GUEST SPEAKER: Josh Patrick Let’s Change the World says Josh Patrick "I have always admired Rotary International. This morning, I had the invaluable opportunity to witness first-hand the individual members that make this incredible collective 'movement' so impactful!”, wrote Josh Patrick on his LinkedIn post after his recent presentation. |
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Rotary Jacaranda Festival |
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LOOK FORWARD TO 2025 WITH A GREAT & CONTRASTING LINE-UP OF SPEAKERSEt Nova Et Vetera The first tranche of meetings in 2025 show off ’Both the new and the old’, not that Roger Painter is old, just his thousands of puns are! The new is uncontested: 17yo Joshua Patrick will start year 12 at Northam Senior High School in 2025. He wants to do well enough to be accepted into a Biomedical Engineering course at UWA, and win a scholarship to live at St George’s College, before applying to Medical School. He is also very keen to join the Western Australian University Regiment, and is really looking forward to meeting Colonel Tim Inglis. Let’s start with Roger who will kick off 2025 on 21 January before he heads back to the Canadian winter.  Roger “The Punster” Painter with Gordon Dunbar |
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WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBER MICHELE MUIRAt last week's meeting, Membership Director Margaret Brede and co-President Murray McKay officially welcomed Michelle Muir into the Applecross Rotary family. During the same meeting, Chris Whelan guided us through the final planning briefing for JacFest 2024. It was wonderful to have Michelle join us during this particularly busy and exciting time of the year!  Members responded well to the request to attend this important meeting to go through the final planning and actions for JacFest2024. The roving photographer captured the following pictures of some of the attendees -  Greg Hebble (left, with Jamie Kelly) brought us the news that WFKA founder Brother Ollie is WA’s latest nomination for Australian Senior of the Year.  George Mavros (left) led the Rotary JacFest team 20 years ago, see here with our Attendance Officer Tony Haeusler  Punny man Roger Painter will be with us until February and will tell us what his Club in Canada has been up to, early in 2025 |
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Congratulations Olly Pickett Wheelchair for Kids
Western Australia's newest Senior Australian of the Year says he is still coming to terms with the unexpected honour. Brother Thomas Oliver "Olly" Pickett has been recognised as the state's Senior Australian of 2025 after 27 years of volunteering at Wheelchairs for Kids. The 83-year-old Christian Brother from Geraldton, 400km north of Perth, co-founded the organisation, which has provided over 60,000 custom-built wheelchairs for kids in 80 countries. He is now the organisation's volunteer factory manager. |
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GUEST SPEAKER: Legatee John ScottLest We Forget "Legacy in the 21st Century" was the topic of former Navy Commander John Scott’s recent presentation to this year’s Remembrance Day Breakfast. Honorary Member Dr Chris Back chaired the session. Chris spoke to the Club at last year’s Remembrance Day Breakfast meeting, as did his younger son Justin, a retired Army officer who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, the year before.  Guest speaker Legatee John Scott, former RAN Commander, with President Tom, modelling his new Rotary T-shirt |
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GUEST SPEAKER: Marcus DicksonA Special Insight into the City of Melville Arts program  I don’t know what other members were expecting when Marcus Dickson stood up to speak to us recently, but it certainly wasn’t what I had anticipated.Marcus is the City’s Events and Programming co-ordinator. He decided to tell us all about himself and what a treat that turned out to be. Firstly, Marcus grew up in Applecross and later on the family moved "all the way" to Ardross. Little wonder he needed Google Maps to find his way to Bull Creek and Leeming, but more of that later. The river was important to him growing up, and gave up its prawns to him and his friends many times on balmy summer evenings. After he left school he found a job in Fremantle (even further from Bull Creek and Leeming) and worked for 16 years at the Fremantle Arts Centre. He “came home” to Applecross three years ago, working at City Hall (aka the Civic Centre) for Creative Director Zoe Atkinson. One of his jobs was to make the arts (mostly music) more accessible to those who live in Melville, and as an example, he has happy memories of organising a music event called Goodnight Bull Creek featuring the music of Zebadiah (https://soundcloud.com/zebadiah-zoolkoski). Around 1500 people attended. The event was held at Bob Gordon Reserve in Benningfield Rd, Bull Creek, which happens to have a “spaceship” in the kids playground, similar to the one that used to be on the corner of Leach Highway and Karel Ave, Willeton (also in Melville!).  Marcus thinks this is a good example of bringing arts to the people to help them think and feel differently about the world, and obviously LotteryWest think it's a good enough idea to sponsor.
Marcus finished by sharing an unexpected feeling he experienced when driving past the two places he grew up in, in Applecross and Ardross. The houses he lived in are no longer there, which he found strangely sad, like an important connection he had with those places had been lost. It led to him wondering if this feeling of connectedness was what Aboriginal people talk about: their spiritual connection to the land of their birth and growth. This has led to him wanting to learn more about the Dreamtime and its stories and songs, and a stronger empathy and respect for the Indigenous people who walked the land where we live and work, 65,000 years ago (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aboriginal_Australians).  for the ZOOM recording of Marcus's presentation. |
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Kicking off 2025 with Really Good NewsLast year, on 22 August to be exact, Dr Gareth Baynham spoke to Applecross Rotary about Undiagnosed Genetic Diseases.  Earlier this year, Joshua Patrick (pictured with his sister Charlotte who he is her carer), a student at Northam Senior High School began a conversation with me on LinkedIn about our proposed Global Grant to reduce the incidence of juvenile deafness in the Eastern Wheatbelt, and as our conversation grew I realised I was talking to a very special person. Josh, his mother and two sisters are carers for their sister Charlotte, who has (or had until very recently) an Undiagnosed Genetic Disease, and Josh is a well known advocate for Young Carers. And lots of other related things which are listed at the end of this story*. Josh will be our guest speaker over breakfast on 28 January 2025. He is a passionate speaker so please make sure you are there to hear him and bring some guests. It will be a celebration at many levels (read on).  Just to recap: Gareth Baynham is Director of the Undiagnosed Diseases Program at the Rare Care Centre at the Telethon Kids Institute. There are currently around 63,000 young people in this situation in WA, and half of the cases remain undetermined - that’s over 30,000.Now, as of a month ago, there’s one less - Charlotte. The diagnosis means Charlotte can now receive a treatment plan that works well for others with the same condition. Dr Baynam: “We can now unequivocally say that Charlotte is going to have a long life. She is not going to go backwards, there is a path forward, “This specific gene variant has just occurred out of the blue. It was something that happened and it’s not hereditary and can’t be passed on.” It has also given a sense of hope not only for Charlotte’s future but also for her three siblings, who are going to be able to have children one day without having to worry about having a child that had inherited medical issues. Josh is thrilled that Charlotte is no longer has a SWAN - Syndrome Without A Name. And the good news continued with Josh recently receiving a place in UWA's Fairway Program for students who have career dreams, but who would perhaps not feel that attending UWA was a feasible option for them due to location, poverty or other hardships. The Fairway Program provides access to summer school and other academic support to help make the path to university as smooth and easy as possible. . And to top it off, he has just received “early acceptance" into UWA to study for a double degree - Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Science with a major in Biomedical Engineering! *Joshua Patrick: TEDxYouth Speaker, Community Youth Citizen of the Year, Minderoo Intern, Civic Engagement YAG, Carers WA YAG, VCI Ambassador, National SWAN Sibling Ambassador, Carer/Disadvantaged Youth Advocate, Passionate Change-Maker |
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GUEST SPEAKER: Niki FerreiraOur Niki visits her “old” Club!  Niki originally came to Applecross Rotary in 2011 on a six month placement by the John Curtin Leadership Academy, and became a student member for several years, including serving as Club Secretary for two years! No wonder our longer serving members were thrilled to learn she was our guest speaker recently. Niki was a Pharmacy student in 2011, and is now the WA Health Department Pharmacist overseeing the Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Pharmacy Service. VAD is now legal in all states (WA in 2021). There is a rigid process to be followed, and requires applicants to begin by demonstrating that the choice made for VAD was made by a competent person, free of coercion, who is already dying. Here is some data, collected in the year 2022-23 (with change from 2021-22) First assessments 474 (+23.4%) VAD deaths 255 (+33.5%) Median age 74 (58.8% were male) Self administered 45 (+17.6%) Practioner administered 210 (+82.4%) The majority lived in the metro area (75.6%), and 73% had a cancer related diagnosis. Niki was well received by members and guests and thanked for making a presentation about a topic of importance, in a careful and sensitive way. If you would like to know more Niki has provided the following -  SAM'S STORY - "This is my stop" Listen as Sam shares her experience of being by her mother’s side throughout her end-of-life journey from lung cancer, and their conscious commitment to making memories as a family. Actively choosing to make the most of the time available to them, the family worked through her mother’s ‘bucket list’ before her death, using all services available to them including excellent palliative care to support her to die at home.
