Our next meeting will be 6:00pm for 6:30pm Wednesday 23th July, 2025 at the Graphic Arts Club, 182 Coward Street, Mascot 2020
Visitors are very welcome.
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.
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 to join in the fellowship and to learn more about what we do.
Tonight's guest speaker will be Thomas Delisi who will enlighten us on the world of AI - Artificial Intelligence.
Join us for a practical session on how we can start using ChatGPT and Perplexity AI - powerful free tools that boost productivity, improve communication and support Rotary projects.
Bring along your computer or tablet so you can get some hands-on experience!
We will also hear from the young student from JJ Cahill Memorial High School, Gabriel, who we sponsored on the Windeward Bound sailing ship when it sailed from Sydney to Brisbane recently.
This should be a good night and will be followed by dinner in the Club restaurant.
Our last meeting
With a significant number of our members being away overseas or otherwise distracted by the final State of Origin game, it was a very relaxed and informal meeting.
Past President Christine, and Chair for the night, reported that she was very pleased to welcome three unexpected guests, Ludmila, past president of the Rotary Club of Kyiv, Ukraine, together with the Randwick Council Deputy Mayor, Marea Wilson and her cousin, Janette Hruby.
Ludmila, now a member of Rotary Sydney, presented the Rotary banner from her past club, Rotary Club Kyiv-Capital. Ludmila gave thanks to our Australian Government for our support in helping Ukraine fight their war and in supporting refugees, similar to herself. We look forward to inviting Ludmila to speak about her unexpected journey to Australia and her new life here.
Our guest speaker, Peter Hamer OAM, outlined a past Rotary project in Sri Lanka. He also showed an old ABC report on his and his family's involvement in supporting ROMAC (Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children) and the family he sponsored in his home. Baby Maria, from Timor Leste had major heart surgery at the Sydney Children's Hospital. She was the first of the 31 children from the Pacific Region to treated to date under the ROMAC Program at our local Children's hospital in Randwick, all supported by members of our Club.
The photo under shows a number of our guests and members enjoying a pre-meeting drink and chat. We very much look forward to having our guests come again.
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.
The Rotary Club of Botany Randwick continues to sponsor a family accommodation room at Ronald McDonald House, Randwick.
Ronald McDonald House provides a home away from home for families of children from rural and regional NSW who are undergoing treatment at the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick.
So far in 2025, 28 families have stayed in our room, the longest for 18 days. Those families came from all over New South Wales and provided a much needed haven during a critical time for these families.
Our relationship with Ronald McDonald House goes back at least 20 years. The arrangement is reciprocated with the House providing accommodation for children and their guardians who are being treated under the Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC) program. These children and their parents have come from places like Timor Leste, Vanuatu and Tonga and have been supported by our Club members during their stay. A recent patient was 11-year-old Nayline and her dad, Henry, from Vanuatu, who was treated for scoliosis.
As well as sponsoring Room 20, the Club also provides a family meal. Last year this took the form of a BBQ, where we catered for 80 people staying at the House. This was greatly appreciated by the many families staying there, especially after returning from a long day attending to their children up at the hospital. Not having to worry about then preparing a meal was a blessing for them. And there were enough leftovers for a cook-up the following day!
Botany Randwick Rotary Club Member Richard recently attended his investiture at Government House to receive the Medal of the Order of Australia, awarded in the Australia Day Honours List, for service to the community through a range of organisations. Richard's service includes:
Rotarian since 1978, holding numerous executive positions
20 years as a Board Member of Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children
Past President of the Parkes and Randwick Rotary Clubs
Assistant District Governor in both Districts 9700 and 9765
Board Member of Ronald McDonald House Randwick
32 years in the Army Reserve in Senior Officer positions
Treasurer and Trustee, Kensington RSL Sub branch
Very pleasingly, Richard's 99-year-old mother, Peggy, was able to attend the investiture. Peggy had a very enjoyable afternoon and evening, firstly at the investiture ceremony at Government House, and then afterwards at a family dinner to celebrate.
She especially enjoyed meeting up again with the Governor, Margaret Beazley AC. She was a very good friend of the Governor’s late mother, Lorna, when they both lived next door to each other at their aged care village in Ashfield. The Governor used to frequently visit for afternoon tea with Lorna and Peggy. Peggy had a great chat with the Governor and was able to update her on all the happenings at the village since her mother had passed away.
Richard and his family are now gearing up for Peggy's next major milestone - her 100th birthday in October!
Plus AUD1000 cash toward travel or spend as you wish
Plus, dinner for two and bubbles at Sails Denarau at Port Denarau.The prize is valid for 12 months.
The prize is transferable to friends (but the transfer must be registered within one month of receiving the prize) - your receipt will have a gift certificate to share.
The Rotary Club of Botany Randwick continues to sponsor a family accommodation room at Ronald McDonald House, Randwick.
Plus, dinner for two and bubbles at 