June is designated as “Rotary Fellowships Month” by the RI Board to recognize the importance of international fellowship and good will among Rotarians with similar recreational interests, vocations, and health and medical issue-oriented interests, to promote increased participation in fellowships and increase understanding of this program. The RI Board encourages fellowships groups to highlight activities through projects, activities, and events in celebration of “Rotary Fellowships Month” in June.
“Fellowship is wonderful; it illuminates life’s pathway, spreads good cheer, and is worth high price.”
Rotary Founder, Paul Harris
Rotary Fellowships are international, independently organized groups of Rotarians, Rotarian spouses, and Rotaractors who share a common vocation or recreational interest. Rotary Fellowships give their members the opportunity to have fun, make new friends around the world, and enhance their experience in Rotary.
Many fellowships also use their special interests to serve others. For example, the Fellowship of Canoeing Rotarians has organized clean-ups of polluted rivers; members of the International Computer Users Fellowship of Rotarians conduct training sessions for Rotarians and others in their community; and members of the International Fellowship of Rotarian Scuba Divers join local Rotary clubs to undertake service projects on each of their diving trips.
To learn about the fellowships currently recognized by Rotary International, go to www.rotary.org/fellowships.
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Happy Birthday
Congratulations to the following Clubs in our District who achieve milestones in June:
Caringbah will celebrate 63 years on 4/6
Corrimal turns 66 on 6/6
Parramatta will celebrate 99 years on 7/6
Camden will turn 78 on 16/6
Sydney Cove celebrate 37 years on 23/6
Environment & Habitat turns 53 years on 21/6
Liverpool West celebrates 53 years on 28/6
Botany Randwick achieve 77 years on 29/6
Congratulations to all club members from your District Team.
To find out about events being held by Clubs, check out the Club News page on our website - link below.
We are nearing the end of the Rotary year and commencing the round of Changeovers for our Clubs which is always an exciting time to expose what has happened and what is yet to come. I congratulate all incoming Presidents and thank our outgoing Presidents for the past year’s work. Our final Presidents’ & Presidents’ Elect meeting is being held on Thursday 19 June – please book on the District website.
Our new member of the DG Train has been appointed: Rick Vosila from RC Strathfield is currently DGND until 1 July when he will be our DGN. I wish Rick all the very best for his term and look forward to his term as DG.
Congratulations also to Stephen Lovison from RC Sydney Cove for his appointment as a Director and the Rotary Communities Nominee of the Regional Council. This of course, leaves another vacancy on our Rotary Community Leaders team. EOIs have been sent out to the three areas so please give these positions serious consideration.
Don’t forget that District Changeover is also happening this month on Sunday 29 June @ the St George Motor Boat Club and you can get your tickets on the District website. We are also presenting awards to our Clubs and individuals and I hope you have all put some effort into thinking about this and submitted your awards.
The year has been one of many activities and celebrations. We have Chartered a new Rotaract Club – Nepean & District Rotaract Club; established the Proposed Rotary Club of Global Business – more on that at District Changeover, and increased our membership in the District by a net 43 members. This has been achieved by Clubs putting in the hard work to promote and advertise Rotary in the local communities.
As the year draws to a close I would like to thank each and every Rotarian who made our year a success through projects and programs which have been initiated or completed; our leadership team, including the executive and committees for the continued work throughout this year.
Lastly, an enormous thank you to our very dedicated District Governors who have shared the responsibility of leading our exceptional District: Warwick Richardson and Sue Hayward. Thank you both!
DG Tonia
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Welcome to our
District Governor Nominee Designate
2027-2028
Congratulations to Rick Vosila who has been appointed as the District's DGND for 2027-2028.
Rick is a member of the Rotary Club of Strathfield and currently holds the positions of Foundation Grants Officer and District Chair for Australian Rotary Health. He has also held other positions at District level including Assistant Governor in 2018-2022.
This appointment has taken place as there have not been any challenges to this appointment from Clubs
in the District. Rick will now start working with District members to prepare for his role as District Governor.
URGENT: Support Needed for New South Wales Flood Emergency
As communities across New South Wales face one of the most devastating flood emergencies in recent memory, we are once again called to act with compassion and urgency.
In just two days, parts of the state have received four months’ worth of rain, triggering flash floods that have inundated homes, cut off entire towns, and tragically claimed lives. Over 50,000 residents have been warned to evacuate or prepare for isolation, with major flooding affecting areas such as Taree, Wingham, Dungog, and the Mid North Coast.
Emergency services are stretched thin, conducting hundreds of rescues while many residents remain stranded. The full scale of the disaster is still unfolding, and the need for coordinated support is growing by the hour.
Rotary District 9660 is mobilising to assist affected communities. Disaster coordinators are being appointed, and collaboration with local authorities is underway. As with the Queensland response, mental health support will be a critical focus in the recovery phase.
How You Can Help:
There are two trusted ways to contribute:
District 9660 Disaster Fund Account
(For immediate use by clubs and districts – not tax deductible)
Account Name: Rotary District 9660
BSB: 082798
Account Number: 599 583 002
and/or Rotary Foundation Disaster Response Fund
(Tax-deductible in Australia – ideal for individual donations, in support of the Disaster Response Grant application that is being prepared by the district) DONATE HERE
Your generosity will directly support those in need, helping to provide emergency supplies, shelter, and long-term recovery assistance.
Thank you all, across our region, for standing with our Australian communities during this time of crisis.