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Club sponsor Greg Brindle recognised with a PHF On Thursday, President Tom Atkinson had the honor of presenting a PAUL HARRIS FELLOW to Greg Brindle, a long-time supporter of our club. The recognition took place during a meeting with Greg’s management team. Greg is the chairman of the Brindle Group, a family-owned business that operates Good Grocer IGA stores across the metro area, as well as in Karratha and Newman. Greg's dedication to the community is evident through his ongoing support of Rotary and various other community and sporting organizations, allowing him to give back to those who support his business. Congratulations to Greg, and a heartfelt thank you for your unwavering commitment to our shared goals and belief that “together we can achieve more.” During the event, President Tom also had the opportunity to give a brief presentation about Rotary to Greg’s store managers, with Greg encouraging them to consider getting involved with their local Rotary club.  |
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GUEST SPEAKER: Helen CreedHelen Creed says WA way behind with Childcare  We don’t really like to hear that WA is “way behind” in anything, but Helen Creed, who spoke to members recently, knows her stuff. Helen was suggested as a guest speaker by Rotarian Liz Palmer, and it proved to be a great suggestion. They are long term friends, and Helen says she knows Liz best as “Bib”. We didn’t get to hear why! Helen, a former social worker, came to WA from Victoria many years ago. Her work with primary school teaching assistants stimulated an interest in Childcare, and it quickly became her passion. Helen prefers to use the term Early Childhood Education (ECE), as Childcare as we know it is much more than babysitting, although the pay rates continue to be among the lowest of all workers - $27/hour is the minimum, and a minimum of $32/hour for those with a university degree. Contrast that with the minimum $33/hour for the person stopping traffic while road repairs are underway! Kids are born ready to learn, and their brain development is stimulated by ECE. Kids who have accessed ECE have a head start when they start compulsory education at 5 or 6 years of age. It has a life-long impact. Helen, a former Executive Director of Children and Family Services in the WA Department of Communities, which licensed child care centres, was also the first Chair of REED - Regional Early Education and Development. Helen’s focus has always been on regional access to ECE and she is a strong advocate for REED. The only way this can be delivered in the regions is via the non-for-profit sector, as the numbers don’t stack up for business investors. The ACCC has stated that market forces have failed to meet the needs in the regions, and the Productivity Commission is a strong advocate for ECE being totally free for those on low incomes. However there is a shortage of graduates so that's another matter needing urgent attention. In fact it’s the greatest challenge. No sense in creating demand if it can’t be filled. So to make ECE readily available in regional WA, the government has to lead the way, and fortunately Helen’s career path led her to the senior levels of the state public service. Thanks Helen for making us wiser about Childcare and to start understanding that ECE connects care and education for our precious pre-schoolers. |
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GUEST SPEAKER: Caroline RobinsonCaroline also works for the Greater Good  President Tom, Caroline Robinson, Graeme Fardon and Ray Philp
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Guest Speaker - Chris WhelanYou can take the boy out of Africa, but . . . . . Chris Whelan recently spoke to members and future members about growing up in Africa, specifically in what was then Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), a British Protectorate until it was granted independence in 1964. Chris’ father was a justice of its High Court, and after independence he ended his legal career as a Judge of the District Court of WA. In contrast, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) was a self-governing colony, and it took a civil war to resolve its future as an independent country. Chris spent most of his school years there, boarding at St George’s College, a Jesuit school in Salisbury (now Harare) from the age of 9. and only spent time with his family back in Northern Rhodesia, three times a year. It took Chris a while to figure out how to manage all of this without frequent corporal punishment, and all ended well when he graduated as dux of his school. When Chris showed us his map, he pointed out the shape of the northern border of Zambia, with a tongue of land that belongs to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a former colony of Belgium. This land coincidentally contains most of the copper that can be found in the region. However Zambia has enough copper to be a major source of foreign earnings, and it was also a major grower of tobacco. The other thing Zambia has is plenty of water - and thus hydro electricity. The dam on the Zambezi River may be the largest in the world.  However with lots of water comes lots of insects bearing diseases like malaria (estimated 20,000 new cases a day) and African Sleeping Sickness, usually fatal and also caused by a parasite, spread through the bites of tstse flies. Lots of water also describes the world famous Victoria Falls of the Zambezi River, which separates modern day Zambia and Zimbabwe. The town on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls is called Livingstone, named after the Scottish explorer Dr David Livingstone, I presume! He was the person who named Victoria Falls for Queen Victoria, the only time he used a non-African name to designate a place on the maps he was sending back to Royal Society in London. Chris kept everyone enthralled ("I could have sat there for another hour" said a relatively new member), so we’ll try and get him to come back and continue taking us through another episode of “Life of Chris”, next year. LINK: click here |
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GUEST SPEAKER: Tuck WaldronWheatbelt Mentoring Success Continues — President in Cricket Heaven President Tom really enjoyed himself when he got to host the Hon. Tuck Waldron, former WA Minister for Sport and Recreation, and past Chair of WA Cricket, at our recent meeting. Tom also brought along WA Cricket’s new Manager for the Wheatbelt, Emma Wilson.  Tuck Waldron, President Tom and Emma Wilson from Cricket WA |
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GUEST SPEAKER: Erin HegartyCollaborating Across Borders - the story of Mama Respond That’s the theme Erin Hegarty chose for her recent presentation to Applecross Rotary but the Back Story is also really important - the use of a Rotary Foundation Global Grant to fund life changing facilities for children with disabilities at a school just outside Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.  |
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Jacaranda Festival Celebrates Strong Sponsor Support
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GUEST SPEAKER: John ParkShipping Costs - Don’t blame it all on COVID If there is anything John Park doesn’t know about international freight charges, I’d be very surprised. He definitely knows his stuff.  John is Head of Business Operations with the Freight and Trade Alliance, and previously was Regional Manager WA for the Customs Brokers and Forwarders Council of Australia for over 20 years. He is also married to President Tom’s mother! |
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RYE VALENTIN REPORTReport 31-09.06.2024 As my Sister Amelie, who was on Exchange herself, just told me I only got three Month left here in Australia and therefore have to use my time as good as possible. I try my best, sister. :-D Over the long weekend, I had the pleasure of going on a short camping trip to Dwellingup with my host family and friends.   The breathtaking landscape and dense forest were particularly captivating. We set up camp in a beautiful spot surrounded by towering trees and the sounds of nature, which provided a serene and peaceful environment. Spending time outdoors in nature was a wonderful change of pace, and the presence of many children added to the joy and energy of the trip. We played games, explored the area, and shared countless moments of laughter.  One of the highlights of the trip for me was a small bike ride I took through the forest trails. The fresh air and scenic views made the ride truly enjoyable. It was exciting to navigate through the winding paths and discover hidden spots along the way. The sense of adventure was amazing, and it was a great way to connect with nature.Additionally, I had the opportunity to put many of my scouting skills to use during the camping trip. From setting up a Hammock, building several campfires to cooking meals and organising activities, these skills proved to be invaluable. The experience not only reinforced my love for the outdoors once again but also highlighted the importance of being prepared and resourceful.   Overall, the camping trip to Dwellingup was a fantastic experience filled with beautiful landscapes, fun activities, and quality time with friends and family. It was a perfect blend of relaxation and adventure, and I am grateful for the memories we created. This trip has definitely one of greatest I've done in Australia. Otherwise in school I’m now involved into the Scotch & PLC Play “School of Rock” where I’m helping with the Backstage. The show nights are all in the upcoming week and I’m excited for this. For a fun and joyful evening tickets are still available by clicking here. The actors have been practicing for the last term and are very proud of their final play.  For Scouting, I've been on a Unit Management course, where I learned useful leadership and management skills. This course is required to bring me closer to my Kings Scout Award, the highest Achievement in the Venturer section for scouting in the Commonwealth. I'm looking forward to completing my last part which is a 3-4 Day adventurous journey in the upcoming holidays.  However, I'm enjoying the great weather while playing Rugby, hanging out with my mates in and around Perth and my time with my Family here in Australia. Report 10-16.06.2024  The smell and the feeling of the river during a windy afternoon at Point Walter is the most magnificent experience that I’ve had in the last week. As I’m just living 15 minutes of walking away from the point, I finally used the opportunity and discovered the great scenery. My passion for the water followed up on Monday when we went down to Cottesloe beach with the Inbound students to get a talk about microplastic and do a 30min beach Clean-Up where we found an unexpected high amount of rubbish."School of Rock" is a high-energy musical based on the 2003 film of the same name. It follows the story of Dewey Finn, a failed rock musician who poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school and turns his class of straight-A students into a rock band. The show features impressive performances by actors from year 9 to 12 who some play their own instruments live on stage. With themes of self-discovery, rebellion, and the transformative power of music, it delivers an electrifying and heart-warming theatrical experience. Dealing with technology, the cast and other lovely Australian mates was my task for the week. As I’ve been completely involved into Scotch’s Musical “School of Rock” as part of the Backstage Key-Roadie Crew I met new great people and formed new friendships. As Part of our work, we practiced the scene changes, set the light, added and built props for the setting to make the whole stage help to visual the emotions of the actors, with the assistance of Teacher, Staff and professional Operators. Throughout the week we had six performances, one on Wednesday and Thursday and two on Friday and Saturday, each 3.5 hours long. In all the shows we had a brilliant audience which made it so much more fun. It was another outstanding opportunity to get involved with new people and learn new skills.    Otherwise, I’ve been doing Push-Ups all week long to raise awareness for Men’s Mental Health.The Push-Up Challenge is a mental health and fitness event focused on pushing for better mental health for all Australians. Participants complete 3,249 push-ups or alternative exercises over 24 days, representing the 3,249 lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2022. Scotch is highly involved into the program and so am I. As Men’s Mental Health is a big issue in the world I would highly appreciate, if we could support and make a difference here in Australia. So far there have been 139,325,189 Push-Ups banked and over 8.5 million Dollars donated for good.  Thank you for your contribution and see you on Tuesday. |
