27th - 28th Sept - Working bees at Camp Getaway. See note below.
1st Oct - Club visit by new District Governor Peter Shepheard.
5th Oct- Annual RCOBS Mystery Tour - CANCELLED
15 Oct - Ride to Work Day BBQ - Town Hall gardens (no meeting)
23 Oct - Fellowship night - Rising Sun Hotel
15 - 16 Nov - Bendigo Swap Meet BBQ
5th Dec - (Friday) Lightning Reef have requested a BBQ for an event they are holding. Please reserve the date.
9th Dec - InterClub meeting with Bendigo
14th Dec - Christmas Lunch Marong Family Hotel
19th - 23rd March 2026 Barham weekend. Phone 5453 2553 to book a site/cabin and say you are from Rotary.
Welcome to Issue 11 (2025-26) of our weekly bulletin. Find out about our upcoming events, our guest speakers, what we covered during the last meeting and more!
Can't make our meeting in person please join us via Zoom:
Opportunities to volunteer -for non-Rotarian friends and volunteers:
* Upcoming BBQs - Contact Kevin - 0428 996 619
Meeting Roster
Week 3
17-Sept
24-Sept
1-Oct
8-Oct
Speaker
Brian Hodge
Ugandan update
Pamela Snow
School of Education – La Trobe University
Peter Shepheard
DG visit
Des Tobin
Former Funeral Director and Author
Meeting Location
Peppergreen Farm
Peppergreen Farm
Peppergreen Farm
Peppergreen Farm
Chair
Kevin Dobson
Stan Hendy
Chris Purton
Doug Lougoon
Computer
Doug Lougoon
Ted Gtretgrix
Doug Lougoon
Allie Lyall
Set-Up 6.45am & pack up
Liz Commadeur
John Harkin
Stan Hendy
Paul Kirkpatrick
Welcome, raffle & roaming microphone
Linda Barrow
Ian Johnson
Paul Kirkpatrick
Kathryn Mackenzie
Co-President's report
Co-Presidents Report - Sept 10
It is with a very heavy heart that I need to start this report with the news that Mark Weragoda passed away Wednesday afternoon. Our thoughts are with Leonie, Jake and Selina at this very sad time. A service to celebrate Mark's life will be held on Friday. See details below.
Board meeting:
The paper presented for heating at the Bendigo Winter Night shelter will be followed up by the Community team to investigate further.
Our contribution to the NYSF will be increased to $1500
We will commence having a Club morning 6 weekly where we can discuss ideas/plans for the Club and ask questions of Directors/chairs. If there isn’t much discussion, we will have member talks (so get something ready).
Kevin reported on Federation Picnic – our sales were down this year. He has also been getting ready for the Swap Meet in November. Cycling Without Age members will be helping us out with selling ice and drinks.
Club meeting
Geoff Michell updated the meeting on the scholarships we fund for Maubisse students. We have sponsored 8 students who received their 2025 certificates from Bendigo Maubisse Friendship Committee (BMFC) chair Rod Flavell and BMFC Scholarship Program Co-ordinator Lindsay Jolley in July.
We had a great presentation from Carol McKinstry - see Jim’s report.
Upcoming dates for activities:
DG Peter Shepheard is coming to our Club on Oct 1st. All partners are welcome to join us.
Ride to Work Day Oct 15th. We will be doing breakfast for this, so our meeting at Peppergreen Farm will be cancelled and we will meet at the Town Hall gardens instead.
We will have a social dinner for members and partners on Thursday 23rd October at the Rising Sun Hotel. Please RSVP to Paul Henderson for numbers.
The Goldfields Cluster Foundation Dinner will be hosted by RC Bendigo on Oct. 28th. More details to follow.
The AGM is coming up on Nov 26th. Think about what roles you can partake in next year as there will be a few positions that need to be filled. The Club will only thrive and survive if members are willing to take on the roles required to run the Club.
- Cathie & Allie
Guest Speaker:Carol McKinstry
Carol is the Deputy Dean and Professor in Occupational Therapy at La Trobe University. La Trobe is a true statewide university with campuses in Bendigo, Shepparton, Mildura and Albury Wodonga. It has the largest Health School in Australia involving thirteen disciplines. There are 2,700 students as well as eighty completing higher degree studies.
In addition Carol is the Chair of the Bendigo Football/Netball League and a member of the Bendigo Health Board. The major focus of her presentation was on youth. The presentation incorporated the characteristics of the different age groups and some observations about ways to engage with them.
Millennials or Gen Y (people born between 1981 and 1996) value experiences more than possessions. Leading a balanced life is important for them and they are optimistic and socially conscious. They often have a preference for part time work. Gen Z (people born between 1997 and 2010) are digital natives. They are financially aware, pragmatic, security conscious and active in social justice and the environment. Generation Alpha (people born after 2010) are digital natives and conscious of the possibilities and use of AI. This research is critical in formulating communication and engagement strategies. Carol noted that in some cases there is a need to offer instruction in how to make a phone call. Digital communication is the preferred medium.
Carol outlined some of the challenges faced by young people. The wide range of education and employment options serves to cater for individual skills and interests but at the same time can lead to uncertainty. It is likely that young people will have multiple career moves so traditional benefits such as long service may no longer be possible. Social media and the impact of the pandemic during their formative years impacts on mental health. The cost of education and the delayed opportunities for home ownership also contribute to anxiety and depression. Young people are growing up in an era of uncertainty in aspects such as the rapid advancement of AI.
