This afternoon I attended the 40th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Ringwood, which celebrated the organisation’s presence within the Ringwood and Maroondah community.

The Rotary Club of Ringwood was chartered on the 27th of October 1969 with 26 initial members. The club was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Box Hill, which supported Ringwood in its formation and early years of existence.

It is timely that Rotary’s theme for this year is the Future of Rotary Is In Your Hands, reflecting the ongoing community service provided by clubs, as well as the need to continually strengthen the organisation’s presence and membership recruitment. The usage of the Internet in particular, has the potential to shape Rotary and how it interacts with the wider community. While the presence of Rotary will always remain within communities, strengthening its Internet presence will help communicate the purpose and aims of the organisation.

The Rotary Club of Ringwood has been involved in a significant amount of community projects over the past 40 years, including its ongoing support for Maroondah Hospital and initiating the Save Water Save Lives project, which installs water tanks to provide fresh water in developing nations.

The Future of Rotary is dependent on the ongoing involvement of clubs within their local communities. The Rotary Club of Ringwood continues to be involved within Maroondah and projects that benefit local, national and international communitities.

For further information on the Rotary Club of Ringwood please visit www.ringwoodrotary.org.au.