Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 22 February 2023 at the Graphic Arts Club
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. It is part of Rotary International - a worldwide organisation of more than 1.2 million business, professional and community leaders whose members provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 33,000 Rotary Clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. As signified by the motto "Service above Self", Rotary's main objective is service - in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.
Rotary promotes the ideal of service through fellowship. Attending weekly club 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 are fortunate in have a steady source of income from our collection bins at Sydney Airport, allowing us to support a wide range of local and international 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) as well as The Rotary Foundation.
The Guest Speaker at our meeting on 22 February 2023 will be Ngaire Segal, daughter-in-law of our late member, Alan Segal.
Ngaire is a singer-songwriter and active member of the Australian music industry for 17 years and 4-time ARIA Nominee.
She will be talking with us about her proposal to establish a creative arts academy in Papua New Guinea, the first of its kind. An institution for aspiring, up-and-coming creatives to further develop their craft and career. This will be facilitated with an ongoing exchange of knowledge between the students and industry professionals from Australia and the Pacific Region.
Our last meeting
Our meeting on 8th February was a convivial social get together and dinner, providing a chance to catch up with other members after the holiday break.
President Christine spoke about her work over January, including planning meetings with Secretary Greg for the year ahead, discussions with the Graphics Arts Club about our meeting venue and new arrangements for the coin collection at airport.
Aunty Barb gave an interesting account of the difficulties endured by indigenous people and her personal stories.
Our Youth Chair, Paul, reported on his first meeting for developing the youth portfolio, and will follow up at the next meeting.
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, with dinner, starts at 6:30pm and normally concludes by 8:30pm.
The Rotary Club of Botany Randwick has been a long-term supporter of Ronald McDonald House at the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick. The House provides accommodation and support for the families of children from regional areas undergoing treatment at the Hospital. This is a mutually supportive arrangement as we are often able to have children from the Pacific Islands being treated under the Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC) program also stay at the House.
One element of our support is sponsorship of one of the family accommodation rooms. Last year:
47 families called our room home
Average stay was 6.5 days
The longest stay was a family whose child was being treated for cardiac issues and stayed for 50 days. They usually live 1,385 kms away from Sydney in South Australia, where the necessary cardiac facilities were not available.
The most common diagnoses of patients using this room include oncology, gastrointestinal and neurological.
As a part of our International Service, the Rotary Club of Botany Randwick has been a longtime supporter of the Sustainable Villages Project, which is a Rotary Australia World Community Service project in the remote Oecusse enclave of Timor Leste. Our funding has supported improved water supply to a number of villages as well as the Green Games.
The idea for the games came up in 2006 when Luis Armando, Director of GREENTL and Judy Charnaud, a Sydney Rotarian, were having a general conversation re young people in Oecusse having too much spare time on their hands and not seeing a bright future for themselves, many finished school, could not afford to go onto further education and had little opportunity of employment, leading to disenfranchised and easily angered young people. Luis suggested organising a sporting competition to give them something to do.
When the Rotary world arrives in Australia for the 2023 Rotary International Convention, between 27-31 May, our vibrant country will be in the spotlight. This is a rare chance to be an ambassador for Rotary in Australia and for the warm, welcoming host city of Melbourne, so register today!
The convention promises to be an inspirational event, with distinguished speakers, energizing breakout sessions, and abundant opportunities to brainstorm ideas for ‘Doing Good in the World’ with Rotary and Rotaract members from around the globe.
Join us in Melbourne, the cultural capital of Australia, to Imagine What’s Next as we form and strengthen connections and learn from one another.
Register now to get a reduced rate and encourage your friends to do the same. This offer expires 15 December.
Rotary International President-elect R. Gordon R. McInally called for members to capture the world's attention and lead the way toward possibilities far beyond our current expectations.
McInally, a member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, West Lothian, Scotland, revealed the 2023-24 presidential theme, Create Hope in the World, during the Rotary International Assembly in Orlando, Florida, USA, on 9 January. He urged members to promote peace in troubled nations, help those affected by conflict, and maintain the momentum of initiatives begun by past leaders.
Watch the theme address
"The goal is to restore hope — to help the world heal from destructive conflicts and, in turn, to help us achieve lasting change for ourselves," McInally said at Rotary's annual training event for incoming district governors.
McInally spoke about a woman he met in Ban Taling Chan, Thailand, where Rotary members helped build houses, a meeting hall, and childcare and health care facilities following the tsunami that devastated South Asia in late 2004. The woman had lost her husband, her daughter, and her son in the tsunami, as well as her livelihood. But she still had a gift to offer McInally: a beautiful seashell.
"She went on to tell me that Rotary... had restored her optimism. We gave her hope," McInally said.
"This is how Rotary brings lasting change to the world," he added, "one restored or newly created hope at a time."
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
When the Rotary world arrives in Australia for the 2023 Rotary International Convention, between 27-31 May, our vibrant country will be in the spotlight. This is a rare chance to be an ambassador for Rotary in Australia and for the warm, welcoming host city of Melbourne, so register today!