For the third year, Rotary members from across the Peninsula responded to the call from the Rotary Club of Sorrento to help out as bus captains and supervisors for students attending the 2026 CLASSIC KIDS concerts staged by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Hamer Hall in Melbourne. 415 students from seven primary schools on the Peninsula participated in the outing on Friday 8th May. 

The audience of over 2,000 was treated to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven, performed by the MSO, with the story narrated by Dr Richard Vaudrey. The performance was met with boisterous applause and delight from the audience, creating a memorable musical experience for everyone involved. 

A great day for the students, and another day to build friendships and fellowship with other Rotarians. 

Saturday 2nd May - Election Day for the Nepean By-Election!

The day dawned bright - and, for many, with great relief - a fine day with little wind!

And after months of preparation by Chris Greig, Josie Jones OAM and the Rye Community Festival team staged a very special event.... the Rye Community Festival - 'A Moment to Celebrate' in the newly refurbished Playground Area of the Rye Foreshore. 

And celebrate the community did! 

Running in parallel to our regular 1st Saturday monthly market (opposite the Rye Hotel) we responded to the call to run a sausage sizzle. Starting off at 10am our members were running hard all day through til after closing time at 4pm. 

It was a bumper day for us and we congratulate the team on putting on a fantastic day, drawing a huge crowd and with so much that appealed to all ages. Well done! 

On Sunday 29th March 2026, our Club, in conjunction with the Mornington Peninsula Shire, hosted Neighbour Day 2026 at Tootgarook Primary School.  This important community event brings people of all ages together to make connections, meet new and old friends, and develop a sense of belonging - and pride - in our local community. 

Why did we take on this project? Because we believe that every small act of connection helps build a more inclusive, resilient community. 

A big thank you to the 50+ local community groups and their volunteer members who participated and have since reported that they thoroughly enjoyed the day - and want to come back next year!

On Tuesday 31st March 2026, Rosebud Primary School used its annual Open Day to stage a ceremony that was as deliberate as it was symbolic: the unveiling of a Peace Pole Garden designed and built with student input and backed by Rotary funding. The installation anchors the campus with two numbered monuments—Peace Poles #440 and #441—each inscribed with the message - calling for peace.  The project was delivered in partnership with the Rotary Club of Rosebud-Rye and supported by a grant from Rotary District 9815. 

The event drew a cross-section of the local community—families, teachers and civic leaders—alongside two figures with international standing in Rotary circles: Canada’s Jennifer Jones and Australia’s Ian Riseley AM, both past Rotary International World Presidents. Together, they unveiled a commemorative plaque, placing our local Mornington Peninsula school within a global framework of grassroots peace initiatives. Three school captains, speaking on behalf of their peers, described the garden as a commitment rather than a feature. Their language was deliberate: students would act as ambassadors of peace, they said, extending the project’s intent beyond school grounds and into the wider community.

The Peace Pole program is a worldwide movement in which identical markers—bearing messages of peace — are installed in public and educational spaces. They are symbolic monuments carrying localised messages as well as being a single, repetitive homage for peace MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH serving as a daily reminder of unity, respect and hope for future generations. 

Peace Pole Project - May Peace Prevail On Earth International

and..... Check out the article from the front page of the April edition of 'Rotary Foundation on the Move': Two Past RI Presidents Launch Rosebud's Peace Poles

https://hail.to/rotary-on-the-move/publication/Mk2DrED/article/zOS9aML