Please check the roster for the next few weeks and advise Vicki and David Ungar if you will be away that week. Meeting jobs will be allocated via email before the meeting.
Last week, we held an interactive member session to connect, share updates, plan projects and strengthen club initiatives. Jo led us through some activities designed to think about our 'Why' of being in Rotary.
THIS WEEK'S GUEST SPEAKER
This week, Lauren Jane from Find My Wild will be speaking to us about the survivor-led organisation supporting humans to leave and rebuild from domestic violence and abuse.
They exist in the space after someone realises they can’t stay - but before life feels safe, stable, or clear again. This rebuilding phase is where support often disappears, and it’s exactly where Find My Wild steps in.
_____________________________________
Upcoming Events
Mexican Fiesta | Club Social Night
Mar 13, 2026 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Rotary Social Dinner - Come Join Us!
Friday 13 March at 6pm Aztec Coolangatta
Come and join us for a relaxed night out with fellow Rotarians!
$30 per head - great food and good company guaranteed.
Payment Information
Please transfer your funds to the club admin account:
BSB: 084961 Account Number: 298383904
Note: Please include your name and Ref Social13MAR as the payment reference to help us track payments efficiently.
Please RSVP so we can book the right number of seats.
May 1st to May 3rd at Royal Pines. Ticket sales from our district are low and they would love to see more of us there. Click the link to see more information and to book your tickets.
Exchange Student Zane Morgan update
Hi Burleigh rotary. Here is a quick report of what has been happening so far on my first month on exchange.
My current host family has a house up in the mountains, and they took me there to learn snowboarding for a week. I’ve also started school, and my German is improving very well.
Something that really surprised me when I first arrived is how much bread and pastries they have in the shops, and how cheap some things are. I was also surprised though by how almost everything costs double that of Australia, and how cold it was when I first arrived. A really great thing about Switzerland is the public transport. My host club bought me a Swiss pass for all public transport, and I can travel anywhere in Switzerland with it. It is also super punctual and reliable.
I am so grateful to this club for sponsoring me to go on this exchange year in this country, I am loving it. I have also attached some photos of things that I have done.
__________________________
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.
Mike Shambrook, Vicki Kersey, and Exchange students Luci and Theo attended the Ballina-Richmond Rotary Club Duck Race on Sunday. Fantastic community event with many stalls, food options, fun for the kids, a corporate duck decorating competition and, of course, the duck race itself. Mike and Vicki picked up a few ideas to bring to the duck race committee and Ballina club has offered any help and resources we might need.
__________________________________
What a Day!
March 9th - Commonwealth Day
March 13th - Good Samaritan Day
March 14th - National Pi Day
Just Sayin'
“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”
Meeting people where they are: a new model for Rotary growth, engagement
By Priya Ahluwalia, Rotary Club of Southwest Florida, USA
When I first joined Rotary, I kept pondering a simple question: How does Rotary fit into real life today? Not in theory — but in the lives of actual working parents, young professionals, entrepreneurs, creatives, and people who genuinely want to serve but are already juggling full calendars.
That question wasn’t from a strategy session. It came from real conversations with friends who were curious about Rotary but unsure they could commit — professionals who wanted impact without rigid expectations and families who wanted to serve together. Read more here.
Rotary Down Under
Care for emotional wounds
WORDS. Betty Kitchener AM. Professor Tony Jorm.
An Australian husband-and-wife team came up with First Aid for Mental Health on a dog walk. Now, they want you – yes, you – to join this global movement.
Mental Health First Aid Australia’s story began in 2000, when the first course was delivered to a small group in Canberra, ACT. It has since evolved into a global movement with more than eight million people trained worldwide.
The training session starts with a drawing of a T-shirt on paper. Read more here.
Rotary News
Progress report: Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria
By Olubunmi Afolabi
The statistics may appear faceless on paper: 512 deaths for every 100,000 pregnant women in Nigeria, one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally. But they’re not faceless to me. I see the mothers. I see the babies. I have stood in the rooms where those numbers become either tragedies or triumphs.
I work with Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria, a Rotary Foundation Programs of Scale grant-funded initiative. Having just completed its third year, the initiative aims to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in select areas of Nigeria by 25 percent. Read how they are doing this here.
Coolangatta
