The Rotary Club of Sydney Darling Harbour publishes a weekly bulletin, summarising our recent news, upcoming events and ongoing projects.
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My heart is a quiver. After six months of our new board, our Changeover is finally within reach. Though a mid-year Changeover is unusual, this will give us an opportunity to celebrate our achievements in Mel Lane's two years of leading the Club while setting our vision for the future. As always, Changeover provides us an opportunity to reflect on what it is that our Club is here to do. It sets our direction, checks our progress and acknowledges the tireless and inspiring contributions of our members. I really hope to see a lot of you there on Wednesday and that you will continue to be a part of our story going forward.
I don't know if it's because 2021 has been an especially challenging year, or if an over-abundance of enthusiasm for Christmas is simply a side-effect of being the President of the Rotary Club of Sydney Darling Harbour, but the constant sight of Christmas trees and welcome sounds of Christmas carols has been warming my heart lately. That's why it was especially encouraging that the Uniting Harris Community Centre is holding their Nativity event on the 17th of December, and have asked us to run their BBQ and Gelato stand. Details are down below in the "Upcoming Events" section, and I'd encourage you all to attend. I have it on good authority that Santa will be attending, so this would be a good opportunity to get back on the Nice list. And don't forget our Changeover on the 8th of December! Having a Changeover 5 months into a Presidency is certainly a bit unusual, but should allow for spirited rebuttals and constructive feedback when compared to my plans for the year. Details on how to purchase tickets are also in "Upcoming Events" section.
A big thank you to everyone who has already gotten involved with the Clem Renouf End Polio Now Club. Named after Past RI President Clem Renouf (An Australian who first steered Rotary towards eradicating Polio), the initiative would see Clubs aiming to have EVERY member donate just $10 to Rotary’s Polio fund to mark World Polio Day in 2021/22. Statistics show that only 10% of Rotarians make a personal donation to End Polio Now each year, with this initiative therefore representing a potential hugely significant windfall. We've seen an outstanding take-up from our members, with some going so far as to pay considerably over the ten dollars requested from every Rotarian. As with any donation, participation is completely optional. If you are in a position to give ten dollars to this very worthy cause and would like to join with us as we work to fully eradicate polio, please email info@rotarydarlingharbour.org.au for details on how to get involved.
Dear members and friends of the Rotary Club of Sydney Darling Harbour, With lock-down mercifully now wrapping up, my friends and I have found ourselves struck by an ironic conundrum: with us all having so many people to visit, scheduling has become a nightmare! We have a lot to lock forward to. And speaking of bright futures, I am please to report that New Generations Director John D’Alessandri and International Services Director Mike Mazza have been working hard to strengthen our relationship with the Alexandria Park Community School. The Darlings will be providing support for awards recognising academic excellence and social commitment and working with the school to produce a fundraiser to support our involvement with them. I hope to have more to report in this space soon, but suffice to say the school will soon serve as an example of some of the great work this Club does.
There is now one month to go until our Changeover, being held at Casa Ristorante Italiano in Darling Harbour. If you've not done so already, you can purchase your tickets at https://events.humanitix.com/2021-rotary-club-of-sydney-darling-harbour-changeover It's hard to believe that it's already November, and that an event being held in December is fast approaching. In a way, this Changeover will be even more of a celebration than in previous years, as it marks the end of lock-downs and, we hope, a return to normalcy. That means more boots on ground volunteering, more in-person fundraisers and more face-to-face conversations with our fellow Rotarians. I'm a pretty optimistic guy normally, but I've got a feeling that 2022 is going to be an especially good year.
We live in unusual times. That especially struck me this morning when I was rescheduling our Changeover to the 1st of December, now slated to occur 5 months into my Presidency! Still, I'm looking forward to the night. It will give us a chance to congratulate Former President Mel on her two years in the role, to call out our Club's achievements over that period and for me to waffle on about what I plan to do now that I'm in the Captain's chair.
What a fantastic week! I had dinner in a restaurant, hiked from Manly Beach to Taronga Zoo, had friends for dinner and didn't get into my pyjamas until a normal pyjama-wearing time. Happy days are here at last and, with restrictions easing even further from tomorrow for the fully vaccinated, we can now finally see the light at the end of this tunnel. As always, we have a whole slew of projects underway and events coming up, including a social event featuring Sam Wade from our recent comedy night. That's in person in Marrickville, and we'll be having dinner and a drink before the show. I hope to see you there.
Freedom. I won't let you down. Freedom. I will not give you up. Freedom. GOTTA HAVE SOME FAITH IN THE SOUND!