The University and young people have identified the importance of face to face interaction. The ability to access information and communicate online in itself does not provide the necessary support for students. Students who know and trust someone in a mentoring role are better placed to face the challenges of study and growing up in the world in which they find themselves.
As Rotarians we are aware of the priority of young people to engage with the community. There are high levels of engagement in community sport and Carol quoted examples of young people contributing to organisations such as the CFA. We thank Carol for her very engaging presentation and we congratulate her on her very generous contribution to our community.
- Jim
Vale Mark Weragoda
A Service to Celebrate the life of Bendigo Sandhurst Rotarian Mark Weragoda will be held at the William Farmer Reflection Chapel, 12 Victoria St., Eaglehawk, on FRIDAY (September 19) at 10.00 am, followed by a burial at the Bendigo Lawn Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations in honour of Mark to Cancer Council Victoria would be appreciated. Envelopes and QR code available at the service.
If you would like to view the service live, please go to the ‘Live Streams’ tab on the William Farmer Funeral Directors website.
Following the service, the family warmly invite you to join them for refreshments at The Social Bendigo.
Working bees have been scheduled during coming weeks to make a start on the preparation of the site for the new Games Room at Camp Getaway.
The working bees will be on the weekend of Saturday 27th September and Sunday 28th September commencing at 9:00am and concluding around 3:00pm on each day.
If you are available to participate on any of these days please let me know ASAP of which days and which times. Morning tea and lunch will be provided on each day. Thank you.
RIGHT: Preparation for the new games room. (Thanks Paul K for the photo!)
Visit to RIMERN warehouse
Overview of the Visit
On Wednesday, I attended a day trip to the RIMERN (Rotary Inner Melbourne Emergency Relief Network) warehouse in Brunswick. The experience proved both inspiring and educational. I accompanied three members from RC Bendigo South: Gary Pinner, Lindsay Jolley, and Greg Noonan.
About RIMERN
RIMERN serves as The Home for Residential Recycling. The organization collects donated furniture, appliances, and homewares, then rehomes these items to individuals who are moving into secure housing. Most recipients are referred by various support services and often begin their new lives with very few possessions.
Leadership and Community Impact
Suzie, the Chair of RIMERN (unfortunately, I do not recall which club she
represents), generously shared her time and insights about the network and its operations. A key takeaway from the day was the potential to gauge interest among Rotary clubs within the Regional Community Group and to assess the specific needs in our area. The project clearly benefits both its participants and the broader community, while also raising the profile of Rotary. Notably, some volunteers have subsequently joined their local Rotary clubs, inspired by their involvement. The project offers a visible example of Rotary’s positive impact at the community level.
Further Information
For more details about RIMERN and its initiatives, I encourage you to explore their website. www.rimern.org.au
Invitation - Celebration Day at Reflections at Eppalock
As an organisation who has either assisted with a donation or volunteer help we’re so looking forward to welcoming you to our Celebration Day at Reflections at Eppalock on 18 September. This is a special opportunity to come together, reflect on what has been achieved, and celebrate the growth of our gardens and community.
Just a gentle reminder that RSVPs are required by 14 September to help us with catering and planning.
On the day you’ll be able to:
- Enjoy a relaxed luncheon in the gardens
- Take a stroll through our Healing Garden, including the Bush Tucker, Medicinal, Pollinator, and Garden of Memories spaces
- Visit the Stillness in Flight Sculpture Park, where corten steel birds come to life with their songs through NFC technology
- Participate in our Circle of Reflection, recalling a special memory, painting it on a stone, and placing it beneath Bunjil the Eagle, our symbol of protection
It promises to be a day of connection, gratitude, and celebration — and we’d love for you to be part of it. Please RSVP by 14 September.
Warmly Sandra
(Rotarians See details below or contact Kevin D)
The Noticeboard
Each week various information come into the Bulletin email, small bits to add into the bulletin that doesn't really go anywhere else but may be good to know. Some times its an announcement, an invitation, an update or advertisement.
Here are this weeks tidbits:
Paid casual role- Sim Pat for the Rural Health students Monash University. The university has contacted service clubs inviting members to contribute to the training of doctors at the Monash Regional Medical School by recruiting people to role play medical situations for the student exams. Contact Tamara Lalor, Monash Rural Health Bendigo Ph5440 9000 or E:mrh-bendigo@monash.edu
Where's Wally?
Last week our intrepid Aussie Adventurer Robbie has sent another mystery photo. Wendy Price said he was watching camels on the beach in Broome (sigh!)
Cluster club meetings
Bendigo
Tuesday 12.45pm for 1.00pm
The Bendigo Club, Strathdale
Bendigo South
Thursday 6.00pm for 6.30pm
Boatshed Function Room, Lakeview Hotel, Bendigo
Eaglehawk
Wednesday 6.15pm for 6.30pm
Mechanics Institute, California Gully
Kangaroo Flat
Monday 6.00pm for 6.30pm
Rotary Gateway Park, Kangaroo Flat
Inner Wheel Bendigo
2nd Tuesday, 11.15am – lunch after meeting
Mechanics Institute, School Street, California Gully