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GUEST SPEAKER: Curtis Lind Thanks for the memories, BarryDr Barry Mendelawitz has given Applecross an amazing array of guest speakers during his tenure coordinating our weekly program, and Curtis Lind’s presentation on Aquaculture was a fitting finale. Curtis Lind has been involved in the aquaculture industry for close to 20 years and has worked throughout Africa, South Asia and the Asia-Pacific. He is currently based in Perth working for the CSIRO, specialising in the use of breeding and genetics to improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of aquaculture in Australia. Aquaculture is the process of breeding, rearing and harvesting of aquatic flora and fauna with commercial value in saltwater or freshwater, in controlled aquatic environments. It is the fastest food production sector globally. It has grown six-fold in the past 20 years! It currently produces twice as much food as the beef industry, according to Curts. More than half of all seafood consumed is aquaculture - the term aquaculture broadly refers to the cultivation of aquatic organisms The Australian aquaculture industry occurs in marine, estuarine and freshwater locations. The industry is predominantly based in regional Australia and makes a significant and positive contribution to regional economies. And if some smarty-pants asks you how is it different from pisciculture, you can tell them that pisciculture is the culturing of fish (fish farming) to obtain fish and fish products as food - so no seaweed or shell fish like oysters, clams, prawns, scallops or mussels. Curtis told us that the world population is expected to grown by an extra 2 billion people by 2050, and aquaculture will play a key role in providing the food needed to feed them. It is environmentally and financially responsible:
Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon is currently the largest aquaculture industry in Australia (70,000t/yr) and two main players dominate in our supermarkets - Tassal and Huon. Around 5,000t/yr of black tiger and banana prawns are produced, mainly in Queensland. Barramundi is farmed in all mainland states and is targeted to reach 20,000t by next year. However a lot of Barra is also imported, but while less expensive, is not well regarded by fussy pescatarians. What’s the future look like? Northern Australia is set for rapid developments in aquaculture
If you want a horse to back, it’s called Tropical Prawn Aquaculture! Curtis is also enthusiastic about White-flesh fish increasing its presence alongside salmon in the supermarket chillers.  It’s not wild-caught but it’s not entirely happy either! Thank's again Barry. |
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RYE Valentin's Report
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Guest Speaker: Philip LakoDo you have any photo ID?  About 2 weeks after I downsized to Myaree in 2021, I was robbed as I slept and all my photos iD’s were among the goods stolen. Ironically I needed photo ID if I wanted to replace them!Our guest speaker Philip Pitia Lako didn’t have that First World problem - his birth in a grass hut in what is now South Sudan was never recorded, so he really doesn’t know how old he is, or his date of birth, a critical issue when it comes to proving you are who you claim to be. So he was given one!  Philip was “recruited” into the Sudan People’s Revolutionary Army when he thinks he might have been 10 years old, during a long civil war (1955-2005) that eventually led to the creation of a new country, South Sudan. This army removed him from his family and he suffered torture, abuse, given very little food, or any safe places to hide during frequent aerial bombardments. With the help of a Norwegian Agency and an Irish priest, Philip escaped to Kenya and lived in a Refugee Camp “where hope quickly fades away”. He was eventually accepted into Australia. However he found the resilience to muster hope when all seemed impossible, and is now determined to be of service to others. One manifestation of this is his membership of RC Perth. He has written a book about his life “The Ten-Year-Old Man” and the funds raised from sales are donated to the Rotary Foundation. Australia “gave me the opportunity to imagine my full potential”, Philip told us, as well as a realisation that while a really important day in your life is the day you are born (whenever that is), another is the day you find out why. |
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GUEST SPEAKER: Cameron Schuster From Little Things, Big Things Grow: Lessons from a Junior Cricket ClubThe song title might be appropriate for our presentation from Cameron Schuster, but the context is very different. Cameron was a Melville City Councillor for a total of 10 years, and that’s an important part of the story. More importantly, he had been a leader in Applecross Junior Cricket Club (JCC), beginning in 1970, and a key mover for its merger with the big kids in the Applecross Cricket Club that was finalised in 2022. The story is a familiar one. A club with a dwindling membership in 1980 was fielding two teams a week, involving a total of 35 kids, and ominously "looking at its options" for the future. When Cameron first became involved, there were three local JCCs, Applecross, Mt Pleasant and Ardross; now there's just Applecross. All the usual excuses were offered: families with kids have moved on or the kids had left home. Yet the Primary Schools were doing OK for numbers (and they are booming now!). Cameron persuaded his JCC to change its culture - from winning to participation, and playing cricket for fun. Importantly for the future, there was a deliberate move to include women - the mothers of the sons, and now daughters, who wanted to have fun playing cricket with their friends. The result was the JCC was fielding 5 teams a week involving 75 kids, within a few years. And now in the season just concluded the Applecross Cricket Club had 21 junior teams, including three teams all girls, with one team being for years 10-11 for the first time. They had trouble finding enough ovals for all their teams to play home games. There are 261 kids involved and of the 41 people in leadership roles, 16 are women. The final part of Cameron’s story concerns Shirley Strickland Oval. The cricket team needed a base, and Shirley Strickland Oval needed a total revamp to continue honouring her local legacy. If you haven’t driven past lately, go have a look. The pavilion itself is a proper recognition of Shirley Strickland, and is the result of judicious use of funds available from the state government and the City of Melville, including grants and low interest loans. Thank you President Tom for inviting Cameron to address our recent meeting. |
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Guest Speaker Tues 19 March - Thomas MurrellLeadership Lessons from Forgotten Women Artists of WA  A whole generation of talented women artists from WA have been forgotten and overlooked. Too late for the art boom of the 1890s and too early for the #knowmyname movement, they remain hidden and unknown. Social norms and a male dominated industry have meant they have gone missing from our private art collections, our galleries and our art history books. This was an era of immense creativity, economic prosperity and social change. Yet if you were a women artist, you were not allowed to be more famous than your husband and any form of self-promotion was seen as in poor taste. |
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Phew, another HOT Perth Makers Market! It all started on Saturday mid-morning at Kenn's storage unit loading the event materials onto the club trailer and utility, then heading to the Heathcote reserve to set up for the parking control for Sunday's Perth Makers Market. As an added challenge the oval, due to lack of water and maintenance, is getting very 'boggy' which resulted in a number of vehicles (including the club ute) having to be towed out when they got bogged.  Guide Dogs WA joined George Mavros at the Rotary marquee. Their Corporate and Community Engagement Officer, Bec Woodward with some of her volunteers and staff, did a great job in promoting that Guide Dogs WA are currently seeking loving homes for their young adult dogs in training, for a period of 6 to 12 months. They also sold merchandise for their fund-raising activity and had some of their dogs in-training, much to the delight of people attending the markets.  The numbers attending the markets did appear to be down due to the heat, however one of the dogs was still able to do her promotion work amongst the market crowd with her paws protected from the hot paths with dog boots!  |
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Rotary fellowship at its best!Well done to Peter Smith (President Melville Rotary) for organising last Thursday's (February 23rd) event to recognise Rotary's 118 year anniversary, World Rotary Day. Rotarians from our zone gathered at 'The Rowing Pavillion' wearing their Rotary shirts for a no fuss 'Sundowner' enjoying good food, drinks and great company at one of Perth's newest venues overlooking the river at Canning Bridge. Unfortunately, Peter had double booked himself and had to leave early however it was agreed this will become an annual event on Rotary's anniversary.     |
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BIG things happen when Rotarian's CONNECT! Wednesday saw the official opening of the new ambulant toilet block in the newly build special needs unit at Noonkopir Township Primary School, Kitengela, Kenya. This project was a cooperation between Applecross Rotary, Rotary Club of Embakasi, Mama Respond International and the Rotary Foundation. Many Rotary Clubs in Western Australia provided funding support. Another wonderful example of international cooperation between Rotary teams to help children with special needs in Kenya. Great thanks to Wangu, Risper, Paul, Dr Patrisio and Erin.   |
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WEAR YOUR ROTARY SHIRT DAY D9465 has for several years promoted the no-cost publicity of ALL Rotarians wearing their Rotary shirts on the 23 February, Paul Harris’s Birthday. The event has been followed by several other Districts around the World but still needs clubs to be reminded to get involved. This initiative was started by a group of our AGs and is an easy way of showing Rotary in our community and inviting the conversation of ‘What is Rotary”. Ideally, the Rotary shirt would be worn all day as the Rotarians go about their daily business, not just at a Rotary meeting.
