Our next meeting will be 6:00pm for 6:30pm Wed 20 December
at the Graphic Arts Club, 182 Coward Street, Mascot.
This is our Christmas Party and separate advice has been sent to members.
President's Message
Season’s Greetings for the Festive Season to ALL.
Before we wrap up 2023 and our last newsletter of the year, I thought I’d write about our two most important events in December.
On Wednesday, 29 November, in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Marrickville, we awarded a Paul Harris Fellow to Geoff Culbert, the outgoing Chief Executive Officer of Sydney Airport Corporation. Our Clubs wanted to acknowledge and thank Geoff for his ongoing support of Rotary. The Airport continues to allow us to collect coin. This then gives us the ability to sponsors many, many projects throughout the year, (all of which Botany Randwick have reported on in our newsletter). On behalf of both Clubs I would like to thank Past District Governor, Garry Browne AM and the Chair of Sydney Airport Corporation, David Gonski AC, for their assistance in organising this presentation and for acknowledging our important work.
The second important event was the unveiling of two plaques at the Maroubra Mental Health Centre, where not only was our Club highlighted but also the important seed donation the old Randwick Club had made to the Centre, which started their refurbishment. The unveiling of the second plague was a personal acknowledgment of our Secretary, Greg Lill, who works tirelessly, and Alex Weiss, past member of Randwick, and who has now moved to the Shire, and Kim Millar.
To wrap up our year, it has been eventful, with small changes to our constitution and by-laws to align the changes to Rotary and the most important introduction of a new initiative has been the sorting of foreign currency from the airport collection. This has been a very interesting and educational exercise and brought our club members together and enabling a better return from this source of income.
One of our goals for next year will be to find ways of using the harder to convert currencies for the benefit of those not so fortunate. Our other goal for next year is an inaugural Dog Show family fun event. This is only in its planning stages so more information to follow.
To ALL, please stay safe this Christmas and may the New Year bring love, joy and health to everyone.
This meeting will be our Christmas Party. As it is being held in conjunction with our "hosts" for the past year, the Graphics Arts Club, numbers are unfortunately limited to members and their partners.
Separate advice on these arrangements have been emailed to all members.
Members are reminded that Membership Fees for the period July to December 2023 are now well overdue! Please contact Treasurer Richard if you have any queries.
Club Member Peter provided an informative presentation, based on the ’legend of Santa Claus that can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas it is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around A.D. 280 in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. It is said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth and travelled the countryside helping the poor and sick.
Over the course of many years, Nicholas’s popularity spread and he became known as the protector of children and sailors. His feast day is celebrated on the anniversary of his death, December 6. This was traditionally considered a lucky day to make large purchases or to get married. By the Renaissance St. Nicholas was the most popular saint in Europe. Even after the Protestant Reformation, when the veneration of saints began to be discouraged, St. Nicholas maintained a positive reputation, especially in Holland.
Peter spoke upon the veneration of St Nicholas, with his tomb being a popular tourist destination, and some bones were placed in a cathedral in Bari Italy erected in his name, and other remains were placed in the dome of the Basilica, in Rome.
In 1625, the Dutch under Peter Stuyvesant established a colony, New Amsterdam, where the Dutch continued to venerate St Nicholas, the British Navy subsequently invaded the colony and won the skirmish and renamed to New York, after Duke of York, and the legend of St Nicholas continued unabated.
St. Nicholas made his first inroads into American popular culture towards the end of the 18th century. In December 1773, and again in 1774, a New York newspaper reported that groups of Dutch families had gathered to honor the anniversary of his death.
The name Santa Claus evolved from Nick’s Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas, a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas (Dutch for Saint Nicholas). In 1804, John Pintard, a member of the New York Historical Society, distributed woodcuts of St. Nicholas at the society’s annual meeting. The background of the engraving contains now-familiar Santa images including stockings filled with toys and fruit hung over a fireplace.’
…and today, through popular culture we have our current image of Santa Claus, or Father Christmas.
Since our last meeting ...
Our members have been very active ...
On Sunday 19th NYSF ‘Meet & Greet’ 22 District 9675 applicants at Sydney University School of Pharmacy, a very successful event co-ordinated by Hilary Lloyd and Gayle Malcolm. This event was attended by Paul, Christine, Simon & Greg. It was a great opportunity to meet with our applicant, Michaela and her Mum. Michaela currently attends Cerdon College, Merrylands.
Lionel Bowen Dinner, held to honour Matt Thistlethwaite's10 years as Member for Kingsford. This was attended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and our honorary member ‘Aunty’ Barb, who received a hug from ‘Albo’.
Richard attended a weekend meeting of Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC) in Adelaide, formulating the way forward for treatment of the many children from our Pacific neighbours requiring urgent surgical treatment.
Prospective member Tara Coleman, PCYC Daceyville co-ordinated a boxing carnival last Saturday 18th at the PCYC clubhouse.
Sunday 26/11, Greg attended an Australian Rotary Health Zoom meeting, 38 people attended, who were advised on several current research projects objectives: latest updates included a focus on children aged 0-12 years mental health research initiatives. Attendees included board and district representatives.
Laura and Moira attended the Rotary Disability Christmas event
Greg, Richard and Julie enjoyed the hospitality of Maroubra Rotarians at their Christmas Party.
Proudly Partnered with Sydney Airports Corporation
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.
On Wednesday 29 November 2023 Geoff Culbert was recognised by the award of a Paul Harris Fellow for his support of the Airport Coin Collection run by the Rotary Clubs of Botany Randwick and Marrickville.
Christine Baramilis, President of Botany Randwick, and Eddie Lakiss, from Marickville, made the presentation with the assistance of Past District Governor Garry Browne AM and the Chair of Sydney Airport Corporation, David Gonski AC.
