Thank you to Ruth Carlos Martinez for last week's reflection, delivered by Tony Battaini on Wednesday 29 July 2026.
Every day, about 830 women and 7,000 newborns, mainly in low- and middle-income countries, die because of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. These deaths are mostly preventable. Midwives are key to preventing them, so an initiative organised by Rotary members is supporting the essential work of midwives in Papua New Guinea and Australia.
Last week, 75 chairs, 14 sewing machines and three overlockers arrived at Canossa PreEscola in Dili, with shipping funded through a Rotary Melbourne club grant. The chairs have already been put to good use at parent–teacher meetings, while the sewing equipment will support valuable learning and practical opportunities for the Canossian community.
Rotary Melbourne member Dr Will Abdo was recently conferred with a PhD (Honoris Causa) in Marketing & Communications from the Dunster Business School in Switzerland. Congratulations Will.
'When Housing Comes First: Compassion, Courage and the Pathways to Ending Homelessness'
Rotary Melbourne’s guest speaker, Sherry Bruinhout, CEO of Launch Housing, delivered a powerful and ultimately hopeful address on homelessness in Victoria.
Dores Schembri was inducted on the 15 July 2026. After 38 years abroad, Dores brings international leadership experience in finance and Rotary, returning home to Australia to continue her service with Rotary Melbourne. Welcome, Dores.
The Rotary Club of Melbourne Mentoring Award recognises a Rotarian who has excelled as a mentor and advocate for Rotary. The award was inaugurated honouring the memory of Past President David Wittner AM. The Board recognised David’s extraordinary commitment to Rotary spanning 54 years until his sudden passing in 2018 and his willingness to mentor many members, and indeed beyond in the community at large. The perpetual trophy of multi-faceted design is a reminder of the breadth of character that was David Wittner.
Awarded to Marg Leser
The Forth Bridge Award was inaugurated in 2006 by Past President Mev Connell. The trophy incorporates an original rivet from the famous Forth Bridge in Scotland and reminds us that while a great bridge is held together by thousands of rivets, Rotary is strengthened by the commitment and dedication of every member.
The award recognises the leader of a team of two or more members whose project or activity has made the most outstanding contribution to the Club during the past year.
This year's recipient, John Peberdy, exemplifies that spirit.
Team Rotary is taking on this year's Around the Bay bike ride 18 October 26, and members are invited to sponsor our riders. Funds raised support The Smith Family's Learning for Life program, helping disadvantaged children access education. Download the sponsor form and send your pledge to the Rotary office, or email Jo directly.
Thank you to Philip Endersbee for last week's reflection on Wednesday 22 July 2026.
Planet Ark shares five simple habits to close out winter with sustainability in mind: eating seasonal produce and reducing food waste, staying warm through smart energy choices rather than just cranking the heater, connecting with nature through initiatives like National Tree Day, caring for and repairing your winter wardrobe, and starting to declutter and prepare the garden for spring. Small, consistent habits, not big overnight changes, make the difference. Read more: planetark.com planetark
Membership Anniversary Bruce Livett (2), James Scuderi (1), Clive Weeks (277), Jo Crowston (3).
Happy Birthday Mary Barry, Barbara Yerondais, Alberto Balbo.
This week’s duties: Karen Gornalle, Chrysanthe Pragastis (Reception), Peter Addison (Raffle), Karen Kim (MC), Ruth Carlos Martinez (Reflection), Bruce Davidson (Photographer).
Club Guests: Sherri Bruinhout, Faith Wells (Speakers).
Guests of Members: Zara Msonda-Johnson (Sharann Johnson), Arshad Samsudeen, Benjamin Tria, Robin Whyte (online) (Deb Yin Foo).
'When Housing Comes First: Compassion, Courage and the Pathways to Ending Homelessness'
Rotary Melbourne’s guest speaker, Sherry Brunholt, CEO of Launch Housing, delivered a powerful and ultimately hopeful address on homelessness in Victoria.
Soon after being invited as guest speaker at Rotary Highlands, the invitation was rescinded, as they decided to have an internal strategy day with no visitors. So my friend Nesta Hatendi (PDG District 9210 - Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Northern Mozambique), who is no stranger to Rotary Melbourne, arranged for Myra and me to attend Rotary Harare at Royal Harare Golf Club.
Andrew introduced Dr David Horgan as “a man on a mission”, observing that David would probably have preferred to forgo his introduction altogether in order to spend more time speaking about suicide prevention. A recently inducted member of the Rotary Club of Melbourne, Dr Horgan is a retired Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry who trained in Dublin and Edinburgh before establishing a distinguished career in Australia.
Membership Anniversary Peter Clements (18), Robert Zappulla (3).
Happy Birthday Manon Beauchamp-Tardieu, Karen Kim, Patricia von Matuschka, Sue McDonald, Anne O'Donovan.
This week’s duties: Marg Leser, Sue Smith (Reception), Clive Weeks (Raffle), Bernie McIntosh (MC), Philip Endersbee (Reflection), Joseph Ebbage (Photographer).
Thank you to Peter Dakin for last week's reflection on Wednesday 15 July 2026.
After Round 18, John Peberdy leads the pack on 116 points, taking home the $100 round prize. Hot on his heels are Andrew Weeks and Reg Smith on 114, with a chasing group of six more tipsters bunched on 112. With the competition wrapping up after Round 24, six rounds remain to close the gap, John's lead is handy, but far from safe!
Sambun Sambath, a Cambodian scholar supported by Rotary Melbourne and Member of Rotaract Club of Siem Reap, has provided a July 26 update. Sambun shares progress in French class, two Community Service house projects for Grandma Chien and Mrs. Run Sarout's family, and a hometown visit to stock the street library ahead of the reading campaign. A heartfelt update on language learning, giving back, and building better homes for families in need.
Cartridges 4 Planet Ark has hit a major milestone, collecting over 60 million printer cartridges since 2003, all with zero waste to landfill. A two decade partnership across manufacturers, retailers, workplaces and schools proves that small everyday recycling habits add up to something big.
