I hope everyone has a great week ahead. Last week’s meeting was excellent, with a presentation on creating lasting memories for all. It was a fantastic idea, and one I wish many of my own family had embraced.
We also had a lovely catch-up earlier today. It was fascinating to visit the Running Rabbits Museum and see all the wonderful memorabilia. It was an amazing place, one I hadn’t been before. A big thank you to Julienne and the entire Social Committee for organising such a great event.
This week, I’m looking forward to welcoming our RYLA leader, whom we were proud to sponsor.
Yours in Rotary
WEEKLY REMINDERS
REMINDER - Annual Fees are now due. If not already paid, please pay yearly/half yearly at your earliest convenience. Thank you to those members who have already paid. :)
ATTENDANCE
Please use Club Runner to manage your attendance. If you are unable to attend and/or wish to bring additional guestsfor a special event or partners night please do so by 5pm Monday night. We need to give Knox Club numbers and pay for meals even if you do not attend.
If you would like something to be included in the website please advise Jim Sly. He is always looking for content and pictures of hard working rotarians is his favourite.
Chairperson - Peter Malden
Cashiers - Julienne Hyams, Jan Malden
Equipment/Greeting - Helene Kamieth
Toast/Greeting - Marina Barker
Thanks - Heather Anderson
Raffle - Ken Barrett
14th October - Working Groups
Hat Day - Lift the Lid on mental health Please wear a hat!
Chairperson - Annette Haworth
Cashiers - Michele Post, Ray Siegersma
Equipment/Greeting - Val Henry
Toast/Greeting - Lance Deveson
Thanks - n/a
Raffle - Jim Sly
Submission by Rotary Boronia in support of Infolink Operational Funding.
Some time ago submissions were called by Knox Council as part of the Annual Plan and Budget 2026-2027 community engagement.
Our Board approved a formal submission and we were advised that a response from officers will be included as part of the community engagement report being presented to Council on Monday 29 September 2025.
We nominated as part of this formal submission that we would like our submission heard by Councillors.
This was confirmed for Wednesday 1 October 2025 from 6:30-7:00pm.
The following is the 2 minute ( all that was allowed ) address to Council that was
presented by Community Chairman Peter Malden.
Thank you for this opportunity to say a few words.
I have been:-
A people and project manager for the last 50 plus years
A Rotarian in Knox for 25 years
A Knox rate payer for over 25 years
A member of the Committee of Management,
President and volunteer of Knox Infolink since 2007
I can tell you from experience that the biggest cause of
low morale, project poor performance and wastage is
uncertainty - especially in these times of growing demand.
To have both paid and unpaid staff and volunteers
continually writing countless submissions to make up
for operational funding short falls is counter-productive and a waste.
The static Knox Council operational funding that has seen
Infolink fall behind meeting their increasing overheads being wages,
utilities etc because a 1% increase in operational funding per annum
for more than 10 years does not come anywhere near what is needed to
keep pace with increasing operational costs.
The funds reduction has resulted in reducing service delivery to 4 days
per week approximately 6 years ago.
Surely it is time to fund Infolink with a catch up payment and annual increases in line with CPI or at a minimum in line with annual rate caps.
Over this time I have personally seen the increasing numbers of people needing support from Knox Infolink.
The vital need to have a safe space where community members can drop in
and receive immediate support (no wait lists) and ongoing support while they
wait for the referred specialised supports (which have long wait lists).
I do note that this ability to enhance community connection
to vital services is a key theme of Knox Council’s Health and Wellbeing Plan.
The money wasted by underfunding an important community organisation such as Knox Infolink - taking up precious hours of paid time (FTE of 3 staff) to continually fundraise just to keep the doors open is again a waste and morale deflator.
With a volunteer workforce of 65 plus contributing to the Knox community over 10000 hours per annum.
By underfunding Knox Infolink, this valuable resource is put under jeopardy.
The increasing needs of the needy, poor, homeless and the lonely demands we work smarter and with certainty.
We in Boronia Rotary are fully absorbed in assisting the Knox needy with many projects – too many to list here in the time I have.
Included for Notes :-
Breakfast program
Infolink food collections
KCCS support
Taminnya House
Youth Skills Shed
Ferntree Gully Tennis – all abilities program
Soon to be - Men’s Mental Health Hub
Youth education programs – RYLA, DRiving etc
Community Garden
To name just a few.
We fully support the work of Infolink and ask
that you please support the work of Infolink with an
annual realistic increase to their ongoing operational funding.
Thank you.
Then followed a few questions concerning:-
Where our funding comes from for the Men’s Hub?
Our involvement with Infolink over the years?
Where other funding comes from?
How do we support Schools?
WINE RAFFLE WINNERS!
Congratulations!
The lucky winners of our annual Wine Raffle have been drawn. All 250 tickets were sold, and the raffle was drawn on Tuesday 23rd September, and all winners have been notified.
