Lucian reports the installation of a Rotary Peace Pole at St Canices Katoomba. It was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Katoomba and the Rotary E-club of Greater Sydney
Connecting students and communities around the world
Get inspired by the new Rotary Youth Exchange video
In-person exchanges are back this year! To celebrate, we’re unveiling a new video that showcases the life-changing experiences students, families, and volunteers can have through Rotary Youth Exchange.
We hope this video inspires you — whether you’re a Rotary member, a volunteer, or part of the next generation of Rotary Youth Exchange students — to create lasting change through peacebuilding exchanges that span the globe.
And if Rotary Youth Exchange has made a positive impact on your life, or if you’re excited about participating in the future, please share this video to let others know about this transformative program.
Disaster response grants for Ukraine and for natural disasters
Districts can apply for expedited disaster response grants to provide relief to people affected by the war in Ukraine. These grants can be used for things such as water, food, shelter, medicine, and clothing. The Rotary district in Ukraine and the districts that border Ukraine can apply for grants of up to $100,000 each from the Disaster Response Fund. Other districts can apply for grants of up to $25,000 to support local relief efforts or to partner with a club or district in Ukraine or a neighboring country to send relief supplies there. Multiple districts may combine their grants to fund larger projects and shipments. You can now apply for these grants until 31 December.
Disaster response grants are also available to provide relief after natural disasters in all Rotary districts. For either use, districts can apply for one grant at a time. They can apply for another grant as soon as the previous grant report is completed and the grant is closed.
Use your district grant funds
Did you know that district grants can be used to fund a variety of activities both in your community and elsewhere? In a recent survey of district Rotary Foundation chairs, over 95% of respondents said that their district had used district grants to support local projects. Approximately one-third of respondents said that they had used district grants to support activities that are not eligible under global grants, including the construction of schools and low-cost shelters and scholarships for secondary school and undergraduate students. If you’re considering applying for a global grant, you can also use district grants to fund a community assessment or send Rotary members to a project fair. Learn more about district grants and the ways they can help your district make a difference in the world.
Well, much has happened in ROMAC since our last E-Newsletter three months ago.
The most exciting news being we have commenced receiving patients again after a 3 year void brought about by the Covid travel restrictions. Recently, baby Melenaite from Tonga has had a very large tumour removed from her rear side and is now recovering well. The full story of Melenaite’s journey has been included in this newsletter. Our thanks are extended to all our ROMAC volunteers who have enabled this crucial surgery to occur and to the support we have received from the Canberra Hospital.
Unfortunately, during this time our Chair, PDG Harold Sharp OAM, has had to step down, four months earlier than planned, for personal reasons. I would like to acknowledge and thank Harold for his enormous contribution to ROMAC over the last 4 years and to wish him well. It was a difficult period to have to Chair ROMAC and keep the momentum going and we very much appreciate his efforts.
I am pleased to report that despite the lack of patients over the last twelve months and all the pressures on Clubs and Rotarians with the pandemic, bush fires and floods, we still managed to maintain the same level of donations so many thanks to all those who have continued to support us in the last Rotary year. While the total received was almost the same as 2020-21, only about 20% of the clubs in Zone 8 donated so we would like to try and increase that percentage in the coming year.
Given the recent hiatus with patients and the influx of new volunteers we have taken this opportunity to slightly modify our ROMAC committees to clarify roles and relationships, spread responsibilities and enable central coordination and regional collaboration on aspects like fundraising, communication and club liaison. In so doing we have created opportunities for Rotarians or Rotaractors with skills in areas like fundraising, marketing, communications, liaising with Government and Hospitals, pediatrics, finance, recruiting, hosting, producing newsletters and maintaining databases to join our committees at the national, regional and district levels. Anyone interested in joining a ROMAC committee is urged to email me at chair@romac.org.au
The annual City to Surf fun run (Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach) is on again on Sunday, 14 August 2022. With thanks to input from the Rotary Clubs of Bondi Junction and Rose Bay, support is needed for the event organisers which is Iron Man Oceania Group.
Volunteer marshals are required for half the day at the corner of College St and William St Sydney (opposite the Australian Museum) early (5.30-6.00am) on the Sunday morning. For your time and effort, each participant will receive $85.00 to go to the respective Rotary Club's charity account. Non-Rotarians are welcome and participating alongside Rotarians will also receive this amount.
If you can commit to this date and time, please complete the sign-up form below, and type your name in the document below so numbers can be collated for Rotary.
