Last Week - An Intimate Evening of Fellowship and Great Stories
There is something special about a smaller meeting - it gives everyone a chance to truly connect. President Colleen opened the evening by welcoming our members and our esteemed guests: Onur Cam, Amanda Frauman, Carole Schmoll, and Steve Kerdel.
The spotlight then turned to Keiran Cromie and Merve Boztepe for the popular Member Behind the Badge segment. Those in attendance were treated to an incredible evening of storytelling, laughter, and insight as both Keiran and Merve shared their journeys with us. Thank you both for a wonderful and entertaining evening!
Highlights of Meeting Thursday 21 May
In Appreciation of our wonderful Volunteers
As we commemorate Volunteer Week, I want to take a moment to express heartfelt appreciation for the incredible dedication and tireless efforts of our Rotary members, family and friends.
Your commitment to service and community improvement embodies the spirit of Rotary and makes a profound impact on those near and far.
Through your countless hours of volunteering, we have transformed lives, supported local initiatives, and fostered connections within our community. Whether organising events, participating in outreach programs, or lending a helping hand where it's needed most, together, we are making a difference.
President Colleen d'Offay
Secretaries Announcements
PP Arthur Hubbard
Arthur mentioned that he had attended Bayspeak Heat 3 on previous Wednesday and said the speakers were amazing (see photos and details of winners below of Heats 2 & 3). He also spoke about the Final which is at Firbank Grammar on Tuesday 2 June. He said it was free event and said members and partners are welcome to attend. For more information please contact Arthur.
BaySpeak 2026 Heats 2 & 3
Brighton Grammar School hosted the second heat of Bayspeak at their Duigan Centre. Four schools competed: Wesley College, Brighton Secondary College, St Leonards College and Brighton Grammar School. Brighton Secondary College won the junior section, with St Leonards College coming second. The senior section was also won by Brighton Secondary College, with Wesley College coming second. The first and second winners of each section will progress to the final.
Bayspeak Heat 2 Contestants
Bayspeak Heat 2 Winners
The 3rd Heat was again a fabulous one at Brighton Grammar with some talented public speakers competing in the 2026 Bayspeak Competition.
Congratulations again to all that spoke and a big shout out to the winning students who go through to the finals on Tuesday 2nd June!
Juniors
Kristian and Lucian, both from St Bedes
Seniors
Alyssa from Star of the Sea and Isabelle from OLSH Bentleigh
Geoff Cunningham
Geoff spoke about the Bayside Education Support Program which as helped 300 local kids cover some of their education costs. Geoff said they can't help these kids without our help. Please consider donating to this Porgram and see the donation form below and contact Geoff if any queries.
Bayside Education Support Program
We wish to acknowledge the following donors: Anthony Langley, Geoff Shaw, Geoff Cunningham, Rob Pinchbeck, J Allsop, John Schmoll, David Smyth, Seng Goh, and PP Julie Avery.
A Wonderful Night Celebrating Our Sponsors!
On Wednesday, 20 May, we hosted a very special Appreciation of Sponsors Night at the Sandringham Yacht Club to say a massive thank you to the incredible local businesses and individuals who support us.
Organised by PP Norm Thomas, the evening brought together around 36 of our fantastic Club Members and Sponsors. We were treated to some absolutely tantalising finger food by the SYC Chef plus drinks supplied by the lovely waitresses, while looking back at a slideshow of our recent fundraising events and seeing the real-world impact of where those funds go.
Both Norm & Pres Colleen made speeches at the function:
PP Norm Thomas
Welcome & Introductions
“Hi and welcome everyone. Tonight is all about you, and we thank you for attending. For those I haven’t met, I’m Norm Thomas, Past President and Director of Major Events & Fundraising for the Rotary Club of Brighton. I’d also like to acknowledge our Current President, Colleen d’Offay, and President-Elect, David Frauman, whom you’ll meet tonight. Honestly, we are humbled by your presence. Our club spends hundreds of hours running charitable events, but we know they wouldn’t succeed without your incredible support. Whether you are a financial, operational, or in-kind partner - we cannot move forward without you.
Our Impact & Key Events: The Rotary Club of Brighton has a 50-plus-year history of supporting local and international charities, raising an average of $200,000 annually. Currently, we run three major events, and your vital support drives them:
January | The Kieser Great Bayside Swim
Financial Sponsors: Kieser (Naming Rights), Community Bank Highett, Bayside Council, and RT Edgar Real Estate.
Operational Partners: Brighton Lifesaving Club (our true on-water safety partner), RBYC, and Brighton Baths.
