At our club meeting on Friday 8 November we had a wonderful guest speaker, via Zoom, Charles Fellner speaking on the topic of ‘Scam Awareness’. Charles has provided us with the following tips which may be of help to you.
Simple Things That You Can Do Today!
1. Passwords - Make your passwords for all your high-risk online accounts non-guessable and unique.
2. Create a scam monthly reminder list for yourself – you can do this on your iPhone in the Reminders app. Here are some reminders to include:
• Email/texts Scams – never open a link or an attachment in an email or text unless you are 100% sure it is legitimate.
• Emails – ‘Alteration of Payment Details’ – Before you pay a seller the big money, ring them and confirm the bank account
• Phone Scams – Call from “The Bank” – Hang up. Ring them back via the number on the website to confirm.
• Phone Scams – Tech Support call from Telstra/Microsoft etc. – Always fake. Hang up & ignore.
• Investment Scams – Never trust a cold call. Always better to do your own research. Best to find a reputable organisation most of us have heard of.
3. Identity Theft – Find a safe place in your house for passports & password books.
To Do – Ongoing
• Always remember these two words when online: ‘Be Skeptical’
• Make scam awareness part of your daily life
• Regularly ask the same question to yourself:
“Is there anything I’m doing that makes me at risk of being scammed?”
• If answer is “yes”, then ask: “What changes can I make that can reduce that risk?”
• Then, if necessary, seek assistance first, and then make the necessary changes.
• Keep talking about scamming with your friends and relatives.
The Tree of Joy for this year has again been installed in Cox’s Road Mall. Please take a tag from the tree and donate a gift for the worthy causes on offer. Thank you to Bernie and Peter Mason for setting up the tree and to Cox's Road Mall and Bendigo Bank North Ryde for your continued support of the Tree of Joy.
Club Members, Bob Selinger, Peter Mason and I, under the supervision of Bernie Mason, installed a second Buddy Bench at North Ryde Public School on Thursday 14 November.
Our next Gladesville Bunnings BBQ is on Saturday 30 November. Please let me know if you would like to help, from 7:30am to 5pm.
The club’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday 6 December, from 7:30am, via Zoom. Nominations are now being called for the 2025-26 Board. Please contact club Public Officer Pam Wood, if you wish to nominate someone, including yourself.
The club’s Christmas Party this year is being held at Bernie and Peter Mason’s house, on Friday 13 December. Bernie has sent out an invitation and will be sending more details shortly. Please let Bernie know if you will be attending for catering purposes.
This year’s Carols on the Common, which is being held on Sunday 15 December, is fast approaching. Volunteers are required to help on the day, from the setup in the morning of the event to the pack up at the end of the night. If you or your family or friends can help in any way, please contact Pam Wood.
There is no club meeting this Friday 22 November as it is a scheduled Board meeting via Zoom. All members are welcomed to attend but must let Club Secretary Pam Wood know if you wish to attend by Wednesday 20 November. Minutes of Board Meetings are posted on Clubrunner, in the documents file each month after the Board meeting.
The next Club meeting will be the AGM on Friday 6 December at 7.30a.m. followed by a club assembly via zoom. ( see link below). This will be the last Club meeting for the year.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the country on which we meet, the Wallumattagal people of the Dharug Nation. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
The 2024 Tree of Joy is now up at Cox's Road Mall. This year we are collecting gifts for St Vincent De Paul, Christian Community Aid (CCA)NSW and Macquarie Hospital If you would like to donate a gift, come along to the tree, take a tag or two buy the gift and return it to the collecting cage at the Tree. Thank you to all the helpers who have volunteered to regularly move the donated gifts to our storage area over the next four weeks. For any inquiries regarding the Tree of Joy, please contact Tree of JoyCoordinator Bernie Mason email: bib_59@hotmail.com or mobile: 0411134530.
The DV Safe Phone Box has been removed whilst the Tree of Joy crate is in place. If you would like to donate a phone to DV Safe Phone, please contact Bob Selinger email peternathan64@gmail.com or mobile 0403003257
Our hard working Buddy Bench installers Peter Garry and Bob installed the second Buddy Bench at North Ryde Public School on Thursday 14 November. Well done team!
