The Illawarra region in NSW was host to the Illawarra Rotaract Club’s Rotaract Hospital Bed Run 2012; a fundraising event that seeks to assist Wollongong Hospital in purchasing life-saving medical equipment. The Hospital Bed Run involves a team of four people pushing a hospital bed along a street course in timed heats, with one additional person acting as the ‘patient’ on the bed. Now in its fourth year, the event is a part of Wollongong’s Australia Day celebrations, with teams sponsored by local businesses and community organisations.

The event was a success, engaging eight competing teams, raising over four thousand dollars for Wollongong Hospital, providing a fun spectacle for a large proportion of the Australia Day crowd and gaining significant local and state wide media coverage.

Wollongong City Lord Mayor, Councillor Gordon Bradbery OAM said the event was always entertaining and encouraged local organisations to consider entering a team.

“The Bed Run is one of the many events on the day. It’s a great team bonding exercise and also a good way to raise some money for WollongongHospital”

Illawarra Rotaract Club president, Siddharth Yadwad said the funds from this year’s event would be directed to the Patient Recovery Unit at the Hospital.

“We’re glad we could help out with this very worthy cause in a way that was so fun and engaging for the wider community. We’ve already started working hard to ensure that next year’s event is bigger and better!”

“Identify your passions before you pursue them.” Palak Thaker takes a closer look at Rotary’s premier leadership program for young professionals.

Identify your passions before you pursue them. That’s one of the messages that I not only took away, but learned how to implement at the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) camp. Being an ambitious young person, as many Rotaractors are, attracts the responsibility to work hard towards achieving your goals. To turn your passion into success you need to challenge yourself – and challenges were plentiful at RYLA! Going to a remote location with a group of strangers and being told very little about the events of the week was a little outside of the comfort zone of most participants. The experiences however, pushed even further us to discover our motivations and capabilities.

The experience is different for every individual, and many people came out with a clearer sense of direction. Whether a person is more comfortable with physical or mental, individual or interpersonal experiences, every person is challenged in their own way. Achieving goals involves more than just passion, it requires action; and it requires more than just focus on tasks, it requires interpersonal interaction, and RYLA taught me how to find the right balance. If this description seems vague, prepare yourself for elusive discussions with past RYLArians, for the surprise factor is a major part of the experience.

Many bonds were formed, many tears were shed and many reunions have already been planned, making for an unforgettable RYLA experience. We all dream big. It’s about time we challenge ourselves and realise our goals.

RYLA is a week-long residential program held annually in January. It is generously sponsored by local Rotary clubs as part of Rotary’s commitment to youth development. For more information about how you could attend RYLA email development@rotaractunsw.org

By Palak Thaker

Via Rotaract UNSW

Polio is a highly contagious, debilitating disease that can result in death. It can cause muscle paralysis, including limbs and respiratory muscles, by entering the intestinal tract and moving intothe nervous system. THERE IS NO CURE.

Rotary has all but eliminated Polio across the globe, sparing an estimate 5 million people of the disease. For as little as US$0.60 worth of vaccine, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life.

Rotaract is hosting a Charity Harbour Cruise for Rotary International’s Polio Plus. The cruise will leave from the Sydney Opera House on Saturday the 24th March, with the aim of raising $10,000 to contribute to the eradication of Polio! Prizes will be awarded for the best ‘Celebrity Doppelgangers’.

This will be a fantastic fun filled event, with a live DJ, pizza and unlimited drinks. The cruise is about having a good time and helping out a charity whilst we do it. So bring your friends along and grab a ticket for just $60.

On Wednesday, 7 December 2011 the Sydney City Rotaract Club launched its 2012 Calendar, showcasing the 12 winners of their ‘Hidden Treasures of Sydney’ photography competition.

The launch attracted an intimate audience of art lovers and philanthropic minded people who gathered to celebrate art, photography and people power.

At the launch, the audience was addressed by Briar Ward (Youth Insearch) who shared with the captive audience her story of how the program “saved her life”. Briar’s passionate and emotive address kept things real and relative to the cause, and the purpose of the evening – photography and art for a worthy cause.

The Sydney City Rotaract, ran this calendar project in support of local charity, Youth Insearch. Firstly, they undertook a photography competition which attracted over 200 amateur and professional entries. The 12 best entries were then compiled into a 2012 calendar which are now being sold for $15.00.

