Bulletin 

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Well, here I am again! I want to start with a promise. A solemn, binding, heartfelt promise. There will be no knock knock jokes!

I know. I know. Last time I was President, I put you all through that tedium.  You were very brave. You smiled. Some of you even laughed — and I appreciate the loyalty. ” 

But with a history of reinventing myself and self- reflection, I am committed to finding something to replace the silly jokes.  Thank you to the members who have suggested some mediums of replacement.  I have made a decision as you will see at the end of this first Bulletin as President.

Thank you Ian Bentley!   Ian  — what a year you have given this club. Your leadership, your steadiness, and your genuine care for every single member has set a standard we will all be reaching for.

NEXT MEETING 21 July 2026 at Kooyong

Ass. Professor Dr David Szmulewicz

Device Mediated Solutions For Falls Prevention, Bionics Institute, At Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club

'David is an Associate Professor and Principal research fellow at the Bionics Institute. 

He is the founding head of the Balance Disorders & Ataxia Service (BDAS) at the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital, the Fragile X-Associated Tremor Ataxia (FXTAS) Clinic. He consults in the Monash Health Friedreich Ataxia clinic and the Machado-Joseph Disease Foundation Ataxia Clinic (Northern Territory), an honorary neurologist at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne and a lecturer at Melbourne University.

David regularly travels to remote regions in Australia to provide clinical care for first nations people with balance disorders, many of whom are much more prone to developing disorders due to genetics'.

UPCOMING CALENDAR

14 July:  No Meeting

21 July: Assoc. Prof. David Szmulewicz, Device Mediated Solutions for Falls Prevention.

28 July:  Zoom meeting TBA

4 August: Towards Respectful Relationships Report from Sophia Mundi Steiner School, Abbotsford students and teacher. Plus Sebastian Flynn and Mattia Gaspardo, Exchange Students. 

PICS FROM LAST WEEK'S MEETING

It was a farewell to our highly respected PP Ian Macfarlane and wife Jan, who are taking off for travels around the world after creating their family history tree in the Macfarlane family. 

Thank you Ian and Jan for your commitment and friendship at Rotary Hawthorn.

Hopefully, you will be home in Melbourne to attend some of our social events.

Fleur Maidment, Rotary Melbourne Central was a powerful speaker at last week’s meeting at Kooyong. 

Her courageous work having SkyHydrants delivered and installed in Mynamar was exceptional.  For the first time, safe drinking water is now flowing to a village of 789 people Karen State, Mynamar.

Thank you Kartrina for your work and collaboration with this project and inviting Fleur to update our members. 

CLUB NEWS

ROTARY HAWTHORN BUSINESS BREAKFAST

The Membership Committee has arranged this event to attract new members to join the club and our Guest Speaker Microsoft’s Anshul Chopra will focus on the use of Artificial Intelligence for businesses.

The Breakfast will be held at Kooyong on Friday 21 August from 7:30am to 9:00am and prior registration is essential.

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1562318

If you know of anyone who may like to attend and possibly is interested in joining Rotary Hawthorn, please forward details to them.

Regards,

Mark Eldredge

Membership Director    READ MORE

ROTARY SAFE FAMILIES

Sunday, Min Bell and Dorothy attended the Rotary Caroline Springs Changeover and are seen here with incoming President Dr Nivi Nagarale .

Fascinating to note that PP Ronald Moss (RSF Leadership) is a Rotary Caroline Springs Director of Club Learning & Rotary SAFE Families.

Ronald is a powerhouse introducing valuable diverse professionals and organisations to RSF.

We are very appreciative of Rotary Caroline Springs constant promotion of us at every event and meeting.

SALVO HAWKS UPDATE

To Hawthorn Rotary Team - A Change of Date:

Next Home Game has been rescheduled to the following week, 29/07/26 - Victoria Road Reserve with a 12.00pm Start

MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS

Message from our PP Ian Bentley

Ian has been very active since retiring as President. He has employed a vast number of “assistants” to help him in his new role at Rotary Hawthorn as our Chair of Communications.  These are the positions he has now filled as his Communications Team:

1.        HR Co-Ordinator

2.        Copywriter

3.        Graphic Designer

4.        Website Agent

5.        Bulletin Agent

6.        Social Media Agent

7.        Editor Brand Guardian

8.        Media PR Agent

9.        Archivist

10.  Campaign Strategist

11.  Rotarian Correspondents Brief

I believe that position number 11 is the only one that requires living breathing humans.

Has he lost the plot?  Or has “Claude” taken over his life?

Anne Scott! You Cannot Let Her Out of Your Sight!

Editor heard of a couple of our member’s brief comments about their latest adventures.

It is apparent we need to know a lot more about Anne Scott’s dangerous antics in Vietnam!

Our dear Anne was imbibing in a liqueur made from cobra and scorpions!

Interestingly, Anne was the only member of the group who did not get a tummy bug!  More from Anne at a special meeting soon.

Big Mac’s Fijian Adventures:

“During my trip to Fiji, I met with Bimlesh Kumar - President Rotary Nadi. See Photo.

Half day tour visited 2 School Projects focus on providing washroom facilities.

Most of the funding is from Rotary Clubs in New Zealand.

Distributed to Bimlesh our printed resources from Rotary SAFE Families.

Had lunch with my former Fiji Agent in Suva – again provided SAFE Families printed resources to him for his wife who works for United Nations in Fiji.

The  3 Day wedding was interesting!!!

Chat more at next meeting.”    Thank you Big Mac.

Buffalo Bill and the Making of an American Legend

When President Dorothy casually asked what I had been up to, I mentioned that I had become interested in the coming 250th Anniversary of the United States and had been reading, listening to podcasts, and revisiting some of the great episodes of American history.

Dorothy, never one to miss an opportunity, immediately said, “Why don’t you write something for the bulletin?”

That sounded simple enough — until I tried to decide where to begin.  READ MORE

WHO AM I?

Clue 1: Prisoners were in awe of me!

Clue 2:  I don’t play in playgrounds, I dismantle them!

Clue 3: Ok, I’ll make it easy for you – First name is not David but commences with a “D”.

Clue 4:  David P will turn you back to front if you do not forward him this name - “sdrahcir”

Email or message David Pisterman (pisterman41@gmail.com with your answer to this month’s Quiz. A bottle of the best is waiting for the winner at our lunch meeting on 21 July, donated by the last prize winner. 
Be afraid! Do not incur the wrath of DP!

DID YOU KNOW?

PP Ian Macfarlane (2007-08) in Gordon Cheyne’s president year (2013-14) was named “Rotarian of the Year” for his outstanding involvement with SecondBite, Bunnings’ and Masters’ Barbecues, Swinburne Awards, and Post-Graduate Scholarship selection, apart from his involvement in the International and Rotary Foundation Committees.

Ian earned the title: “Best and Fairest” award. Ian has continued his commitment and support for Hawthorn at all levels of club programs. 

OTHER ROTARY EVENTS