I hope this newsletter finds you in good spirits and health.
As we continue our journey into the new Rotary year, I am delighted to share with you some exciting updates from our recent activities.
Holiday Reflections:
It's been 2 weeks since I have been back after a wonderful holiday in Bali and Singapore, where we got to travel with my maternal grandmom, parents, and siblings. The trip was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the benefit of spending time together across multi-generations. My daughter, Samara particularly enjoyed bonding with her grandparents and great-grandmom during the trip.
Connecting Through Generations:
Samara's experience of spending quality time with her grandparents and great-grandmom has been absolutely fantastic. As she listened to the stories they shared about their lived experiences, she gained a deeper appreciation for family history and the values passed down through generations.
Valuable Insights:
Through these interactions, invaluable insights are gained into the resilience and strength displayed by the elders in overcoming life's challenges. Their anecdotes inspire us to cherish family bonds and appreciate the sacrifices made by previous generations to pave the way for a better future. The time spent together fosters a sense of belonging and connection.
Inspiration for Rotary's Vision:
These reflections from my family holiday have further strengthened my belief in Rotary's vision of fostering fellowship and connecting communities. Just as Samara found joy in connecting with her grandparents and great-grandmom, I am eager to create similar opportunities for our club members who have significant experience and insights shared among them to connect and bond with the broader younger community members.
This month, as we embrace the Rotary theme "Membership and New Club Development Month," I encourage all of us to explore the options for sponsorship of Rotaract and Interact clubs in our community. By mentoring and guiding young leaders, we can empower them to carry forward Rotary's values and create a positive impact in our community.
Club Activities and Welcomes: Welcome to the new Rotary year, one that is filled with hope! Since I have been back, we've had a flurry of activities. It was wonderful to attend and thank all our wonderful Op Shop volunteers and appreciate their dedication and contribution to the community and the club. We organised a special lunch at Mama Bear on 10th July in their honor.
Last week, we had our dinner meeting on 19th July at Doutta Gala, where we welcomed our Global Grant student, Haruka, along with our new members Nina and Jeff (back after a holiday in Europe).
We thanked Yvonne for her contribution to the club and wish Yvonne and Bob all the best as they prepare for their move to Newcastle. READ MORE
Calling for Member Support:
As we look to explore the sponsorship of Interact and Rotaract clubs, I am eager to involve our members in this endeavor. I invite all of you to put your hand up and join me in making this initiative a success. Your passion and commitment to Rotary can ignite the spirit of service among young leaders and create a lasting impact on our community. If you are interested in assisting with this project or have ideas to share, please get in touch with me directly. Together, we can shape the future of Rotary through mentorship, guidance, and meaningful connections with the next generation.
As we move forward, I am excited about the projects and opportunities for service and fellowship that lie ahead.
Cluster Meeting Insights:
On Thursday, 20th July, we had our first cluster meeting of the year led by AG Tony. Attendance was from 8 club cluster presidents, under the new Gateway East-West cluster. Our cluster includes Brunswick-Tullamarine, Essendon, Essendon North, Footscray, Footscray West, Keilor and Keilor East,
he common theme around the room from most clubs was declining/low membership (with a few exceptions from some clubs, including us), and a number of ideas came out of the ensuing discussions: > A conscious effort to be made to work as a cluster with a focus on local community projects and events. > Sharing of information on each club's individual projects both local and international – I have put up my hand to assist in pulling together a view to collate this information.
Some of the proposed initiatives are a combined cluster newsletter and an End Polio walk along the Maribyrnong River in October.
Christmas in July Melody Afternoon:
On Friday, 21st July, continuing our partnership with Retro Entertainment, we hosted our second Melody Afternoon-themed "Christmas in July, " at the Maribyrnong bowls. It had an attendance of over 100 guests and was very well received. Maribyrnong Bowling Club has expressed its interest in continuing this event to foster the social connections. We are now looking for sponsors and other clubs to partner with us to make this a quarterly event, spreading joy and fellowship among our community's seniors.
TAC L2P Car Project:
I am also excited to share that the TAC L2P car our club sponsored is currently on a ship in Port Melbourne and should arrive in the next couple of weeks. We will be organising a launch date with the council in late August/early September to kick off this project.
Haruka attended the club dinner meeting last week and presented President Shraddha with a banner from the Rotary Club of Niigata, her sponsor club.
She has been attending orientation week events and meetings 17-21 July with formal classes beginning on 27 July.
On Saturday night, she went to the ice hockey with Alex De Bortoli. Alex plays for the Big Deals in the Melbourne Ice Hockey League.
On Sunday, Haruka will come along to our tree planting event for National Tree Day.
Members are encouraged to take Haruka along to any events or activities they have planned. AFL anyone? She is keen to see more of Melbourne and Victoria.
Please contact Lesley or Drew for her contact details.
Jimmy has sent through a report on his trip to the Rotary International Convention. He was hosted by PP Hugh and Andrew Stewart (Otway Agroforestry Network) who were his sponsors through the Royce Abbey Scholar program. He also visited PP Chris Drenen in Warragul. Jimmy has sent through his report FYI.
National Tree Day
Join us to plant 6000 seedlings with Friends of Steele Creek and Rotary Keilor East at Rosehill Wetlands this Sunday 30 July 10am-1pm.
10-54 Rachelle Road East Keilor.
The wonderful Milly Burke from MVCC has everything organised for this fabulous community planting - BYO water bottle.
Keilor East Rotarians will be cooking up a storm on the BBQ.
Moonee Valley News:
Endorsement of the Draft Nature Strip Landscaping Guidelines for public consultation was ratified at the last council meeting.
Enhanced Canopy Cover Targets for the City of Moonee Valley was also approved. To have your say:
National Tree Day with Friends of Steele Creek and Rotary on Sunday.
Uncle Dave will be popping in to kick us off with one of his beautiful Welcomes, and we will be taking our special guests to plant three advanced Manna Gums in recognition of the ongoing support for our community to join in Caring for Country together.
We have 6000 seedlings to boost the biodiversity around the wetlands, a range of family friendly activities and out Adopt a Seedling table with 300 babies looking for a wildlife friendly garden.
Pop-Up Repair Hub this Sunday 1pm-4pm Community Hub 94 Ormond Street
Jewellery, bicycles, clothing, small electrical items, etc.
City of Melbourne News:
The Power Melbourne neighbourhood battery project is open for community engagement participation. Council are currently exploring possible locations for future neighbourhood batteries in a range areas identified as having good technical potential for locating a mid-scale battery. Community members who live, work, study or play in these neighbourhoods are invited to complete the online survey at https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/power-melbourne/get-involved
Pop-Up activations will be held at:
Saturday 29 July 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Kere Kere cafe, Fitzroy Gardens, East Melbourne
Friday 28 July 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, Kathleen Syme Library, 251 Faraday Street, Carlton
Stephen Sennett from the Rotary E-Club of Melbourne will lead you through this hands on experience. ChatGPT is an incredible piece of technology that's changing every sector, and that includes Rotary!
In this session, you're going to learn how to use ChatGPT to revolutionize and supercharge the way you do Public Image in Rotary. You don't have to be an expert, or even a great computer whiz to leverage ChatGPT to make your work easier, so come along! If you can sign up for this event and log in to Zoom on the day, you've got the tech skills to follow along with this workshop.
Welcome to the new Rotary year, one that is filled with hope! Since I have been back, we've had a flurry of activities. It was wonderful to attend and thank all our wonderful Op Shop volunteers and appreciate their dedication and contribution to the community and the club. We organised a special lunch at Mama Bear on 10th July in their honor. 
