Welcome to our vibrant and relaxed Rotary Club, where community spirit thrives alongside a sense of ease and camaraderie. Picture a place where laughter mingles with purpose and friendships are forged through shared experiences and meaningful endeavours.
Last week we had a fabulous turn out from club members, Inner Wheel members and visitors for our annual district governor visit. District Governor Colin Byron gave us an update on what is happening in the district, and on regionalisation. There is currently a big focus on growing Rotary through establishment of new clubs and in particular satellite clubs. There is interest in both Officer and Clyde North which are both on our doorstop.
Colin also presented our club with a certificate of appreciation from The Rotary Foundation for our support of the End Polio Program and a banner for being the Number one per capita contributor to the Rotary Foundation Annual Fund for District 9820 in 2023-2024.
Leanne Byron gave us an update on her DG Partner Project which aims to raise $100,000 to commence an Apheresis Program at the Monash Children’s Hospital Cancer Centre.
Leanne was very happy to report that 5 year old Ada who featured in the flyers produced for the project has officially entered remission. Here is a link to a Channel 7 news story on Ada:
A fundraiser event is planned for April 30th 2025 at:
Shangri-La Inn Malaysian & Chinese Restaurant 37-39 Brentwood Square Forest Hill 3131 Wednesday April 30th - 6:30pm for 7pm start 9 course meal COST: $65 per head
A flyer is included later in the bulletin
It would be great to get a few of our club members along to this event.
Nossal High School Mock Interviews
Mock Interviews are once again being held a Nossal High School. The event, to be held on Thursday March 20th, gives the year 10 and 11 students the chance to experience a job interview situation. If you can assist on the day as an interviewer we’d love to have you on board. More details and the link to register can be found at:
By Jane Lawicki (Reproduced from the Rotary International Website)
What motivates everyday women to do extraordinary things — to positively change the lives of people halfway around the world while inspiring so many folks at home?
Three Rotary members answered that question at a celebration of International Women’s Day hosted by the World Bank at its Washington, D.C., headquarters 8 March.
Speaking to an audience of more than 300, with thousands listening to the live-stream, Razia Jan, Deborah Walters, and Ann Lee Hussey told their personal stories and explained what inspired them to build a girls school in Afghanistan, assist people living in a Guatemala City garbage dump, and lead more than 24 teams to immunize children in Africa and Asia.
Razia Jan, the founder and director of the Zabuli Education Center, was honored on International Women's Day.
“I’m so inspired to see the faces of the children, what they’re learning, how to stand up for their rights, to have ambition ... to want to do things that may even be impossible — to have dreams,” said Jan, a member of the Rotary Club of Duxbury, Massachusetts, USA.
An Afghan native now living in the United States, Jan has worked for decades to build connections between Afghans and Americans while improving the lives of young women and girls in Afghanistan.
Founder and director of the Zabuli Education Center, a school that serves more than 625 girls in Deh’Subz, Afghanistan, Jan said the first class of students graduated in 2015 and a women’s college will open soon.
The girls school teaches math, English, science, and technology, along with practical skills to prepare them to achieve economic freedom within a challenging social environment.
Dr. Deborah Walters, a member of the Rotary Club of Unity, was honored by the World Bank at International Women's Day.
Walters, a neuroscientist and member of the Rotary Club of Unity, Maine, USA, has served as a volunteer for Safe Passage (Camino Seguro), a nonprofit organization that provides educational and social services to children and families who live in a Guatemala City garbage dump.
Dr. Deborah Walters, a member of the Rotary Club of Unity, was honored by the World Bank at International Women's Day.
Walters, known as the “kayaking grandmother,” traveled from her home in Maine to Guatemala in a small kayak to raise awareness of the plight of the residents.
Hussey, a member of the Rotary Club of Portland Sunrise, Maine, has made the eradication of polio and the alleviation of suffering by polio survivors her life’s work.
A polio survivor herself, she’s spent the past 14 years leading teams of Rotary volunteers to developing countries to immunize children during National Immunization Days.
She often chooses to lead or participate in NIDs in places that don’t often see Westerners: Bangladesh, Chad, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and remote areas of Egypt and India. There, the need is greatest, and the publicity and goodwill that the trips foster are critical in communicating the urgency of the need for immunizations.
“These women exemplify what the World Bank is striving to attain every day with the twin goals of ending extreme poverty within a generation and boosting shared prosperity,” said Daniel Sellen, chair of the World Bank Group Staff Association. “They illustrate the power of women to change the world and improve people’s lives through innovative and impactful projects in education, economic development, and health.”
Ann Lee Hussey was honored for her lifelong work in polio eradication.
Rotary honors a teacher and mentor with the 2025 Sylvia Whitlock Leadership AwardThis Turkish Rotarian has promoted women’s financial literacy, funded scholarships for girls, and
Mock Interviews are once again being held a Nossal High School. The event, to be held on Thursday March 20th, gives the year 10 and 11 students the chance to experience a job interview situation. If you can assist on the day as an interviewer we’d love to have you on board. More details and the link to register can be found at:
