This is not a time to just focus on restoring peace to war torn countries but to think about how we bring peace and avoid conflict in our everyday lives – in our homes, schools, work places and in our Rotary Clubs. Rotary’s goal is to create environments where peace can be built and maintained through sustainable and measurable activities in communities worldwide. Peacebuilding remains a cornerstone of our mission as a humanitarian service organization.
President's Report
What a fantastic meeting we had last week with 4 new members being inducted into the Club. It was also wonderful to see so many members, friends of the Club and the inductees’ families and friends there to support and acknowledge their start on the Rotary journey.
Joe Merceria, Susette Fleming, Donna Hildon and Belinda Erich all bring a good deal of commitment and enthusiasm to their new roles as Rotarians. Each of them has recognised that being a Rotarian is more than receiving a lapel pin and being called a Rotarian, they have now stepped on the path of service above self and a commitment to work towards making our world a better place.
I would ask all members who haven’t at this time personally spoken to each of the new members to make yourself known to them. Our Club and its members have so much to offer by way of guidance and friendship to those new to Rotary; the bonds that join Rotarians together are strong and we are certainly
emboldened when we join together working towards common goals.
This Monday the 9th of February is a Board meeting and whilst the committee has a full agenda of matters to discuss and decisions to be made, we welcome any member who would also like to attend and see the committee in action. Any member who has served previously as Rotary board members or have been on boards of other organisations, know the time and commitment each of the executive give to leading and managing the Club. As President I thank each and every one of the current committee for their willingness to work together on making decisions for the betterment of our Club, Rotary more generally and the communities we both live in and support.
Our next general meeting is a Club Assembly on Monday the 23rd of February. These meetings are important to the membership as it allows sufficient time for open and free discussion on matters central to members and the workings of the Club. At this meeting we will also be presenting a short video prepared by the DG Michele and the District committee. It focuses on the Regionalisation Pilot and where our District is at currently. The possibility of re-districting and/or re-zoning are addressed and the impact or otherwise they would or could have on our District. It’s a short presentation, but informative and I would encourage as many members as possible to be there.
This Friday, the Club will be doing a back to school BBQ breakfast at Ellison Rd Public School, thank you to the members and friends who have let Johannes know they will be there and its certainly gratifying to have been able to fill this roster with some degree of ease. Upcoming community events include
February 21st – Bunnings BBQ
February 28th – Family Fun Dance - ShelterBox fundraiser
March 7th – Buckland Retirement Village BBQ
March 8th – Wellness Day at the Old Farm, Yellow Rock
March 21st – Bunning BBQ
Please let Johannes know if you can assist and notice prior to him sending out the call, is always appreciated. His email is JBrockhaus@buckland-rv.com.au
Finally, our ongoing thanks to Bruce and Deborah Wood for doing the monthly Friday raffle at the Ori. This raises both the profile of the Club and our work, plus brings in good income to further assist the many worthy causes and organisations we support.
Until next week, take care.
Cheers Liz
Liz Roberts
President 2025-2026
The Rotary Club of Springwood
LATEST NEWS …
1. DATES TO LOOK FORWARD TO (IN ADDITION TO THOSE LISTED ABOVE)...
Monday, 9th February - Club Board Meeting.
Friday, 13th February - 2026 Welcome Back to Ellison Rd PS Breakfast BBQ
2. 2026 WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL BREAKFAST BBQ
The 2026 Welcome Back to School Breakfast BBQ is locked in for Friday, 13 February 2026, running from 8:00am to 9:30am. As always, this is a great event—lots of happy kids, plenty of energy, and teachers bravely coming to terms with being back at work after the holidays.
It’s a short and sharp BBQ. If we can get six volunteers available from 7:30am to 10:00am, we will be more than covered. Good fun, good cause, and guaranteed smiles (mostly from the kids). Please let Johannes Brockhaus jbrockhaus@buckland-rv.com.au
know if you can help out.
3. YOUTH DIRECTOR'S REPORT
Friday night saw the District 9685 Welcome Home Dinner for the Youth Exchange Students. Bronwyn went along to the dinner to represent our club & welcome back Addy Quicke, who our club sponsored on Youth Exchange to Czechia. The evening was hosted by the Rotary Club of Carlingford at the Muirfield Golf Course and by all accounts it sounds like an enjoyable evening was had by all. We look forward to welcoming Addy back to a club meeting & hearing about her Youth Exchange experience.
