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.
A group of club members have ridden in the Around the Bay bike ride for the last decade. This is partly an opportunity to fundraise for the Smith Family's Learning for Life program but also a great fellowship opportunity for bike riding club members.
Instructions and information for the 2026 0808 Battle of Amiens Shrine Service
NB THE CHANGE IN START TIME
This year's service is being held on Saturday the 8th August 2026 - plan to arrive not later than 10:15 am at the Shrine Visitors Centre - the Service starts in the Sanctuary at 10:30 am sharp.
For details of the full program click on [ Read More ... ]
On Wednesday 15th July Cheryl Lacey and past member Clifton Warren presented at the Rotary Club of Bali Seminyak. This year is the club's 25th anniversary.
Clifton was guest speaker - his title 25 Years of Rotary - Lessons in Leadership Service and Relationships. Through storytelling, Clifton blended his experience as a member of 4 clubs over 25 years to highlight his 3 key messages.
How do we live well together through a climate of change? RMIT's new free program, Community Leadership for Regenerative Placemaking, invites members into a hands on studio blending live action role play, urban play and design to explore creative placekeeping and regenerative neighbourhoods. Induction is 31 August 26, with sessions through September and an experience day on 3 October. Places are limited, so register soon. Click read more below to register.
Club Guests: David Norman (Speaker), Arshad Samsudeen (Inductee).
Visiting Rotarians Madhu Jain (Mumbai Versova, India).
Guests of Members: Daniel Durik (Reg Smith), Laura Taylor (Deb Yin Foo).
This week’s duties: Karen Gornalle, Dores Schembri, Chrysanthe Pragastis (Reception), Bruce Davidson (Raffle), Philip Endersbee (MC), Adrian Nelson (Reflection), Joseph Ebbage (Photographer).
Membership Anniversary Bob Fels (42), Colin Honey (23), Abdullah Saeed (17), Ross Scholes-Robertson (40), Yiannis Ventikos (2), Clive Weeks (28) - TODAY!
Happy Birthday Alberto Balbo (TODAY!), Timothy Conolan, Philip Endersbee, Stephen Lake.
Last week's Rotary Melbourne meeting celebrated the induction of new member Ahamed Samsudeen. Members were also encouraged to mark Rotary Membership Month by inviting others to experience Rotary. The afternoon concluded with an engaging presentation from energy specialist David Norman, who explored Australia's energy transition, fuel security and the opportunities presented by the emerging low-carbon economy.
This month's roundup from Rotary International highlights four club projects worldwide:
Full story: rotary.org
The 2027 Rotary International Convention takes place 26 to 30 June in Barcelona, one of the world's top tourist destinations, known for its street life, architecture and Catalan cuisine. The city is also a strong base for exploring further afield.
Samantha Cristoforetti, a member of the Rotary Club of Cologne am Rhein, is a European Space Agency astronaut, engineer and former Italian Air Force fighter pilot. She has flown two missions to the International Space Station, in 2014 to 2015 and again in 2022, when she served as the first European woman to command the station. On her second mission she also became the first European woman to complete a spacewalk.
Fifteen-month-old Michael Rahurou (15 months old) has had initial medical appointments including an assessment at the Pediatric Cardiology registrar at Auckland’s Starship Children’s Hospital.
He has a large ventricular septal defect (VSD), a hole in the wall separating the heart’s lower chambers, which an allow oxygen-rich blood to flow back into the lungs instead of out to the body. This is complicated by Down syndrome, a genetic disorder which leads to developmental delays.
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.
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).
