Our next meeting will be 6:00pm for 6:30pm Wednesday 14 May, 2025
at the Graphic Arts Club, 182 Coward Street Mascot
Visitors are very welcome
Members are reminded that Membership Fees for the Jan/Jun period 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.
Our guest speaker at this meeting will be Graeme Cowen.
Graeme is the author of the best-selling BACK FROM THE BRINK book series, a Board Director of R U OK? and host of our The Caring CEO podcast. Over the last 12 years he has helped thousands of leaders and teams to be more caring, mentally healthy, and growth oriented. He is a regular media commentator on workplace resilience in volatile times.
Graeme loves hiking and has so far ticked The Kokoda Trail, Lara Pinta and Camino Way off his bucket list. He attributes his writing skills to reading every copy of Rugby League Week when he was in Year 12.
And no doubt we will also have casual chat over dinner!
Our last meeting
Our last meeting on 23 April was a relaxed casual affair.
With no guest speaker, Treasurer Richard outlined some features of our Club finances. First up was the structure of our membership fees, a necessary evil required to cover levies by Rotary International and District 9675, both needed to ensure that they are positioned to support their vital roles. As these levies are paid in advance, it is critical that members reimburse the Club's coffers by paying their membership fees promptly.
Richard also discussed out major sources of income, from the Airport coin collections and invested funds from the former Randwick Rotary Club. These sources of funding are used to support local and international projects, including our Youth related projects. The Club is also a donor to the various Rotary programs, The Rotary Foundation, Australian Rotary Health, ROMAC and Rotary Australia World Community Service.
Richard also highlighted the Club's website, and in particularly the Member's only section linking to Clubrunner, which covers the administration of the Club and our event and activity planning and support. Members were encouraged to log in to contact Richard if they had any issues doing so.
During the meeting, member Warwick reported on his recent holiday in Sri Lanka. During the trip he had an opportunity to attend a meeting of the Rotary Club of Kandy, presenting President Simon with a banner, together with warm greetings from the President of that Club.
One of the benefits of Rotary is the welcome that is given to Rotarians, wherever they are. With over 46,000 Rotary Clubs worldwide, it is quite a network!
After the meeting, all present adjourned downstairs for a delightful dinner in the Graphic Arts Club dining room.
On ANZAC Day, 25 April, President Simon, with his grandson Harley and member Richard, laid a wreath at the Coogee Dawn Service, a very moving event attended by over 10,000 people.
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.
Windeward Bound is a charity founded in 1999. The Windeward Bound Trust also aims to foster good character and a spirit of enterprise in the youth of Australia generally, including youth disadvantaged or hampered by circumstances who could not otherwise participate. It is the principal philosophy of the Trust that no young person should ever miss out on the Windeward Bound opportunity because of personal circumstances or lack of funds.
They had an event last weekend at the Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour to welcome a group of kids who had sailed from Tasmania. What a treat!
The participants were clear-eyed, confident and excited by what they had experienced. It was not without its challenges. One of the party had a medical emergency and was evacuated. Even the Captain suffered a little sea sickness.
It's a transformational program. Most of the young people on the board had never left Tasmania. They had had their eyes opened to what they were capable of becoming. How powerful is that?
Our Club funded two participants about a year ago. We and have another opportunity coming up. On 10th May, you can attend the departure at the Maritime Museum and be there when they return by air to the airport on the 20th
Plus AUD1000 cash toward travel or spend as you wish
Plus, dinner for two and bubbles at Sails Denarau at Port Denarau.The prize is valid for 12 months.
The prize is transferable to friends (but the transfer must be registered within one month of receiving the prize) - your receipt will have a gift certificate to share.
The link between Rotary and youth is amazing, engaging with Youth Programs in some way or another, whether it be Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA), Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN), Rotary Youth Driving Award (RYDA), Rotaract, Interact, Rotary International Youth Exchanges, Peer Support Programs in schools, Life Education vans, Literacy Programs in schools, and many others.
The energy that Youth have is something for all of us to consider tapping into. It‘s time to think outside the square and put some energy into preserving the future of Rotary.
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
Graeme is the author of the best-selling BACK FROM THE BRINK book series, a Board Director of R U OK? and host of our The Caring CEO podcast. Over the last 12 years he has helped thousands of leaders and teams to be more caring, mentally healthy, and growth oriented. He is a regular media commentator on workplace resilience in volatile times. 
During the meeting, member Warwick reported on his recent holiday in Sri Lanka. During the trip he had an opportunity to attend a meeting of the Rotary Club of Kandy, presenting President Simon with a banner, together with warm greetings from the President of that Club.
including youth disadvantaged or hampered by circumstances who could not otherwise participate. It is the principal philosophy of the Trust that no young person should ever miss out on the Windeward Bound opportunity because of personal circumstances or lack of funds.
Plus, dinner for two and bubbles at 
t (RYPEN), Rotary Youth Driving Award (RYDA), Rotaract, Interact, Rotary International Youth Exchanges, Peer Support Programs in schools, Life Education vans, Literacy Programs in schools, and many others.