Current Activity
Highlights 2025-2026
Annual Report Overview of 2025-2026 Rotary Year
Chair: PP Gloria Hargreaves PHF,
Team: Lyn Beckwith PHF, Ali Bowyer, Kerith Cummins, Carol Cain, Melinda Moulday, Rowan French (until October) and Jacquie McFarlane (joined in October)
Our Youth Budget was $13,000 and by the end of this Rotary Year our Club would have spent close to this amount on youth projects.
What has Youth Achieved this Year?
1. The Debutante Ball which was staged in June was once again, underneath the leadership of Lyn, an outstanding success (please see the separate report)
2. The Breakfast Club led by Carol has once again had a successful year. The support provided by several Rotary members who have volunteered every Wednesday and Friday, and Jess Hennig, the ESC representative, has been greatly appreciated. The club offers milo, jaffles, toast and copious amounts of Nutella, plus a chance to chat in a warm and safe environment.
3. EarlyAct
Emerald Primary School.
This club continues to go from strength to strength. Kerith, who did a fantastic job leading the Club has stepped back and the EarlyAct Club welcomed Gayle and Sue to the position. Ali and Jacquie continue to provide wonderful support.
Achievements this year include:
- Having +20 motivated members / students this year
- Working towards running their own meetings
- Continuing the Container Deposit Scheme
- Installation of the new tap on the School Oval
- Visiting the Emerald Community House and continuing to build a strong relationship with them
- Raising funds for an underprivileged school in Eswatini, Africa
- Designing posters for their “Clean Up Australia Day” event. Thirty bags of rubbish were collected on this day
- Connecting with Julie from the Johns Hill Landscape Group with a specific interest in collecting seeds of native Australian flora.
Gembrook Primary School.
Lyn and I started last August with the assistance of Staff Representatives Nicholas Dart in 2025 and Anne Liston in 2026. This year’s Club didn’t start until March
Achievements this year include:
- Having 17 enthusiastic members
- Members working towards running their own meetings
- Organising a successful lolly stall at the KFRWPB. The $381 raised were directed towards the RSPCA
- Now that Groups and Leadership Roles are in place, members are keen to begin initiating projects, including participating in Gembrook’s “First Responders Day” on June 10th
4. In July 2025, Jamie Dean attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA). Marcus, Emma and I attended the Rotary Invitation Dinner on the Wednesday and Marcus went to their Graduation Ceremony on the Saturday. Jamie came to a Club Meeting to express his appreciation of our sponsorship and shared the benefits he experienced from attending
5. At a Club Meeting on August 19th the theme for the night was Youth Activities within our Club.
Speakers were;
- Emily Dean who spoke in glowing terms of her experience attending the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) in January
- Jamie Owen shared his experience of the RYLA Course and
- Two Emerald EarlyActor’s presented information about their Club’s activities
6. In October payment of $1,500 was made to the Cockatoo PS to their Ramingining Aboriginal Cultural Exchange Program. This amount subsidised one of the Aboriginal students that made the return trip from the Ramingining School to Cockatoo Primary. Ten students and 4 staff from the Ramingining School came to a Club Meeting to share information about this amazing Program
7. On the October 28th, the successful 9th Primary School Speech Contest event was staged at Menzies Creek Primary School. (Please see separate Report)
8. Also in October a payment of $350 was made to the Emerald Art Society that funded awards aimed at encouraging and fostering youth art in the community. Anna and Sally presented the award to the successful artists.
9. Lyn attended the Emerald Secondary College’s Spring Concert where she presented the 5 X $200 Music Scholarships funded by our Club. The recipients were Isobel Pittard, Cody Burns, Chloe McKinsley, Liam Sharp and Tahlia Harmer.
