June 2021
Bill Pixton and the 2021-22Board                                                  
 
People of Action
Presidents Message
 
It's the end of June as I write this message. It's pretty much the end of our Rotary year.
 
Traditionally it's when we change over our Presidents and recognise that a Changeover function. For us we are doing it a little bit differently and we are having Joint Presidents. Sandra de Gruchy will join me for the next twelve months. We will sort out the role between us and hopefully it will all work smoothly. It gives me the opportunity to mentor Sandra in the first few months and she will gradually take on more. of the day to day running of the Club. I will have more time for other projects particularly our Homelessness project and other District duties. Sandra retains the Youth Director role.  See story and pics below.
 
Also June turned out to be a big month for me as I did The Pushup Challenge for mental health. We did all the 3,139 pushups and raised over $4,000 for Lifeline. See story.
 
In May we had our District Assembly where Rotary Clubs get together to update their plans for the year. We followed this with our Club's Strategy Workshop where we set the resource and operational plan for our key projects.
 
We are confident that our Club activities, and working together with other Rotary Clubs, will lead to significant benefit to our local community. We have ambitious and challenging goals for 2022-23, including the Cookbook, Homelessness, mental health and other projects.
 
Please call/text me if you would like to know more about Rotary, our Club and our 2022 projects. Do you know you can be involved in some of our community projects in the Blue Mountains, working alongside some pretty interesting people. It's always rewarding to participate and have fun while you're doing it. 
 
 
 
 
Bill Pixton
June, 2022
0418 113643
 
 
Phill Isaacs OAM
 
We are ecstatic that Rotarian Phill Isaacs has been recognised in the Queens Birthday Honours List, with an Order of Australia Medal (OAM)
 
Phill is a generous, humble person who quietly goes about helping his community, locally and overseas. He has been doing this for over forty years. He is actively involved with Rotary at our Club and also at international level. He has led overseas projects in the field and been involved with Rotary Australia World Community Services (RAWCS) and Rotary Oceanic Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC). He has been a substantial personal donor to the Rotary Foundation for many years.

Outside of Rotary, he is also a behind-the-scenes philanthropist who often gets directly involved with his causes.  

 He was President of North Ryde and Macquarie Park Clubs on four occasions. District Chair for ROMAC. Club Director for Rotary Foundation and International. He has been an active Rotarian at all levels. He is adept at getting grants for funding for overseas projects. He is not one to get caught up in all the Rotary protocol but works tirelessly and quietly in the field doing real work. He has assisted so many in need and kept in touch with those people over the years. He has worked in Nepal, PNG, Vanuatu. He has worked closely with the Department of Education also in taking disadvantaged students to Vanuatu to work on building projects and computer installations in remote parts of Vanuatu. 
Phill has also sponsored many disadvantaged children through the Smith Family. This is to assist these children with their education and schooling needs. He has been formally recognised by the Smith Family for his contributions. 

Around 2002, Phill Isaacs became a frequent and enthusiastic volunteer in a remote-area conservation program in the Colo River gorges, within Wollemi Wilderness. This involved undertaking arduous multi-day walks and rafting trips while treating thousands of invasive willow trees and other significant weeds. The program was conducted by the Friends of the Colo, a Landcare Group volunteering for the NSW NPWS. Phill soon earned a reputation as an observant weed-spotter and diligent worker. Fellow volunteers, mindful of his work with Rotary, marvelled at how he could fit these remote activities into his busy life.

In early 2007 six key members of the Friends of the Colo, including Phill Isaacs, were invited to undertake an experimental remote coastal weeding program in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The experience inspired them to immediately set up a Tasmania-based self-managed volunteer group named SPRATS (Sea Spurge Remote Area Team) to carry on the work. Phill was a prime instigator in this, and became part of the founding management committee. He played a key role in successfully applying for a major Commonwealth grant to support the project, and did so again for subsequent grants. He also managed the finances in connection with the grants.

Phill has maintained his strong interest in SPRATS, which in its peak year engaged some 75 volunteers. In most years he has spent between 10 and 21 challenging days weeding sea spurge on the west wilderness coast, often as a party leader.During one of these activities, the notorious bushfire that devastated the Tasmanian town of Dunalley blew up. Having completed his SPRATS deployment, Phill immediately signed on as a volunteer with Blaze Aid and spent several days rebuilding farm fences in the affected area. 


Phill regularly donates his time and facilities at his Leura home for the annual Koori Flag Raising and Mirror Flashing ceremony. The event acknowledges the traditional owners of this land, the Gundungurra & D'harawal peoples and has occurred in this country for thousands of years. Phill has explored many "secret" indigenous artifacts and rock paintings.

He is a compassionate, humble, but clever person who is a proud Australian. He has a broad but sensitive understanding of our country and its original people.

His corporate career progressed from bench scientist in the Commonwealth public service to a CEO of a major business in the Asia Pacific region. Along the way, he has been involved in community service through many different organisations. He and his wife Carol, have raised a high achieving but grounded family, with daughter Kim and son Mitchell. Carol and Phill share a love of bushwalking and passionate about environment and conservation issues.  

To Phill we simply say THANK YOU.

