Share Your Rotary Story
How we collect and keep Rotarians' stories, and how your club can help.
What it is
We have so many Rotarians with so much knowledge, wisdom, experience and incredible stories, and they deserve to be shared and saved. "Your Rotary story" is a form on the district website where any Rotarian can write theirs down and send it to us, so we can keep it for the members and clubs who come after them.
People who are not Rotarians are welcome too: if a Rotary club or program made a difference to them or their family, we would love that story as well.
The form is at rotary9660.org.au/share-your-story. Nobody needs to sign in.
Nobody needs to have done anything big
Every Rotarian has a story, and the everyday parts matter too. The form suggests some ideas:
- When and where you joined
- Who asked you, and why you said yes
- Why you stay
- A person, project or moment you remember
- What Rotary has meant to you and your family
- Anything else that comes to mind
People can write as much as they like. There is no length limit.
What the form asks
- Their name and email. The email is only used to contact them about their story and is never published.
- Their club (optional), from the list of District 9660 clubs, or "Other" with a box to type the name.
- Their connection to Rotary: Rotarian, former Rotarian, Rotaract or program alumni (RYPEN, RYLA, Youth Exchange, Public Speaking), family of a Rotarian, someone a Rotary club helped, or other.
- A title for their story (optional).
- Their Rotary story.
- Up to five photos (optional, JPG or PNG). Large phone photos are made smaller automatically before they are sent. If they add photos, they confirm everyone pictured is happy for them to be shared (anyone under 18 with a parent or guardian's consent).
- "May we share your story?" Yes or No.
Anyone under 18 should fill the form in with a parent or guardian.
What happens to a story
- Every story is kept. Each one is saved to the "Rotary Stories" list on the Public Image SharePoint site, and any photos go into a folder of their own in the "Rotary Stories Photos" library. Only the Public Image team can see them.
- The newsletter team is told. Each new story emails districtnewsletter@rotary9660.org.au. Replying to that email goes straight to the person who wrote it.
- Shared only with a Yes. A story is used on the district website, in Spotlight or on social media only if the person answered Yes to "May we share your story?", and then with their name and club. A No means it stays in the district archive only.
- Every story is read before it is used. The Public Image team reads each story and marks its status in the list: New, Reviewed, Shared or Archived.
How to encourage your members
The best way to get a story is to ask someone directly.
- Ask your long-serving members. Their memories of how the club started, who asked them to join and why they stayed are exactly what we want to keep.
- Use the QR card at events. Look for the "Share your Rotary story" table card at district events, starting with the Tamworth Showcase on 21 and 22 November 2026. People can scan it with their phone camera and fill the form in on the spot.
- Put a line in your club bulletin. Copy the wording below into your next bulletin or newsletter.
Every Rotarian has a story worth keeping. When did you join, who asked you, and why do you stay? Write it down for the district archive, as long or as short as you like, and add a photo if you want to: rotary9660.org.au/share-your-story