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President's Report
Welcome to the Springword and a catch up on all the service we have been involved in over the last week.
On Friday Marilyn, Valda and Geoff were at Emu Plains station to welcome the End Polio Now train. I’m sorry to have not been there but the garage sale organisation needed to be my priority on that morning. The train ride is both significant and important in raising the profile of the work being undertaken to end polio. The Club has donated $1,000 to the cause and I understand it was well received.
Well, the Monster Garage Sale was an absolutely raging success and as I often reflect, events like this can only occur through the efforts of many.
Our Club has so much to be proud of and when called on to show up and put in the hard yards I know there will always be those that can be relied on. Whilst not all of us are up to the physical effort involved in setting up and packing away the thousand of items we had on sale, a dedicated group of members and friends did a mighty job; and when I say the event could not have occurred without them – this is just the FACT. To those members and friends, you have mine and the Club’s heartfelt thanks.
The financial success of the event is overwhelming and is certainly a significant increase on 2025. I will wait until we have reconciled the expenses including the BBQ and advertising, but regardless it will still be a wonderful result. The funds raised make such a difference in the lives of the individuals and organisations we support – so well done all in making our world a better place.
But the weekend was not over - early Sunday morning a hardy crew of members and friends again turned up for the Men’s Mental Health event at the Springwood Sports Club, serving bacon and egg rolls and flying the Rotary flag. A big thank you to Rachel, Deana, Jerome, Paul and Alison Tapuska and Logan. The breakfast really looked great and the people I spied eating appeared very impressed by the offering.
I’m looking forward to seeing as many members as possible at Monday nights meeting, we will have DG Michele on Zoom, going over details of the Working with Children requirement our Zone has recently introduced. I certainly value the time and effort our DG gives to members in ensuring that we are well across Rotary matters and in this particular instance making sure members have a clear understanding of the reasoning behind this recent initiative.
Then we start the new month on Monday 2 November, with DG Michele personally visiting our Club. Michele tells me she always enjoys being with our members and the happy atmosphere that we bring to meetings. Again, don’t miss this opportunity to hear from Michele. For me personally it’s always a real treat to have Michele, whose enthusiasm for her role and all things Rotary is infectious and reaffirming.
Finally, please note in your diaries, Monday 14 December for the Club Christmas Party. Again, Paul and Sue Erickson will welcome us to their beautiful home, and it promises to be another wonderful evening of food, fun, and festivities.
Looking forward to seeing you on Monday….
Cheers…Liz
Liz Roberts
President 2025-2026
The Rotary Club of Springwood
LATEST NEWS …
1. MORE DATES TO LOOK FORWARD TO ...
Rotary Garden Care for October - Bronwyn
Monday, 26th October - Zoom Webinar with Michele Ellery re Working With Children
Monday, 26th October - Melbourne Cup Celebrations
Saturday, 31st October, Halloween at Deana's
2. LAST MEETING, MONDAY 19th OCTOBER.
Last Monday, we had Colin Semmler speak about the historical overview of the Blue Mountains Hospital Auxiliary. The history of the hospital was a story of a long and ongoing saga of the development and history of the hospital and the efforts provided by many volunteers in thepast and present to firstly establish, then maintain the hospital to this day. A fascinating insight about a building which we all knew was there and have used over the years, without being aware of the background and history that went into making it happen.
Colin Semmler
Colin Semmler spoke about the historical overview of the Blue Mountains Hospital Auxiliary. He was thanked by PP Lynda Sparkes.
3. TRAIN RIDE TO END POLIO, FRIDAY 23rd OCTOBER, 2026
TODAYSHOW 23rd OCTOBER, 2026
A pair of Sydney commuters are putting the city's train network to the ultimate test, visiting over 195 train stations in just 18 hours. Father-son duo Dave and Mark Anderson joined #9Today to discuss the challenge.
4. MONSTER GARAGE SALE, SATURDAY 24th OCTOBER
Click on the photo album below to view photos of this very successful day. Congratulations to all of the members and friends whp helped bring it to fruition and the ultimate success of the event. Without the tenacity and drive of our undefatigable President, Liz Roberts, this would not have happened. A huge congratulations and thanks to Liz. We are very proud of her.
