
Part of Mr King's visit included working with Career Trackers, a non-profit organisation that facilitates internships for First Nations' university students.
Aunty Barb was most honoured to welcome him to Aboriginal Australia as a First Nations woman.
Aunty Barb also gave us an insight into growing up as a First Nations child and a member of the Stolen Generation.
District Conference 14 March
Ten of our members attended the District 9675 Conference at The Brighton, at Brighton-Le-Sands last Saturday. And what a fantastic day it was.
MC'd by young Rotarians, the Conference featured inspirational and entertaining speakers, including:
PDG Wendy Prothero on the work of the Rotary Foundation
Matt Caruana, an Ambassador for Lifeline
Prof Veena Sahajwalla, former NSW Australian of the Year, who is revolutionising recycling science
David Barnes, a leading light in the Rotary Falls project
PDG S Senguttuvan from India on the building of a three-floor COVID Hospital in just 45 days
Superintendent Christine McDonald, Commander of Burwood Police, on modern policing.
There were also a number of entertaining break-out sessions and lengthy lunch and tea breaks for lots of fellowship with like-minded Rotarians.
That night, we enjoyed a Gala Dinner with a Bollywood theme, thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Next year the Conference will be out of town. Let's start planning now for a Club weekend away in Ulladulla next March!
Ronald McDonald House BBQ 29 March
Please set aside 29 March, when we will again support the BBQ at Ronald McDonald House in support of their “Walk Me Home” fundraiser. We had a great day at this event last year! More details to follow.
How well do you know your Rotary Basics?
Rotary Basicsis a comprehensive overview of Rotary's extensive history, from how it was founded to how it operates today. It tells all about Rotary, including its structure, values, international offices, the Rotary Foundation and much more.
2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month at the Graphic Arts Club, 182 Coward Street, Mascot. 6pm for pre-meeting drinks and chat. The meeting, followed by dinner, starts at 6:30pm and the evening normally concludes by 8:30pm.
Two-year-old Tom, from a remote island in Vanuatu, arrived in Sydney last Monday for treatment at Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick.
Tom will receive treatment for bilateral club feet. On his first visit to the hospital both his legs were placed in plaster casts to ready him for surgery next week.
For a little boy used to having the run of his home and village, the casts are restricting him somewhat, but he is facing up to the challenge!
Tom and his Mum, Marie, are staying at Ronald McDonald House, close to the hospital. The Rotary Club of Botany Randwick has been a long-time supporter of the House, and we currently sponsor a family accommodation room.
Tom and Marie are expected to stay in Sydney for about four weeks. During their stay they will be supported by members of the local Vanuatuan community, together with the ROMAC Eastern Region and District 9675 Team. Members of our club will be assisting.
It is somewhat of a challenge communicating, as Marie speaks Tok Pisin and some French. However, Google Translate has proved of enormous benefit, with a lot of laughs at some of the “close” translations.
We look forward to following Tom's progress and hope that it won't be long before he is up and running around on his two new feet!
This project, by the Rotary Club of Botany Randwick (District 9675, Australia) in partnership with the Rotary Club of Kampala City (District 9213, Uganda), aims to renovate existing dilapidated classroom blocks and construct two new classrooms at Bukono Primary School in Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda.
The school, originally established in the 1920s, now serves over 1,500 students in severely overcrowded and unsafe learning conditions.
The proposed works will include the repair and replastering of existing classrooms, construction of two new brick classrooms with iron roofing, painting, and installation of water harvesting systems.
The initiative will be implemented by AMPE Foundation Africa (Uganda) under the supervisory oversight of the Rotary Club of Kampala City, ensuring transparency, accountability, and sustainable community ownership. Local community members will contribute labour, sand, and bricks, while Rotary and AMPE Foundation will provide funding, coordination, and governance.
Upon completion, the improved facilities will directly benefit over 300 students and indirectly impact more than 1,500 families in the surrounding villages.
Every month is dedicated to one of the major themes of our Rotary lives.
March is WATER, SANITATION and HYGIENE Month
Clean water, basic sanitation and proper hygiene are fundamental human rights, yet a staggering 2.2 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water.
We're taking action! Over the past decade, your Rotary Foundation has invested more than USD180 million in over 2,500 water and sanitation projects worldwide. Rotary is on the ground making a difference through global grant-supported projects.
Rotary's efforts to connect people with clean water go beyond providing a basic necessity. We are paving the way for healthier communities and brighter futures and doing so in a sustainable manner. With access to water, communities enhance education levels, improve health and further development.
The Four Way Test
The Four-Way Test is a non-partisan, non-sectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships.
Of the things we think, say or do:
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
To contact the Club, please email info@botanyrandwickrotary.org.au
Our next meeting will be 6:00pm for 6:30pm on Wednesday 25 March
