Most of us are familiar with the reference to the “Twelve Days of Christmas” but did you know about the “Twelve Months of Rotary”? Rotary has identified a theme for each month. July is the first month of the Rotary year and is when the annual theme kicks in. It is also the month when new leadership takes over at Clubs, Districts and at Rotary International. This month's theme is Membership and New Club Development
Month, and this year’s theme is “Create Lasting Impact.”
The monthly themes are meant to highlight the wide range of Rotary’s good work and give clubs some suggestions, timing, and guidance for their programs and activities.
President's Report
What an exciting week this is for our Club.
We welcome Naya Jorgensen our incoming exchange student from Denmark. Naya will be with us for a year and during that time she will be hosted by four local families and Bronwyn from time to time. Naya arrived yesterday with a welcome at the airport by Bronwyn, Frank and District Counsellors Norm and Cheryl Kitto. Bronwyn took the opportunity to show Naya around a little yesterday and I’m sure she can give us a little more info on Naya introduction to the Blue Mountains at our meeting. Naya will be at our meeting and I hope as many of you as possible will be there to welcome her.
On Thursday, our Club hosted the BBQ for the Ellison School Athletic Carnival at Tom Hunter Park, Faulconbridge. It was a lovely day, and it was fantastic to see the children competing and giving each event their very best. Thanks to Bruce, Frank, Bill, Warrick and Geoffery for being there and making sure every child received a well-cooked sausage sizzle.
The Club will be hosting the BBQ at the Running Wild marathon on August 16th, and I thank the following members and friends of the Club who have volunteered to be there on the day. Rachel & Jerome, Frank, Al, Belinda and Rob, Nyree Waterson, Paul & Alison Tapuska, Annette & Stephen Brown.
Whilst I really enjoy the Running Wild events as both the organisers and the competitors are always upbeat and cheery; I have a family weekend at mine and the willingness of others to be there will allow me to have this time with family and some friends – so thank you!
As members know we are a service club and as such are committed to undertaking service for our community and at the same time often being funded via these events to then serve our local and wider communities with funding to allow them to meet their objectives and needs. It is therefore incumbent on us to ensure we commit to service where are able and to assist our community at events. In the coming couple of months, we have several large events that will require a significant number of members and friends of the Club to commit to, and I will provide details on these later in this newsletter, please see if you can assist.
Member half yearly membership fees are now due, and I would ask members to pay these sooner than later. A good number of members have already paid, and I thank them for their prompt attention to this.
Upcoming events, please email the link below if you can assist – your help is needed!
Sunday 13 September Springwood United Football Presentation
Wednesday, 5th August - Police Officer of the Year, Katoomba RSL 6.30pm.
Monday, 10th August - Board Meeting (No General Meeting)
Monday, 24th August - Club Assembly plus visit from District Governor Michele Ellery
Friday, 23rd October, 2026 - Train Ride to End Polio
2. OUR EXCHANGE STUDENT - NAYA JORGENSON
Just letting you know that Naya has now arrived safely at the airport and was met by Frank and me and also Norm and Cheryl who are her District Counsellors. We are now back at my place and Naya is doing very well after the long flight as expected her English is excellent. She has had a shower and now is having a timed, by her not me, 1 hour rest after which we will decide what to do next. Bronwyn.
RYE Student from Denmark Naya Jorgenson was met at the airport last Saturday by Bronwyn Berriman, Frank Ross, Norm and Cheryl Kitto
3. ROTARIAN, ROTORACTORS AND VOLUNTEER INFORMATION AND DECLARATION FORM
A number of readers would have received the following email from Geoff Glssock during the week. Please note that your completed forms need to be submitted to Geoff, the Youth Protection Officer, by 10th August, or as soon as possible.
DISTRICT 9685 YOUTH PROTECTION POLICY UPDATE: ROTARIAN, ROTORACTORS AND VOLUNTEERINFORMATION AND DECLARATION FORM.
As the Youth Protection Officer for the club I manage the Working with Children Register and verify all members when they renew their 5 year WWC details. The district has now added a further requirement for all members who are Rotarians Rotoractors and Friends of Springwood Rotary. You will need to complete the following:
In looking at the Honorary Members and Friends of Rotary list there are a number who are inactive and not required to complete the form.
For the rest each Rotary member will need to complete the form including putting in their WWC details including the date of renewal.
They also need to provide details for 3 referees – these can’t be family members. Only one referee can be a Rotarian
When you approach the referees you need to explain to them that an Authorised Person from Rotary will contact them and ask them 4 questions.
When you complete the first three pages and sign the VOLUNTEER DECLARATION FORMS.
Make a copy for you to keep and send me your original signed and dated copy so that I can begin to organise the person to make the 3 referee checks – that involves 81 checks for the members alone and then plus the Friends who are regularly involved.
If any of you are uncertain of your Working with children details including the date of renewal please contact me and I will give it to you. I will then develop the Youth Protection Register to go with the WWC register I currently hold.
LIZ AS PRESIDENT WILL SIGN ALL THE COMPLETED DOCUMENTS AND NOTIFY THE DISTRICT OFFICER OUR CLUB HAS FINALISED THE TASK.
Best wishes,
Geoffrey
Dr Geoffrey Glassock AM
Vocational Director 2026-2027
The Rotary Club of Springwood (Inc)
Email: glassock@bigpond.net.au
Mobile: 0408436676
4. LAST MEETING
At our meeting on Monday, 27th July, we were rewarded by a fantasic presentation by member Rachel Pagitz. Rachel spoke about a project she had recently completed for the NSW Reconstruction Authority. To hear some of the stories in the videos Rachel presented was in most cases a very emotional interaction with those who have faced devastation and loss and how they moved forward. Thank you Rachel for a very moving and informative talk on the issues you described. Click on the image below to go to You Tube to view 6 of the videos shown during our meeting.