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Sensory Room Proposal Last meeting's guest speaker was Cranston Collis who is the Principal of the Kensington Secondary School. Cran is reaching out in the hope of receiving support to purchase several items needed to address the sensory, social, emotional and academic needs of their students at Kensington Secondary School. They are a school that caters for year 7 to 13 students with special needs.The plan is to refurbish one of their current classrooms providing a safe multi-sensory room that allows access for all their students. This is currently far beyond the standard scope of funding normally allocated to schools.Without this equipment their students are missing out on vital resources for their special needs and education.  Following Cran's presention he has provided additional information as follows: Dear Applecross Rotarians, Thank you for listening to my presentation last Tuesday morning. I feel the need to follow up as from the questions I received I realised I had made some assumptions regarding the level of understanding with regards to what a sensory room actually is. I apologies for being in my ‘special needs bubble’ and thank you for the questions that made me realise this. I will endeavour to clarify for you a little better with this brief follow up address. A Sensory room is a purpose-built facility that can be controlled to suit the individual needs of someone who may be dysregulated or feeling anxious or even out of control as a result of something in their day to day environment. We all receive information from our environment and process this information without the need to directly attend to it. We move, see, touch, smell and taste without realising our brain is actually carrying on a multitude of processes to allow these things to happen automatically or subconsciously, this is called sensory processing. People who have problems with this have what is known as Sensory Processing Disorder. To have a diagnosis means you are unable to function without some kind of assistance. This may be in one or more of the sensory areas. One example, common to students with special needs, relates to touch and fine motor sensory processing. This presents with a student having difficulty in holding a pencil (writing), using the correct pressure (constantly breaking pencil). Considering another example, a student with Autism may find the noise of the classroom overwhelming. Removing them to a calm place where their favourite music can be played at their desired volume or images of an underwater seascape can be projected onto a wall and viewed. This acts as a powerful tool for returning the student to a mental state wear they are much less likely to engage in out of control violent or dangerous behaviour. It also means parents are not called as frequently to collect their child, having to leave work or lose much needed respite. Staff are also given another extremely effective behaviour management tool, decreasing the chance of being assaulted or injured and the resulting sick, workers compensation or stress leave. The student is also much more likely to be able to reengage in class learning activities. The multi-sensory room provides a multitude of learning experiences other than learning to control behaviour through the soothing of the five senses. It also helps to build key developmental skills such as cause and effect, hand eye coordination and fine motor skills. I hope this has helped with some of the points raised on Tuesday morning. Please feel free to email me for more clarification or more questions. Thanks. cran.collis@education.wa.edu.au |
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Rotary Youth Exchange Re-Commencing in 2023 Late in December 2022 Jill Hanna, RYE Chair Elect D9423, advised PP Dr Ian Fairnie that after more than a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19, the RYE program will restart in 2023. The restarting of the Program means that our reciprocal Inbound Exchange Student for our last Outbound Connor Ovens (pictured with Ian prior to leaving for Germany in January 2020) is expected to arrive in July 2023. Applications for Outbound students who will leave in January 2024 will also be opening soon. A meeting was held recently with Ian, Connor (who is the current chair of ROTEX), President Logan, President elect Tom and RYE Chair elect Jill Hanna. The timeline for what needs to be done before we receive our inbound student is very tight and you will hear more at Tuesday's meeting of what needs to be done. |
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Community Service Award to Monica Morunga
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KENYAN PROJECT UPDATE The toilet block (GG2233171) is about 50% completed with an estimated completion in December 2022. Construction of the co-joined Special Needs Unit proceeds and is funded by a grant from DFAT and donations from MAMA Respond. Applecross Rotary, RC Embakasi and MAMA Respond are working to scope the fit out necessary to make these buildings functional. A new Global Grant will request multi Rotary District support for the fit out. The anticipated costs are around US$50K and the Global Grant application needs formal Applecross Rotary Board approval. |
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CHANGEOVER 2022Applecross Rotary's 51st Changeover was held on Wednesday 6th July at the Manning Rippers Football Club in the Manning Community Centre. Forty Five members and guests attended with a delicious 3 course meal provided by Duncan & Kristie owners of Krankin Cafe, excellent drink service from footy club members Jo-anne, Wayne and Rod, and guitarist/ singer Wayne Glasson providing the entertainment throughout the night. The colour theme purple and white Lorri tells me, was selected by Logan's partner Nikki!         This year's President Elect and Secretary Tom Atkinson did a great job as MC and started the proceedings calling everyone to their seats and doing the Acknowlegement to Country. He then introduced outgoing President Peter McEwen.  Peter acknowledged our special guests; DG Ric McDonald and Ailsa McDonald, PDG Pat Shraven, AG Kenn Williams and Erin Hegley Founder and Director of Mama Respnd International. Peter gave an overview of his annual report and then invited DG Ric to propose a toast to Rotary Internationsl.  Following the meal MC Tom called up PDG Pat who took this opportunity to personally present the District 9465 Rotarian of the Year Award to Applecross Rotary member, Chris Whelan. Please find the details of this presentation in a following story in this AA. Pat also presented appreciation awards to AG Kenn Williams and Chris Whelan.  In a surprise presentation DG Pat awarded a certificate to the Rotary Club of Applecross for the Bulletin of the Year 2021-2022. The certificate read "for delivering a consistently high standard weekly bulletin. The Applecross Advocate is a pleasure to read each week, it showcases the fun, friendship and pride we all have in being part of Rotary. The Advocate content and standard makes a great promotional tool, ideal for distributing to potential members or community groups. Your Club has also excelled in your use of social media and continue to expand your reach and build wider networks. Thank you to all members for your outstanding support to Rotary"PDG Pat presented Chris Whelan with the District Rotarian of the Year Award and in his acceptance speech he acknowledged the great part his involvement in the Mama Respond Kenyan project played in the reason he was receiving the award. He invited Mama Respond founder and director Erin Hegley to share the award with him for her fantastic work in Kenya and the opportunity for him amd many Rotarians and Rotary Clubs not only in WA and Kenya, but also in the USA to work together to make this project happen. Peter then acknowledged Chris's outstanding work for the club throughout the year with a PHF +2 recognition level and a PHF recognition to Erin Hegarty for making a difference to the lives of children in Kenya through her charity MAMA RESPOND International and in particular the project to build a Special Needs Centre at Noonkopir Township Primary School.  Peter then made the following awards: Applecross Rotarian of the Year - Ray Philp  Community Service Award - Brett Hammill  A new Award "Applecross Rotary Jacaranda Festival Mal Taylor Award" to Mal Taylor  Finally the time came for Peter to handball the Presidency to Logan ...    President Logan Duncan-Smith thanked the Club Members for the honour of leading the club for the 2022 - 2023 Rotary year. |
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District 9465 Rotarian of the Year: Chris Whelan PDG Pat Schraven attended our Changeover on Wednesday evening and presented Chris Whelan with the ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR for DISTRICT 9465. The following was Pat's words leading up to the presentation: "As District Governor I am given the challenge of selecting a member worthy of the Rotarian of Year for District 9465. There are so many members who are worthy of this recognition so it is a challenge I am grateful to have. Amongst there are people who in their own quiet way make an enormous difference to the people around them. Their subtle and effective approach to mentor the emerging generation of leaders in Rotary, encouraging them to step up, share their ideas and be heard. Their business acumen and strategic thinking which has for years enhanced their own clubactivities, this year spilled over in abundance to support the future direction of Rotary. This member knows how to build strong, lasting relationships within Rotary and externally with local business and organisations that foster sustainable partnerships and helped his club and our district expand our reach. And when You think this member's cup is full they take on an international project that saw the collaboration of 10 clubs and the successful aquisition of a Rotary Foundation global grant. In the past year I have been in awe of his contribution to the transition of D9423 as the lead for the stategic focus team. Congratulations Chris Whelan - Rotarian of the Year for District 9465." |
