Please check the roster for the next few weeks and advise Vicki Kersey and David Ungar if you will be away that week. Meeting jobs will be allocated via email before the meeting.
Last week, we welcomed Lea, Marine Program Manager from Ocean Connect, who shared the organisation’s valuable work in helping communities understand and care for our local marine environment. Since 2013, Ocean Connect has combined scientific research, community involvement and local knowledge to collect environmental data and promote stewardship of coastal ecosystems, supported by grants and community funding. Their projects include monitoring seagrass meadows at sites such as South Stradbroke Island, Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek to assess the impacts of climate change and severe weather events. Members were interested to learn that dugongs rely heavily on these habitats, consuming up to 40 kilograms of seagrass daily. Lea also highlighted sea slug and sea hare surveys, which provide important indicators of reef and ecosystem health in our local waterways.
THIS WEEK'S GUEST SPEAKER
This week, we’ll hear from Michelle Lavin from Rosies Outreach at Burleigh. Supported by dedicated volunteers and local high school students, the outreach team provides friendship and unconditional acceptance to people experiencing homelessness, social isolation, loneliness, or financial hardship.
While some attendees are homeless, many have employment or housing but continue to struggle with rising living costs or a lack of support networks. Through community donations and funding, Rosies is also able to provide practical assistance, including blankets, sleeping bags, beanies, socks, groceries and personal care items. Above all, Rosies offers a welcoming environment where a simple cup of tea or coffee and a genuine conversation can help restore dignity, confidence and a sense of belonging.
June 28th - District Changeover Lunch - Tickets here
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Meeting information
East Timor Container Project
Another East Timor container has now been packed and is ready for shipment. A special thank you to Terri Taylor, who has coordinated the creation of baby bundles through her club, with these much-needed items included in the container. These practical donations will make a significant difference to families in East Timor.
East Timor Update
Bren has recently returned from East Timor and provided members with an update on the ongoing projects and community outcomes being achieved through Rotary’s support in the region.
Community Service
Richard provided an update on upcoming service activities. Bunnings BBQ – Thursday 19 June Additional volunteers are still required. If you can spare a few hours, please add your name to the roster and help make this fundraiser another success.
Humpbacks & High Rises Festival Friday 4 July | 7:00am – 2:00pm
The roster is now open and still has several vacancies. This event provides excellent community visibility for our club, and your support would be greatly appreciated.
Kokoda Challenge Parking 18–19 July
Volunteer registrations are now being taken. Please see Richard Diaz and place your name on the roster if you are available to assist. This remains one of our major annual service activities and fundraising opportunities.
Upcoming Bunnings BBQ Friday 21 August
Please save the date. Further roster details will be circulated closer to the event.
Nuts Are Back!
Our popular nut sales have returned. Stock is now available for purchase and makes a great snack while supporting club fundraising activities.
President’s Reminder – Annual Changeover Dinner
Our Annual Changeover Dinner is fast approaching and promises to be a wonderful evening as we celebrate the achievements of the past Rotary year and welcome the new leadership team. We look forward to seeing as many members, partners and friends as possible as we reflect on another successful year of service and fellowship.
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Club runner information
If you do not have your Club Runner login information, you can go to the Club Runner website, scroll down a little and click on “Send me a Magic Link”. Enter the email address you gave to the club, and you will receive an email. Click on the login button and then select the club website. Go to ‘My Clubrunner’ and then ‘My Profile’. The ‘Edit’ button is at the top right and you can add/change any information on your profile. Click ‘Save’ and you’re done!
If you’re really feeling techy, you can download the Club Runner app.
If you would like any help resetting your password, or downloading the app to your phone, please let us know. There are a few members who can assist you.
We are looking to use Club Runner more for information and rosters, so it would be great if everyone is able to log in.
By Simbarashe Basvi, Rotary Club of Ladner, British Columbia, Canada
On 30 April, I returned to my former primary school, Chamukwenjera, in Manyene, Zimbabwe. Manyene is a rural communal area on the outskirts of Chivhu, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the capital, Harare. The last time I was there was in 1989. I was a young boy, dreaming of a future that felt both fragile and far away.
On this trip, I was delivering about 300 soccer uniforms and some soccer balls generously donated by the Rotary Club of Ladner. The journey was a powerful reminder of why Rotary exists: to uplift, to restore dignity, and to serve humanity. Read more here.
Rotary Down Under
Steady on Your Feet
Words Roslyn Teirney. Rotary Club of North Hobart, Tas.
By translating real-world risk into practical, human-centred action, Rotary’s Steady on Your Feet campaign demonstrates how visible, community-driven initiatives can strengthen public image by creating impact rather than simply promoting it.
Several community members arrived at a Rotary event in Hobart on 1 April after hearing a radio interview that morning. This was a clear sign that a falls prevention campaign was already doing more than raising awareness. It was changing behaviour. Read more here.
Rotary News
After life, a return to the earth
By Michaela Haas
Conservation burials, green cemeteries, and environmental convictions are reshaping how some people think about death
A Dixieland band led the way. The musicians walked slowly down a mowed path through restored prairie; trumpet and clarinet cut through the late-afternoon air. Friends carried handmade prayer flags. Laughter mingled with song as the procession crossed the meadow. When it stopped, a violinist played “My Old Kentucky Home.” The family of the young woman, who was celebrated as an adventurous spirit and the “life of the party,” passed around a bottle of Kentucky bourbon, each taking a sip, then pouring some into the grave before helping shovel the soil back into place. Read more here.
Program Manager from Ocean Connect, who shared the organisation’s valuable work in helping communities understand and care for our local marine environment. Since 2013, Ocean Connect has combined scientific research, community involvement and local knowledge to collect environmental data and promote stewardship of coastal ecosystems, supported by grants and community funding. Their projects include monitoring seagrass meadows at sites such as South Stradbroke Island, Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek to assess the impacts of climate change and severe weather events. Members were interested to learn that dugongs rely heavily on these habitats, consuming up to 40 kilograms of seagrass daily. Lea also highlighted sea slug and sea hare surveys, which provide important indicators of reef and ecosystem health in our local waterways.