March | The Brighton Classic Car Show
Financial Sponsors: Bendigo Community Bank Highett and DBRE Property Group.
Supporting Sponsors: Nichols Crowder, Brighton Travelworld, Buxton Real Estate, and Mercedes-Benz Brighton.
November | Bayside Comedy Extravaganza
Financial Sponsors: Community Bank Highett, Bayside Council, and RT Edgar Real Estate.
Special Recognition
A major thank you to Community Bank Highett, our overall Corporate Sponsor across all the Rotary Club of Brighton events.
Looking Ahead
We are already working on new major events, so watch this space! Thank you again for your amazing and continued support.
Enjoy your evening!”
President Colleen d'Offay
"Tonight is about one thing - gratitude. On behalf of the Rotary Club of Brighton, I would like to sincerely thank our sponsors for your generosity, support, and belief in what we do. Your contribution is far more than financial support. It enables us to deliver programs, support our community, and turn ideas into meaningful outcomes. Simply put, we could not achieve what we do without partners like you.
In a time when there are many worthy causes competing for support, we are deeply appreciative that you have chosen to stand beside us. Your commitment, encouragement, and partnership make a genuine difference. They say it takes a village to achieve something worthwhile - and tonight we acknowledge the village that helps make our work possible. To all our sponsors here this evening, thank you for your trust, your friendship, and your ongoing support. We are truly grateful.
A huge thank you to PP Norm and President Colleen for their heartfelt words to the sponsors, to the wonderful SYC staff, and most importantly, to our sponsors. Your ongoing support drives everything we do for our community! "
Rotarians Overseas
Wendy Davis in Brittany at Mont St Michels Medieval island city
Anthony Langley in Corsica
and Provence
Keiran Cromie
Member Behind the Badge
My Rotary Life - A Charter member of Brighton Beach Rotary when it was formed by Brighton 31 years ago. Having been approached by Ted Wall-Smith & John King.
At Brighton Beach from 1995 – 2017: • Charter Secretary & Secretary • President • Treasurer • Organised many events with Julie Avery including: All Brighton Beach’s events for those years - All District’s GSE functions from 2011 - 2016 - Changeovers from Brighton Beach and Brighton’s in recent times & Other events. Significant roles with Julie in organizing District conferences: Adelaide - 2011 for RC Toorak - Albury - 2022 for RC Brighton – DG Dale Hoy’s year
Then at Rotary Club of Brighton from 2017 - 2026 - Involved in - Great Bayside Swim with Stuart McIntyre - Car Show with Rob Pinchbeck - Meeting organizer for a number of years - Manage the RAWCS Cambodia Housing Project - IT related matters for the club and also -Archives, Storekeeper, & generally Lots of Bits & Pieces. - AND Financially Support various Paul Harris programs which is the reason for a number of Paul Harris Recognition Sapphires.
Where do I come from? Youngest of 6 children. Lived in East Brighton and the in Hampton. Education: St Finbars Primary School in East Brighton - Christian Brothers College in St Kilda - Commenced a Bachelor of Business at RMIT
I met my wife Anne 52 years ago - a Star of the Sea Girl. She was 16 and I was 18. (Pick her up from school in the Panel Van, which didn’t go down too well with the Nuns at Star). Anne’s a retired Primary School Teacher having spent most of her teaching life at Brighton Beach Primary. We have 2 married daughters, Belinda and Andrea who both live locally, and Son-In-Laws - Ivan and Michael. And we have 4 beautiful grandchildren who need a lot of Child minding.
What am I passionate about? Bike Riding – on Beach Road and also the Bike trails around Melbourne. We won a 1,500 km Solar/Human powered bike race from Adelaide to Broken Hill and then to Melbourne. Travelling - Love travelling. Any Destination. Have organised many bike groups to Europe and Asia. And Anne and I have visited every continent including Antarctica. Next month I’m heading to East Africa to do the Game Parks.
What has been My Business Career? Original career was in I.T. (computers). Managing IT at various councils around Victoria including Bayside. And a number of years consulting to Councils and the Municipal Association of Victoria. Things have changed that much. Over the last 25 years gradually transitioned into Travel. I met Julie Avery through Rotary in 1995 and 4 years later we purchased Brighton Travelworld (27 years ago). And more recently we have sold a minor share to Helloworld Travel Ltd. I look after all the ‘non-consulting’ part of the business – Financial, Legal, Marketing, HR, Information Technology, and General Administration. And I do that a few days a week. And of course, as you know Brighton Travelworld has had a strong connection to this club being the only organisation that has Sponsored Brighton Rotary events since the day this club was chartered 54 years ago. Which we’re very proud of. Club sponsorship doesn’t bring in business from the public. It’s the support we receive from Club Members which is the main financial benefit that we receive. People who attend events rarely become clients. So, thank you for your support. Requests come from School committees and others to provide sponsorship. If asked if they book their Travel through Internet. If they say Yes, then I suggest they ‘ask Internet’ for Sponsorship. No hope of that happening. So, it’s important for Fundraisers to support the people who provide Sponsorship funds.
