Rotary Club Bulletin (Jul. 15, 2026)

15th July, 2026

Lindsay Walkington - President 2026-2027

President's Quick Update

This week, thank you very much Eaglehawk Rotarians (what a great group of people), for participating in our mini discussion groups and documenting some great responses. Stay tuned for some action on that great work.

A few reminders and updates:

Remember to check the Rotary Bookshop Saturday Roster, where we will be assisting either John Gurr or Gary Frank. A big thank you to everyone who has volunteered, and especially to those who volunteer on Wednesdays.

Our next EFNC gate duty is on the 1st of August, so please keep that date in mind and remember that more hands make light work.

Car parking at the Lightning Reef Primary School, for the Australian Sheep & Wool Show has been cancelled due to a very wet sports ground. Thanks for the effort from John Jones and everyone who volunteered for the event.

Rotary Club of Eaglehawk's 60th Anniversary starts its celebration on the 8th of August. Invites are out. Please RSVP by 1 August, or earlier if possible.

1st Board meeting for this year after this coming week’s club meeting.

Hope to see you all next week.

Luncheon - 8th August 2026 - Have you booked?

60th Birthday Celebrations

A luncheon will be held on Saturday, 8th August

to celebrate our club's milestone birthday.

Your invitation has been sent - with replies due by the 1st August.

Mechanics Facility

Our Mechanics facility is again in the spotlight. A lovely local couple recently hired the facility for their wedding and reception and our club provided the bar service for the evening. A beautiful event, and definitely a joy to have provided our venue for this very important day in the lives of the bride and groom.

Speaking to members, this may be the first time the Mechanics has been used for both a wedding and reception since we have been managing the facility - and it was perfect for the occasion.

A stocktake of the kitchen has highlighted a significant decrease in the crockery. So, if you have taken home any Dinner Plates/Dessert Bowls/Soup Bowls or Bread & Butter Plates (leftovers are often very tempting!) can you check your cupboards and return any of these items please.

Celebrating our successess

Reading social media reports from other NFP's provided some inspiration - we often talk about needing to do better with promotion. So perhaps here is a start - this article was recently posted on our Facebook page and received some good traction in the community.

Our club is renowned for our fundraising, and the community know that we ensure our funds go to support those most in need. But, maybe what you don't know is how much, the actual value of that support. Well, how does $48,662.32 sound! Yep, that’s what we donated - and that's just in the last year!

In under 24 hours, it has received 213 views and 11 interactions. This is a great indication as to the power of social media and reaching out into the community. If all members were to share and repost this article, just imagine how many more people we will reach. It will do wonders for sharing the positive outcomes from our fundraising - like all posts on our socials, we really benefit from our members' interactions, maximising our exposure.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Georgia Smith and Liam Clarke on the arrival of Henry Francis Clarke on June 30 weighing 9.2 lbs.

Rotary sponsored Georgia to attend Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) many years ago. She was such a RYLA enthusiast that she returned as a leader for 5 more years. In that time, she encouraged many Bendigo young folk to apply and attend.

She was awarded a PHF - well deserved. We have kept in touch as she attended Latrobe University and later worked in Aged Care in a leadership role. All the best to Georgia, Liam and Henry for the future.

Lynne Cooper

City of Greater Bendigo - Survey

A survey is currently being undertaken by the City of Greater Bendigo regarding the observance of a Public Holiday in October/November around Melbourne/Bendigo Cup - so now is your opportunity to contribute your thoughts on this matter -

Have your say on our local public holiday

The City is inviting the community to take part in a survey on the local public holiday arrangements starting from 2027.

Local governments outside Melbourne can apply to swap the Melbourne Cup Day public holiday for a different local public holiday.

In the past, Council has applied for approval to recognise Bendigo Cup Day as the local public holiday for areas west of the Campaspe River.

Community members are being asked to choose only one of the following options:

Keep Bendigo Cup Day
Change to Bendigo Show Day
Change to Melbourne Cup Day

The City’s previous approval ended on October 29, 2025. A one-year extension has been granted to allow time to ask the community which day they would prefer.

Community feedback will be shared with Councillors to help guide their decision.

Survey closes on Sunday August 9.

Have your say

Bendigo Maubisse Friendship Committee

Tickets are now on sale for the Bendigo Maubisse Friendship Committee's 20th Anniversary Celebration, and we'd love you to join us as we celebrate two decades of friendship and partnership between Bendigo and Maubisse, Timor-Leste.

Since our initial announcement, planning has picked up pace, and we're delighted to confirm an outstanding program for the evening.

Our special guests include Kirsty Sword Gusmão and Her Excellency Ms Inês Maria de Almeida, Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Australia, with the evening hosted by Jonathan Ridnell. Guests will also enjoy live Timorese music, displays celebrating twenty years of BMFC's work, and the opportunity to reconnect with friends and supporters who have been part of the journey.

Friday 18 September 2026
6.00 pm – 9.00 pm
The Bendigo Club

Tickets are $36.50 per person and include finger food throughout the evening. Drinks will be available for purchase at bar prices.

As this is a private event with seating limited to 180 guests, we encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment.

Please find the updated event flyer attached.

We hope you can join us as we celebrate this important milestone and look ahead to the next chapter of our partnership with Maubisse.

Warm regards,

Rod Flavell

Bendigo Maubisse Friendship Committee

Book your tickets here: LINK

Member Birthdays

Timothy Watts

July 25

John Gurr

August 15

John Jones

August 26

Spouse/Partner Birthdays

Laurie Preston

August 16

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