As this Rotary year draws to a close and a new year is about to begin, it is pertinent to reflect on who we are and what we do.
Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbours, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
Solving real problems takes real commitment and vision. For more than 110 years, Rotary's people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, we are always working to better our world, and we stay committed to the end.
Rotary members believe that we have a shared responsibility to take action on our world’s most persistent issues. Our 46,000+ clubs work together to:
Promote peace.
Fight disease.
Provide clean water, sanitation, & hygiene.
Save mothers and children.
Support education.
Grow local economies.
Protect the environment.
Our mission
We provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
Vision statement
Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
Please give some thought to how you can assist to help fulfill our mission and achieve our vision by putting your hand up and offer to take up roles within our Club for the forthcoming year.
Ron Brooks from the Rotary Club of Forest Hill was our guest speaker at Wednesday's Club meeting.
Ron is Co-ordinator of the 'Foreign coin collection for UNICEF' project run by District 9810 (soon to be joined with District 9820 as District 9815).
UNICEF is the world's largest organisation working to protect and improve the lives of vulnerable children in over 190 countries. It supports children's health needs, clean water and sanitation, quality basic education, and protection from violence, exploitation, and HIV.
Their goals align with those of the Zone 8 Centenary project 'Give Every Child A future', https://everychildafuture.com, which aims to immunise 100,000 of the most disadvantaged children and adolescent girls across the Pacific. Therefore, Rotary is working in conjunction with UNICEF to raise funds through the coin collection, to support their work.
Each Rotary Club involved needs a Champion to coordinate the collection from donors. When enough has been collected, Ron visits the Club to collect and sort the coins and paper money.
He provided an amusing anecdote on some of the things he has found in some collections, such as shopping trolley tokens, single ear rings and badges.
When sorted, the coins and notes are sent off in 60kg batches in 6 x 10kg pouches, which UNICEF organise to have valued by Change Global Exchange who pay for all the transport.
UNICEF then provide feedback to Ron on the value of each batch delivered.
Since the project started in 2016, over $25,000 has been raised by Clubs, at no cost to Rotary.
Where appropriate, the coins and paper money collected are eventually re-introduced to the relevant country's currency.
This was an interesting presentation on a project that the Club should become involved in.
Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever.
As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we've reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.
Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralysing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.
Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But it’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyse as many as 200,000 children each year.
The Rotary Club of Berwick continues to contribute to the End Polio cause so that no person will suffer from it again.
The Rotary Zone 8 Regionalisation Pilot Project will see the creation of a regional council for Rotary Oceania, as well as District roles transitioning into new, more focused leadership opportunities with two or three-year terms, depending on the role and the requirements of regional support committees.
At the recent 2023 Rotary International Convention in Melbourne, members of the Zone 8 Regionalisation Pilot Steering Group presented a breakout session to attendees interested in finding out more about the pilot.
This breakout session was an opportunity for people to get a greater understanding of the pilot and further understand what the next steps will be since the Rotary International Board agreed to provide financial support for the pilot in April 2023.
As part of the Convention, the Regionalisation Pilot also had a booth in the House of Friendship staffed by people working on the pilot. This was a fantastic opportunity for Rotarians and Rotaractors to ask questions about and share their thoughts on regionalisation.
In next month’s communication you will learn more about the Community Leader and Specialist Network roles, which will provide crucial support to clubs in the new regionalisation model.
On Sunday 16 July, the Rotary Club of Berwick is undertaking another environmental project of planting a further 1000 trees at Grasmere Creek Wetland!
You are invited to join in and lend a hand, enjoy the beautiful nature of the area, admire the four new seats installed by the Rotary Club of Berwick and stay on for a bbq, drinks, and friendship.
When: Sunday 16 July
Where: Grasmere Creek Wetlands, 45A Inglis Road, Berwick
Time: 10.30am - 12.00pm
Bring: sturdy shoes and gloves
This is a free event open to the public.
Please register for insurance and catering purposes at:
Do you have a coat at home you no longer wear? Do you have children or grandchildren who have outgrown last year's warm winter coat?
Jeanette has kindly offered to receive donations from you, family, or friends, at our June club meetings. Let's help those in need keep warm this winter.
All donations will be forwarded to Casey North Community Information & Support Service.
Incoming President Dave Anderson together with our 2023 four shared presidents, Past Presidents Gus Dominguez, Tim Moore, Geoff Double and Jack Kraan, invite you to celebrate the 62nd changeover of the Rotary Club of Berwick
When: Wednesday 19 July
Where: The Beaconsfield Club, Holm Park Reserve, Emerald-Beaconsfield Road, Beaconsfield
Time: 6.30 for 7.00pm
Cost: $60 per person, inclusive of a complimentary drink on arrival, 3 course dinner and live musical
entertainment with a special guest appearance.
Cash bar
RSVP: 14th July. Please register and pay via the online registration portal via this link :
As this Rotary year draws to a close and a new year is about to begin, it is pertinent to reflect on who we are and what we do.