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Science and Engineering Challenge - Macarthur Challenge Day - volunteers needed
ROTARY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED (or Friends of Rotary)
Science and Engineering Challenge Day
Friday June 13th - 8am - 2.30pm
Thomas Reddall High School, Ambarvale
Lunch and all instructions provided
Please contact Margie Dowling, RC Gregory Hills Next-Gen (dowling.margie@gmail.com) if you can help.
On behalf of our Rotary & Rotaract clubs, Jackie Charlton is organising marshals for the City to Surf and the Sydney Marathon again this year. It’s a big job so she’s looking forward to lots of help.
The dates are: City to Surf - Sunday, 10th August and Sydney Marathon - Sunday, 31st August.
Each volunteer will earn a donation for the Rotary or Rotaract club they nominate. Note that volunteers do not have to be Rotarians or Rotaractors. Family members, colleagues & friends can register with a club and earn funds for that club.
Here is an opportunity to enjoy these events and earn some funds – maybe for a project that you would like to implement! The donations will be –
City to Surf - $100 per volunteer to your club funds – our section is between Hyde Park and Rose Bay.
Sydney Marathon – $80 per volunteer to your club funds – our section is Moore Park as usual.
Both volunteer opportunities will require a start time of approx. 6am with finishing times varying up to midday, depending on where you are stationed.
Please contact her ASAP with the name of the person who will coordinate your club’s volunteers, or if you need more information from her to promote the opportunity in your club and publications.
It has been a very busy couple of months for Anita Robinson our ROMAC Eastern District Chair and the 9675 ROMAC committee. Special thanks to committee members Maggie Thorn from the Rotary Club of Parramatta, and John and Liz Heslop from the Rotary Club of Holroyd, who have made numerous hospital visits and cared for the parents of hospitalized children.
Nicholson Karisimiki, from the Solomon Islands, underwent surgery in Canberra for a Teratoma. Due to complications, he was transferred to Paediatric Intensive Care at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, where he underwent further major surgery and a range of other treatments. His condition slowly began to improve. His mother Emily was able to stay at Ronald McDonald House in Randwick to support her son during this time. Nicholson was flown back to Canberra by Air Ambulance on the 7th April and he is making positive progress.
Joel, a four-year-old from Lospalos, East Timor, and his father Cireneu arrived for eye surgery on the 28th of April. Joel was admitted to Westmead Children's Hospital, where Eye Surgeon Dr. Michael Jones performed a successful operation on his eye. Joel returned home with his father on 15th May and is expected to return in August for a permanent eye prosthesis.
After two eventful months in Sydney, 11-year-old Nayline returned home to Santos, Vanuatu with her father, Henry. Nayline received transformative surgical treatment in two stages to correct her severe scoliosis. Without this intervention, her condition would have significantly limited her mobility and made daily activities increasingly challenging as she matured, thereby restricting her future opportunities. Nayline’s smile shows she is very happy to be home in Santos and looking forward to playing with her friends.
Thank you to all the Rotary Clubs who participated in ROMAC Lei Day events. Lei Day was conceived to enable Clubs to raise money for ROMAC by participating in a fun event hosted in May each year. A lei symbolises our hope that we can help children who need medical aid through Rotary’s very own ROMAC project.
We are eager to visit more Rotary & Rotaract clubs to provide insight into ROMAC and how you can help improve the lives of children like Nicholson, Joel and Nayline.
Please contact Anita Robinson; anitagrobinson@outlook.com or Jennifer Pedley at connaljenny@yahoo.com.au to schedule a visit.
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Learning & Development
You asked for a better mobile experience with Rotary’s Learning Center, and here it is! Introducing the new app, a more direct and intuitive way to access the Learning Center on your mobile devices.
It’s now easier than ever to complete your role-based courses, track your progress, and explore other courses and resources — wherever you are.
To get started:
Download Rotary Learning Center from your app store.
Open the app and enter your My Rotary username and password.
Find your courses.
If you’ve accessed the Learning Center previously through the Go.Learn app, you’ll find that the RotaryLearn app is a more streamlined experience. After you get started with RotaryLearn, you can remove Go.Learn from your mobile devices.
Join the Rotary Club of Blacktown City and the Blacktown community for a vital event focused on mental health and suicide awareness and prevention. The event features inspirational guest speaker Deng Adut, a Sudanese refugee who has become a lawyer in Australia. Support groups will be on-site to offer advice, guidance, and support. Admission is free, and the first 300 attendees will receive complimentary sausage sandwiches.
Canberra for a Teratoma. Due to complications, he was transferred to Paediatric Intensive Care at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, where he underwent further major surgery and a range of other treatments. His condition slowly began to improve. His mother Emily was able to stay at Ronald McDonald House in Randwick to support her son during this time. Nicholson was flown back to Canberra by Air Ambulance on the 7th April and he is making positive progress. 
for eye surgery on the 28th of April. Joel was admitted to Westmead Children's Hospital, where Eye Surgeon Dr. Michael Jones performed a successful operation on his eye. Joel returned home with his father on 15th May and is expected to return in August for a permanent eye prosthesis.
Santos, Vanuatu with her father, Henry. Nayline received transformative surgical treatment in two stages to correct her severe scoliosis. Without this intervention, her condition would have significantly limited her mobility and made daily activities increasingly challenging as she matured, thereby restricting her future opportunities. Nayline’s smile shows she is very happy to be home in Santos and looking forward to playing with her friends. 