5. MOTORS FOR MENTAL HEALTH EVENT IN SPRINGWOOD, SUNDAY 25.10.2026
A really convivial day with lots of appreciation for Rotary’s bacon & egg rolls. Thanks to Baker’s Delight Winmalee who kindly gave us a discount on our hamburger rolls - if you shop there tell Uday the manager we appreciate the support!
A small but mighty crew of Rotarians Deana & I ably assisted by Friends Jerome, Paul & Alison Tapuska & Logan. The sun and the cars were shining, the music was pumping & the crowds were happy. Expenses still to be taken out but we collected almost $1000 which is pleasing for a quick, easy event.
A small donation from the Supercars sweep will be made to Springwood’s Walk it Off mental health organisation and also the Men’s Rural Health Education Van in keeping with the theme of the day.
Thanks to the mighty crew of willing hands for the support today, particularly Deana who backed up after 2 late nights working & helping on the garage sale and of course Logan who was also backing up from the garage sale and is always a huge hit with customers. Rachel Pagitz, Public Image Director
6. WENTWORTH FALLS TAFE LUNCH
At 12.00pm on Tuesday, 10th November, we are having another of our enjoyable lunches at Wentworth Falls TAFE. If you would like to join the fun and the fantastic chatter of the day, please let Valda Bray know that you would like to attend at:
valdabray@hotmail.com / 0414 974 686
7. THE SPRINGWOOD BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB 70th ANNIVERSARY, 24.10.2026
This is not a Rotary story, but a community one, close to the heart of the newsletter editor.
The Boys and Girls Club has been running for 70 years. It previously operated from the Roxy Theatre, formerly an outdoor open air theatre which was enclosed to form an indoor theatre, and is now the medical centre next to the fire station in Springwood. The current building was officially opened on 26th October, 1996, after much fundraising, blood, sweat and tears, committee meetings, etc.
Today, it is still a very viable, active Club which caters for the needs of the young people in the Mountains. The interesting thing about the event on Saturday was that the committee which undertook the sale of the land of the Roxy Theatre, negotiated the lease of the State Rail property where it now stands, fought the BM City Council, drew up plans, fund raised, wrote grant applications, etc, were all there on the day (except for Colin Kenney, who was pivotal in the project). Such was the power of pulling together over a number of years to form a very cohesive group that has endured over the years since.
STORIES FROM ROTARY...
1. ON THE PLUS SIDE
The "plus" in PolioPlus refers to the many other pressing community needs that Rotary's polio eradication strategy is designed to address. In Pakistan, one of only two countries where polio is still endemic, these include basic healthcare, clean water, and other routine immunizations. Learn how Rotary and its partners are delivering much more than vaccines.
2. THE ROTARY FOUNDATION DISTRICT 9685 BRUNCH
Date: Saturday, 7th Nov, from 8:30am
Location: The Depot Brewery, Ground Floor, Home HQ, 1 Frederick St, Artarmon, NSW,
3. SAVE THE DATE - ROTARY DISTRICT 9685 CUP FULL OF CONNECTION PICNIC
Event: Cup-full of Connection Picnic
Date: Feb 07, 2027 11:00 am - Feb 07, 2027 3:00 pm
Location:
John Wearn Reserve
Balaka Drive
Carlingford, NSW Australia View map
Let’s reconnect, recharge and refill together!
Join us for a relaxed, family-friendly Rotary picnic in the park — a wonderful
opportunity to enjoy friendship, fresh air and fun with your Rotary family and
community.
John Wearn Reserve is a vibrant district park offering recreational features
for all ages, including:
• A safari-themed playground
• Picnic shelters and BBQs
• Walking, scooting and riding areas
Whether you’re bringing the kids, inviting friends, or catching up with fellow
Rotarians, this is a perfect day to slow down and strengthen our
connections.
Bring your family, bring your joy, and bring your picnic rug!
Sunday 7 February 2027
11:00 am – 3:00 pm
4. ROTARY SOUTH PACIFIC STRATEGY 2026-28
Rotary South Pacific News, 21st October 2026
Rotary South Pacific is shaping a stronger, more connected future across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. This strategy focuses our collective effort on strengthening clubs and member experience, growing membership, increasing reach and impact, building a stronger public voice and creating a sustainable regional model for the future.
We encourage you to familiarise yourself with the strategy and reflect on how it can support your club to achieve more.
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!
Yours in Rotary,
Michele Ellery
District Governor
Rotary District 9685
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK...
... 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.
