We enjoyed a great presentation this week from Felicity Sinfield (Acting Inspector Felicity Bell), who shared her inspiring story of involvement in the Victoria Police Mentoring Program, guided by Peter Frueh.
An exciting proposal was also discussed — the potential establishment of a Satellite Club of Balwyn Rotary, involving current and retiring local police members. This idea was enthusiastically received by those present at the meeting.
A Satellite Club requires just eight members to be formed. Its members would be full members of Balwyn Rotary, participating in activities such as the Camberwell Sunday Market, while also running their own projects.
As a Satellite Club, they would not be required to manage their own Board or Office Bearers, making it a streamlined and flexible option for busy professionals.
A reminder to all members: we now have a new online meeting booking and payment system in place.
If you are not attending no action is required. If you are attending then click the link under Upcoming Events below, click REGISTER and follow the prompts.
Feel free to book in for any of the other upcoming events as well.
We’re excited to introduce our first club bulletin generated using ClubRunner, a tool that streamlines communication by allowing us to create, design, and distribute professional-looking newsletters.
Our club has taken a significant step forward in enhancing operations, thanks to the efforts of Kevin Walsh. His hard work in implementing the ClubRunner website and making the astute decision to integrate Stripe as our payment gateway has brought lasting benefits to our club.
Why ClubRunner & Stripe Matter:
✅ Centralized Management – Easily handle club activities, events, and communications in one place.
✅ Seamless Payment Processing – Stripe ensures secure, instant transactions for membership dues, event registrations, and donations.
✅ Improved Member Experience – A user-friendly interface makes engagement simple and efficient.
Thank you, Kevin, for making this happen
A New Opportunity: Proposed Satellite Rotary Club for Retired Police Officers
Members heard from Boroondara councillor and police officer Felicity Sinfield regarding her proposal to establish a satellite Rotary Club, under the umbrella of Balwyn Rotary, for local (Eastern Region Division 1) retired police officers.
Cr Sinfield explained that the idea for this proposal came about through her twin careers.
In her she professional responsibility for police officer well-being, she heard multiple stories of the challenges faced by retired police officers such as the loss of routine, identity, purpose and social network that can lead to poor mental health and excessive alcohol use.
At the same time, Cr Sinfield, in her capacity as a Boroondara councillor, was also aware that local Rotary Clubs were looking for new members. Her proposal, after discussing this with Peter Frueh and others, was to offer a solution to both issues by establishing a new local satellite Rotary club for local retired police officers.
This satellite club would provide both local retired police officers with structure, purpose and an expanded social network, as well as new volunteers for Rotary projects.
The opportunity to further this idea has been fostered through Cr Sinfield’s participation in the Rotary Leaders Mentoring Program (LMP) lead by Rotary Central Melbourne in partnership with Victoria Police. Balwyn Rotarian Peter Frueh has been Cr Sinfield’s Rotary mentor in the Leadership Program.
Cr Sinfield explained that Leadership Program aims to “build skilled people, stronger people, more equipped people … to think differently and solve wicked problems.”
Peter Frueh shared that it had been his desire, when he was District Governor seven years ago, to establish six satellite clubs to provide a ‘stepping stone’ for community members, who already had a connection to each other via their workplace for instance, to understand the benefits of supporting Rotary activities and projects.
Peter explained that satellite clubs lower the barriers to forming a new Rotary Club because of the lower minimum member number of eight and simpler structure with no office bearers just a Chair. Despite being in pilot form for around six years, satellite clubs have not “taken off’.
Cr Sinfield’s proposal gives Balwyn Rotary an opportunity to give support to a new pilot satellite club.
Julie Mulhauser
RIMERN’s Garden: From Jungle to Haven
The transformation of the "jungle" beside the RIMERN warehouse into a beautiful, bird- and bee-attracting native garden is nearly complete! The final three cubic metres of mulch have been spread, marking the culmination of many hours of dedicated work. It's incredibly rewarding to see this project come to life—a huge thanks to Chris Finley for a fantastic job!
Flood Disaster Appeal Fund
Large areas of Queensland are now under floodwaters, with many towns isolated and thousands of homes impacted. Tragically, graziers have suffered devastating stock losses, with reports estimating over 100,000 animals missing or dead. The flood-affected area is twice the size of Victoria, making this one of the worst flooding events in 50 years.
In response, Rotary Australian Districts have mobilised a joint disaster response, including:
Appointing a disaster coordinator
Conducting an urgent needs assessment
Collaborating with State & Local Government Authorities
Rotary has a long history of supporting communities in times of crisis, and we know that mental health support will be crucial as affected families begin the long road to recovery.
Rotary has long been dedicated to creating positive, lasting change in communities worldwide, and protecting the environment is a key part of that mission. Recognizing that a healthy planet is essential for a thriving future, Rotary has made environmental sustainability one of its core areas of focus.
From local conservation efforts to large-scale global initiatives, Rotary clubs take action to preserve natural resources, combat climate change, and promote sustainable practices. Projects include reforestation programs, clean energy initiatives, waste reduction efforts, and water conservation projects. By working alongside environmental experts, community leaders, and volunteers, Rotary ensures that its environmental programs have a meaningful and lasting impact.
One of Rotary’s significant initiatives is Operation Pollination, which supports biodiversity by protecting habitats for bees, butterflies, and other essential pollinators. Additionally, clubs around the world participate in tree-planting campaigns, ocean clean-ups, and sustainable agriculture programs that help communities adapt to environmental challenges.
Rotary also invests in education and awareness, equipping communities with the knowledge and tools to build a more sustainable future. Through partnerships with organizations committed to environmental conservation, Rotary continues to expand its impact, ensuring that future generations inherit a cleaner, greener planet.
As Rotarians, we are committed to being stewards of the environment. By taking action today, we are helping to shape a healthier, more sustainable world for tomorrow.
Anniversaries
Join Date
Angela Ciliberto
April 7, 2013
12 years
1st April Peter Ciliberto
16th April Margaret Silverton
23rd April Mari Deak
26th April Russell Jones
ROSTERS
Camberwell Sunday Market
All members: Philip Lambers sends out reminders a week before your shift.
If you are unable to do your rostered shift, you need to organize a swap and let Philip know.
Shift Times
OIC: 06:15 – 13:00
Set Up Crew: 06:30 – 12:30
Sunday 6th April
Philip Lambers (OIC), Ed Frost, Brian McGuiness. Sunday 13th April
Marc Mirams (OIC), TBA, TBA Sunday 20th April
David Jones (OIC), Ed Rayment, Tony O'Brien Sunday 27th April
John Walker (OIC), TBA / Margaret Silverton, Chadstone E. Malvern
Box Hill Miniature Steam Railway
Arrival time: 10:45
Trains depart: 11:00-16:00
Location: Elgar Park, corner of Belmore and Elgar Roads, Mont Albert North
Rosters are organised by Fred Gibbs and Clarke Ballard.
Any changes or alterations please send an email to bhmsr@balwynrotary.org.au
Rotary Controller: Clarke Ballard
Friday 18th April
Brian Mathieson, Sebastian Pfab, Kevin Walsh, Jenny Walsh, Rob Poynter, Chris Finley, Ian Davidson,
Brian Mcguinness, Cath Stahel, Clarke Ballard
Sunday 18th May
Tony O’Brien, Ed Rayment, Ed Frost, Ian ridd, Ken McQualter, Alison McQualter, Clarke Ballard
RIMERN
Tuesday 8th April
Ed Frost, Ken McQualter
Tuesday 22nd April
Peter Frueh, Kevin Walsh
Tuesday 13th May
Peter 0 Brien, Julie Mulhauser
Tuesday,27th May
Chris Finlay, Russell Jones.
Tuesday 10th June
Murray Wilkinson, Ed Frost
Tuesday 24th June
Kevin Walsh, David Hobson
Volunteers
Chris Finley, David Hobson, Ed Frost, Julie Mulhauser, Ken McQualter, Kevin Walsh, Marc Mirams, Murray Wilkinson, Peter Frueh, Peter O’Brien, Russel Jones
Camberwell Sunday Market Report: 30-Mar-25
Torches and head lamps greeted stallholders on this crisp morning, the last before the end of day light saving! The sun final made it over the eastern horizon at 7:31am by which time the set up team had finished their tasks including the marquee’s and all the volunteers were manning the gates.
Numbers started of reasonable and improve throughout the morning, with the number being turbo charge after the sun made it over the building line just after 9:00am.
The biggest problem for the morning was finding a bolt to hold up one of the marquee legs
which had lost its snib. The bolt was eventually sourced from one of the permanent stallholders.
Only one volunteer was later due to having trouble finding a car park at the 10:00am shift
change. Our pack up went smoothly despite my rearranging some of the volunteers close down duties. Everyone pitched in to ensure a smooth dismantling of the market. The caravan was almost fully packed by 12:30pm.
This was a better performance than some of the stallholders who needed a whip cracked over them to stop selling and pack up. This delay was abundantly clear at 1:00pm, there was still a major traffic jam exiting the car park.
Hopefully this was a reflection on the success of their day. Ours turn out quite good as well, with around $2,200 being taken at the gate. Well done to the
entire team. David Hobson - OIC
