May 2025 treat us all with kindness, peace, good health and much joy.
I hope you can join us at Auburn Bowls Club on Tuesday 28 January at 12.45 pm “Under the Umbrellas”. Bring your own picnic box and let’s have a catchup before our first meeting for the year! Bar will be open – that’s a bonus!
I cannot believe I have but 5 months left as President. I shall need to get my skates on to complete at least some of my plans for this year.
We have much to look forward to in 2025 and I hope that you will all find time to partake of our events, meetings and maybe invite some new members to Rotary Hawthorn.
These are just some of the plans for 2025:
Feb 4: Kooyong – Our first get together for the year – with Pete Smith as our Guest Speaker.
Other Speakers over next few months include:
Nello Ragusa – “Hope & Dreams – Water Initiative in Zambia”
Abiola Akinbiyi, CEO Changepreneurs for our International Women’s Day
Katrina Flinn, World of Difference Social Impact Tour of Cambodia
Awarding our Annual Service to Senior’s Award with CEO Senior’s Rights Vic. & COTA – Ben Rogers as Guest Speaker – 1 April
Special guest presenter, Michael Headberry at our ANZAC theme meeting
More fun and enjoyment:
Our Changeover Dinner will be a “not to miss” event when we celebrate Ian Bentley as our President 2025-26.
A visit to the Bionics Institute in August.
Our much anticipated adventures at Beechworth/Milawa 18-20 November
Get the most from your membership and attend our meetings, special events and invite friends to our wonderful Rotary Hawthorn.
We have much to be proud of and some new projects this year, especially in the International and Youth areas of Hawthorn. We need every one of you to be able to “Make a Difference”.
My first quote for the year: “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.” David Bowie
Tuesday 4 February: SPEAKER at Kooyong
PETE SMITH OAM – “Hilarious Events and Mishaps from the Early Days Of Entertainment”
Beginning in 1956, he was with the ABC for eight years, graduating to announcing on both the home service and on Radio Australia. At ABC's Channel 2, he was announcer, variety host and compere of his own Saturday afternoon Sports View Hit Parade.
Pete is highly respected and recognised for his involvement in Graham Kennedy’s "In Melbourne Tonight", as a National Nine newsreader, "New Faces" talent show and on Bert’s Tonight-style program.
His list of accomplishments is too long to post here. His presentation to our members and guests is one that is “not to be missed”.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Special notice: Please reply to our Lunch Invitations and register by Sunday night. I don’t think all members understand that they need to accept or decline every Invitation for our weekly meetings. We need a response either way please. Just open the invitation and push a button: Accept or Decline!
Please note: There is a $3 increase in our lunch meetings at Kooyong - $45.
28 January: “Lunch under the Umbrellas” -Picnic – Auburn Bowls Club
4 February: Pete Smith
11 February: No Meeting
15 February: Our Home Hosting Dinner is having to be rescheduled
18 February: Nello Ragusa, “Hopes and Dreams Water Initiative in Zambia”
25 February: Zoom meeting TBA
4 March: International Women’s Day – Abiola Akinbiyi, CEO Changepreneurs
11 March: No meeting
18 March: Katrina Flinn, World of Difference Social Impact Tour of Cambodia
25 March: Zoom meeting
1 April: Service to Senior’s Award. Guest Speaker Ben Rogers, CEO of Seniors Rights Victoria and COTA (Council On The Ageing)
8 April: Members and guests to visit Lisson Manor Retirement Village for a tour and morning tea. AVEO to donate $500 to Rotary Hawthorn
15 April: ANZAC Theme lunch with Michael Headberry, “Sir John Monash – Humanitarian”
CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Who Am I? Email or message David Pisterman -pisterman41@gmail.comwith your answer to this month’s Quiz. A prize is waiting for the winner at our lunch meeting 18 February.
Clue 1: I am sure to have a kilt!
PROJECT UPDATES
Our Rotary SAFE Families
– Building a Culture of Peace is going global.
This all happened with the number of invitations for further information received by SAFE Families after President Dorothy’s Guest Speaker contribution to the December Mega-Meeting which included Rotarians from many countries.
Unfortunately, family violence and abuse is a world problem. International interest has motivated us to take up the challenge to making a difference to prevention of global family violence and abuse. More information will be provided next month to members.
Rotary Hawthorn and The Doherty Institute Award
The basis for this new award is to provide $5,000 each year over 5 years to the top PhD candidate at The Doherty Institute to enable them to attend a local or overseas conference within their area of research.
Melbourne University will administer the award and will provide us the name of the recipient and monitor the expenditure to ensure it complies with our MOU signed in June 2025.
The plan is to invite the recipient each year to a Club meeting as a guest speaker and the President should receive an invitation to an awards presentation ceremony at the Doherty Institute. This is likely to happen later in the year.
MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS
Last month’s 17 December meeting was fantastic and thanks to David Rush, we got to relish his outstanding paper “Standish”. By popular demand, here is David’s “Standish” for you to read.
Photos of travels, funny pics, member stories – Please members. I know you will have pics and stories from your Christmas holidays – share them with us via Member Contributions. Email: Bulletin Editor Dorothy Gilmour- gilmour.dorothy@gmail.com
(Please note: If you would like some help with a Club project or event, you can post a notice in The Week Ahead and the Bulletin)