Ms GABRIELLE UPTON addresses parliament
Ms GABRIELLE UPTON (Vaucluse—Parliamentary Secretary) [4.31 p.m.]: On 25 October I had the pleasure of speaking to Rose Bay Rotary Club in my electorate of Vaucluse. Rose Bay Rotary Club is part of Rotary International, which consists of clubs from all around the world. There are over 34,000 clubs and 1.22 million members worldwide. Rotary's stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Its motto is "Service above self"—a worthy motto indeed. Through its president, Mr Brian Fine, Rose Bay Rotary Club goes beyond those purposes and focuses on supporting worthwhile local community activities and local charities, hospitals and schools. I also commend the efforts of the secretary, Gary Marx, and the Treasurer, Hugh Clarke, and their whole team.
It is so important for our local areas that clubs and groups committed to supporting and helping others in the community are able to flourish. The value that community groups give to our local community through the support of events, charities and activities is immeasurable. Rose Bay Rotary Club actively organises and promotes a number of events each year. These events help to grow the sense of community felt by local residents and build supportive and friendly neighbourhoods as well. The annual Rose Bay Fair, which was held recently, is one community event that Rose Bay Rotary Club helps organise. This year's fair was held on 23 October, with the Rotary club supplying volunteers to operate the stalls and help with the crowds. They did a great job. The fair was on a bigger scale this year, with over 100 stalls, and its ongoing success can be attributed to the hard work of the Rose Bay Rotary Club. All proceeds from the fair are given to the many charities that Rose Bay Rotary Club supports and organises.
It is vital that Rose Bay Rotary Club is able to continue funding the many worthwhile charitable activities with which it is involved. Some of these activities are not only valuable but also innovative. For example, Rose Bay Rotary Club is organising a program again this year called the SAM project. Through the project the club supplies children's hospitals with free personalised songs on compact discs for children who are in wards during Christmas. The compact discs have Christmas theme songs with the child's name inserted into the words. The club also supplies compact discs to the Friendship Circle, which assists children with special needs in the eastern suburbs. It is run by Rabbi Kavka and Rebbitzin Chana, who do wonderful work with children with special needs in the Vaucluse area.
Another charitable activity organised by Rose Bay Rotary Club is the Save Lives project, which focuses on helping citizens in Third World countries. The project funds the purchase of mammogram and ultrasound machines, which are sent to countries in need of medical equipment. These are just some small examples of the dozens of community projects that the Rose Bay Rotary Club undertakes each year. Given the great support that clubs like Rose Bay Rotary Club offer every year, it is unfortunate that they are facing some real challenges. Rotary clubs are constantly seeking new members to continue the legacy of Rotary and continue to contribute to the community through their hands-on activities. Unlike in many other clubs, the growth in Rotary membership occurred over every decade until the late 1990s. However, there has been a constant decline in membership over the past 10 years.
With competition for the time and attention of young people and parents constantly intensifying, Rotary clubs strive to continue to show how they are relevant and important to our communities. Rose Bay Rotary Club is taking some important steps in that regard by engaging the local community through Facebook pages. The competition for people's time to invest in community is another reason that members of this House and leaders of our communities need to support Rotary and highlight the good work its members are doing in the community. Rotary transcends ideological, political and cultural divides in a way few organisations in our community can. The Rotary club at Rose Bay is committed to these values and that is one of the reasons it has been able to successfully help the Rose Bay community and the Vaucluse electorate as a whole. It was a privilege to speak to the club and I look forward to continuing to work with Mr Fine and the rest of the Rose Bay Rotary Club members in their program in future.
It is so important for our local areas that clubs and groups committed to supporting and helping others in the community are able to flourish. The value that community groups give to our local community through the support of events, charities and activities is immeasurable. Rose Bay Rotary Club actively organises and promotes a number of events each year. These events help to grow the sense of community felt by local residents and build supportive and friendly neighbourhoods as well. The annual Rose Bay Fair, which was held recently, is one community event that Rose Bay Rotary Club helps organise. This year's fair was held on 23 October, with the Rotary club supplying volunteers to operate the stalls and help with the crowds. They did a great job. The fair was on a bigger scale this year, with over 100 stalls, and its ongoing success can be attributed to the hard work of the Rose Bay Rotary Club. All proceeds from the fair are given to the many charities that Rose Bay Rotary Club supports and organises.
It is vital that Rose Bay Rotary Club is able to continue funding the many worthwhile charitable activities with which it is involved. Some of these activities are not only valuable but also innovative. For example, Rose Bay Rotary Club is organising a program again this year called the SAM project. Through the project the club supplies children's hospitals with free personalised songs on compact discs for children who are in wards during Christmas. The compact discs have Christmas theme songs with the child's name inserted into the words. The club also supplies compact discs to the Friendship Circle, which assists children with special needs in the eastern suburbs. It is run by Rabbi Kavka and Rebbitzin Chana, who do wonderful work with children with special needs in the Vaucluse area.
Another charitable activity organised by Rose Bay Rotary Club is the Save Lives project, which focuses on helping citizens in Third World countries. The project funds the purchase of mammogram and ultrasound machines, which are sent to countries in need of medical equipment. These are just some small examples of the dozens of community projects that the Rose Bay Rotary Club undertakes each year. Given the great support that clubs like Rose Bay Rotary Club offer every year, it is unfortunate that they are facing some real challenges. Rotary clubs are constantly seeking new members to continue the legacy of Rotary and continue to contribute to the community through their hands-on activities. Unlike in many other clubs, the growth in Rotary membership occurred over every decade until the late 1990s. However, there has been a constant decline in membership over the past 10 years.
With competition for the time and attention of young people and parents constantly intensifying, Rotary clubs strive to continue to show how they are relevant and important to our communities. Rose Bay Rotary Club is taking some important steps in that regard by engaging the local community through Facebook pages. The competition for people's time to invest in community is another reason that members of this House and leaders of our communities need to support Rotary and highlight the good work its members are doing in the community. Rotary transcends ideological, political and cultural divides in a way few organisations in our community can. The Rotary club at Rose Bay is committed to these values and that is one of the reasons it has been able to successfully help the Rose Bay community and the Vaucluse electorate as a whole. It was a privilege to speak to the club and I look forward to continuing to work with Mr Fine and the rest of the Rose Bay Rotary Club members in their program in future.