This week’s president’s report comes from beautiful Horsham in the Wimmera region of Victoria as 14 members and partners of the Rotary Club of Murray Bridge are attending the Rotary Summit across the 3 Rotary Districts
For our club members, the Rotary Multi-District Impact Summit in Horsham began on Friday evening with a relaxed and social dinner designed to bring club members together after the long journey. The venue chosen by Lyn was amazing in the way they were able to attend a fully booked dining area with a full range of menu items while still attending to 2 Birthday parties and all the local diners. The service presented by the staff was so professional and the kitchen staff were able to keep up with the orders that guests did not have to wait long to be served.
Saturday shifted to a more structured program, starting early with a Rotary Foundation Breakfast. This session offered both networking and insight into Rotary’s charitable initiatives, setting an inspiring tone for the day ahead. The morning continued with the opening of showcase displays and exhibits, where organisations and clubs presented their projects and initiatives, giving attendees the opportunity to learn from real-world examples of community impact.
Throughout the day, participants engaged in a series of keynote presentations, - designed to inspire new ideas, build skills, and encourage collaboration across districts. Speakers from a range of backgrounds—including community leadership, mental health, and environmental science—provide diverse perspectives and practical insights. The program emphasised learning, innovation, and sharing successful service projects. Each Rotarian had a different highlight – for many it was Marc Ryan - widely known by his stage name "The Beautiful Bogan", Marc is a prominent Australian comedian and mental health advocate based in Adelaide. He has gained national recognition for his unique ability to blend "blue-collar" humour with raw, vulnerable storytelling about his personal battles with mental illness. Originally from the northern suburbs of Adelaide, Marc started his comedy career after a period of deep personal struggle.
For others it was Wayne Holdsworth and the story he shared - Within three months of finding his 17-year-old son Mac dead in his bedroom, Wayne channelled his personal devastation into preventing other families from having a similar experience. Suicide kills more than eight Australians a day, three times the annual road toll. Wayne created the charity SmackTalk in Mac's name and today shares his story in a 40-minute SmackTalk presentation free of charge as a warning for others. He's spoken at thousands of workplaces, sporting clubs and school groups and has become a media spokesperson on the core issues of sexual exploitation, social media access and suicide prevention. His attention is to focus on Mental Fitness, rather than Mental Health.
Not all speakers were concerned with mental health - Adelaide University molecular epigeneticist Dr Luke Isbel spoke of the research he is undertaking in Adelaide in the fight against cancer: targeting the disease’s most mutated protein, p53. Several of our club members followed up with extra questions and are seeking further opportunities to engage with Dr Luke for either a visit from him, or a visit to his research labs to see and hear of opportunities to further his work. Our own Jack Redden has spent time with Dr Luke and is keen for us to follow up further.
The day concluded with a gala dinner, offering a more informal and celebratory experience. This event showcased regional culture through a “paddock to plate” theme, highlighting local produce (lamb and duck) and entertainment from the Dom Costa Band had members up on the floor – the dance couple award goes to Sam and Liz – first on the floor and still there at the end of the evening – as Sam said ‘it’s my kind of music’. Overall, Saturday, blended inspiration, education, and celebration, forming the central and most dynamic component of the summit experience.
Sunday sessions were designed to wrap up the summit with reflection, purpose and forward action, focusing on Community resilience and service impact and Global connection and peace-building. Olivia Wellesley-Cole – a Rotary Peace Fellow – spoke of her work with the United Nations and working in the field, also completing her thesis on ‘Why do people fight each other?’ For Olivia, Peacebuilding requires cross-cultural understanding and leadership development and she encouraged us to value ‘the differences between listening and hearing; discussing and agreeing, reminding us to value those who challenge your thinking”
Dr Jessie Harman AM spoke of her personal walk from Ballarat to Base Camp at Mt Everest and her quest to raise funds for End Polio Now. David Sudholdz shared his personal experiences fighting the fires at Natimuk in January 2026, reminding us all to be better prepared for the dangers any fire season brings. The list of speakers who impacted on individual Rotarians goes on – chat with a Rotarian who attended and see what inspired them over the weekend
What will 2027 bring in the tri-district summit/conference? More details will be available in the coming weeks, but the 3 District Governors-Elect shared their vision for April 16th -18th 2027 event at Warrnambool Victoria – come and join us in the fun, inspiration and re-invigoration through Rotary. Put the date in your diaries for another great weekend.
While we enjoyed our time at the Summit in Horsham, we sincerely thank all those who gave their time at the Bunnings BBQ on Sunday. All club members greatly appreciate your efforts in raising funds for our continuing projects while spreading the value of Rotary’s Service Above Self
Roxanne
MB High School