10. In November President Peter and PE Gayle attended the ESC Year 12 Valedictory Dinner to present Rotary Citizenship Awards to Luka Kill and Toby Storer
11. Payment of $1400 was made towards the ESC Year 12 camp to be held in February. This amount sponsored the Success Integrated Sessions that focussed on developing effective study skills for the cohort. Feedback was very positive.
12. In December Citizenship Awards were presented to two Grade 6 students in each of our six local schools. Carol and I attended the Graduation Ceremonies at Cockatoo, Menzies Creek and Selby Primary Schools, Marcus and Kerith presented at Gembrook’s, Peter and Lyn at Emerald’s and Ali and Lyn at Macclesfield’s
13. At the ESC Presentation Night our Club for the 3rd year presented a $200 music voucher which was awarded to a student who had shown great progress in and commitment to the Music Program. The recipient was William Grenness.
14. Also at that event Les Smith Memorial Scholarships were presented to two Year 9 students whose parents would benefit from our financial support of $375 for each child.
15. In April an ESC Interact Club was initiated by Melinda. With strong support from staff representative Katie Ryan the Club is running very smoothly
Achievements so far:
- The Club has 20 very enthusiastic members
- The formalities involved in preceding the formation of the Club have been completed
- The students in the Leadership Roles attended the May 5th Club Meeting along with Principal James Barut and Katie Ryan. The main aim of their visit is to establish a link between the two clubs
- Organising a very successful snacks stall held during the recent School Chess Tournament. $230 was raised to be put in reserve for future projects
16. Our Club contributed $1,500 to the excellent Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) Program. Eighty Year 11 students participated. Gloria was joined by Vicki, Lyn, Chris, Roy and Ali attending as volunteers to ensure the Program ran smoothly.
What is Ahead?
At the time of writing this Report, the following projects are in the pipeline:
1. Plans for this year’s Primary School Speech Contest are in full swing
2. Sebastien Nash, our participant this year for RYLA, has submitted his application
3. Further financial support/reimbursements for the ESC Kitchen Garden as it expands.
4. The EarlyAct Clubs and the Interact Club will be involved with projects that are presently in the planning stages.
5. An A-Frame promoting that the Breakfast Club is an initiative of our Rotary Club will be in operation.
6. Participants for the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) being staged in August, are currently being sought.
In our Club, Youth Service has a big portfolio, and I am very proud of the work and time the committee has devoted to ensuring the Programs and Projects have been a great success. Thank you to President Peter, the Board and the Fundraising Committee for their support and encouragement.
Primary School Speech Competition
Chair – PP Gloria Hargreaves PHF
Team – Lyn Beckwith PHF, PP Vicki Van Den Bergen PHF, Kerith Cummins, Sue Colic
Our Club held its Annual Primary School Speech Contest on Tuesday the 28th October where speeches given by 2 Grade 5 and/or Grade 6 students from each of 6 local schools were judged by members of Toastmasters and our very own Lorna.
The competition was close, but the winner was Jayden from Macclesfield Primary School closely followed by Evita from Gembrook Primary with Sonny also from Gembrook Primary, coming a close third.
Sincere thanks go to all the Rotarians present who not only provided supper but also willingly assisted with the numerous jobs required on the night.
Sue and Gloria presented the engraved trophies to Jayden and his school at a School Assembly on November 28th
The first two placegetters were invited to participate in the Final of the Rotary D9815 Primary School Speech Contest held at the Doncaster Secondary College Performance Centre, on the 26th of November and hosted by the Rotary Club of Manningham City.
Once again, it was an opportunity to showcase the speaking skills of senior primary students who have won the preliminary competitions held at their own schools in their local areas. Vicki and Gloria who attended the District Final were once again blown away by the quality of the speeches delivered by all thirteen confident, enthusiastic participants.
Both Jayden and Evita should be very proud of their achievement of reaching the Grand Final and of the standard of the speeches they made.
The District PSSC Coordinator Marlene Sinclair, ensured each of the children received confidence boosting, positive feedback on the presentation of their speeches in both Contests.