The winning photographers were presented with their awards by Judge, Ms Anna-Louise Howard who has generously offered her services as a photography teacher to Youth Insearch!

Youth Insearch is a Sydney-based charity empowering young people to take responsibility for their lives by giving them the opportunity and skills to develop their self esteem and play a positive role in society.

To support this great cause, please purchase a calendar:
www.sydneycityrotaract.org.au/calendar

The Rotaract Club of the Universityof Sydney, the seventh Rotaract Club in District 9750, was chartered on 2^nd November, 2011 at the University of Sydney. It is jointly sponsored by Rotary Club of Inner-West and Rotary Club Sydney-CBD.

Hosted by Chris Joscelyne from Rotary EClub, Fay Thurlow (President of Rotary of Inner-west), Amy Hing-Young (Assistant Governor for District 9750), Jake Weragoda (District Rotaract Representative) and Phil Whyte (District Governor for District 9750) delivered congratulatory speeches.

Members and the following executives were then inducted: James Alexander (President), Lisa Kim (Vice President), Elizabeth Alexander (Secretary), Zachary Thompson (Treasurer), Veronique James (Projects Officer), Tyler Johnson (Events Director) and Travis Kaya (Ambassadorial Scholar Representative).

James shared the club’s goals and visions, which included:

• Grow to over 100 members on-campus
• Build and Sponsor an International Project
• Getting Down and Dirty, to be actively involved in the sponsored programs and projects
• Promote Rotary Projects and Programs on Campus
• Contribute to the world we live in

The sponsor clubs and the Rotaract Club of Sydney City presented the new club with gifts of a meeting bell and an Angry Bird mascot, respectively.

Representatives from six Rotaract Clubs as well as around ten Rotary Clubs from the district attended the Charter Night. The Rotaract Club of the University of Sydney sends its most hearted thanks to all those who attended, its sponsor clubs and extends this to all its Rotary family for their future support.

Lisa Kim

In September 2011, President Carl Charlier International Service Director Laura D’Alessandri visited our Sister Club, the Rotaract Club of Paradiso in Quezon City, the Philippines. The purpose of the trip was to visit the Literacy program which the Sydney City Rotaract Club supports and to provide our Sister Club with resources to assist with the running of that program.

The Literacy Program, Project BBLISS (Beginning and Basic Literacy Integrated Support Services) is run by our Sister Club to assist in supporting children

who are facing difficulty with grasping basic literacy skills and need additional support than which is offered in the public school system. Our Sister Club tells us that in the Philippines it is not uncommon for class sizes to be in excess of 150 students per teacher.

Our Sister Club has seen real results from the project and are in the process of rolling it out to other areas.

Carl and Laura delivered books, stationary and other resources to the children beneficiaries of the project and assisted in teaching a class. We are very grateful to support of the Rotary Club of Sydney Cover for their general donation in support of this project. As a Club we should be proud to be part of the project which is making a real difference to the literacy levels of the children.

During the stay our Sister Club showed Carl and Laura to sights of their city, taught them their history and allowed them to experience their culture. They were also able to attend a Club meeting. We hope to continue to support this project and if any members are travelling to the Philippines please make sure you visit our close friends there. Please email international@sydneycityrotaract.org.au for further details.

The Asia Pacific Regional Rotaract Conference (APRRC) is an Annual Conference whereby delegates from all over the Asia Pacific Region meets to discuss and share ideas about Rotaract. This year the Conference was held in Subic Bay, the Philippines and Kayla D’Alessandri, Carl Charlier, Sally Hetherington and Laura D’Alessandri attended on behalf of District 9750.

The Conference was held over 4 days during which time the delegates were addressed by exceptional key note speakers including Mr Jose Sixto G. Dante III and Mr Chinkee Tan.

Mr Dante is a prominent actor in the Philippines and the Ambassador of the Arts, National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Mr Dantes arrival created a flurry of hysteria amongst the Philippino ladies which could rival ‘Beatles Mania’ or ever ‘Beiber Fever’!

Mr Dante spoke to the delegates of his passion for utilising the Arts to communicate with marginalise youth and to educate the world. His passion was infectious and he challenged us as Rotaracters to support the Arts in our own respective countries.

Mr Tan is a Life Coach and a best selling novelist. He spoke to the delegates about ‘Setting a Millionaires Mindset’.  Mr Tan was inspirational in encouraging us to change the way we think and to break down the mental barriers which prevent us from achieving our personal and Club goals.

