Membership Anniversary Mary Barry (20), Peter Doherty (22), Kevin Sheehan (30).
Happy Birthday Robert Fisher, Garry Fowler, John Levi, Ramona Martinovici, Caroline Pilot.
In 1922, US Rotarians ran an attendance contest with an unusual condition: the losing clubs would join together to give the winning club a prize. The Rotary Club of New York City won, and Immediate Past President Arthur Chadwick of the Rotary Club of London presented them with a bell.
The bell carried real history. During WWI it served on the auxiliary warship Patrol No. 20, mounted on a frame built from oak salvaged from Admiral Nelson's HMS Victory.
Chadwick hoped the bell would sound a clear note of goodwill in its new home and stand as a symbol of the friendship between London and New York Rotarians. Accepting on behalf of New York, Past President Raymond Knoeppel described how the bell's soft tinkling on its final ocean crossing had been cheered as a message of true Rotary brotherhood.
The bell has represented something else since: order, discipline, and the steady rhythm that guides members through their weekly meetings, much as it once did at sea.
A small change in your grocery shop from today until 1 September 26 can help us make a big difference for people struggling to put food on the table.
Demand for food relief continues to grow as people all around Australia are facing hardship this winter due to the high cost-of-living.
You can support SecondBite and Foodbank Australia through the Coles Community Food Relief Appeal and help us provide more food to people in need through our national network of charity partners.
Rotary Melbourne proudly awards the 2026 Monash Medal to Ms Lara Olsen, honouring her lifetime of leadership, integrity and service through a career dedicated to Australia's clean energy and water sectors. She led strategy at the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and CitiPower Powercor. Lara’s work in actively mentoring the next generation through gender equity and diversity programs in engineering and technology reflects the enduring spirit of Sir John Monash.
BREAKING NEWS: After 15 years, Branko has finally won the wine raffle!
Thank you to Adrian Nelson for last week's reflection, on Wednesday 5 August 2026.
Rotary SAFE Families' Towards Respectful Relationships program is helping Year 10 students across Melbourne explore healthy relationships through mentorship and filmmaking, working alongside Victoria Police and industry professionals. Free for schools and funded by Rotary clubs.
Owen Parnaby's book Australia's First Rotary Club tells the story of Rotary Melbourne since our 1921 foundation, its influential members, and the projects that shaped Victoria. It has long been part of the new member joining pack, giving every new Rotarian a direct line to the Club's history and figures such as General Sir John Monash.
Copies have now run out. A reprint would take time and come at real cost.
If you have a copy at home, please bring it along to a lunch or drop it at the office. Your donation helps ensure new members can still discover the story that connects us all.