Winners
1st Prize - 2011 Penfolds Grange Bin 95 - Mark Brezdecky
2nd Prize - 2020 Penfolds St Henri Shiraz - Bill Neale
The Running Rabbits Military Museum is fully accredited by Museums Australia and The Australia War Museum. It is the only accredited RSL Museum in Victoria.
The museum holds over 4000 items of memorabilia, photographs, weaponry, documents, artefacts and equipment from the Boer War through to WWI and WWII to the current day peacekeeping
missions.
Their tour guides have extensive knowledge and amazing stories about the items in their collection. From manufacturing, to where, who and how it was used and how it came to be in their collection.
They have a number of detailed models and dioramas depicting historical moments in Australia's military history.
The museum is run by a group of dedicated volunteers. Their role is crucial to the ongoing success of the museum.
We had a very informative tour of the museum, followed by a delicious lunch in Poppy's Restaurant.
Thank you to Julienne with the assistance of the Social Working Group for organising the day.
Each year on October 24 we observe World Polio Day to renew global attention on the fight to end polio. Since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) launched in 1988, coordinated vaccination campaigns have driven cases down by more than 99%. What was once a common cause of paralysis and death is now limited to only a few places on the map.
Polio is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause irreversible paralysis and, in some cases, death. The good news is that it is preventable: safe, effective vaccines stop transmission and protect children for life. The dramatic decline in cases shows that vaccines work — but the final steps to eradication are the hardest.
Today, the battle continues in the remaining endemic countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, where gaps in immunization and conflict make reaching every child difficult. Ongoing surveillance, routine immunization, targeted campaigns, and rapid response to outbreaks are all essential to prevent resurgence and to finish the job
UPCOMING CLUB EVENTS
The first Rotary Boronia monthly coffee catch up will be held at 10.30am on 18th October at
Montano's Patisserie Café, 719 Mountain Hwy Bayswater (then 3rd Saturday of the month thereafter).
Please RSVP via ClubRunner. You will find the link in the 'Upcoming Events' section above.
To effectively recycle, only place clean and empty items like hard plastic bottles, aluminium and steel cans, glass bottles and jars, paper, and cardboard into your recycling bin, which typically has a yellow lid. Never use plastic bags as items must be loose and unbagged for proper sorting at the facility. Also, remember to flatten cardboard boxes and ensure no food or liquid contaminates the contents, as this can lead to the whole bin being rejected
CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEME
Hi folks,
The Rotary Club of Boronia is registered as a donation partner with the Victorian Container Deposit Scheme.
Victoria is divided into 3 zones and of course we sit on the border between two of them, so we’re registered with both the North and East zones. Persons returning containers to any collection point in either zone may nominate us to receive the funds from their donations simply by scanning the attached barcode or entering our Donation Partner ID. All funds contributed will be deposited to our Committee account.
** Remember, you can bring along your empty bottles to our meetings. Our Environment Chair, Annette Griffin, will take them to a recycling location to make a deposit on our behalf.
DISTRICT 9815 DG's MESSAGE
Here is the third edition of the District News video from our District Governor, Peter Behm. It’s short, it’s fresh, and it’s a chance to hear directly from the DG about what’s happening across our district and where we’re headed together.
Please like and follow the BRAND NEW District 9815 Facebook Page. This will be a place to keep up to date with what's going in our District. Follow the link below to get connected.
FUNDRAISING EVENT for Apheresis Therapy - Monash Children's Cancer Centre
Apheresis Therapy is 'life-saving' treatment for children with cancer.
Our Rotary District 9815 is a mirror image of the catchment area for the Monash Children's Cancer Centre, meaning that all children diagnosed with cancer in this area will be referred to Monash Children's Hospital Cancer Centre.
Our District is currently working on a Global Grant to enable funding to get the program underway at Monash.
Many thanks and warm regards,
Leanne
Leanne Byron
President Elect (2025-2026)
Satellite Club Chair (2025-2026)
Rotary Club Greater Dandenong & Endeavour Hills
Phone: 0402 242 743
Add text here
Dear ROTARY
ShelterBox Australia warmly invites your club to attend the 2025 ShelterBox Champion Awards Night, a special online event celebrating Rotary’s life-changing impact in disaster relief.
📅 Date: Thursday, 23rd October 2025 🕖 Time: 7:00 PM (AEDT) 📍 Location: Zoom (link provided upon registration) 🎤 Hosted by: Mike Greenslade, CEO ShelterBox Australia 🌍 Special Guest: Martin Strutton, Senior Emergency Coordinator, ShelterBox
This inspiring evening will honour the incredible efforts of Rotary clubs across Australia who have championed ShelterBox’s mission to provide emergency shelter and aid to families affected by disaster and conflict. We’ll announce the 2025 Champion Award winners and share powerful stories from the field.
Your club's ongoing commitment and contribution to fundraising to assist immediate response in disaster relief, partnering with ShelterBox, has been instrumental in growing awareness and action.
We are personally inviting all District Governors and Rotary Clubs across Australia to attend. With over 120 awards being presented this year, and the largest number of gold and silver awards ever, we will be celebrating Rotary Clubs across the country ⭐️
Whether your club is a long-time ShelterBox supporter or is just beginning its journey, this is a wonderful opportunity to connect, celebrate, and be inspired by Rotary in action.
