Hi all

I want to start by saying thank you to all those members, also anyone else who read last months newsletter and did not say anything about my misspelling of Rotary in the first sentence in case I was offended sorry but it has cost you a fine (hope you can handle this Frank) and keep an eye out for the next 1.
So, after that fundraising exercise, I will report on the month that's just gone by.
A committe meeting on the 5th of August, and as we find in the winter months, we have a few members on holidays escaping the cold so our dedicated membership who were brave enough came along and as always, we mix in that bit of fun and do some work, met as 1 committee and discussed what we can do over this Rotary year and of course there were many things discussed
On the 12th of August we met for the meeting at Rice Village and enjoyed each other's company and again chatting about what was going on in private and rotary lives with more discussion on Committees priorities for the year.
On the 19th of August was a Board meeting to discuss our Clubs progress and any necessary actions we need to keep us functioning as a powerful Club, organising for the next months and year to help Rice Village, schools and other Rotary Clubs in the District. We had a great pizza night at the newly renovated Racecourse Inn followed by a competitive and  fun albeit slightly onesided Trivia night. 

Don't forget the BBQ on the 4th of Sept, sorry I cannot be there but I am away working on finding out info for all of you on the Cook Islands and the north island of New Zealand in case any of you decide to go there for a holiday, so not just slacking off as I am sure you think I will be.

Regards Paul

Footnote from bulletin editor, spellimg error not edited. Did you find it

International report:

Thanks to Rotary leaders, members, donors, and supporters worldwide, The Rotary Foundation continues to advance Rotary’s mission and create lasting change in communities both locally and globally. We are pleased to share that together, we raised more than US$477 million (unaudited) in gifts and commitments during 2025-26. These gifts empower Rotary members to carry out sustainable projects that improve people’s health, expand access to education, protect the environment, alleviate poverty, and promote peace around the globe. Thanks to the collective efforts of Rotary members, leaders, and supporters, our Foundation was able to: Award 1,804 global grants, 463 district grants, and 61 disaster response grants in 2025-26 Work with our partners to vaccinate more than 350 million children in 28 countries during 2025 Open our newest Rotary Peace Center at Symbiosis International University in India These achievements are possible because of people like you who champion Rotary’s mission through leadership, service, advocacy, and generosity. Regional and district-level fundraising reports will be shared soon, and audited financial results will follow in the coming months. Thank you for all you do to support our Foundation and help Rotary create opportunities, strengthen communities, and advance lasting change.   To best coordinate donations from Rotarians, Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) has today established an appeal fund for the Nepal disaster.   Below is the link and QR code to the appeal.  Tax deductible donations can be made immediately.   Rotary - Nepal Flooding Disaster Relief  (RAWCS)        RAWCS will use existing Rotary contacts in Nepal and also make new relationships to deliver humanitarian aid in the affected areas.     Vocational:   Felicity Guye is a year ten student at Iona College. Her sister Pheobe and brother Maurice have attended Defying the Drift, sponsored by the Club. A great student determined to achieve her goals. The program runs at Longerenong College near Horsham from 21 to 23 September . We will hear about her experiences at our Club meeting Wednesday 7/10/26.   In case you missed it....   Attention all golfers, WOW! Belmont Rotary Club co-ordinating this one.    Gary & Heather I will email full details. Anyone interested please visit link below.    One of the great things about Rotary is the wide range of fellowships available to members. One of Australia’s best-kept secrets is the International Golfing Fellowship of Rotarians – Australia. This golfing fellowship holds an annual event, hosted in a different Australian state each year. This year’s event was held in Darwin, with the event returning to Victoria in 2027. We are Daryl Pobjoy and Gerard Sell from the Rotary Club of Belmont, which is proudly hosting the 2027 event. The event will be held from Sunday, 18 April to Friday, 23 April 2027. We are excited to share the details of this year’s event with you and ask for your assistance in promoting it by sharing the information and promotional flyer with your members. We are pleased to announce that the 2027 event will be held at the prestigious Thirteenth Beach Golf Links at Barwon Heads. The course has been the home of the Victorian Men’s and Women’s Open for the past 14 years and will again host the events in January 2027. This is a fantastic opportunity for Rotarians to experience one of Australia’s finest golf courses at a very reasonable cost. The event will commence on Sunday afternoon with registrations and a Welcome BBQ, providing a great opportunity to meet fellow Rotarians from across Australia. Golf will commence on Monday and Tuesday mornings with a shotgun start. Wednesday will be a rest day, with golf resuming on Thursday and Friday, again with shotgun starts. For non-golfing partners and guests, tours to a range of local attractions have been arranged while the golfers enjoy the challenges of 13th Beach. Full details of these activities are outlined in our brochure. A Rotary “Make-Up” Dinner will be held on Tuesday evening, followed by the Presentation Dinner on Friday evening. To make participation as easy and enjoyable as possible, all functions will be held at 13th Beach. We have attached our brochure for you to share with your members. We also encourage you to visit www.igfr-australia.org, where you will find full details of the event and the opportunity to register. The website also features videos showcasing 13th Beach Golf Links and the many attractions Geelong and the Bellarine have to offer. Thank you for your time and support in helping us promote this event to your members. We would love to see Rotarians from across District 9780 join us for what promises to be a fantastic week of golf, fellowship and friendship.   Footy tipping competition     Our inaugural footy competition has come to a close. And our winner takes all went to Frank Nott. Congratulations Frank. Recognition to Coddy 2nd and Gary 3rd. Can't wait to see full published results of where we all finished. Promising a big and better competition NEXT YEAR and a huge thankyou to Frank coordinating this year      Until next month.....