Howdy Pardners...
President Wayne (aka The Duke)opened the meeting with a few "yahoo's" and posed that the 4 Way Test for today - 'Is It The Truth' could be aimed at news givers - BUT acknowledged the good work of Have A Go News!
Reminder - that the new member list has been sent out by Brian, please check details and if incorrect let us know asap.
It appears that new members are working on assumed knowledge so the Board will be preparing a brochure on the club protocols, committees and roles in Mill Point.
This day in history...
1978 Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope since Adrian VI in the 16th century, as well as the third longest-serving pope in history, after St. Peter and Pius IX. Mama Mia? Diavolo! (check out the translation!)
It's also World Food Day - celebrating a range of international and global food throughout 2026, spanning popular global treats, culinary milestones, and awareness campaigns of nutrition and multiculturalism since 1945. Fits in well with Pickles (he meant PICYS!)
Directors' Reports and Member Announcements
- The Duke - received a $200 donation from ex-member Ross Stewart
- Jill Dawson - Wine offer of 25% discount on Wise Wine premium collection to mark 100 years of Rotary - scroll down to see order sheet under Events
- BJ - Great vocational visit to Perkins Institute with excellent presentation, so good in fact they will be our guest speakers at our Christmas meeting.
- Angus - Fundraising committee meeting after breakfast.
- Kelly - Ride the Train to End Polio reminder for 24 October. If you can't ride the train then wear your red T-Shirt all day - walking, talking, shopping, gardening, picking up kids etc - to create awareness that we are 99.8% free of Polio in the world.
- Carole - Some tickets still available for "Pick Your Poison" at the Old Mill Theatre. Pay by EFT or via the square.
- Lorrie - reminder Offtraq next weekend so she will be missing in action as she motors through the outback. Still time to donate to Lorrie's car.
Vocational Visit – Harry Perkins
Institute of Medical Research
Last Friday,
fifteen members and
partners enjoyed a very interesting tour of the Harry
Perkins Institute of Medical Research, followed by lunch at Zamia Café in Kings
Park.They were
treated to a tour of the many workshops and laboratories, as well as given a
very informative audiovisual presentation by guide Steven Blake (pictured).
He outlined the story behind the Institute’s founding and detailed many of the
ground-breaking research projects that it has conducted right here in WA.
Steven has
very kindly accepted an invitation to be Guest Speaker at our Xmas meeting with
partners.
Guest Speaker : Jen Merigan - Have A Go News!
Jen is the Managing
Editor of Have a Go News, second-generation leader of the publication
and an advocate for healthy aging, media accessibility and policy reform for
mature Western Australians. This year Have a Go News celebrates its 35th
Anniversary.
It
a family story, being founded by her parents, the late Judith Treby and Quentin
Smythe.
At
one stage, there were three generations of her family working at the paper. Her
daughter Tahlia joined them after graduating in journalism, media,
public relations and marketing.
Jen credits Tahlia with completing a major update of the back-end systems and
helped bring them
firmly into the twenty first century. Tahlia is now an officer in the Royal
Australian Navy, working in public affairs.
Independent
community print media remains vital and trusted by mature audiences, even as Have
a Go News expands into digital content and podcasts to capture deeper human
stories. Have a Go News has a very active Facebook and Instagram pages
with nearly thirty thousand
followers, and they also have a regular television commercial on Channel Nine
Perth.
In
July, as part of the anniversary celebrations, they launched their newest venture,
the Have a Go Cafe podcast. It began with with Engelbert Humperdinck and
has included Miriam Margoyles, Susie Quattro and recently Li Cunxin (author of Mao’s
Last Dancer).
The
newspaper is available through shopping centres, supermarkets, libraries, community
and recreation centres, retirement villages, and many other outlets throughout
the state. They’re constantly looking for new outlets and encouraging more
people to subscribe digitally.
Healthy aging is driven by active social connection, volunteering,
and maintaining a sense of purpose - beyond viewing aging solely through medical
or aged care lenses.
Demographic projections show rapid growth in Western Australia’s
aging population, requiring proactive, coordinated government planning across
housing, health, transport, and community infrastructure.
Mainstream media often sidelines or stereotypes older
demographics, underscoring the need for dedicated platforms that celebrate
their ongoing contributions and achievements.
Mature
readers value physical print for trustworthy, accessible information without
the overwhelm or scam risks common online.
Purpose and
community engagement are directly linked to longevity and well-being,
demonstrating that age is no barrier to creative and social endeavors. Government
and commercial institutions should move away from viewing older demographics as
a burden and invest in preventive healthy aging strategies.
Cross-generational
family involvement and multimedia adaptation have helped Have a Go News
remain resilient, being funded entirely by advertising. Since the pandemic, they
have faced rising newsprint, printing, and distribution costs, while Google and
Meta absorb an enormous share of advertising spending.
Looking back on what this newspaper has given her, Jen observed one
of the greatest lessons is the importance of believing in community, sharing
stories, building friendships, developing relations, and being consistent enough
that people know you will still be there when they need you.
A Fine(s) Time for all...
- WA is in trouble with lack of aged care facilities; longer waiting times at emergency depts, insufficient equipment in medical facilities - all due to our aging population - so all you 'old' people - pay up!
- Graduates of the three Universities - an amalgamation is taking shape - BUT will it be CUWAM, WACDOCH, or MURCUWA - best bet is Cook University - however whichever Uni you went to - let's have a dollar!
- Departure tax for Qantas Flyers - you will need tropical strength travel insurance as you fly high with traveling bed bugs being reported on flights out of Perth.
- Egg consumers levy - from those supporting the 'Egg Cartel' and their anti-competitive behaviour in managing supply! What an egg-cellent idea and that's no yolk!
- Fans of Vin Rouge (red wine) or Fromage au Français (French cheese) - better stock up for Christmas or you'll be 'sans fromage' (without cheese) as it all went in the bin this week following an unprecedented attack on refrigeration systems - ooh la la!
- Last but not least the Duke - who doesn't know his Pickles from his PICYS!
Winner of Heads and Tails
No winners today!
Attendance
37 attendees in all, including guest speaker Jen Merigan, visiting Rotarians Bill Boekmann (Wongan Hills RC), Jill Dawson (Perth RC) and visitors Don Gray (Lorries brother).
