Our next meeting will be 6:30pm Wednesday 9 August at the Graphic Arts Club, Mascot.
Please advise if you will be attending to info@botanyrandwickrotary.org.au
Dinner will follow with individual ordering from the Graphic Arts Club menu
President's Message
Welcome to this Newsletter of the Rotary Club of Botany Randwick Inc. Our club has been serving the local and international community since 1948 and this year we will celebrate 75 years of service to our community, both local and international.
Rotary promotes the ideal of service through fellowship. Attending our meetings allows members to enjoy the fellowship of other club members, enrich their professional and personal knowledge, and meet other business leaders in their community.
As a Club we support a wide range of projects. As well as having a broad range of local and international community projects, we are particularly focused on the Rotary projects, Australian Rotary Health, Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) and Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC) together with The Rotary Foundation.
We welcome everyone to come along to any of our meetings in 2023, to join in the fellowship and to learn more about what we do.
Sarah Kearney, physiologist lead with SESLHD and Maroubra Mental Health Unit, will be our first speaker to outline the impact of the club's recent donation of gym equipment has provided benefit to their clients.
International Service is one of Rotary's five Avenues of Service and our Club has a proud history in that regard.
Our member Peter will use a school building project in Sri Lanka by his former Club as an example of how our Club may consider doing similiar projects.
Our last meeting
Our very special guest speaker was local Federal Member, the Honorable Matt Thistlethwaite. Matt commenced by illustrating the movement toward the development of The Voice preceding the Uluru Statement from the Heart, up to the present.
It is envisaged that such a body will provide a constitutionally entrenched institution which enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to be formally consulted on legislation and policy affecting their communities. The Uluru Statement seeks a Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making between governments and First Nations and truth-telling about our history.
The call for a treaty has existed for some time. The Barunga Statement presented in 1988 to Prime Minister Bob Hawke, called for a treaty with the Commonwealth of Australia. In response, Bob Hawke promised to negotiate a treaty ‘between the Aboriginal people and the Government on behalf of all the people of Australia’ before the end of the current session of Parliament. Though it did not eventuate, calls for a treaty have persisted.
The Constitution can only be changed by the Australian people. Any move to enshrine a ‘voice’ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution would need to be passed at a referendum. Details of the changes would have to be agreed by Parliament before being presented to the people for a vote.
A change would only come into effect if the proposal receives the support of a majority of voters in a majority of states. There have been 44 referendums since 1901, of which only eight have succeeded.
After Matt's presentation, Past President Peter inducted Brigit and Sara who have transferred to our Club and who have a wealth of experience to assist us. We welcome them and look forward enjoying their company at our meetings.
Proudly Partnered with Sydney Airports Corporation
2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month at the Graphic Arts Club,
182 Coward Street,
Mascot.
6pm for pre-meeting drinks and chat. The meeting, with dinner, starts at 6:30pm and normally concludes by 8:30pm.
Support for Little Heroes Golf Day with a hole sponsorship
Commitment to assist Project Kindness with purchase of a vehicle
June
Provided gym equipment for the Maroubra Centre, a Community Mental Health Centre
Support for 13 years old ROMAC patient Senri, from the Solomon Islands, who suffered burns to his arms and hands and is being treated at Sydney Children's Hospital.
May
Sponsorship of 2 students on Windeward Bound
Support for South Eastern Community Connect
Ongoing support for ROMAC patients from Pacific Islands
Two students attend RYPEN
April
Donations to Ukraine Crisis Appeal
Donations to Rotary Foundation and the Polio Fund
Donations to ROMAC and Australian Rotary Health
Refer to our website for the full list of projects supported.
We have been contacted by the Rotary Club of Grangemouth in Scotland to advise our Club of their remembrance of Sgt Robert Ricketts, originally from Mascot, but who was killed when his Spitfire crashed during World War 2.
Dr Tom McMorrow writes:
I write on behalf of the President of Grangemouth Rotary Club, of Central Scotland. The purpose of writing is to bring to your attention an event of some significance in the eyes of Grangemouth people: in WW2, many Australians, as you know, made their way to Britain to help save this country when it was under Nazi attack.