Report of Polio Detection in United States - a report fromour Zone 8 Polio Coordinator Murray Verso
We are sometimes asked why do we still need to support polio eradication? Last week the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was informed of a case of paralytic polio in New York state. This news is an opportunity to address this question.
First, let’s see what’s up in New York:
The victim was never vaccinated
The victim lives in an area with VERY low vaccination rates.
The victim is not contagious
This same area had a severe measles outbreak a few years ago with 312 cases of measles.
The polio virus strain is NOT wild polio.
The case is type 2 Vaccine Derived Polio Virus (VDPV).
Until wild polio is totally eradicated, we run the risk of vaccine derived polio cases in areas of low vaccination rates where a weakened virus in the oral vaccine is still in use.
The novel oral polio vaccine (OPV) , now being introduced, lessens the risk of polio being caused by older forms of OPV.
So, why do we still need to fund raise for the total defeat of polio?
Any form of poliovirus anywhere is a threat to children everywhere.
It is critical that the GPEI Polio Eradication Strategy 2022-2026 is fully resourced and fully implemented everywhere, to ensure a world free of all forms of poliovirus.
Our partners and Rotary International immunize approximately 460 Million children annually.
We monitor polio-sustaining areas and conditions in about 200 countries.
Our team ensures outbreaks are identified and contained as quickly as humanly possible.
We call on every single Rotarian to take action and be a part of the fight to end polio, helping to raise Rotary’s goal of $50 million per year for polio eradication.
Thank you for your continued support in ending this disease in our lifetime. It will not be possible without your help.
Our aim is that all members complete RLI as soon as possible. Please reply to the email you will receive. Note that courses are either face to face or on line.
This was a big week in Lotumbe, when children celebrated the school year’s conclusion with new clothes and – for the girls – gorgeous hairdos!
A beauty shop was set up under the trees, organised by our project partners Debout (“Stand Up”) Lotumbe.
We are delighted to report that all 99 of the girls you have helped HandUp Congo support this year have passed their exams! These range from pre-school to high school students.
More than 1000 youth attend seven schools in Lotumbe. The remote village is accessible only by canoe, and is 300 km from the nearest city.
To read Lucy's report in full, clickhere See what wonderful work is bing done.
Ending Polio is the number one priority of both Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. As a Rotary club you are asked to contribute US$1,500 per year to support this vital Rotary Program. Participation in this event helps you and your Club gain a certificate in recognition of contributing this amount. Our objective is to raise over AUD$250,000 on the day from this event. Over the past FOUR YEAR the Train Ride to End Polio has raised nearly AUD$500,000. It is a multi-District Event and is clearly part of the Rotary ACTION PLAN. That is to:
Increase our IMPACT
Expand our REACH
Enhance Participant ENGAGEMENT
Increase our ability to ADAPT.
The train ride gives us all an opportunity to do all of the above and help build our brand in the community as PEOPLE OF ACTION.
ACTION PLAN
Please plan your fundraising to support this event? (People give more when you tell then what you are raising funds for)
Please order your End Polio Now Shirts from RDU supplies ( It may take up to 4 weeks to get a shirt if they run out, so get in early)
Please put the day aside to create an event in your community to publicise to the community this Rotary Project (Public Image)
Please encourage your Club members to come to your local railway station and join the ride (IMPACT). Some members join for a couple of stations, some for a couple of hours and some all day, that is beginning to end. (Most importantly, brink your commitment, we will send the template in the next communication)
This year DAVE and I will be again riding the trains (32 different trains) to cover all 189 stations on the Sydney trains network. Our current record is 18 hours, 10 minutes and 12 seconds. We will send the train timetable to you all closer to the event, so please get your Club ready to support this important event in the Rotary year. We also encourage you to go to www.raise.rotary.org and create your own Club fundraiser to support this event. There will also be a page on the site for this event so that the general public can contribute.
We look forward to seeing you all on Monday 24 October during WORLD POLIO DAY.
In November 2021, a new chapter of the International Fellowships of Flying Rotarians was chartered in Lviv, Ukraine. Within months, war broke out with Russia and the new friendships became critical connections for support and supplies. Rotary’s global network has sent millions of dollars’ worth of relief and medical supplies to help the people of Ukraine. Read how Rotary Fellowships, which bring together members who have a shared interest or hobby, have amplified the impact of these efforts.
ROTARY VISION: The application of practical action in solving problems, locally and worldwide
" The prevailing Rotary attitude is rendering service is practicality. Its aim in performing a useful action is to be helpful and serviceable, not sentimental...As Practical idealists, we temper the fanciful flights of the dreamer with the limitations of common sense."
- Address to 1943 Rotary Convention, St Louis, Missouri, USA