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Rotary ART Show & Sale closes Sunday at 1pm |
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Stitches of Hope Sleeping Bags Keep Homeless Warm For several years now, we have partnered with WA charity Street Connect, to buy sleeping bags for homeless people in WA. Last year over 80 sleeping bags were donated, and many ended up in Mandurah and Bunbury where there was high demand.“Stitches of Hope” is a registered charity that was established by Swan Rotarians Kay and John Eva. It is based in Cambodia and the sleeping bags are made in a local village, and pay a living wage to the workers. Kay and John get them delivered to WA where they can be purchased for $50, and donated to Street Connect. So your tax-deductible donation through RAWCS sends money to Cambodia for village development, and keeps homeless people warm in WA. Pretty good deal! We launched the 2022 Appeal a few weeks, and sold 36 sleeping bags. Great start - well done! Please chat to Ian Fairnie if you’d like to participate. |
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MUSINGS OF A PARKING LIEUTENANT PMM Project Leader Brett H does his final checks Well, another PMM behind us, and hopefully another strong fund raiser for those with a need. However, for the operations team, there’s is always something to laugh, cry, or enjoy about happenings on the day! You have to laugh… at those dear drivers who, on seeing a collection request, make sure the window is up, a grim look covers their face, and they try to move past as if we don’t exist….. and those which only the ‘rights’ of an ACROD pass confer, have the indignation to DEMAND a spot, even when we are totally full up…. And those gob- smacked who ‘just come for the playground’, or a family picnic, totally unaware that the event is on, … and some of our dear ethnic friends who look at you dumbfounded when one asks for a ‘donation for charity’! Drop a tear when idiots, despite directions, insist on driving up the wrong, out going lane, and have to be directed out without causing total chaos,…or want to stop and have a chat, despite traffic building behind them and holding up normal traffic flow,…. Or in the lower car park, get bogged in the sand due to stopping and trying to drive on again… But on the enjoyment side, working to a schedule with a wonderful group of fellow ‘volunteer soldiers’, irrespective of the heat, wind, rain … or early hour set up/later hour pull down, sharing in the fantastic fund raising the event presents, and knowing that Applecross Rotary has again overseen a very well organised event management activity. Long may we soldier on with this event, and have a laugh or a cry along the way!  PP Barry M shows how to do it from year's of practice! |
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Rotary International re UkraineThe Rotary Foundation creates channel for direct humanitarian support in Ukraine region |
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Guest Speaker Dr Mark Duncan-Smith Last Tuesday's meeting was a combined Dinner meeting with the Booragoon Rotary Club and our keynote speaker was Dr Mark Duncan-Smith, President of the Australian Medical Association WA. A University of Western Australia graduate, Dr Duncan-Smith is a consultant plastic surgeon and burns surgeon, who played a crucial role in the Bali Bombing Disaster of 2002 as one of the two treating Consultant Burn Surgeons. He has experienced first-hand what can be achieved with a medical workforce working in unison with medical administration towards a common goal, with the excellent health outcomes for survivors of both the Bali Bombing and Ashmore Reef disasters. He is a humanitarian doctor, undertaking 15 overseas volunteer surgical aide trips in his career, including Mongolia, Indonesia and Vanuatu. Mark made comment of the importance of these trips is to train and educate the locals in the treatment of burns that can improve the health outcomes of thousands of patients. The value of humanitarian work is of great value for his professional development as well as the use of his skills to treat patient conditions that he has not experience in Australia. The AMAWA is the peak representative body for doctors in WA with over 5000 members (50% of doctors). Their vision is to be "the leading and trusted voice for better healthcare" and their mission is to "represent, support and advocate for doctors, patients and the community". Mark took us through the current state of the WA health system including ambulance ramping hours and access to hospital beds. Mark spoke on COVID 19 and the importance of people to get vaccinated. He also presented the AMAWA's 'action agenda 2021' calling on the State Government to implement their 15 point plan.  Mark finished by saying "if all you do and are is a surgeon, you will have a very boring retirement" WORK TO LIVE, DON'T LIVE TO WORK If you missed Mark's presentation you can view it on the Applecross Rotary members private Facebook group. |
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21 YEARS FOR APPLECROSS’S PREMIER COMMUNITY EVENT! The 21st Rotary Jacaranda Festival will be held on the 27th of November at its well established home in Applecross Village, and promises to be bigger and better than ever!!
“What started out with very humble beginnings in year 2000 and is now recognised as one of the BEST community Festivals in Perth, continues to charm all who attend,” Kenn Williams, from the organising committee said. “Set amongst the shady flowering Jacaranda trees and commercial hub of Ardross St., without doubt, it really does take some beating “ Certainly Covid-19 WA Health protocols must be again followed, but it will not have the crowd limitations of last year, as it currently stands. Only a QR Code check-in will be required, as for any other public event. |
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Ken-ya support this flush idea? APPLECROSS ROTARY, THE ROTARY CLUB OF KITENGELA and MAMA RESPOND International (a Perth based NFP) have joined forces to build what will be the only comprehensive toilet block for special needs students in Kitengela, Kenya (population 150,000). This will be at Noonkopir Township Primary School – a public school closely affiliated with Mama Respond.
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Banner Presentation by RYE Connor Ovens RYE Connor Ovens presenting his host Club banner to IPP Ray Philp Thanks to PP Dr Ian Fairnie's Presidential Year goal to get Applecross Rotary back into the Youth Exchange Program, Connor Ovens in early 2020 embarked on his Rotary Youth Exchange to Germany hosted by the Rotary Club of Willich in District 1870. Connor took the opportunity at our special event celebrating the Club's 50 Anniversary and Changeover 2021 to present the RC of Willich's banner. |
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APPLECROSS ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR IPP Ray Philp presenting PP Chris Whelan with 'Rotarian of the Year' trophy It was indeed a pleasure to present our Executive Secretary Past President Chris Whelan with the recognition as Rotarian of the Year, for his outstanding work that he does for the Club especially my year as President. Chris, like many Rotarians, brings his Corporate life skills to professionally manage the Club as well as the local and global projects that the club gets involved with. Chris is now fully retired and the VOLUNTEER hours he puts into Rotary if costed out would be substantial. On behalf of all the Applecross Rotary Members, thank you Chris.
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Notes on the early history of the Rotary Club of ApplecrossFrom the club's archives - the following was prepared by PDG Bruce James and presented on 3rd June 2011.  The Melville Rotary Club was Chartered on 6th November 1959, having been formed by the Fremantle Rotary Club. Having formed the Cockburn Rotary Club in 1969, the Melville Rotary Club then formed the Applecross Rotary Club in 1971 with the idea that about half of their Members would transfer to the new Applecross Rotary Club.Tom Cook was the Secretary of the Melville Rotary Club for the 1970-71 Rotary year and was elected to be the Foundation President of the New Applecross Rotary Club on 2nd June 1971. He held these two positions at the same time until 30th June 1971. The Inauguration Meeting of those persons who had been approached to become Applecross Rotarians was held on Tuesday 13th May 1971 at a luncheon at the Sir Loin Restaurant at 35 Ardross Street Applecross. This restaurant became the weekly Club Meeting venue on a Tuesday with a 12.10 pm Fellowship preceding the Luncheon Meeting at 12.30 pm. Later on, the weekly Tuesday Luncheon Meeting was held in the Golden Host Room on the second floor of the Booragoon Hotel at Garden City. Since about 1988, the weekly Club Meetings have been Breakfast Meetings at the South of Perth Yacht Club at 7.30 am on Tuesdays. The Club gained its Charter at the Charter Luncheon on 2nd June 1971 with a total membership of 32 Members of which 24 had transferred from the Melville Rotary Club. Seven of these Ex-Melville Rotary Club Members were themselves Foundation Members of the Melville Rotary Club since its Charter Celebration on 17th August 1959. |
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Wheatbelt and Beyond Youth Mentoring (WBYM)
In 2016 the Applecross Rotary Club began supporting a youth Mentoring program run by True Blue Dreaming Inc. aimed at providing individual mentors for country high school students who may not have the same opportunities as their city counterparts. The club's financial support was specific to programs running in the Bruce Rock and Wyalkatchem District High Schools and continued successfully through to 2019. However, in 2019, local support for the program at the Wyalkatchem District High School lapsed, and True Blue Dreaming changed their focus away from the mentoring program. Fortunately, the program in Bruce Rock was strongly established and continued to be supported by the school and local citizens, with the result that a new organisation, Wheatbelt and Beyond Youth Mentoring Inc. was established to continue the programs in wheatbelt District High Schools.