One of those Australians was Sgt Robert Joseph Prior Ricketts of Mascot, NSW. Sergeant Ricketts trained as a Spitfire pilot, of 58 Operational Training Unit, here at RAF Grangemouth, in the middle of WW2. He was about to be sent to a frontline Squadron but his Spitfire got into difficulties over the aerodrome and he was fatally injured in the resultant crash. Sgt Ricketts was just 19. His death occurred on 10th June 1943.
He was the son of Frederick Ernest Ricketts and Mrs Florence Ricketts. He had a brother but we do not know identifying details of his sibling.
I am writing to let you know that yesterday, on the 80th anniversary of the boy’s death, Grangemouth Rotary Club and the Air Cadets (aged 12-18) of 1333 (Grangemouth Spitfire) Squadron, planted young flowers on his War Grave. On Armistice Sunday, the Air Cadets will attend his graveside again and place a cross there (as they do for the 71 Spitfire pilots of Australia and other nations) every year.
This year was a special one for Sgt Ricketts whose Commonwealth War Grave is well tended by the CWG Commission, by we local people, and by the young Air Cadets.
We do not know whether young Sgt Ricketts has surviving kin in Mascot but we do want you to know that his final resting-place is cared for here, 80 years on.
With kindest regards, and with the best wishes of our Club President, Alison Meikle,
We have not been able to identify any of Sgt Ricketts Next of Kin but brought this to the attention of the RSL and RAAF. If any member has further knowledge of the Ricketts family, please let Christine or Richard know.
The Rotary Club of Botany Randwick is very pleased to have the opportunity to support the Maroubra Centre, a Community Mental Health facility and part of the South East Sydney Local Health Service. The Centre has a client base, that extends throughout the Eastern Suburbs, of over 800 people and has a dedicated team of professional and caring staff to support their needs.
Community Mental Health Services are distinct from inpatient mental health services and play a vital role in supporting people between 18 to 65 years old with a severe mental illness and psychiatric disability throughout the recovery process.
Community Mental Health Services support people with psychiatric disability to manage their self-care, improve social and relationship skills and achieve broader quality of life via physical health, social connectedness, housing, education and employment.
We were able to donate a range of much needed gym equipment to assist the Exercise Physiology team.
They have already received some really positive feedback from the participants. We look forward to representatives attending one of our meetings in August to further elaborate on the role of the Centre.
To give a very brief history about our club – Botany and Randwick merged in June 2020. Both clubs have a very long history in the community being formed in the 1940’s.
After our merger we were affected by Covid, and like everyone we had two very difficult years. However we kept it together and here we are today a growing club which attracted 5 new members in the previous year, 7 members this Rotary year and an additional five being inducted tonight. We have more leads to follow up on.
Achievements and changes
Apart from growing a stronger membership base there have also been changes to the committee structure. Ken has taken on the membership portfolio and also the guest speaker roll from Aya, our Rotary Foundation Global Scholar. Phillip Paraggio has become our Club Services person. Peter Hamer and Warwick have taken on International and David Woodward Youth.
Our emblem has been completed during this year, and we now have two banners which look fantastic symbolising the area of the Eastern Suburbs and Botany Bay that we represent.
Do you have a hobby or passion you would like to explore with friends from around the world? Do you want to build community around your profession or cultural identity globally? Rotary’s Fellowships are international groups that share a common passion or identity. Being part of a fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world, explore a hobby or profession, and enhance your Rotary experience.
Get involved in a fellowship during June, Rotary’s Fellowships month. To explore all Rotary Fellowships, just visit the Rotary Fellowships page. Fellowships cover more than 90 topics and it is easy to connect. Just visit a fellowship’s website to learn more about that group and connect with them directly. Don’t see one of your favorite hobbies or interests? You can find guidance and resources on Rotary’s Fellowship page for proposing a new group.
The Four Way Test
The Four-Way Test is a non-partisan, non-sectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships.
Of the things we think, say or do:
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
To contact the Club, please email info@botanyrandwickrotary.org.au
Dr Tom McMorrow writes:
Community Mental Health Services are distinct from inpatient mental health services and play a vital role in supporting people between 18 to 65 years old with a severe mental illness and psychiatric disability throughout the recovery process. 