5th September 2026 - Polio Plus afternoon tea. See details below
27th October 2026 - Foundation Dinner at the Bendigo Club. Details to come
27 - 31 May 2027 - Rotary Barham Weekend, Barham Caravan Park. See Kevin Reade for more details.
Welcome to Issue 8 (2026-27) 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
Week 1
2-Sep
9-Sep
16-Sep
23-Sep
Speaker
Aviv Palti & Maria Hicks
Rotary Passport Club of Melbourne
Lina Langendorf
Past Exchange Student
Brad Hodge
Retirement Planning
Club Morning
Our Strategic Plan
Meeting Location
Peppergreen Farm
Peppergreen Farm
Peppergreen Farm
Peppergreen Farm
Chair
Rob Rosaia
Kevin Dobson
Doug Lougoon
Stan Hendy
Computer
Allie Lyall
Doug Lougoon
Allie Lyall
Cathie Miller
Set-Up 6.45am & pack up
Madeleine Schoo
Judy Miatke
Graeme Lynas
Toni West
Welcome, raffle & roaming microphone
John Cannon
Toni West
Ray Carrington
Kevin Dobson
PRESIDENT REPORT for 26th August 2026
August is nearly behind us, and with spring in the air, it's a wonderful time to recognise some significant Rotary milestones. Four of our members have celebrated another year of dedicated service to both our Club and Rotary. Congratulations, and sincere thanks, to Liz Commadeur (15 years on 17 August), Stan Hendy (34 years on 26 August), Doug Lougoon (27 years on 18 August), and Martin Ruffell (26 years on 16 August).
Of course, August has also brought a couple of birthdays. Congratulations to Kathryn and Judy, who are both another year wiser and, if they prefer, another year younger as well!
Last week, we had the honour and pleasure of welcoming Janette Etherington as our guest speaker. Janette gave an inspiring presentation on the life-changing work of Interplast. Members will recall that our Club supported Interplast with a donation last year, so it was especially rewarding to hear firsthand about the impact being achieved through contributions such as ours. Thank you, Janette, for sharing these remarkable outcomes with us.
This week, we witnessed the tragic events in Nepal. In response, Rotary has launched an urgent appeal through Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) to provide assistance to those affected. The Board will consider how we might contribute at Club level when we meet next Tuesday. District Governor Graeme Hope's notice below includes a link for any members who would like to support the appeal individually.
A few reminders about upcoming events:
The Federation Picnic Fundraiser BBQ will be held this Sunday, 30 August, at Marong. Many thanks to all our volunteers for their support. The weather forecast looks promising, so let's hope for a great turnout and plenty of hungry patrons.
Next Wednesday promises to be a highlight and is certainly not to be missed. Our guest speakers will be Maria Hicks OAM and Aviv Palti, who will share firsthand insights into the outstanding international work being undertaken by the Rotary Melbourne Passport Club.
I also encourage members to keep the 'Rotary Walk With Us' month-long fundraiser in mind this coming October. The event will support Rotary's number one global project, the eradication of polio. Further details can be found later in this Bulletin.
My philosophical quote of the week:
"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind” Mahatma Gandhi
President Stew
Urgent Appeal -Nepal Disaster
Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) has today established an appeal fund for the Nepal disaster.
This is the link to the appeal. Tax deductible donations can be made immediately.
Here is a QR Code to the RAWCS appeal which may be more convenient.
With your help, RAWCS will continue to establish more Rotary contacts and clubs in Nepal in the days and weeks that follow.
Using our existing Rotary contacts in Nepal and making new relationships to deliver humanitarian aid in the affected areas.
GUEST SPEAKER - Janette Etherington
Janette is the Rotary Engagement Officer with Interplast- Rebuilding bodies & Rebuilding lives in the Asia Pacific region. Interplast had its genesis at a Rotary meeting when two Rotarians decided to approach the Royal College of Surgeons about the possibility of working in the Asia/Pacific region to address the much suffering people living with deformities were forced to endure. This really good news Rotary story commenced in 1983. Rotary is well represented on the committee and companies which now oversee the work of Interplast. The work of Interplast has a positive impact on patients, families and communities. Reconstructive surgery empowers individuals and leads to greater participation in work and the community.
Interplast oversees surgical treatment for people, especially children born with cleft lips or palate. In the poorer countries of the Asia/Pacific there is a high incidence of accidents which result in burns and serious injuries requiring corrective surgery. Janette explained how burns can turn into contractures which make the skin leather like thus restricting movement and mobility. In some cases surgeons have been able to remove benign tumours. Cleft lips and palates are not only visible they impact significantly on a person's speech and eating. Visiting teams have also been able to provide support for amputees who have lost limbs as a result of diabetes.
