30/09/2026
Guest Speaker President Gerry Lyons
The Rotary Badge — More Than a Symbol
I want to share something with you today that happened to me in Alice Springs. Something that reminded me, in the most unexpected way, why I am so proud to be a Rotarian.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve travelled to Cairns, the Gold Coast and Alice Springs, meeting people from all walks of life and sharing my journey across this country.
Everywhere I went, something kept happening.
People noticed my Rotary badge.
They would come up and ask if I was a Rotarian, and then tell me about a father, mother, grandfather, grandmother or other family member who had been involved in Rotary.
Many of them weren’t Rotarians themselves, but they remembered what Rotary had done for their families or communities. They remembered the support, the opportunities and the difference Rotary had made and they still carried that memory.
At an international gathering with around 280 people, I was amazed at how many people recognised the Rotary wheel. Americans, people from PNG, Asia and the Pacific Islands…they knew what that little badge represented.
It made me realise just how powerful the Rotary symbol really is.
But nothing prepared me for what happened in Alice Springs.
“Is that gold?”
I was walking through town when a young boy approached me.
He noticed my Rotary badge and asked:
“Is that gold?”
I thought I’d misheard him.
Then he asked:
“Can I have one?”
I asked him why he wanted it.
His answer stopped me in my tracks:
“We’ve got nothing.”
He explained that he and his mother were living in a car.
It was extremely hot, and they were struggling to get by.
His mother was unwell with shingles. She was in pain and had become overwhelmed by the circumstances they were facing. Her relationship had broken down, and she had been left trying to look after herself and her son without the support they had previously relied on.
They had nowhere permanent to live.
The young boy had been trying to find food and whatever assistance he could for his mum.
He was essentially in survival mode.
And there I was, standing in front of him wearing a Rotary badge.
To him, that badge looked like something valuable.
Something that might be worth something.
Something that might help his family.
At first, he didn’t understand what it represented.
But I did.
And I couldn’t simply walk away.
I listened. Then I acted.
The young boy was understandably cautious. His mother had told him not to speak to strangers, and he was suspicious of people asking questions.
Eventually, we were able to make contact with his mother.
She told me what was happening.
She was sick. She was unwell. They had been living in their car. They had nowhere to go, and she was frightened about what might happen to her son.
I told her I would try to help.
I connected with people who could provide assistance and offered to take her to hospital.
She didn’t have all the documents and cards she needed, but I told her that didn’t matter as we would still get her the medical attention she needed.
Eventually, I was able to get her to help.
She was dehydrated and unwell, and she received the medical care she needed.
Meanwhile, I was also worried about her son.
He was alone and trying to survive.
With the help of people I knew in the community, we were able to make sure he had somewhere safe to stay while his mum was receiving treatment.
I won’t go into the family’s personal details because their privacy matters.
But I will tell you this:
They were in trouble, and people stepped up to help.
And that is where this story became something much bigger than one encounter in Alice Springs.
“Rotary helped us before.”
While speaking with his mother, I discovered something that completely changed the way I looked at that little Rotary badge.
She told me that years earlier, she had approached Rotary because she couldn’t afford to give her son an opportunity that was important to him.
Rotary stepped in.
They helped make that experience possible.
For her and her son, it had meant so much.
It wasn’t simply about the money.
It was about giving her boy an experience, an opportunity and a memory that she couldn’t otherwise have given him.
She remembered it.
Her son remembered it.
And now, years later, her son had seen that Rotary badge again.
He didn’t know what it meant.
He just thought it might be gold.
He thought perhaps it could help them.
But when his mum realised what he was looking at, she recognised it immediately.
Rotary.
And she remembered what Rotary had done for her family.
That was the moment that really got me.
I found myself emotional.
Because I suddenly realised that the work we do as Rotarians doesn’t always finish when the cheque is handed over or the project is completed.
Sometimes it stays with people for years.
Sometimes it becomes part of a family’s history.
Sometimes an opportunity we helped create becomes a memory that someone carries for the rest of their life.
And sometimes, completely unexpectedly, you meet that story again.
The power of the Rotary wheel
Sometimes we see the immediate result.
But often, we don’t know what happens years later.
That is the extraordinary thing about Rotary.
The impact can travel further than we ever realise.
A small act of generosity can become a lifelong memory.
An opportunity can change someone’s life.
And a little Rotary badge can open the door to a story that reminds us exactly why we are here.
Paul Harris said:
“The foundation upon which Rotary is built is friendship.”
I believe that.
But after what happened in Alice Springs, I’d add something else.
Rotary is also built on compassion, connection and the willingness to help when someone needs it.
I was incredibly proud to be wearing that badge.
Not because it was gold.
But because of what it represented.
People helping people.
Our numbers might be small but our hearts aren’t
These experiences have made me even more conscious of the role we play in our communities.
Our numbers might be smaller than they once were, and Rotary is changing with the times. The traditional business model is evolving, and we have to find new ways to engage with people and fit into the pressures and lifestyles of modern life.
But the heart of Rotary hasn’t changed.
We still care.
We still serve.
We still create opportunities.
We still show up.
And sometimes, as I discovered, we discover that something our club or another Rotary club did years ago is still making a difference today.
That’s why I wanted to share this story with you.
Because sometimes we need to be reminded.
The BBQ you’re helping with isn’t just a BBQ.
The money you’re raising isn’t just money.
The project you’re supporting isn’t just another project.
Somewhere, someone may be carrying the benefit of that work for years to come.
Our numbers might be small, but our hearts are as big as they were from day one.
And as your President, I can honestly say that I am honoured and privileged to serve Preston Rotary.
Thank you for listening.
And thank you for continuing to serve.