Thank you to everyone who has already volunteered their help leading up to and on the night of the Carols, we couldn't put on this important community event without you!
We still need helpers, so if you haven't yet volunteered or you know someone who can help please let me know.
We also need volunteers to letter box drop the flyers in the local North Ryde area the week before the Carols, if you would like to help please let me know the streets/area you can do.
Please look at the tasks below and consider volunteering your time for one or more of these tasks.
These tasks include:
Letterbox drop of flyers the week before the Carols
Setting up the top carpark Saturday 14 Dec from 3pm
Morning set up from10am-12pm ( temporary fences, tents, bins, tables & chairs, emu parade)
Top car park assisting with directing cars and collecting payments: 3-10pm
Bottom Car Park assisting with directing cars and collecting payments: 2-10pm
Raffle ticket sales during the event: 4-9pm
Kidzone craft activities for children 4.45pm-9.45pm (or 1-2 hrs during the event to provide a break for the volunteers)
Bucket Collection: 8.00pm
Event Pack up: 9pm-12am ( 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 or call my mobile 0400803417 Also, if you have family or friends who are also willing to help out, let me know.
The Carols on the Common is a major fundraising event for both our club and Macquarie Park Rotary Club. It is also a wonderful community event for the Ryde area. It would be greatly appreciated to have as many volunteers to help as possible.
Don't Miss Out! Have you ordered your puddings yet?
For the last several years, the Rotary Clubs of North Ryde, Chatswood/Roseville, Wahroonga, Pennant Hills and Turramurra have worked together in raising funds for a literacy program at Moree East Public School called “Books in Homes”. Nearly 90% of the students at the school come from the local Aboriginal community. The program has had a profound positive effect on the literacy skills of the students. The program provides “…quality books-of-choice to children living in remote, disadvantaged and low socio-economic circumstances, ensuring crucial early literacy engagement and the development of reading skills needed for lifelong achievement.” The Rotary Clubs in Moree are our local representatives.
One of the fund-raising activities has been the sale of delicious puddings from Pudding Lane. The puddings have won international prizes in previous years and include your traditional Christmas pud, macadamia and brandy, gluten free, date and toffee, rum and plum, mango and brandy and a variety of evil dark chocolate.
Payment by direct deposit: Rotary Club of North Ryde BSB 633 000 A/c 126363779 include your last name & “# (total number of puddings)” or by mail: send order form and cheque (“Rotary Club of North Ryde”) to PO Box 6171, North Ryde 2113
The *Pitch for Purpose Innovation Challenge* is here!
This exciting opportunity empowers students to develop innovation and design thinking skills while addressing *real-world environmental challenges*, one of Rotary's key focus areas.
*For Students*: A hands-on, curriculum-aligned experience, building skills for the future. *For Schools*: Inspire students with practical, impactful learning. *For Rotary Clubs*: Engage local schools, showcase Rotary's impact, and support teams at our District Conference in March.
Finalist teams need a $450 club sponsorship to attend the conference on March 22nd (covering five students and a guardian). Register interest by November 22nd.
Preliminary rounds start in early February.
As for age groups. The plan is for Year 5/6 for primary, and year 9/10 for secondary. This is based on the feedback from the schools that have already expressed interest.
Let’s make Pitch for Purpose an incredible journey for all!
See the attached flyer for details, or visit the website:
Every November, Share the Dignity’s annual ‘It’s in the Bag’ campaign collects bags filled with essentials to help women and girls experiencing domestic violence, homelessness or period poverty.
You can help by donating a bag filled with essential items including a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap, roll-on-deodorant and period products. All donations collected will help brighten Christmas for women and girls in need.
This year, bags filled with essential items can be dropped to any Bunnings store between Friday 15 November until Sunday 1 December.
Short on time? Donate a virtual bag
You can also purchase a virtual bag from the Bunnings website, which enables Share the Dignity to create a bag on your behalf for women and girls in need.
You can order a virtual bag with other Bunnings items or on it’s own. If you order the item by itself, please choose Click & Collect and ignore any ‘Ready to Collect’ details you may receive. You will receive your digital invoice and do not need to pick up anything from store.
