MUNA – Model United Nations Assembly Saturday 15 August 2026 

Posted by Judith Eadon

Fourteen teams representing 14 different countries gathered at Lyndale Secondary College in Dandenong North on Saturday 15 August for the annual Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA), where they debated three resolutions.

Two of the resolutions were provided to the teams in advance, while the third was unseen. Teams were given just 30 minutes to prepare their position on the final resolution — and, importantly, they were not permitted to use digital devices!

The first resolution focused on International Migration and Development, while the second addressed No First Placement of Weapons in Outer Space. These topics generated spirited and engaging debate throughout the morning.

The third resolution, The Effects of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies on Human Rights, proved somewhat different. Most of the young people were broadly in agreement with the resolution, resulting in less debate than the first two topics.

The Rotary Club of Nunawading sponsored Forest Hill College, who represented Russia. The students performed very well, particularly considering this was their first MUNA experience. It was certainly a steep learning curve, but a valuable and enjoyable opportunity for them to develop their debating, public speaking and diplomatic skills.

Glenys Grant and Judith Eadon joined Judy as adjudicators, which proved to be both challenging and rewarding.

Our newest member, Balaji Ponmudi, also assisted the adjudicators and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was wonderful to have him involved and to see him embracing the opportunity to participate in such a worthwhile Rotary program.

Overall, it was an energetic and enjoyable day, providing young people with the opportunity to develop confidence, critical thinking and an understanding of international issues — all while experiencing the challenges and excitement of the United Nations in action.

Congratulations-Gabby  

Upcoming Umbrella Dementia Cafe 10 Year Anniversary Gala Ball - Saturday 19th September 2026 at the Box Hill Town Hall

Kirsty Porter (CEO & Founder) is celebrating the impact Umbrella Dementia Cafés has had over the past 10 years and the people, community and organisations that have got us here. 
However, before we start selling to the general public mid-July, Kirsty would really like to reserve a table for the Rotary Club of Nunawading crew. As we only have 18 tables, I suspect they will go rather quickly. 
The evening will be a black-tie event, featuring:

A three-course meal and bar
A celebrity MC 
A live band
Dancing and celebration
A silent auction hosted through GalaBid. Hosted in the beautiful federation style, main dance hall.
Tickets will be sold at $1,700 for a table of 10 or $170 per person.

We would absolutely love for members of the RCN to be part of this very special evening. I’m keen to fill the room full of people who have helped UDC before promoting more broadly, please let me know as soon as possible if the RCN is interested in attending or reserving a table.

Blackburn Lake Sanctuary wetlands project.

On Sunday, the 28^th of June, the local community was invited to join in a walk through the wetlands, followed by an overview of the regeneration project.

Since the start of the project in 2025 volunteers have planted 5955 plants, including trees, mid-storey species and tussock forming species.
(There are still 122 plants left to be planted during the next working bee).
All the plants were grown at the Bungalook Nursery.

A massive 2,440 kg of weeds were removed from the wetlands.

The total volunteer hours for planting and weeding exceeded 680 hours.

In January and February, there were 23 sessions to water the plants during the dry spell, requiring an additional 140 volunteer hours.
The benefits of the project include a better habitat for birds, possums, sugar gliders, rakali and insects, better water for the lake and Gardiners Creek and a nicer environment for the community.
A wonderful project completed with the help of the volunteers at the working bees, Bungalook Nursery, Whitehorse Council, BLSAC Advisory Committee and all other organisations involved.

In August 2025, I attended a 10-day medical camp with a team of doctors from USA, NZ and Canada in Saralana Park, Port Vila, VANUATU.

We managed to see 1000 patients over 10 days. Communication was easy as the people speak English. I had tremendous support and encouragement from the ROTARY CLUB of Port Vila. I attended their luncheon meeting. They took care of local transport and accommodation for me. I was introduced to a doctor who was a Port Vila Rotarian and that helped immensely to have the patients whom we saw, have their follow up at the Vanuatu base hospital. 

Additionally, I conducted educational health talks for the women. Kawa is their national beverage and is the root cause of many aches and pains we found in the youngsters. With the support of the Health Minister of Vanuatu, we organised “Kawa workshops” and also had the privilege of having the scripts issued by us honoured by the local pharmacies. 

