Since 1991, the Brighton Grammar v Firbank Grammar Debate has been a highlight in our Club’s year, and this year’s debate exemplified the high standard we have come to expect from these students.

GardenDesignFest promotion at Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show: Malcolm Baird has secured a stand at the Show to promote GardenDesign Fest which will be held on 21 & 22 November. Two volunteers will be needed per shift at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (Wednesday March 25^th – Sunday March 29^th).  Contact Malcolm if you are able to help

Donation to Every Daughter Matters: $5000 raised from our club and other clubs has been donated, via RAWCS, to RC Kathmandu. This money will go toward the purchase of computers to assist in the training of Nepalese girls rescued from abduction and exploitation.

Maria Ruberto, our Guest Speaker last week, is the founder and director of Salutegenics Psychology, a strengths-based practice that moves people in personal and professional spaces toward mental fitness and life-health. Maria’s work is based on the theory of Salutogenesis where wellbeing is built from the development of positive human assets, including affective functioning and strengths-based skills.

At last week's joint meeting with RC Brighton, our club was presented with a Certificate of Recognition for our financial support of Rotary's End Polio Now campaign.

Bayside City Council has renovated our 'Rotary Endeavour' playground at the beach end of North Road. It looks great and proudly bears a prominent Rotary Wheel symbol on its stern. Thanks to Phil Mortimer for the photos.

We joined Brighton Rotary  last week to hear about, and celebrate,a remarkable achievement. In 2025, Brighton, Warrnambool Central and Brighton North worked together to donate 15 pallets of goods from Donations in Kind to to drought-stricken farmers in south-west Victoria.

Brighton North Rotary is sponsoring a local secondary school to run a program that involves young people talking to young people about respect and respectful relationships including promoting healthy non-abusive family relationships.

This year, the Rotary South Pacific Conference will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre with the theme: People, Planet, Peace. 

Brighton North Rotary Charter Member John (40 years) and long time member Norm (30 years) enjoy volunteering at DIK each month.

BayCISS Food Collection Thursday December 4th: please bring donations of cans/packets of Christmas fare.

Beach Patrol Clean-up Sunday December 7th: contact Christina Rearick if you are able to help.

Membership Questionnaire: please send responses to Russell Brewer in the next wo weeks. Note: responses are anonymous.

Garden Designfest 2026: Phil Mortimer reported that 11 gardens have been confirmed and up tp 12 more may be possible. The event is managed by our club and RC Kew. The main charity receipient will be Family Life. Since its inception the Garden Designfest has raised over $8000.

Firbank Grammar Careers Day: to be hel in March next year,. Volunteers (including family and friends) needed, contact Chistina Rearick. More details to follow.

For some time now we have had a collection box for blister packs at our meetings without really knowing the full story behind this unique recycling process. Jason Rijnbeek gave us a fascinating insight into the work of Pharmacycle. 

'Flat out' would be the best description of our Cup Day BBQ at Bunnings Moorabbin. Gerry Lambourne was kept busy all day, racing to get additional supplies of sausages, bread and onions, and the BBQ chefs had their noses down at the hotplate. Thank you to all who helped. Net proceeds for the day were more than $1600.

That inimitable pair Peter Killey and Meg Ryan, returned to our Club again for our traditional Melbourne Cup Celebration and entertained us with racing talk and ‘fashions on the field’.

In a 'first' for our show we interiewed an overseas guest. Geoff Dobbs talked with Adrian Smith from St Columb Rotary in Cornwall about his remarkble work with disadvantaged school students in Uganda. Gerry Lambourne interviewed Wendy Stirling from Port Phillip Rotary about their work with their Interact Club at The MacRobertson Girls High School. To listen to these interesting and inspiring interviews go to:

https://www.southernfm.com.au/show/community-block/bayside-rotary-radio-show-october-2025/

We have donated $500 to the 'Bright Old Sparks' team (Rudi Ota and Bryan Drummond) who will be taking part in the Shitbox Rally in October.  The Rally raises money for the Cancer Council.

Brighton North Rotary members joined a team of volunteers on Saturday to pack items for a container organised by the Highlands Foundation to go to Papua New Guinea early next year with items for mothers and babies.

BayCISS Donations, 1st Thursday of each month
Please bring grocery items to donate to BayCISS to our meeting on Thursday 4 September for collection.
Also, if you have a lemon tree in abundance, bring along some lemons too!