Geoff, as Chief Executive Officer of Sydney Airport Corporation, has presided over many changes and innovative approaches to the way Airports are managed and how they participate in our changing world. Geoff’s leadership in the Airline and Tourist industry has seen him involved as a member in the ACI World Governing Board and the Second Vice President of the Asia- Pacific Regional Board of Airports Council International (ACI), the global industry association representing airports around the world. He is also the Chair of the Tourism, Transport, Freight and Logistics Group at the BCA and Chair of the NSW Fundraising Committee for the Australian Olympic Committee.
On Friday 8 December, a very successful event was held to thank those involved in the refurbishment of the Maroubra Mental Health Unit. Cheryl Wittingslow, Peer Support Worker and refurbishment coordinator, invited SESLHD Mental Health representatives, key sponsors and funding groups to be a part of the celebrations.
President of Botany Randwick Rotary Club, Christine Baramilis, Secretary Greg Lill, past member of Rotary Randwick, Alex Weiss, and Kim Millar, past relationship manager, Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation, plus representatives from the POW Hospital Mental Health facilities attended the unveiling of two plaques at the Maroubra Centre, Eastern Suburbs Mental Health.
The plaque in the reception is dedicated to Rotary and The Prince of Wales Foundation. Cheryl Wittingslow, spoke about Randwick Rotary’s important donation in 2020 which helped the Centre begin its upgrade. Rotary’s commitment assisted the Health Department to improve the original poor conditions of the building and the centre. Since then our club has assisted with the purchase of gym equipment.
The second plaque was dedicated to Greg, Alex and Kim for the Centre’s Sensory Room. An important space for people to chill out. Cheryl spoke about this room and how important it was to have two chairs that were similar so that clients and counsellors feel they are ‘chatting’ as equals. She was very grateful to our club for these chairs as she was unable to source funding from any other areas.
Cheryl was also awarded a certificate from NSW Health for her great commitment and passion for her work in connection with the refurbishment of the Maroubra Mental Health Centre, which has a client base in excess of 850.
The Maroubra Centre is now an inspiration for a Centre which is being refurbished in Bondi Junction which will assist young people with mental health issues. At present this Centre has about 100 clients and they too will be seeking funding from the Community.
In conjunction with the Rotary Club of Marrickville, our Rotary Club is currently refurbishing the Rotary coin collection bins at Sydney Airport.
The latest of these refurbished bins, with improved security measures and display legends, was put in place last week.
The two Clubs undertake monthly collections with members committing to regular sorting and counting of coins and notes deposited into the bins, located in both the Domestic and International Terminals.
We are very grateful to Sydney Airport Corporation for providing access to both "airside" and "landside" areas of the airport.
By arrangement with Sydney Airport Corporation the funds collected are largely directed towards charitable projects and services in the vicinity of the airport.
Recent counting resulted in some 130 currencies being found in the bins. Whilst some currencies are readily negotiable for Australian currency, others are virtually worthless outside their own country. The two Clubs are currently exploring ways of engaging with Rotary Clubs in those countries to utilise these funds. Donations have also been made to needy causes in other countries, taking advantage of local contacts travelling to those countries.
Bookings are now open for the District Conference 8 - 10 March 2024.
The Conference is being held at the Novotel Hotel, Cliff Road, North Wollongong, a wonderful location overlooking North Beach. Watch the Conference Page for progressive updates on the program for the weekend.
There will be speakers covering topical subjects and important Rotary projects. So come and join us for a weekend of learning and fun. Catch up with friends and make new ones - meet fellow Rotarians who care about creating a better world. It's a great opportunity for members new and old to get together and hear more about Rotary and what we do in our district and across the world.
District Governor Tonia Barnes has secured five accommodation options to assist Rotarians wishing to attend her Rotary District 9675 Conference from Friday 8 March to Sunday 11 March 2024. But they will not last long and you must book soon if you want to secure one of these hotels.
The hotels are the Novotel Northbeach, where the Conference will be held, the Sage Hotel, the Adina Apartment Hotel, Wollongong, Hotel Totto which opened last year, and the Mantra Wollongong.
Important to note is the Rotary Room Block unsold rooms release date – this is the date the hotels will take back their rooms, and they will no longer be available to book under this agreement. – see details on Conference Page
Ending Polio is Rotary's main humanitarian goal, and PolioPlus is the program that supports these efforts.
It was launched in 1985 with help from Dr Albert Sabin, the developer of the oral polio vaccine, as a worldwide program to protect children from the paralysing consequences of polio. Rotary later became a founding member of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Since then, the incidence of wild polio cases has decreased by 99.9% and the wild poliovirus remains endemic in just two countries, Afganistan and Pakistan.
The processes Rotary helped build to fight Polio have also been used to protect communities from COVID19 and other diseases. This illustrates the Plus in PolioPlus.
But polio anywhere is a threat to children everywhere. Only global eradication will ensure that no child suffers its devastating effects ever again.
The Rotary Club of Botany Randwick, including its predecessor Clubs at Randwick and Botany, has been a regular donor to the PolioPlus campaign since its inception in 1985.
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 
On Wednesday 29 November 2023 Geoff Culbert was recognised by the award of a Paul Harris Fellow for his support of the Airport Coin Collection run by the Rotary Clubs of Botany Randwick and Marrickville. 
On Friday 8 December, a very successful event was held to thank those involved in the refurbishment of the Maroubra Mental Health Unit. Cheryl Wittingslow, Peer Support Worker and refurbishment coordinator, invited SESLHD Mental Health representatives, key sponsors and funding groups to be a part of the celebrations.
In conjunction with the Rotary Club of Marrickville, our Rotary Club is currently refurbishing the Rotary coin collection bins at Sydney Airport. 
Bookings are now open for the District Conference 8 - 10 March 2024. 