The Australian Volunteers Program assisted us with services of nurses, dentists, chefs, physiotherapists and drivers. The nurses from the local military hospital also helped out with instruments and diagnostic kits and doing pre-clinical assessment. 

It was indeed gratifying and a great learning to be a part of a MULTIDISCIPLINARY, MULTICULTURAL team even though we went through experience of earthquake tremors, tsunami warning sirens and sleeping under mosquito nets as a prophylaxis from contracting malaria. 
 

Ethan Newnham is a worthy recipient of a Rotary Global Grant Scholarship funded by the Rotary Foundation. He has completed his Masters degree at Oxford and is now working towards his PhD. PDG Bob Laslett arranged the funding and hosting by local Rotarians. As his mentor, Bob has kept in constant touch with Ethann during his time overseas. Here is his latest message:

That's fantastic news that the final report for the Global Grant has been submitted.

It's been brilliant over here at Oxford.  I had my first big result a few weeks ago, so now I'm hunkering down doing all of my controls to convince even the most sceptical reviewer! I've been off crutches for a while now, thank goodness, although not quite well enough to go to trampolining. The summer is indeed on its way and I'll be heading out with some friends for our first river swim of the season later this week :)

Please pass on my thanks to everyone at the Rotary Club. There's never a day I don't feel grateful for the support of Rotary. I went to see some of this years' scholars speak a few weeks ago which was lots of fun. Rotarians Richard, Julian and his wife Sue continue to be beautiful people looking after me, even though they are officially off the hook!

There is more information about Ethan's work at Oxford here.

Shane Jay addressed the Club about his organisation that he founded, Safe Roads For Us. 

Shane was in the prime of his youth when, on a fateful day he was involved in a car crash. Though he escaped with minor injuries, another human being lost his life.

He could not ever imagine the pain caused to that family. This event changed everything for him, his family and loved ones. Since the incident, he have been passionate about making a difference by speaking and sharing his story to help others make better choices for over a decade.

Shane has participated often in the Ryda segment “Crash Investigators” telling secondary school students about the trauma.

I thought it important to mention how well Peter Behm responded to our request for his input to the recent Ryda - Trailer Sponsorship proposal and other Ryda activity.

Following my recent meeting and discussions with Peter (pre-Conference) regarding several projects, he received our call for help with enthusiasm and constructive input. As our next Ryda session at Sandown was looming, we agreed Peter and his team would set up on the day and create a short video. As you know, Peter produces 'DG News' on a regular basis and on this occasion Anton Hockey from Road Safety Education was the star attraction. Anton did a great job in reminding us that it was originally a Rotary initiative and went on to explain its growth and importance in the fight against road trauma.

We will also use this footage as part of a general Press Release to local media such as 3WBC, Eastern FM, 3AW and TV stations.

So, in case you missed it, below is the email from David Button and the link to the video. It's David Button, your District 9815 Communications Chair, back with another thrilling DG News edition that you won't want to miss!

Prepare to be inspired as DG Peter walks us through a game-changing program that's making waves in our communities: Rotary Youth Driving Awareness, or RYDA! This phenomenal initiative is all about empowering our young drivers with the crucial knowledge and skills they need to conquer the roads safely.

DG Peter is diving deep with RYDA Co-Ordinator Anton Hockey into why RYDA is an absolute must for our District's youth and how every single one of our clubs can jump on board and champion this life-saving mission.

So, let's jump right in and hear the excitement straight from DG Peter Behm himself about Rotary Youth Driving Awareness!

You can catch the action here.

Recently the four Victorian Emergency Relief Networks (VicERNs) met to discuss a joint response to the January Bushfires and agreed to establish the VicERN Bushfire Relief Program. I believe we are strategically better placed to respond jointly than any time previously and our geographic locations provide logistical support potential to each community and District impacted. In discussions to date, it is clear there is no one fix for all and Districts and Communities are all underway at various levels and directions. VIcERN's Bushfire Relief Program can and will assist from the sidelines when and where it is desired by the communities.