We look forward to celebrating Rotary in action with you!
Yours in Rotary, Mike Greenslade
CEO ShelterBox Australia
Dear Foothills Supporter
A lot has been happening at Foothills.
Thank you for your support over the last few months, we had a wonderful End of Financial Year appeal thanks to your support and encouragement.
We’re excited to share the launch of our Reverse Advent Calendar, opportunities to volunteer with us at our 24th AnnualChristmas Eve Lunches and details of our Foothills Larapinta Trek for Change in this email.
Warm Regards
The Foothills Team
P.S. We’ve got some exciting news to share very soon, so keep a look out for our next email, it won’t be too far away.
It’s nearly that time of year again for our Reverse Advent Calendar!
It’s hard to believe that Christmas 2025 is just around the corner, and at Foothills, we’re getting right into the swing of preparing for our end of year program celebrations, and our Christmas Eve Lunch.
This includes launching our Reverse Advent Calendar appeal for 2025, where we hope to provide over 400 special Christmas hampers to locals who would normally miss out, and we invite you to join us.
For those who’ve participated in our Reverse Advent Calendar in the past years, we want to say a big
THANK YOU!
We hear from our recipients of how much this blesses them at Christmas, it makes life easier and feels like they received a big hug from our Community.
We couldn’t make this difference in people’s lives without you.
In May 2026, we will be embarking on a five-day trek across the breathtaking Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory, walking alongside Foothills CEO Stephen Barrington. This journey will take us through some of Australia’s most stunning landscapes—witnessing sunrises from Mount Sonder, swimming in Ormiston Gorge, and sleeping under the stars in the heart of the Red Centre.
Every step we take will raise vital funds to help keep our community meals and support programs going, ensuring that everyone is welcome at our table.
If you’re looking for an adventure with heart, an opportunity to push your limits while making a real difference and raising funds, we’d love for you to join us.
But this trek is about more than just the challenge - it’s about walking in solidaritywith First Nations communities and those experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, and crisis.
Places are limited and filling up - be sure to register quickly
Welcome to the 2026 District Conference in Hobart, Tasmania!
I am thrilled to invite you to join us from March 13th to 15th, 2026, for an extraordinary event that promises to be both enriching and enjoyable. This year, we are excited to announce that the conference will be a collaborative effort with District 9830, representing Tasmania. Together, we aim to create an unforgettable experience filled with learning, networking, and cultural immersion.
Hobart, with its rich history and vibrant atmosphere, provides the perfect backdrop for our conference activities. On Friday, attendees can indulge in a variety of unique experiences, including storytelling at MACq 01, welcome drinks at the iconic Henry Jones, delightful lunch options paired with gin tasting, and exclusive whiskey tasting at the renowned Lark Distillery. For those who enjoy outdoor activities, we will also host golf and bowling events, ensuring there’s something for everyone.
Beyond the conference, Hobart offers a wealth of attractions that invite exploration. Take advantage of this opportunity to visit the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), or enjoy scenic drives to Port Arthur and Mt Wellington. The chance to immerse yourself in the local culture and scenery is an integral part of your conference experience.
We are delighted to announce the support of our major sponsors, Red Energy, who have committed to a three-year sponsorship, and Business Events Tasmania, which has graciously provided a grant to help offset our costs. Their support, along with our carefully curated programming, will contribute to a successful conference.
Saturday morning will kick off with the bustling Salamanca Market, allowing you to soak in the local flavour before we commence our plenary sessions a little later in the morning. Our venue, the Grand Chancellor, is ideally located within walking distance of the picturesque harbour and will host our sessions in the elegant Federation Concert Hall. We look forward to an enchanting 'Nautical Themed' Gala Night in the Grand Ballroom, promising an evening of fun and camaraderie.
This conference is not just a chance to attend sessions but also an exceptional opportunity to connect with fellow Rotarians, forge new friendships, and strengthen our networks across districts. For those wishing to extend their stay, we have arranged special holiday tour packages that allow you to further explore the beauty of Tasmania.
I am incredibly excited to chair this event and work alongside a dedicated conference committee to bring this vision to life. Together, let’s make the 2026 District Conference an unforgettable destination experience filled with learning, laughter, and lasting memories. I look forward to seeing you all in Hobart!
Our community (Group 4) leader is Guz Rozycki (Belgrave) and our fellow community clubs are
Belgrave
Bunyip Garfield
Emerald & District
Ferntree Gully
Healesville
Koo Wee Rup Lang Lang
Lilydale
Monbulk & District
Pakenham
Upper Yarra
Wandin
REMINDERS
If members are unable to attend Tuesday night's meeting, please decline on ClubRunner by 5pm the Monday before. This is important for Knox Club staff and catering purposes.
You can update or find information on this website or contact Monique Smith to register or update your details. *Please remember to list Rotary Club of Boronia as a place you volunteer.
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