Bulletin #37 - 10 April 2026

Presidential Ponderings

Co-President David Rowell (P1) opened the meeting and observed “the Autumn vibe is with us….”

Today in History...

1815    Mount Tambora volcano in Indonesia erupted, killing 71,000 people

1912    The Titanic sunk on its maiden voyage

1963    US nuclear submarine USS Thresher sank with 129 crew dead

Directors' Reports and Member Announcements

Angus F : Fundraising meeting after breakfast

Joy B : District Newsletter advertising monthly chats via Zoom. This Sunday's topic at 5pm, chat on Marketing, see Joy for link or read the Rotary Round Up.

Garrick M : RYE student coming in late July – Felipe, 16 year-old boy from Brazil. We are hoping to get him into Wesley College, he has been studying English for five years and loves sport. Host families needed – they don’t have to be Rotarians.

Gorby : (1) Historic Perth walk this evening from 6PM. (2) Pride of Workmanship 1^st May. (3) Have three nominations, desire one more. Endeavour Awards (Pines Restaurant) 12^th May almost sold out (39 of 43).

David R : District Assembly this Sunday, changed venue Leederville Football Club. (1) New members/Directors encouraged to attend. (2) 16th May “Epic Day of Service.” (3) Saturday 27^th June Celebration Lunch (Changeover) at RPGC.

Guest Speaker : Darren Meakins - "Membership/Networking Initiative."

Darren is the Current President of Scarborough RC 2024 – 2026. He was also Past President of Scarborough RC 2004 – 2005; Past President of Mindarie RC 2012 – 2013; Past Chair - District Communication Committee 2007-2008; Australia Japan Youth Cultural Exchange (AJYCE) committee 2006 – 2017.

Darren “grew up with Rotary all around me” as his father, the late PP Barry Meakins, was a member of Scarborough RC from 1978 through to 2013 and President 1984 - 1985.

Darren joined Scarborough RC in 1998 and lives in Yanchep, married to Mirela, has daughters Ada (20) and Sara (18), and son Cassian (14). In Business, Darren is the Director and Licensee of Land HQ WA.

In his opening remarks, Darren endorsed Garrick’s comments about RYE. Scarborough currently hosts an exchange student from Brazil and recent outbound exchanges have also been to Brazil. Darren's parents hosted over 35 exchange students!

In his address, Darren gave some historical context on Scarborough Rotary Club:

• Club established in 1956 but facing resourcing issues and apathy, with average age ~73.

• Membership stagnation with risk of declining to 15–20 members if nothing changed.
• The product (meeting experience) was considered unappealing with limited marketing exposure.
• Strategic focus became business and professional networking with strategic partners (e.g., Karrinyup Shopping Centre), community connection, and member value.Rotary is not a charity group.  it is a professional networking organization that undertakes charitable actions.
• Target audience now primarily ages 30–50. The product and        venue must match the audience and deliver value.
• The current Leadership and skill mix is varied (legal, finance, SEO/website, videography/marketing) to modernize operations.

Three signature items were selected for brand identity: 

• Scarborough Clock Tower (installed 1979; heritage listed to secure preservation). 
• Karrinyup Swap Mart (since 1989; key fundraising institution). 
• Wheelchairs for Kids (originating circa 1996–1998; 67,000 wheelchairs to 81 countries; volunteer-run; mortgage paid off by donors).

Branding was leveraged to improve public recognition and storytelling.

Darren stressed we can get the members, we just need to get the product right. From a Management point of view, the focus categories going forward are:

Operations, Membership, Marketing, Communications.

Operations

Monthly format has changed

Meeting 1 - Club day

Meeting 2 - Guest speaker

Meeting 3 - Networking evening (last Thursday of month)

Meeting 4 - Vocational visits (joint meetings with other clubs encouraged).

  

Membership 

• Value for members “what’s in it for me?”
• Using member skill sets (Marketer, Web/SEO consultant, video/photography)
• Mentoring within the club
• Vocational opportunities and programs
• Business networking both locally and internationally

Marketing

 

 

Creating brand awareness and “what we stand for”

• Social Media Management
• Database management and linking with local businesses (Karrinyup Shopping Centre and local businesses)
• Exposure in local community
• Linkage with Rotary Means Business (RMB) local and international group.

Communications

Similar to Mill Point with additional Industry Updates and Club Runner training.

Results have been impressive with a current membership of 53 members and 100% retention rate of members from 2024 to now.

Darren highlighted their successful strategic partnership with the Karrinyup Shopping Centre, having major fundraisers with the shops/businesses. They also place much emphasis on networking, with their evenings being held at the centre.

To quote Rotary’s founder Paul Harris “This is a changing world: we must be prepared to change with it. The story of Rotary will have to be written again and again.”

Darren’s presentation can be viewed at:

millpointrotaryclub.org.au>members only (password)> this link>Guest Speaker Presentations>MEAKINS, Darren – Membership/Networking Initiative.

The Fines Master - Owen Ferguson

All Eagles and Dockers supporters - go figure!

Raelene - Walked off with Michelle’s glasses last week (should have gone to SpecSavers)          

Wayne D - Left your fines tickets, may as well use them - theyre not good for anything else.

