Tonights Meeting               

                                       Club Assembly 

   Coro 88 

                                 Dinner 6.00   Meeting 7.00 

ROTARY CLUB OF BURWOOD AFFIRMATION 

Message from Pres Hugo 

Tonight we will have a Club Assembly at Coro 88. The Dinner will start first,  followed by the meeting. If you are unable to make it,  please send apologies via WhatsApp 

From our Last meeting 27th July 2026 

Meeting opened  By Pres Hugo  at 6.25

Present:  PP Hugo Robinson, PP Peter Moore  , PP Walter Bock,  Rob Whitney, PP Fred Walker,  Anna-Marie Sanni,  Alf  Dimarco,  PP Sana Kamalesan,  Marilie Bomediano, James Boggs, PP John Mansour 

Apologies: PP John  Kane,  PP  Fuad Jaafar, PP Keith Weeeding,  PDG Paul Sarks 

Visitors: Johanne Johns,  Lynn, Edmond Teperski, 

Guest Speaker Johanne Johns, ShelterBox Ambassador, was introduced by Pres Hugo.

Her background is in Sales and Marketing, Account Management and Weight Loss. Since joining Rotary and ShelterBox in 2015, in her role as an ambassador, and previous Rotary roles as a Fundraising Director,
President Elect, President 2019-2020, Membership Director,  all on the board of RC of Beecroft.  Also, Assistant Governor to Rotary District 9685.  She has  developed strong team building and leadership skills that have  allowed her to effectively collaborate with diverse groups to speak on behalf and fundraise for ShelterBox Australia.  Her organisational abilities ensure that she can manage responsibilities efficiently while contributing positively to team dynamics.  She is particularly drawn to and passionate about this .org because it  aligns perfectly with her commitment to her community and values as a humanitarian and an environmentalist.

ShelterBox – Providing Shelter and Hope in Times of Crisis. Her presentation provided an inspiring insight into the work of ShelterBox, a Rotary International partner that began as a small Rotary project in the UK and has grown into a global disaster-response organisation. ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and essential supplies to communities affected by major natural disasters and conflict. Recent responses have included earthquakes in the Philippines and Venezuela. The organisation carefully assesses each situation before deploying, considering the scale of the disaster, the availability of local resources, security, the likely duration of displacement and whether emergency shelter is the most appropriate response.

The safety and preparation of volunteers is a high priority. International response volunteers undergo extensive training before deployment and may be required to travel at short notice to support communities affected by disasters.

An important part of ShelterBox's work is also its commitment to sustainability. The organisation has moved away from the large plastic boxes traditionally used to transport supplies and has introduced more environmentally responsible materials and shelter kits.

Johanne also highlighted the many ways local Rotary members and the community can support ShelterBox. These include fundraising events, sponsored treks, community displays, recycling through Return and Earn, camping activities, book clubs and simply raising awareness of ShelterBox's work.

The presentation demonstrated how much can be achieved through committed volunteers, Rotary partnerships and community support.

ShelterBox's message is simple but powerful: when disaster strikes and people have nowhere safe to go, providing shelter can help restore dignity, security and hope.

Pres Hugo introduced State Member for Strathfield,  Jason Yat- Sen Li.  We were pleased to hear from our local Member of Parliament about his commitment to community service and improving the wellbeing of people across the Burwood area.

Jason described the electorate as a diverse “microcosm” of Sydney, bringing together people from many cultural, social and economic backgrounds. This diversity provides an opportunity to trial innovative community initiatives that can potentially be expanded more broadly.

A major focus has been helping people live longer, healthier and happier lives. Drawing on research into communities where people enjoy exceptional longevity, the local wellbeing program focuses on four key areas:

• Physical activity
• Healthy eating
• Strong family and community connections
• A sense of spirituality or purpose beyond oneself

Several practical initiatives are already underway, including community park runs, coffee groups and Oz Harvest food-rescue activities. Through partnerships with local supermarkets, volunteers collect surplus fresh food on weekends and distribute it through community organisations, including the Salvation Army and local parish pantries.

The presentation also highlighted a new Men’s Kitchen initiative, designed to address social isolation among men, particularly widowers, men from broken families and others who may be living alone. The program brings men together to learn simple, healthy cooking skills in a relaxed, social environment.

There was strong interest in Rotary becoming involved through volunteering, fundraising and joint community projects. Jason welcomed opportunities to work collaboratively with Rotary and encouraged members to contact his office to explore ways of supporting local initiatives.

The presentation reinforced a message that strongly reflects Rotary’s own values: community service and making a practical difference in people's lives.

Jason answered questions including one from pp John Mansour where he suggested we have a comunity meeting every three months where we can invite members of  the public to a Rotary Meeting and Jason might come along to address them. Jason thought that was a good idea.  

There being no further business the meeting closed at 7.50 

Raffle raised $80.00

Working With Children Check 

New Post Office Box 

Meeting Apologies

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