The Applecross Rotary Club remained convinced of the value of the mentoring programs, which was validated by an independent report in 2018, and continued its support. |
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Drop bears explained! Dr Garnett Hall made a very informative presentation to a good turn out of members, focussed on his role as a veterinarian in the Army Reserve. His unit was mobilised to support the volunteers fighting fires on Kangaroo Island in January 2020. They arrived to find a large area of national park had already been burnt and Captain Garnett busied himself providing professional support to the local vets treating burnt animals at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. A weather forecast of high temperatures and strong westerlies for later in the week suggested that the Centre would be in great danger unless it was made more secure, so Garnett approached the head of the army task force and secured a group of soldiers who managed, in a few days, to fire-proof the Centre. When the fire reached the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, it split north and south saving the lives of the animals and staff.  There were many international TV crews covering the fire and after it was all over, Garnett had the opportunity to introduce a Scottish reporter to the highly dangerous Drop Bear, one of which was being treated in the Centre. Here’s the story: Garnett is certainly a very entertaining vet which must make for enjoyable consultations for pet owners at the Fremantle Animal Hospital.  |
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Starick Update Last meeting's speaker was Helen Brady, who is a Domestic Violence Advocate (DVA) working as part of the mobile outreach team at Starick. Applecross Rotary under the leadership of Lorri Brazier, have been supporting Starick since a presentation to the club in 2015 drawing our attention to the increasing crisis in the community caused by domestic violence. Unfortunately the demand on services provided by Starick are increasing. Starick is registered NFP organisation, providing multi layered support to women and children escaping family and domestic violence for over 35 years. They work predominately in Perth's south-east metropolitan area. Starick has 2 refuges as well as other programs to support women such as counselling, DVA's at Cannington and Armadale Police Stations, Safe at Home, and many more programs to support women and children. Helen explained that Domestic Violence is often called "domestic and family violence" (FDV) because it is just not the intimate partners that abuse. FDV means any type of abuse that creates fear and controls another person. Often causes physical, sexual and/ or psychological damage, forced isolation and economic deprivation. Starick's Mobile Outreach Service is part of the COVID recovery plan. The plan aims to provide a smoother transition and ongoing support to a woman with or without children, who is experiencing domestic or family violence and who has or is about to exit the refuge environment. |
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Super Power Kids Project - Kalparrin CEO Carrie Clark and book author Rachel Callander At our last meeting we had the pleasure of hearing from one of our organisations that we support through the Cruising Butterflies activity. Families with children with special needs from the Kalparrin community enjoy a day out on a boat run by the Cruising section of the South Perth Yacht Club. Our club provides financial support for the day as well as some of our members make their boats available. Kalparrin's CEO Carrie Clark thanked the club for our ongoing support of the Cruising Butterflies activity and informed the meeting about Kalparrin. Kalparrin is Western Australia's oldest and largest member organisation, supporting 16500-plus members, who collectively represent 4,515 families raising 5925 children with disability, developmental delay, genetic, chronic medical and/or health conditions. Membership is FREE and provides parents with access to a vast array of practical and emotional support, information, resources, opportunities and events as well as connection to a community of thousands of other parents raising children with disability and additional needs. Carrie introduced their Super Power Kids project which has produced a beautiful book that celebrates the lives and abilities of children with a range of disabilities and conditions. The author of the book is Rachel Callander whose late daughter Evie who was born with a very rare chromosomal condition. In the two and a half years of Evie's life, Rachel learnt a lot about the use of language in the health system, and has spent the subsequent years continuing to explore the impact and implications on how it is used - to positive and negative effect. Rachel believes our language shapes our landscape. The words we speak influence the behaviour, attitudes, and beliefs of ourselves and others. Within high-stakes contexts, such as the sharing of difficult information, our words carry an enormous emotional weight. They can alienate and add trauma, or they can honour and empower. The Super Power Kids project is a transformative initiative designed to raise the profile of children living with a disability.  'These are the kids that Kalparrin supports and the best way to help them is to make sure their parents stay strong'.
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BARAVAN CARAVANS Our guest speaker for our meeting on the 2nd March was Bruce Barrett, a third generation of the Barrett family involved in Baravan Caravans. The first Baravan Caravan was built in 1954 by David and Horace Barrett, Bruce's father and grand father respectively. Bruce took us through the timeline of the Baravan business and the move from domestic vans to commercial and residential caravans.  When Bruce retired a few years ago and whilst caravanning with his wife during 2019 in the south-west they discussed what they should do with their current caravan to last them another 10 years. They thought it would be a great to own one of their family’s Baravans, however none were built with ensuites and to convert an older caravan with all the features currently available in 2020 would be a huge task. Problem solved, Bruce reregistered the Baravan Caravan name and decided to build the last Baravan from scratch having started in October 2019. The construction was done in a storage unit opposite Kenn Williams unit where our Rotary gear is stored. Kenn and others have watched with interest as Bruce has toiled away for many, many hours to build 'THE LAST BARAVAN'. Bruce has kindly shared his presentation and you can download by clicking here. |
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MAMA Respond International - Inspiring Our guest speaker for last Tuesday's meeting was a very impressive young person Erin Hegarty, the founder of Mama Respond International. Back in 2013 Erin went to Kenya as a volunteer teacher. While walking home with a young Kenyan Nancy, she asked her what did she need and her reply was "a better future". The issue was around education with 130 kids in one classroom, there were plenty of teachers, just a lack of space. Erin deferred her degree and stayed for five months. During this time she was able to get built 2 classrooms at the Noonkopir Township Primary School, through local donations of material, cash and labour as well as using social media to raise funds back in Australia. In September 2017 Erin returned to the same school just when they opened a special needs unit. The room was very small with no amenities. It was more of a daycare centre than an educational space and had no curriculum for students with disabilities. After spending sometime with the kids in the unit she realised she could help them by getting a proper diagnosis and treatment plan for their disability. Erin gave a number of examples of assisting families with funding and where to seek help for students with a curable or treatable condition.
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Containers for Change WA - where do your containers go? Since the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) was introduced on the 1st October 27.8 million containers have been collected. Every container collected through Containers for Change is recycled! Before Containers for Change, only 3 in 10 containers were recycled, meaning the other 7 are either being littered or sent to landfill. Our partnership with Greenbatch not only takes the containers for refund but also continues to collect and process the non CDS type 1 and type 2 plastic containers. The Greenbatch Foundation have been doing this for over 3 years through support of passionate volunteers wanting to reduce plastic pollution. By using Greenbatch as a Container Refund operator they receive an additional 6 cents per container from the Containers for Change program that will support their great work in continuing to ENGAGE, EDUCATE and EMPOWER Western Australians to give plastic a new life and keep plastic pollution out of our oceans. WHERE DO MY CONTAINERS GO? A question often asked ......... |
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SIGNAGE ON CLUB TRAILER  Our trailer, that was purchased with our successful application for Federal Funding through the Volunteer Grant program, now has signage promoting Rotary and our club. Thanks to Kate Zappa for the design and Brent Caithness (Complete Film Solutions) for his support in producing the signs. |
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Kalbarri Wildlife Sanctuary Concept Plan & Vision This weeks guest speaker was Applecross Rotarian PP Hamish Turner.Hamish has had a passion for the environment since early childhood growing up in South Africa. Hamish retired in August 2017 and after a couple of overseas projects decided to do something local. Having wildlife as a passion and a second home in Kalbarri he thought Kalbarri was a pretty good spot to start. The idea come up looking at the plight of our wildlife to create a wildlife reserve that would become a world class Ecotourism facility and the reintroduction of Endangered small mammals and Plant species.  |
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Applecross Rotary's New Trailer Kenn Williams picked up our new trailer from John Papas Trailers (50 years locally manufacturing trailers) that was built to the specifications designed by Kenn and Mal Taylor. The new trailer will replace Kenn's trailer that the club has been using for a number of years to transport the significant amount of club property that we use for the Perth Makers Market and the Jacaranda Festival. The trailer will also be used for other club projects such as transporting furniture for Starick clients and will be a great asset for our new project with Greenbatch and the Container Deposit Scheme. The new trailer is larger and has a mesh cage, tool box and ramps to assist with loading and unloading. Signage will be able to attach to the mesh sides to promote Rotary's activities to the public and provide contact information for people interested in joining us.
