FEATURE STORY
The Rotary Revolution A place where neighbours, friends and problem solvers come together to join leaders and take action for change WORDS ADRIENNE WITTEMAN
Rotarian Roger Climpson, OAM
District Governor Lindsay May, OAM
Rotary Lane Cove President Lalitha Warren
Lane Cove Rotary is at the heart of many Lane Cove community-supporting initiatives. A changing, and sophisticated organisation, member and well-known local travel specialist, Adrienne Witteman explains what it does in our area and beyond.
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Rotary
had long moved away from my The Lane Cove Rotary membership has traces its home city when Dad joined Rotary. long ago forsaken the profile of “born origins back Subsequently, on the occasions I did in Australia, 65+, white male.” Of its 35 visit on a Tuesday night, and he was not members, 29% are female and 26% are 116 years there for dinner because “tonight is Rotary under 50 years old with both metrics now night”, I never thought to deeply question trending towards equal representation. him about what went on at those meetings. The club brings together those of Australian, From what little I gleaned, it amounted to a group Canadian, British, Indian, Iranian, Singaporean, of blokes getting together to enjoy fraternity, business Swiss, American, Filipino, Irish and Kiwi backgrounds. networking and raise money for worthy causes. Most Rotary traces its origins back 116 years when a generous usually at a sausage sizzle! and smart fellow, Paul Harris, looked to get more out of Fast forward 40 years to 2021 and Rotary has undergone life by giving back. Six years later, 100 years ago this year, a revolution. Of course it hasn’t happened overnight. As the Rotary concept migrated downunder so that now we’ve all found throughout 2020/21, evolution, adaptation, there are 25,880 member in 1056 clubs in Australia and reinvention, and sometimes revolution, is now a part of 7132 members in 251 clubs in NZ and the Pacific. 37,000 clubs operate around the world with almost 1.2 million our daily lives. Rotary, as a diverse worldwide organisation, members. and here locally, is no exception. 14 TVO