The 4 Networks agreed to a Joint response for the purposes below:

Establish a Joint Victorian Emergency Relief Networks Bushfire Response Program and Committee for the purposes of:

• Liaison with each Emergency Relief Network to encourage Bushfire Relief Donations.

• Coordinate Corporate, Agency and Government approaches and activities with VicERNs;

• Liaison with Districts, Clubs, Local Community Organisations, Support Agencies, Local and State Government to access required donated goods and/or funds without cost;

• Establish and manage a central Donations Centre for ERNs, partner Corporates and interested public to contribute and deliver to;

• Manage the donation offers and receipt of goods and or Funds donated in accord with the needs of the affected Communities.

• Determine what range and quantities of goods will be required initially and longer-term in liaison with Clubs and affected Families balanced with available space and financial resources;

• Assist Lead Clubs to identify/assess local needs and support families; &

• Manage the distribution of donated goods to Lead Clubs or Community Hubs.

Victorian Emergency Relief Networks Bushfire Relief Program:

The Joint Emergency Relief Networks' Bushfire Relief Program and Team is established to support the Program's purposes. Partner Groups (Fire impacted Rotary Districts, Clubs, Community Groups and organisations), Government agencies or Partner Support Agencies supporting the Bushfire Recovery efforts are invited to apply for free 'Partner' membership.

Peter Koens (left) representing the Rotary Club of Nunawading on Clean Up Australia Day at Blackburn Lake.

Picture the incredible power of every club in the South Pacific coming together, each taking on a project that ignites their passion, all on the same day! Imagine the energy as we unite to make a difference and reveal Rotary’s true impact within our communities.

How It Works

In 2025, Rotarians, Rotaractors, and community partners from five continents, eight countries, twenty states, fifty-seven districts, and 539 clubs joined forces in 613 projects, with 6,557 volunteers serving together.
Nine of those clubs were in Rotary South Pacific—just think how much greater our impact will be if we step up even further in 2026. The possibilities are limitless, and the ripple effect of our service can inspire real, lasting change!

Read the Rotary Magazine article (Jan 2026)

Get Involved!

Save the Date: 16 May 2026 - Epic Day of Service
Do a project you’re already doing, just do it on 16 May 2026 and leverage the power of Rotary for global impact. Take this to your clubs, have a think about one of your current projects that you could action on the Epic Day of Service. 

Find out more here.

Brief Summary of Event

Over 100 people were in attendance.
Speakers included:
Matt Gregg, Federal Member for Deakin
Sam Rea, Federal Minister for Aged Care and Seniors
Representatives from Australian Tax Office (ATO) and Whitehorse Council.
 

The following Community Service Clubs were represented:
Nunawading Rotary. Thanks to Harvey for an excellent overview of our club. Along with Margaret, we had three in attendance.
Nunawading Lions. Spoke on club projects and have 28 members. Projects are similar to some of our own projects. Lions had three in attendance.
Mitcham Rotary. Advised their Opportunity Shop is now open following the fire and they now meet at Mitcham Hotel on a Tuesday from 12:00 noon and had one member present.
Others spoke on seniors and aged care home help, such as services detailed in the My Aged Care brochure, and a more detailed Support at Home, booklet. This could include the likes of; getting dressed or showering, help in preparing meals, cleaning, gardening, provision of equipment like walking frames etc. 
Also provided  was a Seniors and Pensioners Kit which outlines the full range of Federal Government assistanceand a document on how to avoid Scams. 
An ATO representative spoke on help for individuals and sole traders  to protect tax and superannuation information.

Two representatives from Whitehorse Council advised on help available for Senior citizens through the Council.

Janette did a wonderful job updating us all about Interplast.

Please save these items for recycling:

• Used stamps
• Medicine blister packs
• Foreign coins

Gabby will accept all these and ensure that they go to the correct places.

Chelsea Deacon is the Community Engagement Consultant for Bendigo Bank. Her Blackburn South branch is a Community Bank, and she was accompanied by the new manager, Elio Kosmidis. 