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Wheatbelt & Beyond Youth MentoringWheatbelt and Beyond Youth Mentoring (WBYM) WBYM is an independent, not for profit, incorporated organisation who delivers a mentoring program to inspire and empower young people in regional, rural and remote areas of WA through; igniting their passion to be lifelong learners; growing their aspirations; achieving their goals and to be the best they can be. Schools adopt the program and administer the program under the governance of WBYM. Applecross Rotary will provide funding for the program from time to time under the terms of a recently signed MOU. Karen Strange, Chairperson WBYM, and and Janine Dayman, Secretary/Treasurer WBYM, will join us for breakfast this Tuesday to give a thankyou for our donation and a brief update on the program. Pictured is PP John Kelly with the WBYM mentors and mentees after meeting at Bruce Rock on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th August. |
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Repairing Bodies & Rebuilding Lives - Interplast Australia & New Zealand This week's guest speaker was Janette Etherington, Interplast's Rotarian Engagement Coordinator, who ZOOMED in from her home in Victoria.Interplast was started in 1983 by a Rotarian who replicated it from an organisation in America. The model is sending teams of volunteers across developing nations in the Asia Pacific. They only go to where they are invited and respond to specific needs. Teams are made up of volunteer anaesthetists, plastic and reconstructive surgeons, nurses and allied health professionals. It is about restoring function as well as dignity and some examples are cleft lip, burns and injuries that haven't healed.  |
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THANK GOD FOR ST PATS – Guest Speaker Dr Patrick Colgan AM, Board Chairman *Pat has significant experience across the community and government sectors, including Chairing the State and Federal Australian Dental Associations and is a former member of the State Dentists’ Registration Board. In 2001, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the Australian Community. St Patrick’s Community Support Centre lies at the heart of the Fremantle community. It started in 1972, when a frail elderly man appeared at the door of the Presbytery seeking help. He was cold, hungry and in serious need of care.
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Cecil Aaron - Eulogy Due to COVID 19 restrictions many of Cecil's Rotary friends were unable to attend his funeral. Applecross Rotary was represented by Lorri Brazier, Kenn Williams and Ian Fairnie. Lorri's entry into Cecil's funeral booklet perfectly decribed the impression Cecil had on his fellow Applecross Rotary; Rotarians, partners and friends. "Even though my friendship with Cecil was for a short time he was one of nature’s gentlemen. He had a priceless sense of humour, and that twinkle in his eye and mischievous grin - he always made me laugh. I will miss him at Rotary. God Bless" Lorri Brazier We thank Elizabeth for sharing information from Cecil's funeral. The following is Cecil Aaron's Eulogy: |
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Greenbatch Foundation-Rotary Coordination Group Update
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OUR TIPPYTAPS MAKE A DIFFERENCE |
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WE'RE MAKING HEALTH A PRIORITY!
Have you heard about antimocrobial resistance? What about superbugs? Through #OneHealth we're working to improve wellbeing - through knowledge and through the simple act of handwashing. Applecross Rotary supports the goals of AMR Aware, to increase community awareness and understanding of the “clear and present danger” from increasing resistance of disease causing agents to all current drugs available for treatment of infections. The short video commissioned by AMR Aware Inc. and produced by Front Porch Films, provides a clear visual statement of the reality of the danger that exists and several simple things each of us can do to reduce the likelihood that someone we love will die from an untreatable infection. The video will be freely available for Rotary clubs and Rotarians to spread the word of how simple it is to reduce the impact of drug resistant infectious agents, and more importantly stimulate the action required, as a matter of great urgency. As Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer of the UK succinctly stated - we can forget Climate Change; we’ll all be dead from untreatable infections before climate change affects us! |
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Welcome Associate Members l-r: Margaret Mendelawitz, Helen James, Beryl Telfer, Helen Dawson, Ann Kelly, President Barry Mendelawitz, Membership Director Kenn Williams, Kate Zappa, David Palmer, Heather Inglis, Helen Henderson, Peta Williams. New Associate members were presented with their badges and welcomed to Applecross Rotary at a special meeting on 18th September 2019. Several new Associate Members were unable to attend and will receive their badges at a later date. |
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Pride of WorkmanshipThis award acknowledges a person, who in the eyes of the nominator, displays outstanding qualities with respect to attitude, approach, dedication and commitment. It covers all aspects of work performance and ethics, including quality of output, safety, initiative and sense of responsibility. Nominations are sought, at any time, from an employer or by a member of the public and should be sent to the Applecross Rotary Director in Charge of Community Service. |
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Pride of Workmanship September 2019A Pride of Workmanship was awarded to Wendy Hiddlestone on 18th September 2019  Wendy Huddlestone and Lorri Brazier This award acknowledges someone whose work performance displays outstanding qualities with respect to attitude, approach, dedication and commitment. It covers work performance and ethics, including customer service, quality of output, safety, initiative and sense of responsibility. |
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Spotlight on HealthSuperbug Seminar serves up shock statistics Ever considered a world where a simple scratch could lead to death? The rise and fall of antimicrobial resistance means this is a very real possibility - and as early as 2050.  Guest Speakers at the Superbug Seminar |
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Virtual Reality for Injury Rehabilitation Associate Professor Marina Ciccarelli from Occupational Therapy at Curtin University showed how trials are showing how Virtual Reality (VR) technology enables people, who have suffered major injuries to the brain and/or spinal cord, speed up their rehabilitation.
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Winter Partnerships Applecross Rotary joined with donors from St Michael’s Church in Mt Pleasant to donate over 50 sleeping bags made by impoverished villagers at the Stiches of Hope facility in in Cambodia. These sleeping bags were donated to Anglicare Street Connect for local distribution. Support was also provided to ‘Foodbank’. |
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GUEST SPEAKER MARINA CICCARELLI: Use it or lose it - The consequences of spinal cord injury Associate Professor Marina Ciccarelli (pronounced Chik-a-relli) enthralled her audience describing how Virtual Reality (VR) technology enables people who have suffered major injuries to the brain and/or spinal cord to speed their rehabilitation. |
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ShelterBox  Applecross Rotary has donated funds to ShelterBoxAustralia in 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19. Two ShelterBoxes were delivered to Syria in October 2017. |
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ShelterBox 2019 In July 2019 Applecross Rotary was recognised as an Emerald Club Supporter having contributed over $10,000 to ShelterBox Australia. Applecross Rotary has been a regular contributor for many years. ShelterBox Australia supports international efforts by providing shelter, warmth, light and dignity to many families adversely affected by humanitarian disasters throughout the world. |
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Community Planting Day 2019Applecross Rotary supported the National Tree Day Community Planting Day on 28 July 2019 organised by the City of Melville. Applecross Rotary members and family helped with the Planting and with the barbeque lunch. 3000 seedlings were planted around the Booragoon Lake by 100 community volunteers and City of Melville staff. .JPG) |
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Community Planting DaysThe Rotary Club of Applecross supports planting projects which improve the native plant areas along the Swan River and in the native bush areas of the City of Melville. It also gives the community the opportunity to participate in the protection of their environment. 2019 Over 3000 seedlings were planted around the Booragoon Lake on 28th July 2019 by over 100 volunteers at the National Tree Planting Day organised by the City of Melville. Applecross Rotary members and family helped with the planting and with the barbeque lunch.  .JPG) |
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Art Show & Sale The annual Rotary Art Show and Sale, a joint project of the Melville and Applecross Rotary Clubs, is held each year in a central area of the Westfield Booragoon Shopping Complex. This Art Exhibition allows artists to display their paintings to a large number of people and hopefully sell one or more their paintings. The entry charge and sale commission are used to offset the exhibition costs. The profits are used by the Rotary Clubs for community projects. Members and friends of the Rotary Clubs set up the exhibition, provide the security and sell the paintings.
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2019 Rotary Art Show and Sale.jpg) The 2019 annual Rotary Art Exhibition and Sale, a joint project of the Melville and Applecross Rotary Clubs, was from Monday 17 June to Sunday 23 June in the Garden City Shopping Complex during the Centre's standard opening hours.