As part of the Conference the delegates participated in smaller ‘break-out sessions’ which allowed the delegates to have more informal discussions with other Rotaractors from all over the Asia Pacific about common difficulties faced by Rotaract Clubs.

Lastly, the Conference was an amazing opportunity to make new friends from all over the world and have a fantastic time. A highlight of the Conference was the Mr and Ms APRRC Beauty Pagent in which Mr Jeremy Charles and Ms Amanda Woods proudly represented Australia. Jeremy and Amanda both won the Ms/Mr Congeniality categories before taking out Third and Fourth place overall after strutting their stuff in their Culture, Sporting, Casual and Formal attire!

If anyone is interested in attending the next APRRC, which will be held in Bangkok, Thailand in April/May 2012 please contact drr@district9750.org.au

Rotaractors recently spent a weekend at the Australian Rotaract Conference (ARC) in Melbourne, Australia. The conference provided an opportunity to meet Rotaractors from across Australia, discuss key issues around the world, and undertake workshops to improve our own organisation. Below is from the journal of Laura D’Alessandri, International Director for Sydney City Rotaract.

Friday, 23 September 2011

Having completed a hectic week trying to get organised to go on leave, I managed to leave work, have a couple of Friday night drinks with my colleagues and then meet Jake Weragoda District Rotaract Representative of 9750 at the airport, all before 8pm.  On the way to Melbourne for the Australia Rotaract Conference 2011 I felt somewhat apprehensive.  Last year was my first ever Rotaract Conference and I attended the APRRC and ARC in Sydney – and had a blast. I’m was concerned that given the expectations, it will be difficult for this years’ event to impress. I had nothing to worry about!

Saturday, 24 September 2011

We started bright and early with an engaging presentation by Mr Hugh Evans, CEO of the Global Poverty Project and Australian of the Year in 2004. Hugh spoke about the 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty and what we can do to affect their lives. Hugh impressed upon us that it is possible for extreme poverty to be over within our lifetime.

Saturday afternoon we broke into smaller groups and discussed key issues relevant to Rotaract Clubs including Membership, Youth Programs, Mental Health and RAWCS.

Saturday night we had dinner on the notorious Lygon Street.  We created someone what of a scene as we walked to Lygon street, en mass, dressed as gangsters and other underworld figures! This function was a great time to meet our fellow Rotaracters from all over the country and much fun (perhaps too much fun!) was had by all!

Sunday, 25 September 2011

Before closing the program were greeted with presentations by Ms Amanda Woods, President of Rotaract Australia and Mr Jeremy Charles. These presentation were followed by an awards ceremony, at which time I was ecstatic to witness Mr Drew Sturgiss be crowned ‘Rotaractor of the Year’.  It is an honour to have a member of the Sydney City Rotaract Club recognised in this way.

The Conference was a marvellous success and this can be attributed to the amazing organising committee. I feel empowered and inspired to apply what I have learned to my own Club and am looking forward to sharing the results at next year’s Conference!

I am extremely pleased to announce that Rotaract District 9750 took home three of the seven awards given out during the Australian Rotaract Conference.

We were awarded:

Eastern Suburbs Rotaract Club for Best Award Submission for Most Outstanding International Project for their Race to Book Mountain scavenger hunt and fundraising efforts through the Botanical Gardens in Sydney for children in Cambodia.

Rotaract District 9750 for Social Media Awareness Campaign, using Facebook to promote Rotaract. A national campaign is being rolled out as part of Stage 2 of an awareness strategy.

And our District took home the big one, the Golden Logie, Rotaractor of the Year Drew Sturgiss for his brilliant efforts in IT and Communications for Sydney City Rotaract Club, Rotaract District 9750 and of course Rotaract Australia. Please congratulate Drew!

Congratulations to all Rotaractors in OUR District. I am very proud of our efforts, we are clearly the outstanding District in Australia. Please continue to aim for and reach your high goals to ensure that we not only maintain our status as the premier District, but continue to grow and excel, and support each other as we go.

Jake Weragoda
District Rotaract Representative

At the recent Australian Rotaract Conference, District 9750 took home an three awards! Click here to read all about it.

To read about Rotaractor Laura’s experience at the Australian Rotaract Conference in September 2011, click here, or here for Laura’s report from the Asia Pacific Regional Rotaract Conference.

Check out these Rotaractors making a difference at the Sydney Children’s Hospital.