To celebrate 20 years of community banking, the Bank launched its 20th Anniversary Grants Program. These are significant investments, over three years, into organisations making a big difference in the Whitehorse community. This multi-year approach allows them to plan, grow, and deliver a more profound and sustainable impact. Recipients included Umbrella Dementia Cafes, SALT (Sport and Life Training) and Whitehorse Churches Care.

Chelsea explained that her philosophy is to engage early with community groups and to assist them in maximising the benefits that the community derives for their association with the Bank.

Our club has been offered the opportunity to promote our projects at a static display in the Bank in January.

Recently, Glenys was awarded two certificates in the City of Whitehorse Community Awards.

One was for 15 years of Enviromental Education volunteering and the other for 15 years of voluntary service to the Whitehorse community.

Also, at their Christmas celebration last week, bestchance referred to Glenys as their “living legend”. She has just entered her 48^th year on the Board and Governance committees. They have named a large teaching room after her in their main premises.

The AFL Football season starts on Thursday 5^th March with Round 0! There also further changes in the fixture with “Floating Finals (TM)” leading to more revenue for the AFL and more gambling ads on TV.

Again, we will be supporting Hope Katolo Nursery School with 50% of the entry fees being donated to the school.

This year:

• Entry fee is $40.00 per tipster to be paid into the Rotary account. (Details provided on entry).
• We will only play the 25 rounds of the normal AFL fixture.
• We will not use the “Joker” feature
• Tipsters win an extra point if they get all games correct in a round.
• If a game is drawn, you only get 1 point if you specifically tip a Draw.
• There will be a weekly prize for the highest score per round. The prize is shared if there is a tie.
• At the end of the season; 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes will be awarded

If we get 40 tipsters, the Prize pool will be $800, distributed as follows:

Prizes will be adjusted based on the final number of entries.

This year, we will be using iTipFooty.com.au which has fewer advertisements (especially on the mobile app).

=============== HOW DO PEOPLE JOIN THE COMP? ==============
1) Go to iTipFooty and register a user account if you don't already have one.
2) Login with your user account and click the 'JOIN COMP' button.
3) Enter Comp # 115889 and Comp Password Rotary3131!
4) Click 'Join Comp'......and start tipping!
===========================================================
John Lynch

Sarah Stancombe is a musician, radio producer and a bellringer. She is a member and Secretary of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers.

With her colleagues, she demonstrated rounds, queens and tittums on handbells and invited Coral, President Mike and Bob D to participate in the process.

Our annual Chinese New Year Dinner is tentatively scheduled for a 7.30 pm start on Wednesday, 25 February 2026 at Nan Yang Flavour Kitchen located at Lot 1/15 Andersons Creek Road, Doncaster East. This is a tentative booking only for three tables as I have to confirm this booking with the restaurant by Monday, 09 February 2026. 

This special banquet menu that the restaurant has issued for the Chinese New Year season is as follows:

• Salmon Yee Sang
• Crab meat Shark's Fin Soup
• Abalone Prosperity Treasure Pot
• Steamed Chilled Golden Pompret
• Buddha's Delight
• Braised Pork Knuckle in Auspicious Sauce
• Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice with Chinese Preserved Meat
• Dessert (Sweet Longan & Sea Coconut Soup)

Salmon Yee Sang, the first dish in the menu, is ALWAYS a MUST HAVE at all Chinese New Year Banquets. Click here to better understand the history and significance of this dish. You will be fascinated by the history and background of the dish from Malaysia, my previous homeland.

This year is the "Year of the Horse" which falls on 17 February 2026. For the next 15 days this festive season will be celebrated with great gusto by the Chinese Diaspora throughout the world including in Australia particularly in Chinatowns in all our capital cities. Even in our local Box Hill at Station Street.

For those Rotarians intending to bring their own wine I believe there will be a corkage charge. I will be negotiating with the restaurant how much the charge will be, most likely a charge per bottle. 

This year I managed to locate this restaurant with a more reasonable cost. As I will be required to pay the restaurant the total cost at the conclusion of the dinner, as well as to lock in our booking, I will require payment up front from all attendees.

I would be grateful if I could have a “show of hands” by email from Rotarians that will be attending by 9th February.