Oberon (/ˈoʊbərɒn/) is a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania, Queen of the Fairies. Oberon as we know it, is a small village in the Blue Mountains with the Rotary Club of Oberon having seven members! This last weekend the king of the fairies Oberon and his spouse Titania ruled the village! The Rotary Club staged its first Shakespearean Festival with huge success! The troupe “Come you Spirits are a very professional group from Sydney. |
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Thursday saw the troupe of these Shakespearean players, stage a performance at the Aged Care home before also going to the local high school. Friday night at the Malachi Gilmore Hall saw a nearly sold-out crowd dining and being entertained by both Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. But that’s not all……Saturday evening at the Oberon Common the Rotary Club put on a Free sausage BBQ and drinks before a free performance of a Midsummer Nights Dream. Rotary Volunteers also arrived from Orange Daybreak, Bathurst and Bathurst Daybreak to assist with the evenings preparations and serving the good sized crowd! It was a warm barmy night in an exceptional setting and the locals came out in force to experience this! A wonderful performance received a long ovation particularly when the troupe stated they would be back next year! This festival is aimed at becoming an annual event! So keep a weekend free about next mid-March and be prepared to book your accommodation and enjoy the hospitality from this amazing Rotary Club. |
 Movers and Shakers to get this festival across the board - Neville Ross and Lin Boswell |
 Oberon Rotary Troupe |
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| Colombia Aged Care Home - 1 resident became Oberon, King of the Faries |
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| Oberon High School - Workshop in progress |
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| The Malachi Feast & Performance - Scene from Anthony and Cleopatra |
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| The Common - with the moon rising in the background |
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| Hermia |
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| The Common - 2 of the 4 local ' after school drama class - join the actors as feries |
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| Titania and the faries |
The Orange Chapter of the Rotarian Wine Appreciation Fellowship was formed in 2014 following the Rotary International Conference held in Sydney that year. Since that time, apart from the COVID years, they have tried to meet at least twice a year and support local wineries while learning more about the agronomic development of the crop plus sampling the produce and evaluating its qualities.
Orange has become known as a premium cool climate wine region with a wide variety of wine varieties. It is particularly suited to cool climate Chardonnay. Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. There are now over 50 wineries in the area. Some of the best known are Philip Shaw, Ross Hill, Printhie and Rowlee.
Our latest visit was to Colmar which features wines associated with the Alsace Region of France.
They have tried to make our winery visits affordable, keeping the cost to around $40 including a wine tasting and light food to accompany the wine. They also have asked local wineries to donate a half dozen bottles of wine for a raffle with the proceeds going to local Rotary projects or charities including the Rotary Foundation.
Over the years the attendees have gained an appreciation of the development of the wine industry in the Orange Area from its beginnings in the 1980’s to where it is now as a leading premium cool climate wine producing region in the country.
The most recent event was held at the Colmar Estate Vineyard. It commenced under a different title in 1991 with planting completed in 2000. It was purchased by Bill and Jane Shrapnel in 2013 and renamed Colmar with their affection for and love of the wines in the Alsace Region of France. They specialise in Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and light sparkling wines which are produced by their winemaker Will Rickard-Bell who specialises in small batches of high quality premium cool climate wines.
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After a wait of around three months, Ali Reid made it to Wollundry Rotary for her Induction. Previously Ali attended as a guest speaker last year, on the STARRTS program - Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors. Darren Wallace has nominated Ali, and spoke of her qualities and aptitude as a prospective member. In her acceptance speech, Ali told us that her father had been the President of Hay Rotary Club at some time. |
Wagga became the first Rotary International Peace City 32 years ago. Dignitaries from Council, the elder of Wiradjuri Aunty Dot and members of Rotary and Rotaract came together at this special annual ceremony at the Victory Memorial Gardens on what is also Rotary World Understanding and Peace Day.  Many other worthy local community champions were recognised for their contributions to the Wagga Community with each local Rotary and Rotaract Club presenting Community Service Awards. District Governor Rob Uhl presented the Helen and Peter Walsh awards to the selected community groups. All so deserving of this honour. Captains of the local High schools also gave inspiring speeches as to the initiatives their schools were undertaking towards peace – a theme throu7ghout was being pro active against bullying in their schools. Congratulations to the combined Rotary Clubs of wagga for organising this important function, particularly to the Rotary Club of South Wagga who hosted this year’s event. Emily Bosco also did an amazing job as Master of Ceremonies. |
 Aunty Dot and Uncle Hewitt Whymann were announced as the recipients of this year’s City of Wagga Peace Award. |
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| Presentation of the Amie St Clair Memorial Trust Award |
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| Presentation to Committee 4 Wagga Wagga |
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The start of a New Year offers
a perfect opportunity for Rotary clubs and members to embrace new beginnings, set fresh goals, and make an even greater impact. Here are some ideas to inspire your Rotary initiatives for the New Year.
a perfect opportunity for Rotary clubs and members to embrace new beginnings, set fresh goals, and make an even greater impact. Here are some ideas to inspire your Rotary initiatives for the New Year.Reflect and Set Goals
Host a vision-setting meeting to reflect on the past year’s accomplishments and challenges.
Identify areas where your club can expand its outreach, improve engagement, or tacklenew projects.
New Membership Drives
Use the New Year to launch a membership campaign.
Organise an open house or community event to attract prospective members.
Emphasise Rotary’s values of fellowship and service to inspire others.
Foster Collaboration
Strengthen partnerships with local organisations, businesses or other Service clubs.
Plan joint initiatives to maximise your Club’s reach and resources.
Invest in Leadership Development
Offer training and mentorship programs for club members.
Encourage younger members or newer Rotarians to take on leadership roles.
Build Rotary Awareness
Enhance your club’s social media presence to share stories of impact.
Organise public awareness campaignsto highlight Rotary’s global and local contributions.
There are also many more areas to consider: engaging in Rotary’s youth programs, focusing on our seven areas of focus, celebrating our Achievements etc.
By starting the year with renewed energy and purpose, Rotary Club’s can strengthen their impact and continue to make a positive difference in the community and beyond.
Happy New Year to you all and wishing a successful 2025
District Governor: Rob Uhl