My other recent passion - Church Street Traders Association - I was President for many years, and we did a lot in terms of removing Graffiti, getting street furniture fixed, improving safety in the street, etc. Next time you visit Church Street, have a look and see if there is any Graffiti in the street, and rubbish attached to poles. Then have a look at other suburbs. Church Street is just about the cleanest shopping centre in Melbourne. Something I’m very proud of. And we’re doing a lot in the ‘’Crime Prevention” space. We have a What’sApp group in the street where Traders warn each other of illegal activity. Sometimes shoplifters go from Shop to shop so we are now able to warn people about tricks shoplifters get up to and the like.
And we’re sharing those stories with other shopping centres. Currently spending lots of time addressing the Anti-Social activities of local 14-year-old school kids on Friday afternoons and School Holidays. They are Swarming Shops and also stealing, but more concerning is eBikes flying up and down the footpath and the road in groups of 6 or 8 taking terrible risks - Very Dangerous. We’re working with Victoria Police, Council, and the schools in an effort to reduce the growing numbers of Boys on eBikes in Church Street. Just last Friday the kid without a helmet, in the picture, laying on the footpath ran into a car.
Conclusion: I’d like to say thank you to Rotary - It’s provided me with a lot of years. And I would like to leave you with something that sums me up, which many of you who have interacted with me will agree. It’s the last poster of the images above.
Merve Boztepe
Member Behind the Badge
With James Newbury's permission we are allowed to reprint from his Parliamentary Statements which mention the Rotary Club of Brighton.
This is the first one made during President Donna's year.
The raffle was run by PP Julie Avery with help from
Stuart McIntyre. The winners of bottles or wine were
Carole Schmoll and Di Allan.
Seyha's journey Updated in May
Seyha Mek is Public Image Committee Member,
Rotaract Club of Siem Reap, Cambodia
who our club supports
Dear Colleen and the Members of the Rotary Club of Brighton,
I absolutely believe that you all are doing well and having a wonderful day.
In this email, I am writing to update you on the activity I have been doing from 15th April to 15th May, and throughout these months, mostly I did the internal works, but also a lot of wonderful works andenjoyable.
First of all, I would like to share with you about my studies. In French class, we studied two lessons about favorite sports and directions. Actually, the lessons are hard for me because of the gender of each thing. I never do it correctly, but my teacher, Celia, always makes studying fun and enjoyable. We always play Kahoot to review all our lessons before class, and she sometimes brings us worksheets for review. She is very nice, both in teaching and caring for us. Well, this time, when Aviv visited us, he brought us some croissants and many different types of viennoiseries. We really enjoyed having them. We ate them and talked with Celia at the same time. It was fun to talk about our childhood and share some ideas.
On the 17th of April, my family, relatives, and I went to the pagoda to celebrate the Khmer New Year by offering food to the monks and joining the prayer ceremony. Later, on the 13th of May, my mom visited me and brought a lot of food, such as dried fish, eggs, green mangoes, and vegetables. I met her on the 14th because it was a holiday, and I was very happy to see her, even for a short time. I really admire my mom because she always understands me and supports my studies and work. Even though I rarely call her, she still encourages me to study hard and says she will support me if I have a chance to study abroad. That made me love her even more.
Every weekend, we always have football training in the Sports Department. I also joined it as part of the sports team and as a player. Football is one of my favorite sports. I also joined the monthly sports activity, which was swimming. Well, I got up early in the morning to purchase many types of breakfast for our beloved CRST members. It was so nice to go with Bong Chanthan, a lovely sister, and we prepared breakfast together. We had a lot of fun playing many games. It was a very remarkable day.
Joining the Business class and the Rotaract meeting with Aviv made me feel very impressed. This incredible man never leaves us behind at all. He guides us in any way he can. He inspires us a lot and helps us find our life’s purpose, which is truly wonderful and meaningful. I do not think many successful people would fly so many hours and spend their valuable time-sharing meaningful lessons and always encouraging us to become good leaders. I really admire him so much. I am very lucky to know him, learn from him, and also be in a place where I can grow, learn, and lead.
That's from the activity I have done. I hope you enjoy reading it.