Rachel was introduced by Bronwyn Berriman
Rachel was thanked by Susette Fleming
5. THE CLUB MEETING ON MONDAY 20th JULY
For our meeting on the 20th July, our Guest Speaker was Past District Governor, Di North who served as the District Governor for Rotary District 9675 (covering parts of Sydney and NSW) in 2019–2020, and is an active advocate and speaker for Interplast Australia & New Zealand. Di spoke to us about Interplast with her photos of before and after photos of people who had suffered enormous disfigurement, either genetic or accidental.Her thought provoking presentation was a great testament to the fabulous work of Interplast which provides the life saving or improving operations and medical treatment that in Australia we take for granted. We are grateful for Di's input on this somewhat emotional topic.
Di was introduced by Dr Geoffrey Glassock AM
PDG Di North OAM
Di was thanked by PP Marilyn Kenney
6. POLICE OFFICER OF THE YEAR - BLUE MOUNTAINS AREA COMMAND
Please find following the flyer for the 5th August Police Officer of the Year event.
There is a QR code on the flyer to be used for bookings. The Try Booking link for those who can't use the code is http://www.trybooking.com/DNIYA.
Looking forward to a great night.
Susan Wakefield OAM
Chair of Blue Mountains POOTY
This is a wonderful night of celebration. It is well worth the drive up to Katoomba RSL for the event.
The Rotary journey of Olayinka H. Babalola began when he joined a Rotaract club at his university in Bauchi, Nigeria. Four decades later, he’s traveling the world and encouraging members to Create Lasting Impact as Rotary’s 2026-27 president. Meet Yinka and learn why his friends talk about "the Yinka effect."
2. 2026-27: CREATE LASTING IMPACT
By harnessing our community connections and implement-ing service projects that create positive, long-term change, Rotary members show how collective actions build a sustainable difference in the world.
The annual presidential message offers us a powerful tool to share compelling Rotary stories in a consistent way. By using a message that aligns with our Action Plan, we can also inspire others to take action with us.
Our 2026-27 message, Create Lasting Impact, encourages all of us, as people of action, to work together to make a meaningful difference in our communities and around the world. It builds on the ways in which members have strengthened their connections to each other and to their communities to Unite for Good, the 2025-26 message. Now, Create Lasting Impact will harness those connections and inspire our members, participants, and the public to take collective actions that lead to a sustainable difference — globally, locally, and personally.
To show the world how members are creating lasting change through Rotary, you can collect information and share stories that demonstrate the impact your club makes through service projects and other work in the community. Another great way to do this is by sharing videos from the series “Personal Perspectives: The Value of Rotary.” These short testimonials highlight how Rotary creates positive change around the world and in the lives of our members.
3. RESOURCE GUIDE FOR ROTARIANS
Congratulations on taking on the challenge to make your members' club experience engaging and impactful.
It has been a number of years now since Rotary has developed an Action Plan to ensure that the organisation continues to thrive through the coming decades. The plan was built on four strategic priorities: Increasing Our Impact, Expanding Our Reach, Enhancing Participant Engagement and Increasing our Ability to Adapt. Toolkits containing videos, learning plans, fliers and guides have been developed to help cascade this down to club level to implement this plan. We encourage you to view the link to access these resources online.
Our office also compiled thisResource Guide(please click on the link) for your convenience. This resource includes ‘how-to’ guides, links to RI resources, along with guidelines on who to work with at Rotary when dealing with various issues. We have attempted to organise these resources in a way that you will find quick and intuitive. Please save this PDF on your computer so that you always have ready access to it.
While our objective is to save you time in performing your role, the information will also be useful to others in your club. The information is not confidential so feel free to include the above link in your club bulletin and, if you have a club website, we encourage you to place the link to these guides there as well. It would also be beneficial for districts to include these resources in their bulletins and website.
Our role here in the Regional Office is to support Rotarians to do good in the world. If you find that there are additional Rotary resources to which you need easy access, please let us know
4. THE ROAD TO MUDGEE 2027 CONFERENCE
David and I are absolutely thrilled to invite you to our Rotary District 9685 Conference 2027, held in the picturesque regional town of Mudgee, NSW. This conference is a highlight for our district, and we can't wait for you to be a part of it!
Our Theme: Connect. Collaborate. Celebrate
This theme is the very heart of Rotary, isn't it? It speaks to the incredible friendships we forge, the innovative ideas we share, and the profound difference we make together through dedicated service. A District Conference is so much more than just a gathering; it's a dynamic opportunity to recharge your Rotary spirit, gain fresh perspectives, and strengthen the bonds that make our district so special.
Connect with Passionate Leaders
Discover new friendships and strengthen existing ones. Mudgee offers a perfect setting to reconnect with Rotarians from across the district and share your passion for service.
Collaborate on Inspiring Ideas
Brainstorm impactful projects and share best practices. This conference is your chance to collaborate with fellow changemakers and ignite new initiatives for our communities.
Yours in Rotary,
Michele Ellery
District Governor
Rotary District 9685
5. DISTRICT 9685 FACEBOOK PAGE
Click on the image below to view the District 9685 Facebook Page.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK...
Neil Armstrong: "I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats.
I don't intend to waste any of mine."
Resonates with Rotary's philosophy of making every moment count in the service of humanity.
... and now for something different ...
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.
Rachel was introduced by Bronwyn Berriman