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Our members .jpg) Applecross Rotary is a club of some 40 female and male members whose ages range from the 20’s to 80’s. Our professions, businesses, backgrounds and cultures are diverse. Our members are, or have been, involved in a range of businesses, education, services and industries. Our professions include engineers, farmers, doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, dentists, scientists, accountants. .jpg) .jpg) We have members with expertise in public relations, computing, health and safety, project management and extensive experience in mining, mineral processing, agriculture and retail and specialist businesses. We enjoy the fun, fellowship and friendships of our members during our meetings, social events and whilst contributing to our project teams and witnessing the value of these projects. |
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Join Us at Our MeetingAt our weekly meetings we enjoy an excellent program of interesting speakers, reports on Club projects, plans for upcoming social events and especially fellowship with members and visitors. As our members and visitors have other commitments our meetings finish on time at 8.30am. |
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ShelterBox sending a team after Cyclone KennethCyclone Kenneth – Comoros Islands, Mozambique, Tanzania 14 May 2019 Two Australian Response Team members, Richard Brammall (Gold Coast) and Steve Roddis (Melbourne) will be joining the ShelterBox team heading to the Comoro Islands (or ‘Comoros’), after Cyclone Kenneth caused widespread damage at the end of April. Strong winds, torrential rains and waves of 6-12 metres battered the islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli, washing away and destroying houses, schools, crops, power poles and health centres. The ShelterBox team will be meeting families and local partners, to assess the damage and to understand whether our aid would be suitable to help them recover. We will know more once our teams have visited affected communities, but aid items may include ShelterKits, water filters and mosquito nets. The country has been overwhelmed by its first serious cyclone in over 30 years. Entire villages in the storm’s path were affected. Almost 4,000 homes have been destroyed and a further 7,000 badly damaged, according to the government. And with 80% of the islands’ farms destroyed, plus schools and hospitals damaged, it will take months for communities to recover. Water infrastructure is damaged and will take time to repair (lack of power has stopped pumps working, and we’ve heard that water tanks have lost their lids and are filled with debris or seawater), raising concerns of an outbreak of water-borne diseases. Why is ShelterBox responding to Comoros? Cyclone Kenneth tore through Comoros before making landfall on Mozambique’s coast, where it caused further damage and flooding to a country already reeling from Cyclone Idai. Many international agencies are concentrating their efforts and resources in Mozambique. The UN, IFRC and UNICEF have announced funding or resources for Comoros, but as far as we know there have been very limited resources for emergency shelter. The relatively shallow waters around the islands can also make it more challenging and time-consuming to get aid to Comoros, meaning families who need support to rebuild have been left with nothing. ShelterBox is committed to going further, helping vulnerable families often overlooked by others. At least 345,000 people in Comoros have been affected by the disaster in some way, and the comparatively small amount of help available to them is one of the main reasons we’re sending a team. Where is Comoros? Comoros is a nation made up of three volcanic islands off the south-east coast of Africa, east of Mozambique and northwest of Madagascar. Although more prepared for the disruption of volcanic activity, people in Comoros haven’t experienced a cyclone this severe since the 1980s. Kieryn Deutrom Volunteer Program Manager ShelterBox Australia |
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Superbug SeminarMost members of Applecross Rotary are now familiar with the term “AntiMicrobial Resistance” (AMR), due to the frequent updates from President-Elect Barry, with strong support from Tim Inglis and Jarrad Hall. We sometimes read the term “untreatable infection”, and certainly Vice-President Hamish knows all about that and lived to tell the tale. And it seems that this was also the immediate cause of David Donaldson’s death, although David had been in general poor health for some time. However Mark Schipp and Colin Hughes turned up the TAKE ACTION NOW dial with their presentations to a large number of Rotarians and guests at the Crown Atrium this week. And why was a vet speaking to us? Because most antibiotics are used in animal industries and AMR may be transmitted through food. This is now being referred to as a One Health issue One Health recognises the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health. Here is the key graphic .png) Australians are over-using antibiotics in human health, being Australia the 11th highest user of antibiotics out of 31 OECD countries. In 2015, more than 30 million antibiotic scripts were provided through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Fortunately Mark assured us that in Canberra he and the Chief Medical Officer work together ensuring a One Health approach to addressing AMR and very importantly our food industry works closely with them, unlike many other parts of the world. This in itself poses a risk to Australia as we import a lot of food, but Mark’s position as President of the World Animal Health Association helps him keep informed of One Health issues that put our health at risk. Colin Hughes added some other commentary that supported everything our Club is doing regarding AMR, and commended the work being done by a spin-off group from Applecross Rotary, AMR AWARE (Inc.). Colin’s enthusiasm for success in raising awareness of AMR though Rotary has resulted in him proposing to change the Four Way Test into the Five Way Test:
Honorary Member Dr Chris Back drew the discussion to a close by reminding those attending of the calibre of the speakers that had been assembled: Colin Hughes is a former Director of Public Health in WA, Mark Schipp is a world leader in animal health, and Professor John Edwards, former Dean of the Veterinary School at Murdoch University who chaired the presentations, is a senior UN consultant, and One Health expert. FOR A COPY OF THE PRESENTATION Click here
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Starick Artist BellaThe Applecross Rotary supports the Starick Refuge in Western Australia. This is a story of a 7-year old artist who benefitted from support from Starick and our Club.  |
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Starick Starick is a not for profit organisation which provides multi-layered support services in Perth’s south-east metropolitan area to women and children experiencing family and domestic violence. Starick’s services include two refuges for women with children, supported community housing, court support, advocacy, children’s programs, community outreach services and an Op Shop. Applecross Rotary commenced support of Starick in 2016/17 with Malcolm Taylor and Lorri Brazier as Project Leaders. The work done by Lorri and Malcolm, and their support teams, has been carefully and sensitively undertaken and is leading to a trust being established between Starick, Applecross Rotary and the residents, most of whom have endured violence from their partners. |
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Rotary Jacaranda Festival history.jpg)
Applecross Rotary's Rotary Jacaranda Festival is held each November. It was held in Heathcote Applecross in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Due to insurance issues there was no Festival in 2003. It has been held in the Applecross Village in Ardross Street, Applecross each year since 2004. |
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Rapid disease detection saves lives in Sri Lanka
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Rotary Jacaranda Festival 2018.jpg) Rotarians Tim Inglis, Jarrad Hall, Jamie Kelly, and Murray McKay welcomed visitors to the Rotary Jacaranda Festival.
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And, the phantom cup winner is -- |
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Aquinas College Service to AnawimAquinas Colleage students travelled to the Philippines to give service at Anawim, a charity helping the poor, elderly, and disabled. |
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Know a Young Scientist or Young Leader? |
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Microscopes in Schools.png) Pictured above Suresh Prabhakaran - Applecross Rotary Youth Director, Logan Duncan-Smith - Applecross Rotary, Carmel Costin - Yidarra Catholic Primary School, Daine Burnett - St Pius X Primary School, and Cath Parry - Bateman Primary School.
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More than 160 stallholders confirmed for this year's Rotary Jacaranda Festival! |
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What do Rotaractors do? |
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Scatter Meeting Como RotaryHelen Jones attended the meeting at RC Como where she was hosted by Rotarian Don Swift, a distinguished chemist formerly with CSIRO. Como is the largest Club in District 9465 with over 50 members, meeting Monday evenings at the Royal Perth Golf Club.  |
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Pride of Workmanship Award to Ash Chambers The Applecross Rotary Pride of Workmanship 2018 winner is Ash Chambers (pictured right) with Gemini Melville Manager, Andy Swift.
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Australian Rotary Health
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Polio Eradication Since Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative nearly 30 years ago, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent, from about 350,000 cases a year to just 37 cases in 2016. On 15 August, 2018, Rotary announced nearly $100 million in grants to support the global effort to end polio. Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of 5. Most know it as poliovirus. The virus is spread person to person, typically through contaminated water. It can attack the nervous system, and in some instances, lead to paralysis. Although there is no cure, there is a safe and effective vaccine – one which Rotary and our partners are using to immunize over 2.5 billion children worldwide. |
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Philippines Justice Immersion 2019
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Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE)
The Rotary Youth Exchange Program provides for the selection and sponsorship of students in the 15 -18 year age group to travel to another country to spend twelve months attending a secondary school and living with host families in that country.
Handicamp: A week full of fun and challenges, and a lifetime of experiences.
Handicamp provides an opportunity for young people with a disability between the ages of 18-35, to attend a one-week live-in camp assisted by staff and buddies. Applications open on 1 October for the camp which is held in mid-January of the following year for both campers and buddies.
Learn how to make your own beautiful fettuccini with a special masterclass with renowned Chef Vince Garreffa. This is a fundraiser and cooking class to benefit rural education for kids in Bali.
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Jeffrey Effendi and Angel Chen from DrawHistory spoke at the Tuesday 12 June breakfast meeting. We learned about how to brand social entrepreneurial programs.
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Angel Chen and Jeffrey Effendi from DrawHistory, Rotarian Jason Tay, and PE Ian Fairnie
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Rotary in WA Driver Education (RWADE)
Rotary in WA Driver Education is a program adopted by Rotary Clubs in both Districts 9455 and 9465. It is the strong preference of WA Police, RAC, and other supporting organisations that a common approach across WA be implemented and that it be subject to continuous improvement.
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Professor Tim Inglis and Dr Barry Mendelawitz Applecross Rotary Members and Project leaders
At the recent MCCC Business After Hours co-hosted by Applecross Rotary and MarketLife, we took the opportunity to present a Community Service Award to Monica Morunga who has set up a charity, Feed it Forward, that feeds thousands of familys every month. Feed it Forward started collecting from a few local stores around Baldivis but has since grown to collect from over 90 places across WA and has more than 300 volunteers. The Club also donated $1000 to the 'Feed It Forward' charity.
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