Macquarie University Rotaract - at long last!

Hi members and friends of Macquarie Park Rotary club,

This Saturday 4^th September sees the chartering of the first ever Macquarie University Rotaract Club. Rotaract is an organisation similar to Rotary, but for young people. It has a membership of over 163,000 people in 7100 clubs all around the world.

There are a number of Rotaract Clubs around Sydney, and after years of planning and a few false starts, we will have one on our doorstep. The president of the new club, Jacqueline McDonald is inviting all Rotarians and anyone interested in Rotaract to attend. Simply rsvp to charter@rotaractmq.org by Wednesday. The Charter Night is being held at Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club, 117 Ryedale Rd, West Ryde at 6:30 on Saturday 4^th September. Cost is $60. The members of the new club have already been busy fundraising for both local and overseas projects, many of which are hands on. Let’s show them our support.

Last week our club was visited by Lyn Allen and Meg Poole of RASAID, which stands for Ryde Area Supported Accommodation for the Intellectually Disabled. They are a group of twenty families who are looking to develop a unique model of supported accommodation which will suit their disabled children. Their children prefer the company of friends who have disabilities similar to themselves. They have developed plans for specialised cluster housing, and are now attempting to make their plans a reality. We heard of the challenges that they have been facing over the seven years they have been together.

This week’s speaker is Lindsay May, from our own district. Lindsay is District Chair of the Rotary Foundation Committee. He will enlighten us how the Rotary Foundation operates. It’s Rotary International’s “bank” and helps large and small Rotary projects all around the world.

See you on Tuesday!

Ross