Visiting teams include surgeons, anesthetists, nurses and physiotherapists. The teams perform surgery and take the opportunity to train local doctors and teams responsible for ongoing care. Ongoing training is provided through videos and webinars. Even though team members work on a voluntary basis there are huge expenses for travel, equipment and accommodation. Costs have soared to $80K per trip and not all airlines offer the free transportation of equipment any longer. In all, Interplast has provided for 27,000 surgeries and 14,000 training opportunities. The cost of each surgery amounts to around $1.5K.
Janette recounted her experiences during a recent visit to Samoa. Once away from the idyllic coast visitors to Samoa experience extreme poverty. People live in houses without windows and are often forced to seek shelter in pavilion type structures which just have pillars and a roof. The hospitals have minimal facilities with visiting surgeons needing to use staff rooms for preoperative planning. Supplies of oxygen are unreliable and families need to supply their own linen. Members heard the stories of patients such as Risati and Josiah who needed to have surgery on both hands to separate fingers which had grown together. Interplast makes one proud to be a Rotarian. We thank Janette for taking the time to remind us about this wonderful initiative.
To all members see flyer above, if anyone interested come and join John Cannon and Rob Rosaia for a fun day at Werribee and support our local team for further details see John (his idea)
John Cannon mentioned a few weeks ago that he and his son Henry were going on a motorcycle rally in Egypt. Here are a few details of the trip.
The Rally is called CROSS EGYPT CHALLENGE .
This event is run by ROTARY ALEXANDRIA COSMOPOLITAN and this year is the 15th time the event has been run.
The purpose of the event is to promote tourism in Egypt.
The event is over 9 days and covers approximately 2400klms and is run in late October.
Henry and I are riding 150cc scooters.
This year the event is also including a
RYLA (ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS)event, see attached flyer.
On September 2 our club will have special guest speaker - Aviv Palti (right).
Aviv will speak in person and will be accompanied by Maria Hicks OAM, the president of the Melbourne Rotary Passport Club.
We are hoping Rotarians from other neaby clubs may be able to join us at our meeting.
Below is some background information about Aviv.
Aviv Palti is the Co-Founder of the Cambodia Rural Students Trust NGO (CRST), Foundation Director of the Rotary Passport Club of Melbourne (RPM), Advisor to the Rotaract Club of Siem Reap (RACSR), and the author of Empowered - A New Generation of Leaders. For more than 15 years, he has dedicated himself to creating opportunities that empower young people and strengthen communities through education, leadership and service.
Working alongside Rotarians and Rotaractors across Australia, New Zealand and Asia, Aviv has helped build sustainable partnerships that create meaningful, long-term impact. He has presented at more than 50 Rotary clubs, district conferences and leadership forums, sharing practical lessons in leadership, service and international collaboration.
Together with more than 30 Rotary clubs and 10 Rotary districts, Aviv has helped develop and deliver humanitarian projects valued at more than A$500,000, impacting over 50,000 community members across Cambodia and Myanmar. These initiatives have included Global Grant WASH projects, education scholarships, bicycles for education, menstrual health programs, SolarBuddy light distributions and studentled leadership initiatives. At the heart of every project is a simple philosophy - sustainable change begins by investing in people, building local leadership and creating genuine partnerships.
Drawing on his experience in humanitarian leadership and community development, Aviv brings a practical, authentic and people-focused perspective to every presentation. Through compelling stories from the field and the leadership principles explored in Empowered - A New Generation of Leaders, he inspires audiences to think differently about service, leadership and the extraordinary impact that ordinary people can create when they work together.
What Audiences Can Expect
Aviv's presentations are engaging, practical and inspiring. Rather than simply showcasing projects, he shares the leadership principles that make sustainable impact possible - building trust, empowering others, developing future leaders and creating partnerships that endure. Audiences leave with practical ideas they can apply within their own Rotary clubs and communities, together with a renewed belief that lasting change is created by investing in people first.
Rotary & Community Leadership
• Past President 2022-2024 - Rotary Passport Club of Melbourne (RPM) • Foundation Director 2024-2027 - Rotary Passport Club of Melbourne (RPM) • Advisor 2022-2027 - Rotaract Club of Siem Reap (RACSR) • Co-Founder - Cambodia Rural Students Trust NGO (CRST) • Author - Empowered - A New Generation of Leaders • Speaker at more than 50 Rotary clubs, district conferences and leadership forums.
Friday, 30 October - Sunday ,1 November
Rotary South Pacific 2026 is where regional leadership gathers, ideas ignite and momentum builds. Under the bold theme People. Planet. Peace., this Conference brings together Rotary leaders, changemakers and members from across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific to shape the future of our organisation. Convened by Rotary International Director Jennifer Scott AM and chaired by PDG Tony Monley OAM, Melbourne 2026 will connect global vision with regional action. From international keynote addresses and leadership streams to fellowship, collaboration and community impact, this is more than a conference — it is a movement for regional impact.
