May is Youth Service month in Rotary. As someone who spent most of my working life in education, I focused on youth almost every day. There was a time when I believed the purpose of education was to expose youth to the best that humanity has ever thought and done, in the hope that it would guide them throughout their careers and enrich their everyday lives.
I'm now less certain this goal applies across all contexts, from school to school across our city, let alone across the country. And not across the globe, where two hundred and forty-four million children have no school to attend. Of those who do, according to UNESCO's figures, some 617 million leave school unable to read a simple text or do basic arithmetic. The gap between what a child in Helsinki and a child in rural Mozambique can expect from their education is not a gap. It is a chasm.
Crime With a Twist Of History, At Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club
Laraine sets her Reggie da Costa Mysteries in the Melbourne of the early twentieth century, in the aftermath of the Great War and during the heady days of the 1920s, when gangs, sly-grog and gambling dens inhabited the back streets of Melbourne.
In her talk, Laraine will discuss how she combined her love of crime fiction and history to depict historically accurate and lively settings for her Reggie da Costa Mysteries.
UPCOMING EVENTS
19 May: Laraine Stephens, “Crime With a Twist Of History” at Kooyong
26 May: TBA Zoom meeting
2 June: No lunch – Changeover Dinner at Kooyong
9 June: No Meeting
16 June: Elder Abuse (15 June is Elder Abuse Awareness Day)
OUR ROTARY HAWTHORN CHANGEOVER DINNER
Our Club Changeover Dinner will be held on Tuesday 2 June at Kooyong. Please members, let’s acknowledge and thank Ian for his outstanding contribution, and welcome incoming President Dorothy.
Our Mayor Wes Gault has registered along with many guests but not enough members have registered yet. Please help Terry to organise our annual event by registering here for yourself and your partner: www.trybooking.com/DLRWK
It will be an evening of lightness, melodies and friendship in lovely surroundings.
PROJECT UPDATES
UPDATE ON TOWARDS RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS
Dorothy is thrilled to announce that the Rotary Werribee “Rhythms & Rides for Change” event 2 weeks ago at Wyndham Harbour not only attracted 1,500 people but raised $14,000.
This enables another 6 or 7 schools in the western suburbs to run our Rotary SAFE Families Towards Respectful Relationships program enabling Year 10 students to have the opportunity to become informed, and use their understanding of respect and family violence to make short films over 8 weeks, which could attract an Award.
Dorothy is here with President of Rotary Werribee Lyn Fava, who was the driving force of the “Rhythms & Rides for Change” event.
CAMBODIAN WATER PROJECT JOINT CLUB UPDATE
Thank you Katrina for the following update on our joint Club Project for water in Cambodia.
“Refer attached for an update on the project providing medical equipment to Children’s Surgical Centre in Phom Penh, Cambodia
Hawthorn’s contribution to this project has been paid by World of Difference.”
Thank you David for providing this fascinating item that was presented at our recent Multi-District Conference in Horsham.
David wrote: “Given not a lot of our members attended the Conference in Horsham, I feel that this summary by Past World President Jennifer Jones is worth printing in full for all members to read and those who weren't there to see what they missed out on.”
Email or message David Pisterman (pisterman41@gmail.comwith your answer to this month’s Quiz. A bottle of the best is waiting for the winner at our lunch meeting 16 June donated by the last prize winner.
Be afraid! Do not incur the wrath of DP!
DID YOU KNOW
In chartering Rotary Hawthorn in 1953, the question was: “How do you pick leaders from community to charter a new Rotary Club?” DG Horace Bedggood was given the task of forming a new club. He interviewed a few potential leaders and then, in company with one of them, duly visited other potential members one by one until he had the required number to apply for charter.
It was told that our charter members included ‘racehorses’ and ‘Clydesdales’, both being vital in a club that would be confronted with short-burst projects and those involving long, heavy, and hard hauls!
We duly became the tenth metropolitan club in what was then called District 28.
REGIONALISATION LATEST NEWS
By now all members would have received a very interesting email from Rotary Zone 8 re. Rotary International’s request that our current Zone 8 (Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands) of 19 Districts needed to become 9 Districts. This means that our D9800 is to be merged with D9790 and D9780. D9815 will be merged with Tasmania D9830.
Presenter : Grant Holland from The Holland Foundation
Wednesday, 13th May 2026
at BAIX Restaurant, 81 Bay Street, Brighton
from 6.00pm to 7.30pm
Cost of $35 (inclusive of dinner – a great deal!)
The Presentation: Grant Holland - The Holland Foundation
Come and hear Grant Holland give us an update on the activities of The Holland Foundation. Following the horrific experiences of World War 1 and Gallipoli, Sir George & Lady (May) Holland began a lifelong mission to help the disadvantaged.