Breakfast Club is back!! This term we will be helping MYST with Breakfast Club at Winmalee High School on Tuesday mornings, starting at approx 7am. MYST have also asked if we could again assist with the preparation of food on Monday afternoons at 3pm in Springwood. Being involved with breakfast club is a fun way to contribute to our local community & takes relatively little time. If you would like to help out, either on a regular or irregular basis, please let me know.
Sheryn Phillips
4. ORI RAFFLE NIGHT, 6th FEBRUARY
The Friday night raffle at the Ori saw lots of new faces enjoying the meals and a healthy $330 raised by Bruce & Deborah, representing our Club proudly, chatting to patrons.
Thanks to Tammy, there were 3 meat trays up for grabs at no cost to our Club so all takings are profit.
Thanks to Bruce & Deborah for their efforts each month, this partnership with the Ori is a great example of community and business helping each other!
Rachel Pagitz
Above: Bruce and Deborah Wood and Tammy from the Ori.
5. FAMILY FUN DANCE
Following, you will find the flier for this exciting fundraising event, all details are there.
It is being held on Saturday 28th February at 5.00 to 8.00 in the evening at the Old Farm, 35 Purvine Rd, Yellow Rock. Please share the information with all of your friends, relatives and neighbours. Let's make this a big occasion for our Club.
For this event to be successful we will require a team of our trusty helpers for the evening in the following areas:
parking attendants 3 people 4.45pm - 7.45pm
front gate registration checking, raffle ticket selling 3 people 4.45pm-7.45pm
BBQ trailer cooking, serving and sale 5 people 5-7pm
Dessert server 1 person 6.30-7pm
Dam watcher (kids) 1 person 4.45-7.45pm
ShelterBox support for their display team 1 person 5-7pm
Kindly contact Al Kellway to indicate where you are able to help, so a roster will be prepared.
6. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – CONFERENCE SUPPORT (FRIDAY NIGHT & SATURDAY)
All great conferences rely on volunteers to help ensure everything runs smoothly, and we are now seeking volunteers for Friday night and Saturday to assist with our upcoming Conference.
There are a variety of roles available, including:
Registrations and assisting with registration
Supporting attendees at City Hall
Showcase assistance
Ushers for the Showcase
Ushers for the Civic Theatre
Directing conference attendees to morning tea and lunch, and back to the Civic Theatre
Most roles are for an hour or less, and your support would be greatly appreciated. Volunteering is also a wonderful way to meet people and be part of the Conference's energy and success.
If you are able to help, we would love to hear from you.
Contact:
Adrian Roach
Conference Volunteer Coordinator adrian@valleyfresh.net
0412 191 888
Thank you in advance for your support — together we can make this a fantastic Conference.
Bobby Redman worked tirelessly in our District to help those with Dementia, despite suffering from this condition herself. She established the DCaf program (Dementia cafe's) which has spread widely, including tom our own Club. Bobby passed away recently, and the details of her funeral are as follows.
Michael McQueen, a bestselling author, motivational speaker,
and sought-after media commentator, shared three steps with incoming Rotary leaders to overcome resistance to change in their clubs at the International Assembly in January. Nothing changes unless minds do, McQueen said, giving the leaders tools to shift the discussion and reframe reality.
5. FRIDAY, 20th TO SUNDAY, 21st MARCH - 2026 ROTARY DISTRICT'S 9660 AND 9685 CONFERENCE
Rotary Unites for Good: 2026 Districts 9660 and 9685 Conference Set for Newcastle on the 20th & 21st March 2026
In 2026, Rotary Districts 9660 and 9685 will come together for a joint conference in the vibrant city of Newcastle, NSW.
This special event will celebrate Rotary’s impact, strengthen connections across districts, and inspire Rotarians and friends through shared learning, collaboration, and fellowship. Register now!
Rotarians from Districts 9660 and 9685 are invited to unite in Newcastle, NSW, on Friday, 20 and Saturday, 21 March 2026, for the “Together for Tomorrow” conference—a dynamic event designed to inspire, connect, and empower Rotary members across both districts.
Event Highlights
Connect: Forge meaningful relationships with fellow Rotarians and changemakers.
Learn: Gain insights from visionary speakers and enjoy a musical extravaganza.
Act: Discover new ways to make a lasting impact in your community and beyond.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK...
Just like a rotary phone needs to be dialed back to its starting point to make a new call, sometimes we need to return to our core values and principles to make progress in life
Acknowledgement of Country
We would like to acknowledge the Gundungurra and Dharug peoples past, present and emerging as the traditional owners of the land where our Club resides and pay our respects to them.
Here are just a few examples of the great work happening across our District: