THE 2025 Channel 7 Rockingham Beach Cup attracted a crowd estimated at between 20,000 and 22,000 — the biggest yet. The crowd estimate was acknowledged by Rockingham mayor Lorna Buchan, when she presented the beach cup trophy to the winning horse and jockey. Rick Dawson, president of the Rotary Club of Palm Beach which owns and runs the event, said he could hardly believe it when he saw people lined up 15 deep for 900 metres along the fence, watching horses thundering down the beach below them.
He was so proud — and most of the weekend’s program ran seamlessly, he said. “Who would have thought we could pull off something so special?” Initially there had been some issues in the Palm Beach Oasis, the licensed area, but “in the end, they were all loving it”.
The Rockingham Beach Cup is an iconic celebration that showcases Western Australia’s only beach horse racing experience, set against the stunning Rockingham foreshore. Across two unforgettable days, the event brings together locals and visitors for a vibrant weekend of entertainment, community connection, and coastal fun. https://rockinghambeachcup.com.au/
ONE OF US: Palm Beach Rotary’s newest member, New-Zealand emigre Rachel Fletcher, receives her membership certificate and “some light reading” from past district governor, past club president and current club secretary John Simmons. John is also Rachel’s mentor. Looking on are Rachel’s husband Rob (who had just received his dinner ID badge) and club president Rick Dawson, who had inducted her.
SERVICE RECOGNISED: Ben Ostergaard holds the Ross Smith perpetual trophy, with proud wife Julie alongside.
BEN Ostergaard was presented with the Ross Smith Perpetual Trophy for the club person of the year. This is “one of the most meaningful awards our club gives each year,” said club president Rick Dawson, who handed over the shield. “This award is special because it is not chosen by a committee, it is voted on by you, the members. It reflects the respect and appreciation we have for a fellow Rotarian who embodies the true spirit of service. “This year’s recipient is someone who has shown outstanding commitment, initiative, and generosity throughout the year. This person’s contributions have been nothing short of remarkable.” He told Ben: “You took it upon yourself to completely de-rust and paint the replica field gun at Point Peron — a tough job, done without being asked, and carried out with care and pride. “You have been ever-present, the first to volunteer, always at our barbecues, helping out wherever needed, with a smile and no fuss. “You organised the cleaning of the mural wall and worked side-by-side with the artist to see the project through. And you did not just lend a hand — you used your own equipment and tools to get the job done, saving the club over $1700 in the process. “You led the Danish hot dog stand at the Peel Winery with some of your spec-ial flair and enthusiasm — a brilliant success that added great character to the day. “But above all that, you have made a quiet and lasting impact by reaching out to new members, taking time to make them feel welcome, valued, and involved. That speaks volumes about the kind of Rotarian — and person — you are. “You have gone above and beyond this year, not for recognition, but because that is simply who you are. Your dedication, generosity, and humble service have made a difference. “On behalf of the entire club, it is a privilege to present Ben Ostergaard with the Ross Smith Perpetual Trophy for Club Person of the Year. Thank you.”
Devastation Strikes NSW: May 2025 Floods Rock the Region
Arial View of Flooding in Western Sydney
Our hearts go out to our fellow Australians in New South Wales, particularly those in the Mid North Coast and Hunter regions, who faced unprecedented devastation in May 2025. A relentless, slow-moving low-pressure system unleashed what's being called a 1-in-500-year event, with some areas receiving a staggering 300 millimetres of rain in less than 24 hours.
The impact has been heartbreaking:
Five precious lives were lost.
Over 48,000 people found themselves isolated, cut off from essential supplies and support.
Nearly 10,000 homes were put at risk by the rising waters.
Brave emergency services, including the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), conducted 284 flood rescues in the hardest-hit areas, with over 600 rescues performed since the flooding began.
Taree was particularly battered, with residents tragically rescued from their rooftops.
The sheer scale of this disaster, described as the worst flood disaster in the Mid North Coast region's history, is difficult to comprehend. Our thoughts are with every individual, family, and community grappling with the aftermath.
I. The Dawn of Rotary in Western Australia: Foundations and Early Ideals
Rotary International's Global Emergence
The story of Rotary in Western Australia begins with the founding of Rotary itself. On February 23, 1905, attorney Paul P. Harris met with three business acquaintances in Chicago, envisioning a club for professionals from diverse backgrounds to foster friendship and uphold high ethical standards. Named "Rotary" because meetings rotated between members' offices, the concept of a service club blending fellowship with community betterment quickly spread.
Rotary expanded rapidly, becoming international with the chartering of a club in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1910 (official charter 1912). Clubs followed in Dublin and London (1911-1912), Madrid (1921), Montevideo (1919), and Asia (Manila, Shanghai, 1919; Calcutta, 1920). Crucially, the Rotary Club of Melbourne was chartered in April 1921, marking Rotary's arrival in Australia and Oceania. This structured global expansion by the growing international association (Rotary International from 1922) set the stage for Rotary's arrival in Western Australia, bringing an established framework and the ethos of "Service Above Self".
The First Spark: Chartering the Rotary Club of Perth (1927)
Six years after Melbourne, the movement reached WA with the chartering of the Rotary Club of Perth in 1927. As the pioneer club, it drew members from WA's leading business and professional figures, mirroring the established Rotary model. While specific founding members aren't detailed in the source, the club's inferred objectives included fostering fellowship, promoting ethical standards, and community service. An early major undertaking demonstrating its ambition was its instrumental role in lobbying and fundraising for the University of Western Australia's Medical School, linked to Rotary International's 50th anniversary in 1955. Founded by prominent figures, the Perth club possessed significant influence from its start.
Early Ethos and Operations
Early WA Rotary clubs followed international practices. Meetings initially rotated between members' businesses. The Rotary Club of Subiaco, chartered in 1949, exemplifies this era. Its formation involved sponsorship from the Perth Club, and its members, mostly from local business hubs, developed strong camaraderie.
Fundraising often included social events like theatre nights and barbecues, frequently involving members' wives, many active in Inner Wheel clubs. Operational details evolved; Subiaco initially met for lunch costing 2 shillings 6 pence, later moving venues as costs rose. The Rotary Club of Como (founded 1982) initially held late board meetings and had a club songbook, though singing faded. This early culture blended service with social connections and professional networking.
II. Branching Out: Expansion and Structural Development Across WA
Chronological Expansion: From Perth to Statewide Presence
Following Perth (1927), the Rotary Club of Fremantle was chartered in 1928. The Perth club actively sponsored new clubs in key regional and metropolitan areas, including Bunbury (1939), Northam (1946), Kalgoorlie-Boulder (1947), and Victoria Park (1948). A significant expansion wave occurred in 1949 with charters in Geraldton, Mt. Lawley, Swan Districts, and Subiaco.
This sponsorship model continued: West Perth (1954, sponsored by Mt Lawley), Scarborough (1956), Armadale (1955), and Melville (1959, sponsored by Fremantle). Later growth included Kings Park (1977), Como (1982, sponsored by South Perth), Heirisson (1990), and Perth Kinnoull (1992, an evening club sponsored by Perth). This structured expansion, radiating from Perth to regional hubs and later suburbs, mirrored WA's development.
Service Above Self: The History and Maturation of Rotary in Western Australia
Mr Lindsay Hemy
2025-04-17 16:00:00Z
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Ending Polio
Rotary's Promise: A World on the Brink of Ending Polio
Rotary International, alongside its global partners, stands at the precipice of a monumental public health achievement: the eradication of polio. Since Rotary embraced this ambitious goal, the world has witnessed a staggering reduction in polio cases by over 99.9% . This relentless effort, spanning more than three decades, has Rotary's Promise: A World on the Brink of Ending Polio
A Global Movement Born from a Single Act
Rotary International's journey toward polio eradication began with a groundbreaking project in 1979 in the Philippines. What started as an effort to immunize six million children blossomed into a worldwide campaign, reducing polio cases by over 99.9%. Rotary, as a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), has been instrumental in bringing humanity to the verge of eliminating this devastating disease.
The Spark: Philippines 1979
The initial project in the Philippines was part of Rotary's Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grant program. This initiative aimed to make a large-scale impact, and the polio vaccination drive was a perfect example. The symbolic act of then-RI President James L. Bomar Jr. administering the first drops of oral polio vaccine to a child marked the beginning of Rotary's hands-on commitment. This project, costing around US$760,000, proved immensely successful, demonstrating Rotary's ability to manage large-scale international health initiatives and leading to the PolioPlus program in 1985.
Building Momentum: Key Milestones
The launch of PolioPlus set the stage for Rotary's pivotal role in establishing the GPEI in 1988. At that time, an estimated 350,000 children were paralysed by polio each year. Through the GPEI partnership, significant milestones have been achieved:
Regional Certifications: WHO regions were progressively declared polio-free, starting with the Americas in 1994 and most recently, the African region in 2020.
Mass Immunization Victories: Landmark vaccination campaigns reached hundreds of millions of children globally.
Growing Financial Commitment: Rotary's financial contributions have surpassed US$2.7 billion.
The Gates Foundation Partnership: A transformative partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation amplified Rotary's impact.
Measuring Success: Impact of PolioPlus
The impact of Rotary's PolioPlus program and the GPEI partnership is extraordinary.
Metric
Data
Polio Cases Reduction
Over 99.9%
Children Immunized Since 1988
Nearly 3 billion
People Walking Today Who Would Be Paralysed
Over 20 million
Rotary's Financial Contributions
Over US$2.7 billion
Stronger Together: The GPEI Partners
The GPEI is a unique public-private partnership. The core partners and their primary roles are:
Partner Name
Primary Role/Contribution
World Health Organization (WHO)
Leads strategic planning, technical direction, surveillance coordination, and certification process oversight.
Rotary International
Provides major funding, volunteer hours, advocacy, volunteer recruitment, and awareness building.
US Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Offers scientific and technical expertise, operational research, manages the Global Polio Laboratory Network, and supports surveillance.
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Manages polio vaccine procurement and distribution, supports campaign implementation, develops communication strategies, and ensures logistics.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Contributes significant financial and technical resources, funds vaccine research and development, and advocates for political/financial support.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Supports the introduction and use of Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) in routine immunization programs and helps strengthen overall health systems.
More Than Just Drops: Community Engagement
Rotary's PolioPlus program includes additional benefits – the "Plus" – alongside polio vaccinations. These include providing Vitamin A supplements, distributing bed nets, and improving access to clean water. Effective community mobilization strategies include:
A conference was held at the head office of the Frankfurt Red Cross Society.
This image shows Sir John Monash. While not specifically a Rotary photo, he was pivotal in founding the Melbourne club.
The Genesis: Planting Seeds in Post-War Soil
Imagine Australia in 1921. The nation was healing, rebuilding, and finding its footing after the immense sacrifices of the Great War. Optimism mingled with the gravity of loss. It was into this landscape that a revolutionary idea, born in Chicago only 16 years earlier, arrived. Paul Harris, a lawyer seeking connection in a growing city, had founded Rotary in 1905, envisioning a space where diverse professionals could build friendships and leverage their skills for the common good. Its motto, simple yet profound, "Service Above Self."
Rotary International, already establishing a global footprint, saw the potential in the burgeoning nations of Australia and New Zealand. Two Canadians, James W. Davidson and J. Layton Ralston, were appointed as special commissioners tasked with introducing Rotary Down Under. They arrived in Sydney in March 1921, but finding the city preoccupied with Show Week, they wisely decided to venture south to Melbourne first.In Melbourne, they sought out community leaders, individuals with influence and a spirit of civic duty. Their most significant meeting was with Sir John Monash – a brilliant engineer, revered military commander, and a key figure in Australia's post-war development. Monash, along with other prominent figures like businessman Wilfrid Russell Grimwade, saw the value in Rotary's blend of fellowship and service. The conversations gained momentum, culminating in the official chartering of the Rotary Club of Melbourne on April 21, 1921 – the first beacon of Rotary in Australia.
blend of fellowship and service. The conversations gained momentum, culminating in the official chartering of the Rotary Club of Melbourne on April 21, 1921 – the first beacon of Rotary in Australia.
The spark ignited quickly spread. Within weeks, the Rotary Club of Sydney was chartered in May 1921. These founding clubs became catalysts, their members travelling and advocating for the Rotary ideal. Brisbane joined the family in 1923, followed swiftly by Hobart, Adelaide, and Launceston in 1924. Perth followed in 1927, and Newcastle soon after. By 1928, a remarkable 17 Rotary clubs were actively serving communities across the vast Australian continent, demonstrating the powerful appeal of Rotary's mission.
On Friday, 28th March at 06:20 GMT, a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand, causing widespread destruction. Just 12 minutes later, a 6.4 magnitude aftershock followed, with tremors felt as far as China. The epicenter was in central Myanmar, and the full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
Join us in Margaret River from 28 - 30th March 2025, for a weekend of fun, fellowship and to hear some inspiring speakers.
For golfers, the weekend starts with a game during the day Friday. Late Friday afternoon, the Rotary Showcase opens and will continue on Saturday and Sunday alongside the main conference.
The Conference opening at The Heart, Margaret River is Friday night, with finger food and a drink included.
We'll have some great speakers at the conference on Saturday followed by a concert and picnic in the park Saturday night. Sunday morning will include more inspiring speakers as well as the opportunity to visit or revisit the Rotary Showcase.
We'll finish at lunchtime Sunday giving you time to visit some of the sights of the region or start your journey home.
You'll find the booking link here or scan the QR code below to book your tickets.
We'll have a newsletter coming to you soon with information about the conference, accommodation suggestions and discounts, things to do in the Margaret River area and more information about Glam Up Your Truck for the Rotary Foundation.
Yours in Rotary
Charles Johnson AM Chair of the organising committee District 9423 Conference 2025
ROCKINGHAM Beach Cup chairwoman, Donna McDonald, has recommended to the Palm Beach Rotary board a week or so’s extension on the timeline for deciding whether to run the event this year. She told last Wednesday’s club meeting that she had a firm commitment of support from former Kwinana Mayor, Carol Adams, who chairs Perth Racing.
And Carol was willing to use her influence with Racing WA to negotiate a commitment to provide trainers, horses and jockeys. RBC committee member and race director Rob McGavin will try to set up a
meeting between beach cup committee representatives and Racing WA chief racing officer David Hunter. The hope is that this meeting will result in an agreement between all interested parties.
Mr McGavin had told the club’s board meeting, earlier in the evening, that he had worn out all his favours with trainers and jockeys running the previous six cups.
100% of every donation helps feed WA families in need.
Give A Feed was founded in 2011 by Wayne Smith and Aaron Pitt to help WA families in need enjoy Christmas. By partnering with Foodbank WA and Rotary WA Give A Feed has helped more than 30,000 WA families in need and raised over $900,000.
With the generous support from the WA community, our goal this year is to provide more than 3,000 Give A Feed Festive Hampers to West Australian families in need so they can celebrate Christmas and not go hungry.
Although this number seems like a lot, it sadly falls short of the number of people who may be going without food on Christmas Day; a figure estimated to currently be more than 120,000 West Australian households.
To reach our target we need your support. For just $50 you can help us provide a Christmas food hamper to a WA family in need this Christmas. With the help of Foodbank WA, we turn your $50 donation into a Give A Feed Christmas Hamper which contains ingredients to provide a festive meal for a family of four.
Each Christmas hamper is packed by volunteers and distributed by the Foodbank WA network to West Australian families in need just in time for Christmas so they can enjoy Christmas Day and not go hungry.
You can support Give A Feed by donating personally, Gift A Feed on behalf of someone special as a gift, become a Gold Plate Member or get involved as an Honourable Partner. You can even help by simply sharing this with your social network.
Thank you for your support. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas.
AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC - Story by Victoria Laurie, Photography by Rick Dawson
This patch of remnant bush on the edge of the West Australian wheatbelt is a place loved by one of Australia’s rarest bird species and the man who has studied the site for more than 50 years.
A flock of Carnaby’s black-cockatoos feasts on a harvested canola crop.
HERE’SASTORY in every hollow of the grey-white trunks of Wando woodland at Coomallo Creek, 220km north of Perth in Western Australia. The handsome eucalypts stand like leafy islands in a sea of floral heath. From the 1950s, farmers cut a swathe through the native bush to tame and clear it for agriculture. By 1969 land was released for farming around Coomallo Creek and clearing had begun. That was the year “Cocky Whisperer” Dr Denis Saunders AM first visited Coomallo Creek. Exploring ridge tops and breakaways where the Wando grows, Denis was transfixed by the open woodland’s beauty and age. He realised the knotted trunks were so old they’d been standing long before Captain Cook arrived in Tahiti to monitor the Sun’s eclipse in 1769.
Donna McDonald, Mayor Deb Hamlin, Tarryn and Clint Fitzpatrick
The first meeting of the new Rotary year had a good turnout and was a great night.
The club inducted two new members, Clint and Tarryn Fitzpatrick, Kerilee Dawson introduced Clint and Tarryn to the club, and she will mentor Tarryn during her first year.
Rick Dawson, a dedicated Rotarian who has played a significant role within the Rotary community:
Active Rotary Club Member:
Rick Dawson has been an integral part of the Rotary Club of Palm Beach for an impressive 21 years. His unwavering commitment and service have significantly shaped the club’s initiatives.
His journey with Rotary began when his daughter married the son of a fellow Rotarian. Since then, Rick has actively participated in various roles, including serving as President, Secretary, and contributing to committee work.
Rick’s enthusiasm for community service remains steadfast. His dedication to helping the Rockingham community through Rotary has been unwavering.
Beyond his Rotary involvement, Rick’s passion extends to wildlife conservation and photography.
Wildlife Conservation Efforts:
Rick spent 21 years in the Navy before transitioning to become a senior wildlife officer with the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPAW).
His remarkable work includes conserving the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo population. Rick successfully developed artificial hollows, providing ideal breeding spaces for these iconic birds.
Collaboration and Impact:
Rick’s collaboration with Rotary has significantly contributed to wildlife conservation in Western Australia. His lens as a nature photographer has also captured the beauty of the region’s wildlife.
Notably, Rick celebrated the announcement of the first-ever female president of the Palm Beach Rotary Club: Teresa Carlson. Teresa’s achievements include raising over $1 million for Cystic Fibrosis research and receiving the Paul Harris Fellow Award for her dedication to helping others.
Legacy and Positive Change:
Rick Dawson’s legacy as a Rotarian, wildlife advocate, and community leader continues to make a lasting impact. His dedication exemplifies the spirit of Rotary, fostering positive change and service in the world.
Rick’s remarkable journey reflects the essence of Rotary’s mission—to create a better world through service and fellowship.
Stephanie A. Urchick, of the Rotary Club of McMurray, Pennsylvania, USA, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2024-25, a decision that would make her only the second woman to hold that position.
With the world facing incredible challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, disasters driven by climate change, and conflict in many regions, Urchick says Rotary’s leaders can offer a vision and a plan for overcoming these challenges.
Kwinana Rotary Furniture Factory: Empowering Community Through Creativity
Mike Nella and John Iriks
Mike Nella and John Iriks, esteemed members of the Kwinana Rotary Club, recently visited the Palm Beach Rotary Club on a Wednesday night. Their purpose? To share insights about an extraordinary community project that has been making waves: the Kwinana Rotary Furniture Factory.
Graham Hunter, a stalwart of the Rotary Club of Palm Beach, recently celebrated his 70th birthday at the KING ROAD BREWERY. Graham’s extensive involvement in the club, including serving in various committee positions and as President in 2000, has left a lasting impact. His outstanding contributions to the club and the community were recognised when he was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship in 2006. The celebration highlighted Graham’s wonderful life, which includes a loving family and close friends who hold him in high regard. As he cut his birthday cake, it was evident that Graham’s big heart has touched the lives of many. 🎂🎉
President Kevin Presenting John Simmons with a Paul Harris Double Sapphire Pin
John Simmons: A Beacon of Service
John Simmons, a true exemplar of selflessness and commitment, has illuminated the path of service within the Rotary community. His unwavering dedication to the ideals of Rotary International Foundation has touched countless lives and inspired those around him.
A Legacy of Impact
Double Sapphire Paul Harris Pin: John’s outstanding contributions to the Rotary International Foundation earned him the prestigious Double Sapphire Paul Harris Pin. This honor reflects his tireless efforts in advancing the Rotary mission.
District Governor: During the Rotary year 2003-2004, John served as the District Governor, leading with vision and compassion.
Club President: Not once, but twice, John assumed the role of Club President—first in 1993-1994 and later in 2010-2011. His leadership steered the club toward meaningful projects and community engagement.
Paul Harris Fellow: John’s journey began with the Paul Harris Fellow recognition in 1999. His contributions to both the club and Rotary as a whole were nothing short of exceptional.
Sapphire Pin: In 2010, John’s commitment was further acknowledged with the Paul Harris Sapphire Pin. His passion for service shone brightly, leaving an indelible mark on the Rotary family.
A Heart of Compassion
John’s heart is as vast as the Rotary’s global reach. His genuine care for people transcends borders, cultures, and backgrounds. Whether it’s supporting local initiatives or championing international projects, John’s impact reverberates far and wide.
Safe water, toilets and good hygiene keep children alive and healthy.
Growing up in a clean and safe environment is every child’s right. Access to clean water, basic toilets, and good hygiene practices not only keeps children thriving, but also gives them a healthier start in life.
Voyage 2407 Fremantle – Albany 29th March - 7th April 2024
Voyage 2408 Albany - Fremantle 11th April – 18th April 2024
Youth Explorer Voyages are a SCSA Endorsed Program, successful completion of this voyage will earn students one units toward WACE certificate OR voyage can be used to complete tasks for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
FIRST.The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
SECOND.High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
THIRD.The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
FOURTH.The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
The Rotary Club of Palm Beach had the great pleasure of hosting the District Governor's visit at the Clipper Hotel on Monday night. This was a combined event with our Rotary brothers and sisters from our local area.
The 4 Clubs ( Rockingham, Kwinana, Baldivis, and Palm Beach ) attended this wonderful evening. As always, when our clubs meet, the fellowship is wonderful. Each of the club presidents gave a quick talk about club projects.
Having the 4 clubs together, I believe does not happen often enough, the Rotarians in our small part of District 9423, are a wonderful bunch, with big hearts and a common goal.
DG Ineke's presentation was very informative, this well-presented, spoken, and passionate Rotarian from Swan Rotary is doing us all proud in her role for Rotary Western Australia. DG Ineke demonstrated her passion for Rotary and the Rotary Foundation Charity. DG Ineke also reminded us all of the importance of looking after and supporting each other. The keynote, I took from her presentation was the need for Rotarians to address mental health issues at home and abroad. In my time with Rotary, this was one of the more memorable DG visits. Thankyou Ineke.
Renee Forrest, Mayor Deb Hamblin and par owner Robin Humberson
RENEE (Bam Bam) Forrest piloted her mount Cousin Nicci first past the post in Sunday’s Rockingham Beach Cup — for the second time.
It was a tight finish with Laughing Buddha, ridden by Bonnie Palise, in second place.
Third was Western Knight ridden by William Pike, the country’s top jockey, who has won prize money of $124,323, 296 for his connections. Beach cup organisers were thrilled to have such a brilliant rider charging down the beach.
The winning horse, Cousin Nicci, is from Serpentine trainer David Harrison’s stables. He also trained Princess Satab, which won for Renee in the 2019 Rockingham Beach Cup.
Laughing Buddha is from Ben and Dan Pearce’s Karnup stables and Western Knight is trained by Michael Grantham of Banjup.
Rockingham Beach Cup Committee chairwoman Donna McDonald was thrilled that the whole race program was able to be run. Thunder, lightning and rain pelted other parts of the state and the York Cup — also scheduled for Sunday — was cancelled
The interval between races was shortened to beat the expected rain but only a few drops fell. “Rockingham was in a little circle spared by the rain,” Ms McDonald marvelled.
Mind The Walk hosted by the Rotary Club of Rockingham with support from Palm Beach & Baldivis Rotary Clubs.
Walk the 5km Shoalwater Bay, or the guided 5km Lake Richmond walk and raise awareness for Mental Health by walking for wellness during Mental Health Week.
We encourage those wanting to get involved in Mind The Walk to register and book your tickets.
Wednesday, 11th October Opening Night – Rockingham Ace Cinemas Rockingham TICKETS $20-$30 (See below) People under 15 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Viewer discretion is advised. Due to the size of the venue and the nature of the Opening Ceremony, there are two types of tickets for this evening: Gold Lounge Ceremony to General Seating and General Admission. As the names imply, the latter ticket will grant entry into the cinema for the 7:00 p.m. start of the Opening Night screening. The former are also tickets for general admission seating, however, they will grant access to Ace Cinemas Rockingham’s Gold Lounge Function Room for refreshments and professional photographs during the Opening Ceremony, which starts promptly at 6:00 pm. As such, the Gold Lounge Ceremony ticket is priced at $30, with only 100 tickets available. General Admission tickets are priced at $20, with 120 tickets remaining at the time of writing.
42 women across Australia have been murdered in just 32 weeks of the year. Two WA women in the last week alone.
Let's walk to show others that we support victims of domestic violence, to create hope in their lives. Walks have been organised which we can join:
Mandurah Silent Walk: Friday 24th November
Midland March that Matters: Thursday 30th November
Perth Silent Walk: Tuesday 5th December
We will soon email clubs with a link to register for the walk.
Here is the link if you want to get in early to purchase your specially designed t-shirt (see pictures below). These t-shirts will not be compulsory; wearing any Rotary shirt will show your support.
We are people of action, let's do it!
Read more here about the ABC's story about the WA family and domestic violence crisis.
To celebrate the launch of Rotary WA, City Rotary are hosting a Golf Challenge on Friday 20 October.
The event will give an opportunity for all Clubs to claim bragging rights as the champion golfing Rotary Club in WA but more importantly to win substantial prize money for Club projects.
It would be very much appreciated if you could please forward this message to golfers in your Club. Would be great to have a team or two from Palm Beach to join in what we hope will become a regular fixture on the Rotary WA calendar.
Maintain momentum generated through convention publicity by using assets such as the “Passion and Purpose” video to support your promotional efforts. This exciting video invites others to take action with Rotary and includes recent images showing people of action in Australia. You can access the video in the Brand Center along with other ready-made videos and ads for digital and social media platforms. Type “Australia” in the Brand Center search bar to download dozens of photos and videos.
Congratulations Kevin on winning the Rotarian of the Year. Kevin was not available to attend the "Change Over " so the award was presented at Wednesday night's meeting.
RI President Elect Gordon McInally Announces his 2023-24 Theme
Rotary International President-elect R. Gordon R. McInally called for members to capture the world's attention and lead the way toward possibilities far beyond our current expectations. McInally, a member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, West Lothian, Scotland, revealed the 2023-24 presidential theme, Create Hope in the World, to the 500 District Governors, during the Rotary International Assembly in Orlando, Florida, USA, on January 9, 2023. He urged members to promote peace in troubled nations, help those affected by conflict, and maintain the momentum of initiatives begun by past leaders.....
Volunteers from Palm Beach Rotary club create nesting boxes for research on little penguins
Tyra Peters, Sound Telegraph
Dr Erin Clitheroe pictured with Palm Beach Rotary Club members.
The dwindling population of little penguins on Penguin Island will be the focus of new research, in hopes to save the species from extinction.
Palm Beach Rotary Club members were enlisted with the task of building 12 nesting boxes for Rockingham’s little penguins. The boxes were placed on the island during summer and will stay out until mid March.
Led by Murdoch University researchers in collaboration with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, the two designs being tested include a double-wood panel boxes and a second design using thermal insulating composite material.
Each box has a special logger that records the temperature every 15 minutes.
The most suitable design will be replicated and the new nesting boxes will be installed ahead of the 2023 breeding season.
THANK YOU: past president Kevin McDonnell was presented with a “thank you” certificate from another past president, Donna McDonald, for his years of work on the Rockingham Beach Cup Committee.
SPONSORS of the 2022 Rockingham Beach Cup were thanked at a recent Palm Beach Rotary club meeting.
And the event’s two main beneficiaries – the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation and Variety, the children's charity – were presented with $10,000 cheques.
Beach Cup committee chairwoman Donna McDonald and club president John Simmons presented Barbara Holland — chairwoman of the Bendigo Bank Rockingham Community Bank — with a set of framed jockey’s silks.
Another set of silks was presented to Duncan Kee, general manager of Rockingham Jeep. Mrs. Holland said the silks would be "proudly displayed in our branch at secret harbour".
HOW many of our choices are really choices, South Sudanese refugee Philip Lako – who is now settled in Western Australia – asked Palm Beach Rotarians recently.
Some of our choices are made by us but others are made by other people and imposed on us — and many of those choices may be hard to understand.
Choices affecting his early life were imposed on him — for example when SPLA (Sudan People's Liberation Army) rebels came into his tiny village, Kerchomba, and took him from his parents when he was st 10 years old. They said he would be given a western education but this was a lie and he did not see his family again for 14 years.
He was caught up in the Civil War which ravaged South Sudan from 1995 to 2005. South Sudan became independent in July 2011 after a referendum in which people voted overwhelmingly for secession from Sudan. But it is one of the world’s poorest countries and ranks lowest in many socio-economic categories. The government is racked with corruption. Inter-tribal clashes occur without warning throughout the country, and there is frequent fighting between the army and armed militia groups.
There are 2.4 million refugees from South Sudan and 20,000 are settled in Australia. Of all the African countries, South Sudan has the largest number of refugees worldwide.
The country’s 12 million people belong to 64 tribes, he said.
THE Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research conducts innovative research into the diseases that most affect our community including cancer (solid tumour), heart disease (vascular system, stroke, etc), diabetes type 1 (genetic and why), neuro-muscular conditions (eg MS) and rare genetic diseases, Palm Beach Rotarians heard on Wednesday night. It concentrates on forms of these diseases that are hard to cure and has come up with innovations and treatments being adopted worldwide. Former school teacher and breast cancer survivor Judi Lane was so impressed with the place that she started fundraising and working as a volunteer and wound up as a paid employee -- the organisation's community education manager. When she returned to Rockingham for last week's Palm Beach Rotary meeting, it was a return to one of her old stamping grounds. Many moons (and jobs) ago, she taught at the Rockingham Beach Primary School -- and she got a small cheer when she said she was a Dockers fan.
DECOY Noxious, ridden by top female jockey Kate Witten streaked past the winning post a country mile in front of the second placegetter Wee Ripper, piloted by Renee (Bam Bam) Forrest at the Rockingham Beach Cup on Sunday.
Third was Try 4 Us, ridden by Brayden Gaerth and trained by Adam Durrant.
Decoy Noxious’ trainer Summer Dixon was not on the beach to accept the trophy. She was in isolation, recovering from the Covid virus.
Former Fremantle Docker footballer turned horse trainer and race day microphone man/MC Hayden Ballantyne accepted the trophy on her behalf.
Early estimates are that 20,000 people attended the cup and carnival at the weekend. Firmer figures will result from the analysis of drone footage.
PALM Beach Rotarians and their partners recently got a look at the Rockingham Cycling Without Age’s new trishaw for wheelchair users. Some even got to sit in it!
The Velo Plus machine is the first of its kind in Western Australia.
Deb Wall, captain of CWA's Rockingham chapter, said the group would not have got the Velo Plus machine without the Rotary Club of Palm Beach.
The purchase was made possible by an $18,000 donation to the club and Rockingham was “the envy of Perth because we have the Velo”.
All of the CWA trishaws are named “and we asked the donor to name it”, she said. As a result, it was named Kady, an Irish word for “first”.
Rockingham was very lucky to get its Velo Plus Machine so early.
Ben Kennedy is out of his seat as he pilots four-year-old mare Indigo Blue first past the winning post in the 2021 Rockingham Beach Cup
As the Rotary Club of Palm Beach gears up for the 2022 Channel 7 Rockingham Beach Cup and Community Festival, it has just heard its signature event is a finalist in the 2022 Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards.
Tourism Council WA CEO Leslee Ireland told the club on Thursday that it was a finalist in the festivals and events category, recognising the event’s effort to successfully attract people to “Rediscover Rockingham” as a tourist destination.
The other three finalists in the festival/events category are the Busselton Jetty Swim, the City of Perth's City of Light 60th Anniversary Celebration, and the Margaret River Region Open Studios
All WA tourism award winners will be announced on November 5 — just a week before this year's Beach Cup
Rotarian, Donna McDonald, who chairs the Rockingham Beach Cup committee, said she was thrilled to get into the finals
She noted major sponsor, Rockingham City Council, was also a finalist in two categories — for excellence in the local government award for tourism and tourism marketing and campaigns. The Cup was prominent in marketing as the city’s annual iconic event., she said.
PALM Beach Rotary celebrated its keynote event, the Rockingham Beach Cup at its first meeting with new president John Simmons in the chair.
Cup committee chairwoman Donna McDonald was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow sapphire pin — recognition of her huge effort in running the event, particularly the painstaking and time-consuming applications for funds from the Rockingham City Council and Lotterywest.
Framed jockeys’ silks were presented to the event’s major sponsors:
— Rockingham City Council, represented by mayor Deb Hamblin and deputy mayor Hayley Edwards;
— real estate company Professionals Rockingham, represented by Gina and Brett Hancock; and — Rockingham Jeep/Rockingham Autos, represented by Duncan Kee.
The two commercial sponsors both indicated they enjoy the event and were happy to continue supporting it.
Mayor Deb Hamblin said the council was grateful that the club ran such a remarkable event. Every dollar the council invested in the cup generated $9.15 for the district from visitors and other spending.
The full council recently voted unanimously to give the club $175,000 to run the Beach Cup this year.
Past president Kerilee Dawson, Mayor Deb Hamblin. Deputy Mayor Hayley Edwards and beach cup Committee Chairwoman Donna McDonald pose with the council’s framed silks.
Jennifer E. Jones, of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2022-23.
Jennifer E. Jones, of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2022-23.
Jones says she sees Rotary’s Action Plan as a catalyst for increasing Rotary’s impact.
“As we reflect upon our new strategic priorities, we could have never envisioned that our ability to adapt would become our North Star during what is inarguably the most profound time in recent history,” Jones said in her vision statement. “Silver linings rise out of the most challenging circumstances. Using metric-driven goals, I will harness this historic landscape to innovate, educate, and communicate opportunities that reflect today’s reality.”
A VERY generous member of the public, who wants to remain anonymous, has given Palm Beach Rotary Club $18,000 to pay for an extra Cycling Without Age trishaw.
The donation was announced last Wednesday by club president Kerrilee Dawson.
And the cheque was given was given to club treasurer Doug Hess that same day.
The trishaw is to be purchased in the club’s name, Kerrilee said.
The donation reflects the club’s good reputation and is a wonderful thing for the club and the community, she added.
GENEVIEVE Bailey is the latest person to be awarded a Paul Harris Fellow recognition by the Rotary Club of Palm Beach.
She received the honour at a meeting which acknowledged the contribution of several local business people to the running of the 2021 Rockingham Beach Cup.
Beach Cup Committee chairwoman Donna McDonald said Genevieve’s “outstanding public relations skills and dedication to the Rockingham Beach Cup has promoted to the City Of Rockingham as a beautiful destination and a wonderful place to live and work.
PALM Beach Rotary Club president Kerrilee Dawson presented Comet Bay College Tara Cresswell with a "volunteer of the year award" -- part of the school's Defence Transition Mentor Program — at the end of the 2021 school year.
The presentation took place at the school's annual defence family supper and occurred just a year after then-president Donna McDonald presented the same award to Tara's older sister Bridget.
Claire Hunt, the school’s defence mentoring program coordinator, said all three Creswell girls had done outstanding volunteer work.
BEN Kennedy piloted Indigo Blue into first place in the Rockingham Beach Cup on Sunday. The Adam Durrant-trained four-year-old mare was a length in front of Mankind, ridden by Irish jockey Chris Graham and trained by Hayden Ballentyne.
Third was The Cat Ratcher (correct), trained by David Harrison and written by Kyra Yuill.
Last weekend was a big one for Kyra. The day before her Beach Cup placing, she became the first female jockey to win the WA Champion Fillies Stakes over 1600m on Searchin’ Roc’s, also trained by David Harrison.
The cup final climaxed a unique afternoon's racing. Apart from the novelty of horse racing on the beach, the event's format is also different. Five races preceded the Beach Cup final and the winner of each of those five races contested the cup.
It is estimated that a crowd of 20,000 attended the beach cup festivities onshore.
Watercraft — ranging from kayaks and jet skis to tinnies, motor launches, and massive private yachts — lined up metres from the shore. Their human cargoes watched the races in comfort, often diving into the water cool off on a day which topped at 31°C.
Mark McGowan said he knew several people in the room from his time in the Navy – Rick Dawson, who had been a naval police officer; Kevin McDonnell, who was a warrant officer and medic; John Rana, a former warrant officer, submariner coxswain, and a very frightening person. There were probably others in the room he added.
STATE Premier and local MP Mark McGowan revealed a self-deprecating sense of humor when he addressed 71 Rotarians and guests at a recently combined clubs meeting organised by the Rotary Club of Palm Beach.
He recalled meeting British wildlife broadcaster Sir David Attenborough when he was a more junior member of the Western Australian Government cabinet.
The natural historian came to Carnac Island to film blind tiger snakes, blinded by seagulls which picked out the snakes’ eyes while protecting their eggs. The snakes survived, using their sense of smell, Mr. McGowan said.
He was then Environment Minister and offered to take Attenborough sightseeing around Perth after the few hours of filming was completed.
FROM LEFT: Rotarian Laurie Smith, gun builder Adrian Watts, artillery expert Phil Rowson, Palm Beach Rotary president Kerilee Dawson, replica originator Ken Gray, and Port Peron Rehabilitation Committee chairman Phil Edman.
ABOUT 50 people assembled around a huge replica gun for its official handover to the Point Peron Restoration Committee on Sunday.
The Rotary Club of Palm Beach officially handed over the make-believe 155mm 1917/18 GPF gun to Point Peron committee chairman Phil Edman.
The club organised the building of the replica after failed national and international attempts to buy a real long-range field gun like that which protected local shipping in World War II.
The 1.8-tonne replica was the brainchild of Rotarian Ken Gray after Mr. Edman suggested replacing one of the two long-gone Point Peron K Battery guns that had once guarded local waters.
Past District 9780 Governor, Cathy Roth, has always believed that Rotarians are primed to identify and meet community needs. When her fellow Rotarian and surgeon husband John was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, Cathy realised there was a need to support professional Alzheimer’s sufferers such as John.
PALZ – Professionals with Alzheimer’s was born from the desperate need Cathy saw for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and similar diseases, to maintain dignity and mental stimulus.
Alzheimer’s Australia reports there will be about 400,000 people with dementia by 2020 and a staggering 900,000 by 2050. Dementia is the single greatest cause of disability in Australians over the age of 65 years and the third leading cause of death in Australia.
Diagnosis is often accompanied by social and intellectual deprivation, and personal identity and self-worth challenges. Seeing this first hand after receiving John’s diagnosis, Cathy set up PALZ as an organisation to assist high-achievers with dementia to maintain dignity and respect through active participation and interaction within a socially and intellectually stimulating environment.
PALZ groups will be established across Australia, and the organisation will facilitate research through the tax-deductable status it is currently seeking.
Mr John Iriks will visit the club 29 Sep 2021 to present this wonderful project to club members
THREE bikers in heavy leathers were guests at last week’s Palm Beach Rotary Club meeting. Tania McDonald, president of the Military Brotherhood Motorcycle Club’s Rockingham sub-branch, was accompanied by Gary Scott and Paul Hage. They came to tell the club about their mission to support former members of all the Australian Defence Forces – army, navy, and air force.
They particularly focus on mental health. More Australian veterans have lost their lives to suicide than were killed on active duty since ADF personnel were deployed to Afghanistan in 2001. According to government data, more than 500 Australian veterans have died by suicide since 2001.
By comparison, 41 Australian troops died during the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan. In April, Prime Minister Scott Morrison bowed to public pressure and announced a Royal Commission to examine suicides among serving and former military personnel.
Rockingham's Military Brotherhood sub-branch has about 20 members, Tania told the Rotary club. It meets on Friday nights at the Point Peron RSL and caters for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder — welfare checks are important.
NEW president Kerilee Dawson presents her predecessor with a certificate of service, badge, and the banner which had hug from the lectern during her year in office.
THE Rotary Club of Palm Beach has weathered the impact of Covid-19, building our fellowship, welcoming three new members, creating a very deserving Honorary Member, Brian Stanley in recognition of his four decades of service to Rotary, and seizing every opportunity to work together as a club and as a member of Rotary District 9465, Zone Five, to serve and make our world a better place. While we saw some of our cherished events canceled (Rockingham Beach Cup 2020 and the Anzac gunfire breakfast 2021) and rescheduled (often more than once), our hard-working board members were also pro-active in rethinking our calendar of events, creating new projects, and bringing others to fruition for the 2020/21 Rotary year.
Rotary is proud to welcome you to our global community of more than 1.2 million men and women dedicated to building a better world. You make Rotary stronger. By adding your skills, experience, and enthusiasm to your club, you can advance communities at home and on a global scale. Together, we can eradicate polio, train more skilled peacemakers, and provide lasting solutions for communities fighting disease, hunger, illiteracy, and poverty. Through the Rotary community, you can exchange ideas and build lifelong friendships with like-minded people. Take advantage of the resources and activities available through your club, district, and Rotary International to make your experience with Rotary both rewarding and fun.
Beachside Festival gallops back onto the running calendar
NEARLY 400 runners took part in the four fun runs at the recent Rotary Beachside Festival in Safety Bay. And more would have competed if they could but had to be turned away because of a shortage of timing chips.
The successful event was celebrated at a Palm Beach Rotary Club meeting the following Wednesday. Certificates of appreciation were presented to two newcomers on the Beachside Festival committee, Sharon Chetwynd and Jodie Phillips of Secret Rocky Runners.
SRR had offered to help two years ago, event coordinator Kevin McDonnell told the meeting. Mel Hayes, who is a runner and whose husband’s company APMS sponsored the Cycling Without Age trishaw trailer, made the offer at one of Laurie Smith’s sundowners.
A TWO-MINUTE video of the club’s penguin nesting box project was screened by its creator, past president Rick Dawson, at the last week’s Palm Beach Rotary Club meeting. It has been made in the hope that it will be shown at the WA Rotary's Combined District Conference in March.
Rick Dawson
Rotary WA decided run a Two-Minute Project Competition to showcase club activities. All competition videos are to be posted on their clubs' Facebook pages and the winner will get $500 for charity. Six of the club videos will be shown at the conference.
But flightless fairy/little penguins are not the only birds helped by the Rotary Club of Palm Beach. Its members' installation of 200-plus artificial nesting hollows for WA's iconic Carnaby's cockatoos has been such an outstanding success that the club have been thanked in a scientific research paper, Rick said. "There have been a 300 per cent increase in nesting with these hollows at Coomallo," Rick said. The hollows have to be serviced every year and the resultant continuing observation has demonstrated very clearly that size does matter.
PAST president and Paul Harris Fellow Brian Stanley was made an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Palm Beach last week. He sadly had to leave the club to care for his wife Mavis but still manages to get back for the occasional club meeting and catch up with friends. Club president Donna McDonald is seen pinning his new badge onto his lapel.
THE bombshell announcement that the Rockingham Beach Cup has been cancelled for 2020 was released on Friday.
Before the decision, Beach Cup Committee representatives consulted the Rotary Club of Palm Beach’s board on Monday, September 21.
A detailed review of logistics, public health and financial risks led to the recommendation to cancel the 2020 event, adopted at the Rockingham Beach Cup Committee’s Tuesday meeting.
IMMEDIATE past district district governor Wayne Milnes had a couple of surprises up his proverbial sleeve when he came to Palm Beach Rotary’s regular club meeting last week.
As People of Action, we share a strong sense of purpose.
More than a century ago, we pioneered a new model of service leadership grounded in person-to-person connections. Today, those connections are a network that spans the globe—bridging cultural, linguistic, generational, and geographic barriers—and shares the vision of a better world.
As People of Action, we understand that fulfilling that vision requires a plan.
This is Rotary’s plan for the next five years: to increase our impact, expand our reach, enhance participant engagement, and increase our ability to adapt.
Increase Our Impact
People of Action are effective problem-solvers.
Why do Rotarians achieve so much? We invest in relationships. We make decisions grounded in evidence. We know how to mobilize our networks to create solutions that last. And we’re always learning from our experiences in projects, clubs, and careers.
Throughout the fight to end polio, we’ve shown what we can do when we draw on our collective strengths. We’ve created solutions that match the people they serve. We’ve evaluated the results to learn from our successes and setbacks.
This is a model we will use again and again in pursuit of our audacious goals: educating the world’s children, ensuring equitable access to water and sanitation, helping local economies grow sustainably, and so much more.
Let’s seek out new ways to translate our expertise into making a difference—in our communities and across the globe. Let’s prove that our impact on the world has only just begun.
Expand Our Reach
People of Action activate and inspire one another.
We know that our capacity to make a difference is larger when more people unite with us. We want the world to appreciate our ambitious, compassionate, and inclusive spirit—because when they do, they see that Rotary is the source for the person-to-person involvement so many are seeking.
Told widely and emphatically, our stories give people hope that the world can change for the better, inviting listeners to imagine themselves as part of that change, too.
Let’s build connections and opportunities that will allow people who share our drive to do the same.
Enhance Participant Engagement
People of Action strive to understand the needs of others.
Just like the people and communities we serve, our participants need to feel seen and heard. They’re seeking experiences that feel personally and professionally relevant and fulfilling. When they see our dedication to investing in them at every stage of their professional life, our participants are eager to go the distance with us—even at a time when there are many other options for networking and volunteering.
Let’s recommit to putting the needs, expectations, and growth of our participants at the center of all we do.
Increase Our Ability to Adapt
People of Action are inventive, entrepreneurial, and resilient.
We’ve shown throughout our history that we excel at finding new ways to lead the world to lasting change. And we’ve proven in our own careers that we know how to help organizations of every kind move forward. That’s why new approaches to our organizing principles don’t threaten our sense of who we are.
We’re ready to seek out fresh opportunities, create more paths to leadership, open up our conversations to diverse voices, and simplify how we operate—with confidence.
Let’s stay true to ourselves and stay ahead of change in our next 115 years.
On Wednesday 29th July, Palm Beach Rotary was fortunate to have Professor George Curry, from Curtin University, visit to explain his research into coffee cultivation in Papua New Guinea.
George commenced his address with a little of the prehistory of PNG, emphasising agriculture.
Many of us may have been surprised to hear that edible plant species have been domesticated in PNG for at least 10,000 years. These species include banana, sugar cane, taro, breadfruit and yam and (least predictably) apples and raspberries!
About 300 years ago, sweet potato was introduced and quickly became the carbohydrate staple for families within the villages, he said. Work has been done over the last several decades trying to move PNG farmers in from growing sweet potato to feed their families to growing a crop which would be more commercial, where people could make money from selling into a market place.
A RECENT Palm Beach Rotary Club meeting was unexpectedly emotional.
Past president and Paul Harris fellow Brian Stanley announced he was retiring from the club because of family responsibilities. He could not always get to meetings or do as much as in the past so felt it was time to go.
Brian resigned but did not get away completely — club members unanimously voted to make him an honorary member.
It’s a special time. Rotary in Australia and NZ celebrates the First 100 years of Service in 2021.
In 1921, four Rotary Clubs were created in Melbourne, Auckland, Wellington and Sydney. From there, Rotary and Rotaract clubs were created everywhere across Australia and NZ. We all share a centenary in 2021. We can come together and create a common legacy. Think about the impact we can make!
It's the time to discover what is the best way to mark the occasion! And create a legacy that propels Rotary into the next century of service. This is so important – we will not have another chance in our lifetime!
We have a plan to make people aware, capture ideas of what we can do and enlist willing players in a part of history. We have constructed a toolkit to help Rotary leaders to help build that story. That's what this website is about. You can also join us on Facebook.
IN his final report, outgoing president Kevin McDonnell said: “I was fortunate in my role as president to have the support and mentoring of many club members but some individuals stand out from the crowd.
“One such club member was president-elect Donna McDonald.
“Her support for the president and the club has been outstanding and she was an exemplary president-elect, aways calm and efficient and with the type of problem-solving skills needed in a crisis.
“Her capacity to contribute and take on work seems endless.
“PE Donna made my life as president much easier and I am eternally grateful she was able to take on the role as president-elect of the club and step in as chair of the Rockingham Beach Cup Committee.
“Thank you Donna and may you have a great year as president.”
“Her capacity to contribute and take on work seems endless.
“PE Donna made my life as president much easier and I am eternally grateful she was able to take on the role as president-elect of the club and step in as chair of the Rockingham Beach Cup Committee.
“Thank you Donna and may you have a great year as president.”
Brain Games Strengthen Areas of the Brain Associated with Mental Illness
Brain games have been found to strengthen areas of the brain associated with mental illness, but do not necessarily prevent them, according to new research funded by Australian Rotary Health (ARH).
Dr Louise Mewton from the University of New South Wales was awarded an ARH Postdoctoral Fellowship from 2015-2018 to investigate whether brain training could prevent mental illness in adolescents.
The idea came from the knowledge that certain areas of the brain (particularly frontal areas) are associated with an increased risk of developing a mental illness.
“Internationally, this was the first study that included enough participants to answer this question properly. No other study has been conducted like this in Australia.”
228 young people aged 16-24 were involved in the study, with half of them completing a brain training program that focused on the frontal areas of the brain, and the other half completing a brain training program that strengthened other parts of the brain not associated with mental illness. Before and after the intervention, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire.
“We found that brain games are capable of strengthening areas of the brain that have been associated with mental illness. These same areas of the brain have also been associated with our ability to plan, judge and strategise.”
Although while these areas of the brain were strengthened, this did not lead to improvements in mental health, alcohol use, or day-to-day-functioning.
“Smaller studies have suggested that brain games lead to improvements in mental health among young people. However, our study was much larger and conducted more carefully,” Dr Mewton said.
“While we did not find that brain games are an effective stand-alone strategy for preventing mental illness, our results are exciting because they indicate that they may be a useful accompaniment for other effective strategies that involve a lot of mental resources.”
Dr Mewton believes further research should focus on whether brain games can be used together with other prevention strategies to boost their effectiveness in young people who might be experiencing cognitive difficulties.
This research is currently under review for publication in Behaviour Research and Therapy.
Dr Mewton is currently working on her project ‘The long term effectiveness of a combined prevention model for anxiety, depression and substance use in adolescents’, with a Mental Health Research Grant from Australian Rotary Health.
The COVID-19 coronavirus is affecting every aspect of our lives in real time, and this puts Rotarians in an unfamiliar place. As People of Action, we are most comfortable when we are fully engaged in the world – moving freely, meeting openly, and offering helping hands. These are very difficult times for people who, like us, are at our best when we are learning, growing, and serving—together.
We are also leaders in our communities, and these times call for leadership. In many ways, this also is our time. We have proven abilities to reach out and collaborate to offer immediate help to people in need at a rapid pace. These are precisely the skills needed all over the world today. The global effort against COVID-19 depends on actions taken in every country. Rotary has the unique ability to help improve those efforts in every community and every country.
Using all the technology we have at our disposal, we as Rotarians can continue to reach out and collaborate on big projects with Rotary clubs, Rotaractors, and Interactors. There are a number of examples where Rotary clubs are helping health authorities communicate best practices or provide needed equipment or support that have been shared with our leaders around the world.
As Rotary’s president and president-elect, we have been thinking of these issues very seriously in regard to upcoming Rotary events. As you may be aware, we have made the difficult decision to cancel two Rotary Presidential Conferences honoring our relationship with the United Nations- one in Paris, another in Rome. In the near term, we recommend that Rotary districts and clubs cancel or postpone meetings or events following the advice of national and local health officials.
WEDNESDAY ( 11 Mar 2020) was a night of celebration for Palm Beach Rotarians, partners and friends.
The club thanked a swag of local people who helped make the city’s annual beach horse races — the Rockingham Beach Cup — such an iconic event
FROM LEFT: Brad Dean, Genevieve Bailey, Renee Forrest and Rob McGavin.
Accountant Brad Dean and real estate agent and investor Rob McGavin were given Rotary International’s highest recognition, being made Paul Harris Fellows, for their outstanding community service.
Genevieve Bailey, CEO of Bailey’s Fertilisers, and 2020 cup winning jockey Renee Forrest received community service awards.
Please open the Rockingham Beach Cup 2019 photo album to view a wonderful selection of photographs from Club Members, Friends and Photo coffee
FEMALE jockey, Renee Forrest “rode like a girl” to pilot her mount Princess Satab first past the winning post to win the 2019 Rockingham Beach Cup. The bay mare — owned by Don Archer and trained by David Harrison of Serpentine— thundered past the winning post a length in front of her nearest rival.
LAURIE Smith — past president for the Palm Beach Rotary Club and driver of the project to install a reproduction 1917 howitzer gun at Point Peron — was finally able to phone metal worker Adrian Watt recently and tell him to start work.
The just-commissioned replica gun will be an as-close-as-possible match to the original WWII guns that were placed at Point Peron.
Earlier this year the City of Rockingham Council awarded a $10,000 community grant to the club for the project, which was recently matched by $10,000 from the Point Peron Rehabilitation Committee.
The separtment, of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and Planning, Lands and Heritage are also supporting the project.
Point Peron Rehabilitation Committee chairman Phil Edman said: “This site will be to remember more than 3000 Australians who lost their lives on Australian soil and in its waters during one of the world’s saddest and ugliest conflicts.”
TIANQI Lithium has spent more than $600 million so far on its Kwinana lithium hydroxide plant (already the world’s largest), the company’s Australian general manager Phil Thick told Palm Beach Rotarians on Wednesday night.
It will spend another $200 million before stage two is completed, he said.
KRISTY Stewart — recipient of a 2019 Australian Rotary Indigenous Health Scholarship — told her gripping life story at a special meeting organised by the Baldivis Rotary Club. The Palm Beach, Baldivis, Kwinana, and Rockingham Rotary clubs have sponsored her $5000 scholarship, — awarded last year — which is paying for her text books.
ROCKINGHAM City Council has granted $118,000 to the Rotary Club of Palm Beach for the Rockingham Beach Cup. The money is on top of the previously awarded $36,000, making a total of $154,000. The council voted eight to one to give the money to what has become the city’s signature event.
PB Rotary’s president-elect Donna McDonald, who is also the beach cup committee’s secretary, told the club’s recent board meeting that the submission asked for more. That request included the cost of a professional assessment of the cup’s value to the community — an economic and social impact statement. However the council opted to give the funds less $8000 for the impact statement, which it would organise itself.
A condition of the grant was that an upmarket event launch be held on the night before the races (Saturday) for the Premier, appropriate government ministers, travel industry, media, sponsors, the horse racing industry and other movers and shakers. This would enable the council and race organisers to thank those involved and showcase the city and the Rockingham Beach Cup.
REALLY KNOWS: Palm Beach Rotary president Kevin McDonnell has had two corneal transplants
DONATELIFE Week — encouraging people to sign up as potential organ and tissue donors — means a lot to the Rotary Club of Palm Beach president, Kevin McDonnell.
He would not have had his military and police career without two corneal transplants, he said, when reminding club members that the promotional effort ended on Sunday, August 4.
A quick head count at a recent Palm Beach Rotary meeting showed half the members were already on the Australian Organ Donor Register. One member, Lara Hall, said she registered because her mother gave permission for her late father's organs to be harvested when he died.
Kevin's need for a transplant arose from a childhood eye injury in 1969. “It was all done through the Lions Eye Institute,” he said. “I have had two corneal transplants because the tissue does not last forever.
“The first one in 1993 took my sight from the largest letter on the eye chart to 5/6, which is pretty good.”
Kevin had missed out on an earlier transplant because he was in Cape Leveque and could not get to Perth quickly enough. “We had to put it off until I could get back to Perth,” he recalled.
His surgery was carried out by associate professor Ian Crawford, who also worked on his iris and did two lens implants. “They guarantee it for five years,” Kevin said. His current cornea has lasted nine years “and shows no signs of clouding up — it’s been good”.
His one regret is that he has never found the name of his donors. “You can't write a letter to say thank you, unless the families want it of course,” he said. “I am registered to be a donor of course,” he said. “Having been a recipient I know how much it means.
“I would have been blind in one eye otherwise and would not have had my career in the military or police. If your sight is not good, you are out.”
SPANISH exchange student Claudia Jiminez Sancho is hugely impressed by the Perth metropolitan public transport system. "Public transport here is so good,” she enthused in her farewell to her hosts and other supporters at the Palm Beach Rotary Club. You can get everywhere so quickly.
“On the island (Minorca, where her family lives) there is one bus every two hours. So you walk everywhere.” Menorca was only 45 kilometers long and about 16km wide. Australia’s size was a shock. “Here you can travel 35 minutes and you are not even in Mandurah!” She had learned a lot about another way of living during her year in Western Australia.
Claudia
She knew nothing about New Zealand before she came to Rockingham and went to the local high school. Now she reckons she could go to the Land of the Long White Cloud “and speak like them”. One thing the school taught her very quickly was that her intended career was not for her. She had intended studying nursing and becoming a midwife. “But when I came to Australia I found the school had a mini-hospital. One of my subjects was in nursing and we were doing stuff that I discovered was not my thing. I just don't want to do that.”
NESTING: this fairy (little) penguin is making the most of her Palm Beach Rotary-supplied nesting box.
LITTLE (Fairy) penguins are using the nesting boxes made for them by Palm Beach Rotarians — most notably Des Mant. Past president Rick Dawson got the “great news” on June 8 from researcher Erin Clitheroe — and this photograph proving it , Erin — who is working towards her PhD at Murdoch University’s School of Veterinary and Life Sciences — wrote that she was back on the island last month to do a little bit of extra field work and had “put some temperature loggers in the new nest boxes”.
Rick, a former wildlife officer, and a small party of Rotarians transported 20 nesting boxes onto Penguin Island in late July last year. Rick had initiated the box-making project because the old boxes on Garden Island — which were falling apart — had no allowance for good ventilation and penguin chicks has perished as a result of heat exhaustion in previous heat waves.
The new boxes are the Ritz of nesting boxes ,with air vents on the sides and raised insulated roofs allowing hot air to rise and dissipate. The were carefully designed with Erin’s aid and made of sturdy plywood by Des Mant (who began his working life as a cabinetmaker). Less-skilled Rotarians were allowed to paint the boxes’ exteriors after they were completed. The new boxes also feature small corridor entries to mimic the tunnels which would lead into underground burrows, the birds’ natural nest sites.
KERILEE Dawson, a comparatively new member of the Palm Beach Rotary Club, was startled and emotional when declared the club person of the year at the annual changeover dinne.
She joined three years ago, during Ted Curr’s presidency, but her association with the club stretches back 14 years — to when her husband Rick joined.
Rick became a Paul Harris fellow on the same night.)
Kerilee was lauded for her work as youth director, managing our first exchange students for some years, opening her home for club events and meetings, her work on City Markets Rockingham.
She said she joined when Rick had contemplated leaving the club, because he was spending too many night away from home and family, particularly Kerilee.
She decided she would solve that problem by joining the club too — it would be something they could do together.
Now they go walking together and arguing about the best way to do things in the the club.
CURTIN University’s Rhythmos Choir wowed about 90 people at the Clipper Inn on Saturday night.
And so did 18-year-old local singer Ellen Melton, who is now studying contemporary music at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
Ella was a late inclusion on the program program, when it seemed Rhythmos’ musical offering would be very short. But her contribution was a welcome change of pace.
As it turned out, Rhythmos shook the mothballs off some of its old songs and debuted one new one so had a reasonable-length program afterall.
And the choir’s creator and musical director, engineering academic Dr Jonathan Paxman, was there to steer the singer through a widely varied program.
INSTALLING a 155mm Howitzer — or a replica artillery piece — at the planned Point Peron World War II memorial might have seemed fanciful just a short time ago. But Palm Beach Rotary proponents are now convinced it will go ahead — and are looking for rubbered wheels to allow the replica seven-metre-long gun to be moved.
Past president Laurie Smith told recent club meetings that the replica will be built by Adrian Watt, who operates a metal fabrication works in Spearwood, Adrian is an artist in metal, Laurie declared. “He built the mini-submarine at the Maritime Museum and — given the quality of his work — he can do it. He sees no difficulty,” Laurie said.
New Rotarian James Girling — also a metal fabricator — has been heavily in involved in the effort. “He has been advising us and has been the technical go-between between Rotary and Adrian Watt,” Laurie added.
PALM Beach Andrew Whall recently presented Ian of Tutt Bryant Hire with a “thank you” letter and plaque, acknowledging the company’s sponsorship of this year’s Beachside Festival.
“He was surprised and very much appreciated it — and indicated he would be willing to help with next year’s event,” Andrew reported later.
HIS week at the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) camp had changed his outlook on life, Caleb Muir, a 28-year-old engineer with Raytheon on Garden Island, told last week’s Palm Beach Rotary meeting.
He made friends with people he may never have associated with (and making friends through adversity), learned about forming groups and public speaking.
On his return to work, he took under his wing a new team member who had been struggling. “He told me that if things did not turn around in about a week, he was going to quit,” Caleb told the meeting. “I used tools from RYLA, listened to him and tried to help him along.”
That new team member gained a whole new attitude to his job and told the boss “that he was grateful for my help”, Caleb said.
Palm Beach Rotarian Mick le-Cocq recently reported on his latest trip to East Timor, to connect a two-stage pumping system supplying potable water to the village of Gari-Uai. He and Max Bird of the Kwinana Rotary Club were in Timor-Leste from December 4 to December 18 last year. Following is Max Bird’s diary report of their journey.
DONNA McDONALD: school principals really are CEOs nowadays.
PALM Beach Rotary Club has acquired a new member — Donna McDonald, principal of the Thornlie Senior High School.
Ms McDonald, who “lives just around the corner”, came to the meeting to check us out, decided she liked what she saw and put up her hand to join that very night.
This is not her first foray into the world of Rotary. She was formerly a member of the Cockburn club but found she could not attend its breakfast meetings and get to work on time in the metropolitan area.
Rockingham GP and dermatologist Dr Renuka Ranasinghe (centre) with husband Paul and her Rotarian patient Brian Stanley.
ROCKINGHAM GP and dermatologist Dr Renuka Ranasinghe diagnosed one squamous cell carcinoma after talking to Palm Beach Rotarians on Wednesday night. She also suggested other lesions should be followed up. Dr Ranasinghe came to the meeting with her husband Paul, “a technical wizard” who kept confronting images of various skin cancers coming during her talk. She also came equipped with a dermatoscope — a small instrument which emits polarised and non-polarised light and magnifies skin lesions — and invited Rotarians to have their lumps and bumps checked after her talk. A considerable number took up her offer.
In 1981, at the request of the then-District Governor, Ron Sloan, The Rotary Club of Rockingham was approached to survey the Rockingham area to ascertain whether another Rotary club was needed in the area. A Past President of The Rockingham Rotary club, Ron Newbey was appointed, ably assisted by Past Presidents Les Godley and Murray Forbes to conduct the survey. The committee began its task by identifying potential members. Former members of the Rockingham club, John Greenway and Charles Griffiths, who lost their classification due to employment changes were now considered eligible for any new Rotary club as they now had suitable classifications. Others approached included former Moora-Geraldton club member Fawcett Bestall, Peter Dickman a former Bridgetown member, Basil Manessis from Merredin, and Stephen Yeo formerly of the Cunderdin club. After weeks of approaching other business people in the area, an interest meeting was called. After several meetings of information on Rotary and its objectives, principles, and its place in the community as a service organization a provisional club was formed. A president and a board of directors was elected (The Late Ross Smith - Photo). The first official meeting of the Provisional Rotary Club of Rockingham Districts was on the 10th March 1982 at the Ocean Clipper Inn, the first official function at the new center, with 22 of 24 members present.
The club received its charter from Rotary International on the 12th April 1982 with a membership of 23. An induction meeting was held on 5th May and the charter meeting on the 9th of June 1982 attended by 140 people. On the 2nd January 2002, the club was renamed The Rotary Club of Palm Beach WA Inc.
Posted by Nick Cowie - Sound Southern Telegraph on Nov 14, 2017
Theo Yates celebrates his win. Picture: Nick Cowie
Last Saturday morning saw the initial running of the Beach Cup Golden Criterium on a tight 850m circuit on the Rockingham Beach foreshore and cafe strip.
It was intended to run both a men’s and women’s elite race, however, with several of the best female riders participating in the Tour of Margaret River, the women’s race was converted to a support race open to under-17 boys and girls, as well as C-grade men.
FESTIVITIES surrounding the Rockingham Beach Cup will grow to three days this year, with the aim of attracting visitors to Rockingham for the whole weekend. Beach Cup committee chairman Michael McCafferty reminded last Wednesday’s Palm Beach Rotary meeting that the 2016 event greatly exceeded expectations. “We were hoping to get 5000 to 10,000 people but well and truly exceeded that,” he remarked.
PALM Beach Rotary’s third Beachside Festival was a blast in more ways than one. The first blast was the record shattering 641 registrations for the four fun runs on Sunday. And about 580 people of all ages ran despite the second blast — the high wind which tore (and tore off) marquee roofs and forced the festival to end a couple of hours earlier than planned. While most runners were local, some came from Capel, Kwinana, South Yunderup, all over the
AGAINST THE WIND: a Secret Harbour Surf Life Saving Club member joined Rotarians Rick Dawson and Andrew Whall in tying down a billowing marquee. Ken Gray (centre) stands ready.
BACKING research into microbial drug resistance is one of the major thrusts of the Applecross Rotary Club, “We are lucky to have a University of Western Australia professor in our midst,” Applecross Rotarian Malcolm Taylor told the Palm Beach club on Wednesday. Thanks to its lobbying, their professor member received a global grant of $1 million from the Gates Foundation.
Malcolm Taylor was a very welome visitor from the Applecross RotaryClub on Wednesday.
The Rotary Club of Palm Beach (WA) inc. seeks to develop a community event that will provide an opportunity to showcase Rockingham’s natural attractions, provide economic development and act as a fundraiser for the Rotary Club and its beneficiaries, McCusker Alzeihmer’s Research Foundation, Varity Club of WA and Rotary Projects.
AN old friend revisited Palm Beach Rotary Club last week.
Former exchange student Elisabeth Kiebeler is now at a university in Germany, studying English and music to become a teacher.
She is finishing her bachelor degree but will have another two years to complete her masters. “You need a masters degree to teach in Germany,” she explained.
She had to complete her high school years 11, 12 and 13 after leaving WA and returning home to Nuremberg.
NOT a cloud punctuated the brilliant blue sky all through last Wednesday’s daylight hours. And, as the day dissolved into a brilliant sunset, the heavens remained clear. Brian Stanley had long planned a meeting at his home to introduce his fellow Palm Beach Rotarians and partners to the joys of bringing the moon and stars a little closer, via telescopes. He was gleeful at the thought of the brilliant time his guests would have, learning about the wonders of the moon through his (and borrowed) telescopes.
BRIAN STANLEY: explaining distances in the heavens.
BRIAN STANLEY: explaining distances in the heavens.
NOT a cloud punctuated the brilliant blue sky all through last Wednesday’s daylight hours. And, as the day dissolved into a brilliant sunset, the heavens remained clear. Brian Stanley had long planned a meeting at his home to introduce his fellow Palm Beach Rotarians and partners to the joys of bringing the moon and stars a little closer, via telescopes. He was gleeful at the thought of the brilliant time his guests would have, learning about the wonders of the moon through his (and borrowed) telescopes.
ASTRONOMERS: Ileana Soederholm and boyfriend Dyland Scothorne supplied and set up a telescope.
Kevin Fahie and Frank Moelands ⎯ have made Palm Beach Rotary Club the district’s fourth biggest. Past district governor John Simmons inducted the pair into the club last Wednesday and said Palm Beach Rotary now has 40 members. Kevin (classification, real estate ⎯ commercial) and Frank (classification, retired air conditioning) were welcomed by president Laurie Smith, their committee chairmen and mentors. There will be two Kevins on the vocational committee. Kevin Fahie will be working with Kevin Mc-Donnell’s merry band. Frank Moelans has been put into Teresa Carlson’s community committee. “New members bring in new ideas,” Laurie remarked.
READY TO GET CRACKING: future Rotarians (back, from left) Carl Sanders, Rob Chandler and Trevor Churcher, (front) Baldivis president Dimity Ward (left) and Rachel Griffiths.
MEMBERS of the proposed satellite Rotary club at Baldivis will attend Palm Beach Rotary’s February 10 meeting. This was decided at the group’s second meeting on January 9, attended by five Baldivis people (four would-be Rotarians and one interested) and four Palm Beach Rotarians, headed by president Laurie Smith and past district governor John Simmons.
PAUL Harris fellow and Palm Beach Rotarian Ted Wilson (pictured above, centre) celebrated a remarkable anniversary on Sunday.
Past president Michael McCafferty said this was the 25th year Ted had been the club’s Santa Claus. Ted looked mildly alarmed when it seemed Michael (above right) and John Rana (left) looked set to sit on his knee like all the other boys and girls. They settled for kneeling beside him, as they received their bags of sweets.
A CROWD watched as Rotarians Rick Dawson and Kevin McDonnell were hoisted into the sky to dump several hundred golf balls on Charlie Gust’s Ennis Avenue putting course on Sunday morning.
It was surprising how many balls landed near the pin, after falling about 10 metres from a cherrypicker. Another Rotarian, AndrewWhall, had towed the cherry picker to the site, stabilised it, checked the controls and sent Kevin and Rick intothe wide blue yonder. It was a different way of deciding the winners of the Palm Beach Rotary Club’s golf ball drop raffle. Official measurer John Gorbold used a bowls calliper on a couple of balls too close to the pin to be separated by the measuring tape.
Winner of the $5000 first prize was Rose Sertorini. Her ticket was sold by the Secret Harbour Surf Life Saving Club.
Second prize of $1500 went to Cheryl Petrik, who bought her ticket from Rotarian Kevin McDonnell.
The $500 third prize winner must be one of Wattle Grove’s luckiest residents. Rachel Thewnissen bought her ticket at the gate from Teresa Carlson on Sunday morning. She had driven from the foothills to see her son compete in BMX races, next to the golf putting range. And she bought the ticket to park her car in the Rotary family fun day area, because the BMX parking lot was chocker-block.
THE first Rotary club to do admit women, Duarte in California, was suspended because it violated the Rotary International constitution.
The struggle became so bitter, that this pioneering club, fought sexual discrimination through the California Superior Court, the California Court of Appeals, the California Supreme Court and finally the United States Supreme Court.
Past district governor Jon Simmons outlined the struggle at last Wednesday’s meeting of the Palm Beach Rotary Club. He quoted Frank J. Devlyn (who became RI president in 2000-01) as saying: “The 1989 council on legislation vote to admit women into Rotary clubs worldwide remains a watershed moment in the history of Rotary.
"My fellow delegates, I would like to remind you that the world of 1989 is very different to the world of 1905. I sincerely believe that Rotary has to adapt itself to a changing world.”
WAR HISTORY: local Upper House member, Phil Edman (who is, incidentally, the Government Whip in the Legislative Council), Rotarian Michael McCafferty and Phil’s “sidekick” Aimee Gibbs in front of some of the Point Peron display at Wednesday’s meeting.
PALM Beach Rotarians and guests got a dramatic look at how nearly Australia was invaded by the Japanese during World War II during the club’s Remembrance Day meeting last Wednesday.
Local Upper House state parliamentarian Phil Edman, who is driving restoration of the old Point Peron battery, organised screening of a History Channel production,Battle For Australia.
Mr Edman attended the meeting with one of his staff, Aimee Gibbs, and they had decorated the meeting room with displays about Point Peron’s past and Second War War memorabilia.
Rupert Murdoch had given him the rights, allowing him to screen the film without royalty payment, the MLC said. Last Wednesday’s screening was only the second timeBattle For Australia had been shown:
MICK Le-Cocq and other Western Australian Rotarians found themselves working with former freedom fighters in Timor Leste over the past month.
“Leo” (Leopoldina Guterres, the headmistress we met in Rockingham last year) and Father Emmanuel fought the Indonesian invaders until they were “bombed out of the mountains,” Mick told last Wednesday’s Palm Beach Rotary Club meeting.
MICK LE-COCQ: home from Timor-Leste (East Timor) with tales to tell.
My father Ray (possibly recognisable to older club members as he visited the club some 15 years ago on his trip to Australia, were he went on to fine quite a few of the Fellows for not wearing their badges. Not much has changed) and his wife Liselotte ( not my mother). She is now talking through a valve lodged in a hole in her throat. It allows for 5 -10 words per breath and it leaks a lot and stuff comes out. She is coming to terms with the situation and was improving quite a bit during the short period we were there. We hope to see her back to her old self next summer when Libby and I will visit again.
ROTARACTORS: Rockingham/Kwinana Rotaract president Kim Dawes (left) and international service director Alex Hill.
THE frosty relationship between the Australia and Indonesian governments made it difficult, at first, for keen Rockingham/Kwinana Rotaract members to persuade their potential Indonesian partners in good works that they had no ulterior motives.
With determined diplomacy, they got their selected sister club, Rotaract Jakarta Metropolitan, onside.
Community Service Director Teresa Calson with Dr Raelene Endersby
COMMUNITY director Teresa Carlson presented a $13,000 cheque last Thursday to Dr Raelene Endersby, Telethon Kids Institute associate principal investigator. They are pictured in the brain tumour lab while PhD student Mathew Ancliffe toils in the background.
KWINANA’S industrial strip needs to plan ahead for workforce renewal as more and more baby boomers head into retirement, Palm Breach Rotarians heard on Wednesday.
Kwinana Industries Council director Chris Oughton, pictured above, and Debbie Hoey, the council’s education development coordinator, attended the regular club meeting to discuss their work getting high school students ready for work and aware of the opportunities in the local industrial area.
Seventeen local high schools (all except Baldivis) were involved in the program. Baldivis was expected to come on board soon.
SOME figures are still to be finalised but Palm Beach Rotary Club raised roughly $30,000 from its gala dinner and auction last Saturday night.
The evening started with champagne and chatter and continued with fine dining and fund-raising.
Bids for the second bracket of goods were generally higher than those for the first bracket, probably as people relaxed after a few more glasses of wine.
Some of the biggest winning bids were $900 for the unknown batsman’s bat, signed by Steve Waugh; $1600 for the seven-night Royal Resorts land package; $1500 for the Coast FM advertising package and $2100 for $4000 worth of Sound Telegraph advertising; $3600 for the kingsized bed valued at $6999, $1300 for the Matthew Hayden-signed cricket memorabilia, $1400 for the Bali Extravaganza and $1560 for the Prestige Catering dinner for eight in your home or office. The evening’s great meal obviously inspired that winning bidder.
HONOURED GUESTS: Telethon Kids Institute staff and their partners enjoying the gala dinner
PAUL WATT: explaining this spaghetti junction which he described as “a simple machine”.
Former secretary Des Mant: reported on the club visit to the Telethon Kids Institute.
The party was welcomed by Dr Paul Watt who (apart from being president Laurie Smith’s nephew) is the institute’s Drug Discovery Unit head and research strategy leader, as well as Adjunct Professor at the University of WA’s Centre for Child Health Research.
THE importance of partnerships between Rotary clubs and other groups was emphasised by District Governor Melodie Kevan when she visited Rockingham last week. “Rotarians are generally very busy people,” she pointed out. And they should consider how to make the best use of their time and limited resources. She suggested community partnerships were the way to go, noting that the Palm Beach club was already doing so. The upcoming district conference would follow the theme “Be a gift to the world”, laid down by Rotary International’s 2015-16 president, K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran, of Sri Lanka. Mrs Kevan said we should be a gift to the world through district partnerships.
BEFORE THE FORMALITIES: pensive Melodie Kevan and cheerful Laurie Smith.
PROFESSOR LYN BEAZLEY: researchers examined pigment cells in the back of the eye that "jiggled" for red, green and blue light. Primitive animals had one extra light cell, sensitive to ultra-violet.
PAUL Trimble (above), a copper keeping a keen eye on vulnerable seniors in the community, was guest speaker at Wednesday’s Palm Beach Rotary Club meeting. Sergeant Trimble is coordinator of the South Metro Community Engagement Unit, based at Mandurah’s Peel House.
TWO Palm Beach Rotarians, Mick le Cocq and Kelvin Robinson, became Paul Harris Fellows at the club’s changeover night on Saturday.
New president Laurie Smith believes it is the first time in the club’s 34-year historya that two of these prestigious fellowships have been presented at the same time. “I don’t think it has ever happened before,” he said later.
The club demonstrated its eco-credentials by recycling its past president Laurie Smith into the chair for 2015-16.
And top table recycling goes further, the president elect for 2016-17 is past president Ted Curr.
Michael McCafferty, a very successful president for the past year, is vice-president for the coming year.
Doug Hess is staying on as treasurer but the club has a new secretary, Richard Carlson, who recently moved to Rockingham from Victoria with his wife Teresa.
They are a dynamic duo. Supported by Richard, Teresa, has devoted her life to raising almost $1 million for cystic fibrosis research. Their beautiful daughter Michelle died of his congenital condition just two weeks before her 17th birthday.
Teresa has taken over the community directorship from Graham Hunter.
The other club service directors for 2015-16 are Kevin McDonnell (vocational), Andy Chapman (youth services) and Michael le Cocq.
It was a cheerful night with a fantastic meal turned on by Michael and Shelley McCafferty’s staff at their Prestige Catering headquarters.
While we waited for the group to arrive in Shanghai, Libby and I took in the sights on our own down town. The trip is promising to be a good one and if the city’s skyline looks like this during the day I must come back at night!
It appears that the “new” side of the other side of the river wants to be the hip one wereas the Bund-side of Shanghai has a more mature air and style to it.
The Bund (Shanhai’s riverfront walk) is a popular place to do fashion and wedding shots.
But first - a spot of culture! High up overlooking Shanghai and we had our first tea ceremony. The tea ranged in taste from delicious to five-cigarette-butts-soaking-in-a-potty-for-a-week.
The two tall glasses pictured here contains “Adam & Eve”, a hard ball of dried green tea that - after soaking for a while – opened up and released a red and a yellow flower which also had medicinal properties.
Honour thy Gods. Ceremony is taking place at a temple in central Shanghai. A lot of young people attended. The sacrificial sticks could be bought at the counter hidden in the left corner.
On the 100th anniversary of ANZAC Day, Rockingham residents were out in force. The RSL estimated 20,000 people attended the Dawn Service. The Rotary Club of Palm Beach has been hosting The Rockingham Gunfire Breakfast for 27 years.
The endangered Carnaby’s cockatoo is lucky to have a friend in Dr Denis Saunders who has spent almost 50 years fighting for its survival. While his efforts to prevent further decline are making a difference, the battle for long-term survival endures. The Rotary Club of Palm Beach members, lead by Rick Dawson have actively supported Dr Saunders with his work at Coomallo Creek.
SPEECH OVER: Maddison Lamont and Daniel Muller share a joke with Palm Beach Rotary president Michael McCafferty after addressing the club about their RYPEN experiences.
LOCAL students Maddison Lamont and Daniel Muller were enthusiastic about their experiences at the recent Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN), when they spoke at last Wednesday's Palm Beach Rotary Club meeting.
Carnaby's cockatoo chicks discovered in an artifical hollow. Picture credit: Rick Dawson, DEC.ENVIRONMENT officials have installed dozens of fake hollows in the Wheatbelt in a bid to save plummeting Carnaby's cockatoo numbers.
DID you know Australia's marsupials see more colours than other animals, including humans?
Research showing same was carried out with a very special microscope.
That was one of the illustrations about the value of microscopes used by neuroscientist Professor Lyn Beazley (pictured, right) when addressing Rotarians from the Palm Beach, Rockingham, Kwinana and Mandurah clubs at Rockingham's Ocean Clipper Inn on Monday.
Professor Beazley is WA's Australian of the Year and we will soon know — on Australia Day — if she has scored the national award.
The Conference Planning Committee has endeavoured to produce a range of speakers and activities to entertain, educate and inspire delegates to this year’s Conference.
The Program is undergoing its finishing touches; however delegates can look forward to hearing from;
Former Rotary Exchange student and head of ASIO, David Irvine.
Young Western Australian of the Year, Tim Lefroy.
WA Australian of the Year 2012 and World authority on Cyber Bullying, Professor Donna Cross.
Western Australian of the Year 2014 and Former Chief Scientist, Professor Lyn Beazley.
Former Rotary Exchange student and member of WA Police, Paul Daly.
The CEO of Mental Health First Aid Australia, Betty Kitchener OAM.
"Ride to the other Side" for Australian Rotary Health with Craig Alford.
Former leading Politician, Vietnam Veteran and President of the WA Branch of the RSL, Graham Edwards.
S.T.A.R. Program, Kerry Green
Head of Teen Challenge in WA, Malcolm Smith and Tracey Hilton, Director, Grace Academy Drug Rehabilitation Program.
Micro Credit Foundation Program in California, Gerry McGann.
Also on the very full program will be :- 4 Way Test Speaking Final, Rotary Exchange Students; Inbound and Outbound Vocational Exchange Teams (previously known as GSE).
The Rotary Club of Marlow is combining with the Churches of Marlow to address the desperate situation in West Africa. They are working with the Rotary Club of Monrovia in Liberia where already hundreds have died.
Rotary continues to closely monitor the latest developments surrounding the Ebola outbreak, and work with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other partners to respond to both polio and Ebola. Fighting disease is a priority of our members, who have organized countless projects around the world aimed at educating and mobilizing communities to prevent the spread of major diseases such as polio, HIV/AIDS, and malaria.
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In 1981, at the request of the then-District Governor, Ron Sloan, The Rotary Club of Rockingham was approached to survey the Rockingham area to ascertain whether another Rotary club was needed in the area. A Past President of The Rockingham Rotary club, Ron Newbey was appointed, ably assisted by Past Presidents Les Godley and Murray Forbes to conduct the survey. The committee began its task by identifying potential members. Former members of the Rockingham club, John Greenway and Charles Griffiths, who lost their classification due to employment changes were now considered eligible for any new Rotary club as they now had suitable classifications. Others approached included former Moora-Geraldton club member Fawcett Bestall, Peter Dickman a former Bridgetown member, Basil Manessis from Merredin, and Stephen Yeo formerly of the Cunderdin club.
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A CROWD watched as Rotarians Rick Dawson and Kevin McDonnell were hoisted into the sky to dump several hundred golf balls on Charlie Gust’s Ennis Avenue putting course on Sunday morning.
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