 

 

Changeover
 
Jenny Hartnett
Bill Pixton being pinned by DGE Lindsay May OAM
 
June 06, 2021 and the air was clear and crisp in The Blue Mountains.  Nearly 80 friends and members of The Upper Blue Mountain Rotary Club gathered at the Parklands Country Garden & Lodges in Blackheath. The splendour of Parklands is almost overwhelming as you drive through the sweeping gates leading off Govetts Leap Road. The driveway, lined with old pines, cypresses and Japanese maples which were planted over one hundred years ago, takes you past glorious flower beds and sweeping green lawns to reveal a luxurious homestead and intimate garden cottages in the traditional Blue Mountains weatherboard style.
We celebrated the transfer of the Club’s Presidency while dining in their elegant function room which was bathed with natural light and stunning views of the grounds.   The entertainment was provided by a dozen members of a local ukulele band from a nearby retirement village.  While humming to their sweet melodies of their set (which took us from the Swing Big Band era of the Roaring Twenties to the more contemporary sounds of the early Beatles), we dined on five-star elegance matched by appropriate local wines.
Past and present DG’s stressed the importance of a timely change.  After more than 100 years of change in Rotary, it is clear (our experience shows, and our research validates), that RI can only meet our strategic goals both globally and at the local level, if we manage the “people side’” of the changes we are implementing as part of our strategic plan. Our experience also shows that your invaluable role as a Club member—is by continuing to be active and visible throughout the process, and that this positive force is the number one contributor to our success.
After twenty-two months and almost two terms as President, we give Paul and his beautiful wife, Dawn, all of our best wishes in their journey north and know in our hearts and minds that we are well established here to fulfil long time member and new President, Bill’s vision for the next twelve months.
Change can sometimes be difficult.  Club members at times may feel caught in the middle.  However, everyone sitting in this room hearing Bill’s Vision for his Presidency will realize that the best is yet to come.
Paul and Dawn Farewell
 
As you would know, President Paul and Dawn have left us and moved to Noosa. We had our last Club get together at our Meeting in May. We trust the pot plant presented to Dawn is still surviving. We then had another "farewell" at Changeover, where Paul was recognised for his leadership and contribution to our Club and awarded a Paul Harris Fellow (PHF). Not to be outdone, Dawn was rightly named Rotarian of the Year for our Club. We will miss them both.
 
Bill Pixton Profile
 
Not much to say. Proud Rotarian, with deep commitment to community work and trying to help those without a voice. Other passions include running, bushwalking, photography, birding and travel.
 
By all means, have a browse on my website at www.bilbytravels.com.au
Pride of Workmanship
 
It was a night of celebration on Tuesday 11th May at Katoomba RSL as Rotarians, friends and families came together to congratulate the ‘Top Ten Tradies’ of the Blue Mountains in the annual 2021 Rotary Pride of Workmanship Awards.  
 
The four Upper Blue Mountains Rotary Clubs (Blackheath, Katoomba, Upper Blue Mountains Sunrise and Central Blue), with the support of Mitre 10 Katoomba requested nominations during April from the public for ‘Tradies’ who they believe provided outstanding service, not only to their organisation but to their customers as well. There were many worthy nominations which made the task very difficult for the Vocational Directors on the selection committee.
 
The following ten ‘Tradies’ were admirable recipients of the Rotary Clubs of Upper Blue Mountains 2021 Pride of Workmanship Awards:  
 
Yalla Lualua - Mountain View Floor Sanding.
Jason Webb – Builder
Michael Roffey – Hire A Hubby
Robert Wylie – RJW Constructions
James Hall – James Hall Plumbing Services
Bryce Sutcliffe – Builder, Medlow Bath
Michael Wooldridge – Michael Wooldridge Building
Matt Ryall – Aquamax Plumbing Group
Paul Vella - Knowflow Plumbing
Phil Rees – Landscaper
Club Information
Welcome to our Club!
Tuesdays at 7:00 AM
Robyn Yates Centre for Cancer Wellness Support
105 Railway Parade
Leura, NSW 2780
Australia
Phone:
425 302 473
Our face to face breakfast meetings are at The Robyn Yates Centre for Cancer Wellness Support. We will still have some ZOOM meetings. Check Calendar for details.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
 
Whist ZOOM has been great, we have in the main returned to face to face meetings.  As always it is dependent on current COVID rules.
 
Our new home is the Robyn Yates Cancer Wellness Support Centre, 105 Railway Parade, Leura, NSW, 2780.
 
Breakfast meeting, are at 7:00, for 7:15am.
 
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Upcoming Events
DCaf
Katoomba RSL
Apr. 02, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
 
DCaf
Katoomba RSL
Apr. 02, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
 
Board Meeting
Katoomba RSL Board Room
Apr. 08, 2024
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
 
UBMS Board Meeting
Katoomba RSL
Apr. 08, 2024
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
 
Club meeting - Guest Speaker Paul Rogers
Robyn Yates Centre
Apr. 09, 2024
7:15 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
 
Woolies BBQ
Katoomba Woolworths Carpark
Apr. 13, 2024
7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
 
Woolies BBQ
Woolworths Carpark
Apr. 13, 2024
7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
 
DCaf
Katoomba RSL
Apr. 16, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
 
Club meeting - Guest Speaker Chris Webber
Robyn Yates Centre
Apr. 30, 2024
7:15 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
 
Club meeting- Ian Chappell
Robyn Yates Centre
May 07, 2024
7:15 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
 
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