Highlights
 Rtn David Harmon, Rotary Club of Ballina-on-Richmond, NSW |  Rtn Phil Keegan, the President of the Rotary Club of Bright VIC |
- Guest Speakers Rtn David Harmon, Rotary Club of Ballina-on-Richmond, NSW and Rtn Phil Keegan, the President of the Rotary Club of Bright VIC presented their insights on the Say No To Domestic Violence campaign.
- Updated YouTube video account now has 4 videos.
- The Club agreed to participate in Rotary Youth Exchange with Liz Long leading the initiative.
- Club member Ireland Letson is a successful applicant for the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) for Rotary District 9790 (https://ryla9790.org.au/).
- Rotary e-Club of Change Makers membership subscription notices have been sent to members and are now are due.
- Next Lucky Numbers Fundraiser
- The Rotary e-Club of Change Makers and SHARE’s PNG Project Team expresses its appreciation to the Rotary Club of Bright’s $5 000.00 donation to SHARE’s shipment project to Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea.
- Conferences:
- Rotary South Pacific Conference – Melbourne – 30 October 2026 – 01 November 2026.
- District 9790 Conference – Corowa – 19 – 21 March 2027.
Introduction
The Rotary e-Club of Change Makers Club Meeting on 23 July 2026 was attended online via Zoom by 29 members and 11 guests.
President Clark Fletcher welcomed the guest speakers David and Robyn Harmon (Rotary Club of Ballina-on-Richmond) and Phillip Keeghan (President of the Rotary Club of Bright) on the campaign “Say No To Domestic Violence”.
President's Report
President Clark Fletcher Clark Fletcher provided updates on recent committee meetings for:
Say No to Domestic Violence Committee, chaired by board member Susan Benedyka (New members welcome).
Public Relations Committee, chaired by board member Rachael Gadd (New members welcome).
Fundraising Committee chaired by Sophie Enders (New members welcome).
Board
The Club’s YouTube account (https://www.youtube.com/@Rotarye-ClubofChangeMakers) has four videos:
Ripple Grant 2025-2026 Public Image Video
- Longer form video.
- Shorter form video.
VCLA Media Social Media Promotion Video.
Powerpoint presentation by Clark Fletcher set to the song "On the Turning Away" from Pink Floyd's 1987 album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason.
The Club agreed to participate in Rotary Youth Exchange with Liz Long leading the initiative. An outgoing candidate has been determined. It there is still work to do regarding an incoming candidate.
Club member Ireland Letson is a successful applicant for the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) for Rotary District 9790 (https://ryla9790.org.au/). The RYLA retreat will run from 22 – 28 November 2026.
Membership Committee Chair and Board Member has penned a fabulous article titled “Finding Your Passion in Rotary” that will be published in the next edition of Rotary Down Under (RDU).
Plans were announced for a Lucky Numbers fundraiser to support Makhdoom Bhatti’s AusPak Welfare Society project https://www.auspak.org/) in rural Pakistan.
Rotary e-Club of Change Makers membership subscription notices have been sent to members and are now are due.
The Rotary International Zone 8 Rotary South Pacific Conference – Taking in Clubs from Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands is being held at “Geoff’s Shed" - Melbourne
Rtn David Harmon, Rotary Club of Ballina-on-Richmond, NSW | Rtn Phil Keegan, the President of the Rotary Club of Bright VIC |
Rtn David Harmon and the Rotary Club of Ballina-on-Richmond launched this Say No to Domestic Violence (SNTDV) in Ballina NSW and it quickly gained traction in Rotary. SNTDV has now spread to many Rotary Clubs and communities throughout Australia.
Rtn Phil Keegan and the Rotary Club of Bright, VIC have embraced Say No to Domestic Violence (SNTDV).
David Harmon of the Rotary Club of Ballina-on-Richmond presented his club’s Say No to Domestic Violence campaign that began in Ballina in 2018. He shared statistics from New South Wales Police and Queensland Police to highlight the prevalence of the issue. The campaign includes community walks, purple shirt wearable advocacy, and the Purple Friday initiative where over 120 local businesses participate by wearing purple shirts every Friday. The campaign has shown measurable success, including a 47% increase in reporting from victims in Ballina in 2024. This increase was considered a positive step in that it didn’t show an increase in domestic violence, but rather an increase in reporting of domestic violence and victims feel more comfortable with reporting. This has expanded to multiple capital cities and regional areas across Australia.
David and Robyn Harmon of the Rotary Club of Ballina-on-Richmond showed that their club’s Say No to Domestic Violence campaign has in great measure, grown their club from 33 members in 2019 to 91 members by the end of June 2026. They discussed their partnerships with New South Wales Police and plans for similar partnerships with Queensland Police, along with their 16 Days of Activism campaign that runs from 25 November 2026 to 10 December 2026.
Phillip Keeghan, President of the Rotary Club of Bright (bright@brightrotary.org.au) shared his club's successful three-month campaign in Bright, where 39 local businesses participated and raised funds for domestic violence support services.
The meeting also covered the Love Bites Respectful Relationships Program (https://www.napcan.org.au/programs/love-bites/), an education program for schools, that teaches respect and relationships education, with facilitator training available through the National Association for Prevention of Child abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) for $300-$700.
David Harmon encouraged members to contact him (dharmon22361@gmail.com) for further involvement and to access the toolkit and resources shared during the presentation.
General Business
The Rotary e-Club of Change Makers and SHARE’s PNG Project Team expresses its appreciation to the Rotary Club of Bright’s $5 000.00 donation to SHARE’s shipment project to Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea.
The 40 ft container is due to arrive in Lae, Eastern Highland, Papua New Guinea on Friday, 24 July 2026 and sent by truck to Goroka. The container ($4 510.00) was paid for by Bright’s donation & the remaining $490.00 directed to the transportation costs.
The container will be donated to the MOFA Foundation, who is SHARE’s implementing in-country partner & will become a secure storage unit for their medical outreach programmes. This includes a partnership with “10 000 Toes”, an education and health care outreach into the rural villages in the Eastern Highlands regarding diabetes plus so much more. A project also endorsed by the Rotary Club of Goroka.
Clive Walker, On to Conference Chair reminded the meeting of the following:
Rotary Zone 8, South Pacific Conference – Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), South Wharf, Melbourne – 30 October 2026 – 01 November 2026.
Rotary District 9790 Conference – Corowa – 19 – 21 March 2027.
- Coordinate potential bulk motel booking in Corowa.
- Contact Clive Walker (clivejw@bigpond.com).