Hello and welcome to the President's message from Peter and myself for this past fortnight.What an exciting fortnight the Rotary Club of North Ryde has had!
Pitch for Purpose finals were held on Saturday 19 September.Past District Governor, Niranjan Deodah, headed the project involving students researching a topic that they were given and then they had to do a Pitch to deliver their solutions to a sustainability or environmental issue they had particular interest in.
Peter and I were lucky enough to go along to the finals of this competition for primary and secondary school students in the district. The excitement in the room was palpable. All the students from the primary and secondary schools delivered very convincing arguments as to why their project was the most important project.
It was with great excitement that we heard that two of the Marsden High School teams had taken out first and second places. The team that we had sponsored from Marsden High School included Sofia, Ebony, Sophia and Smithri, who had an idea to stop hearing squealing wheels on the trains going around the tracks near their school multiple times per day. The judging panel thought it was a very exciting project. Peter and I have spoken to people associated with the train industry in Sydney to find out how we can further help these students take their project forward.
The Rotary Club of North Ryde also had a very productive and busy BBQ Day at the Bunnings store, Gladesville on Saturday the 26 September 2026. Thanks go to Gary Maloney for organising the day with very few people available to help on the day. We met many wonderful customers and were kept very busy for the whole day. The BBQ was a great success. Thank you to all who came and supported us especially the young lady who rang Bunnings at Gladesville to find out who was doing the cooking that day. When she heard it was North Ryde Rotary, she told her dad they had to go. What a wonderful story to hear. This is what community support is all about.
We are in the final phase of organising the Carols on the Common Christmas event jointly with Macquarie Park Rotary Club and are very excited with the number of sponsors Rosanna Gallo OAM and the team have been able to pull together for this year. Please keep Sunday the 13 December free and come along to the North Ryde Common to either lend a hand volunteering or to come and have a spectacular day with us. Volunteers are still needed and you can contact Pam Wood to find out what is required for the day.
That's all for now.
Regards
Bernie and Peter Mason
Joint Presidents 2026-27
To join our Friday morning Club meetings from 7.15am -8.30am via Zoom, click on the link below. All are welcome.
Congratulations to the Lentini family and Cox's Road Mall on the 70th Anniversary celebrations held on Saturday 26 September. Thank you for all that you do for the North Ryde Community!
The Carols committee are seeking members and friends of our club to assist with the many volunteer tasks that need to be undertaken to make the Carols on the Common another great success.
Thank you to those members and friends who have already volunteered to help. It would be greatly appreciated to have as many volunteers as possible.
These tasks include:
Letterbox delivery of flyers prior to the Carols
Setting up carpark fences on Saturday 12 December from 3pm- 5pm
Morning set up on Sunday 13 December from10am-12pm
Afternoon preparation: 12noon-3.00pm
Top car park assisting with directing cars and collecting payments: 3-10pm
Bottom Car Park assisting with directing cars 3-10pm
Bucket Collection: 7.00pm
Lost Elves Tent supervision 4- 9.30pm ( Working With Children Check Clearance and Rotary District 9685 Volunteer Information and Declaration Form essential)
Raffle ticket sales during the event: 4- 8.30 pm ( Working with Children Check & Rotary District 9685 Volunteer Information & Declaration Form required for those who are 18 years or older).
Event Pack up: 9pm-11pm ( the more people we have for this the earlier we can finish)
If you can assist in any way please let me know the times you are available and your preferred role/s by return email woodmal50@hotmail.com or call my mobile 0400803417.
We will be running a Christmas raffle throughout the event We are seeking donations of items to go in three baskets as part of the prizes or a cash donation to go towards purchasing items for the baskets. If you would like to donate towards the raffle please contact me.
The Carols on the Common is a major fundraising event for both our club and Macquarie Park Rotary Club and it is also a wonderful community event for the Ryde area. Sponsorship packages are available. If any business would like to support this wonderful community event please send an email to Roseanna@rgmusic.com.au or call on mobile: 0418 692 410.
For more information about this year's Carols on the Common go to the website carolsonthecommon.org.au
Once again, the Rotary Clubs of Turramurra, North Ryde and Chatswood/Roseville with the support of Pudding Lane, Newcastle, are supporting “Books in Homes” at Moree East Public School.
1. CLOSING DATE FOR ORDERS: FRIDAY 27TH NOVEMBER 2026
2. ORDERING: Please print off the order form below, fill in the details and email it to Bob at peternathan64@gmail.com
3. PAYMENT: **Preferred option: Direct deposit to North Ryde Rotary: BSB 633 000 A/c 126363779 (include your name and “Puds” (Or by mail: order form and cheque (“Rotary Club of North Ryde”) to PO Box 6171 North Ryde 2113)
4. COLLECTION OF PUDDINGS
• Orders through Rotary Clubs: collect from Bob Selinger at 4 Sheehan St Eastwood (0403 003 257). He will email everyone when the puddings are ready.
• Individual orders: where possible, we will deliver to you
The Lane Cove Rotary Fair is on Sunday 11 October, and with 150+ stalls and thousands of visitors expected, we’ll need plenty of Rotary hands throughout the day.
There are lots of ways to get involved between 5:30am and 6:00pm – helping with stallholder bump-in, firing up the Rotary BBQ, selling Mega Raffle tickets, lending a hand around the Fair, or helping with bump-out.
You don’t need to be there all day – even an hour or two will make a real difference.
If you can help,please complete this form with what time you’re available and where you’d be happy to lend a hand.
It’s a huge day for our Club, a lot of fun, and a great chance to work alongside fellow Rotarians while supporting our community.
The bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health is well established, yet the version that reaches us rarely extends beyond "if you sleep poorly, you feel worse" alongside sleep hygiene advice. This talk aims to deepen our understanding of how sleep and mental health are related. It discusses the connection between sleep and mental health, clarifies what the literature says compared with what has made it to the posters, and outlines the aspects of sleep health that matter most for mental health. These themes are explored through common clinical scenarios, illustrating how the sleep and mental health link plays out in practice. The talk offers clinicians and community members a more nuanced account of why sleep matters, and how best to care for it.
Today, I’d love to invite you to join thousands of people taking part in one of the year's most colourful (and gloriously unfashionable) fundraising events.
It’s called Loud Shirt Day – a colourful celebration where clubs, teams and communities wear their boldest, brightest and most outrageous shirts to raise awareness and vital funds for children with hearing loss.
It’s simple, fun and a great excuse to swap your team colours for something a little louder. Whether it’s a "best worst shirt" competition, themed training session or colourful club day, every loud shirt helps give children the support they need to thrive.
On Friday, 16 October (or any day that works best for you) wear your loudest, boldest shirt and raise funds to help children with hearing loss…it’s as simple as that!
“What began as a fun idea has become a much-loved tradition. More importantly, everyone knows they're making a genuine difference.” Nathan, Loud Shirt Day participant, Keysborough Golf Club
Funds raised help provide life-changing services like speech therapy, audiology, early intervention and family support – giving kids with hearing loss the tools they need to thrive.
Register today and we'll help you get started with everything you need, including fundraising tips, resources and plenty of inspiration to make your Loud Shirt Day a success.