Gorby - Last week’s tickets?

"Great Gatsby" fans, the story of which was published this day.

Paul McCartney followers - for leaving the Beatles in 1970.

Those who listen to the ABC, started in 1932 and still going, going, going...

Investors, ASX started 1987 - anyone with that longevity?

Terracotta Warriors display afficionados - discovered in 1972.

All those who enjoyed a hot cross bun (or three) over Easter!

Winner of Heads and Tails

Wicker smiles from Ross Smith, winner of the Wine today!

Attendance

41 attendees in all, including guest speaker Darren Meakins.

Club Duties

Club Duties : 2025 - 2026   

17 April

Sargeant        Mike Collett

Attendance    Alison Thair, Owen Ferguson

Welcome        Jessica Murray

Host               John O'Sullivan

Club Dress    Mike Collett, Ken Pittman

Birthdays 

John O'Sullivan (22nd)

Anniversaries

 Nil 

 

24 April

Sargeant        Angus Florence

Attendance    Margaret Walton, Wayne Muller

Welcome        Eunice Sari

Host               Kelly Gillen

Club Dress    Angus Florence, Warren McCamey

Birthdays 

 Nil

Anniversaries

 Nil 

 

1 May

Sargeant        Mike Collett

Attendance    Geoff Longshaw, Lydia Wong

Welcome        Peggy Leung

Host               Michael Gottschalk

Club Dress    Angus Florence, Mike Collett

Birthdays 

 Nil

Anniversaries

 Nil 

 

8 May

Sargeant        Angus Florence

Attendance    Raelene George, Carole O'Brien

Welcome        Shaun O'Brien

Host               TBA

Club Dress    Angus Florence, Warren McCamey

Birthdays 

 Nil

Anniversaries

 Nil  

Future Guest Speakers

Mill Point Guest Speakers 2025 

April 3                      No Meeting - Good Friday 10                    Darren Meakins - Membership/Networking Initiative 17                    Ross Smith - South Perth Hospital 24                   Niels Dahl - History of the Victoria Cross May 1                      Pride of Workmanship Awards 8                      Kath McQuaide - On My Feet 15                    TBA 22                    Unsung Heroes 29                    Jessica Murray - Telehealth  June 5                       12                     19                     26                    No breakfast meeting 27                    David Rowell/Gerry McGann - Changeover Lunch

Upcoming Events

District Assemblies 2026

A MUST for new members and those who have not attended a DA for some time. You will benefit greatly from attending one of these assemblies, learning about the wonderful world of Rotary and all that it entails. You will broaden your knowledge for when you take a more active role in the Leadership Team.

Book now at https://rotarywa9423.org.au/events/rotary-district-assemblies/

 ******

Keep Australia Beautiful Opportunities

  *****

Pride of Workmanship Awards - 1 May 

*****

 Endeavour Awards at the Pines - 12 May

 

 

 

 

Bulletin #36 : 27 March 2026

Presidential Ponderings

After a false alarm, an AWOL President, P2 (David Rowell) brought the rowdy meeting to order which garnered a rousing round of applause! With Mr March in Albany rowing his little hear out, Mr April prematurely held court giving us some historical facts which happened on this day in...

1984 - The tanker war was a critical, intensifying phase of the Iran-Iraq War where both nations targeted oil tankers and commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf.

1790 -  Harvey Kennedy invented the "aglet" - usually fashioned from plastic or metal its the 'thingy' at the end of your shoe lace which makes threading through your shoe lace holes much easier!

1977 - Two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on a runway at Los Rodeos Airport on the Spanish island of Tenerife, killing 583 people and injuring 61 others in the deadliest accident in aviation history. 

P2 reminded us of the 4th tenet of the 4 Way Test "is it beneficial to all concerned?"  Ponder that. 

 
Directors' Reports and Member Announcements

Lew T: Scott Dwyer is home after having a fall and having his ticker recharged. Now in Mandurah securing his boat against cyclone Narelle, but thanked everyone for their good wishes.

Joy B: SOS are collecting Coles Kitchen Aid credits - if you are not using them please consider donating to SOS.

Ian K: Croquet night is deferred but will reschedule asap.

Kelly G: Metro District Assembly 12 April - very beneficial for all new members with great opportunties to network and find out what is happening in Rotary locally, nationally and globally. 9th April online Grants Seminar - a must for clubs who want to apply for a District or Global grant. 

Rick S: Requesting more meals for PICYS.

Gorby: Walk with Richard Offen sold out! Pines Endeavour Awards bookings open (scroll down to Events page for link), but capped at 43 and so far 17 booked so get in quickly! Pride of Workmanship on 1 May - have received 3 nominations, would like a 4th! Contact Gorby on mjgwaconsulting@gmail.com

P2: At the last Board meeting it was decided to reinstate the Club's annual contribution of $1,000 to ShelterBox.

Elizabeth "Lizzy" Kerry - Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)

Lizzy loves helping people and animals, whilst also enjoying art and playing board games. She volunteered at a Wildlife Hospital before moving to the Cat Haven, where she loves finding cats find their forever home.

Lizzy was sponsored to attend the recent RYLA camp by Mill Point Rotary Club. This is an intensive 7-day residential leadership program for young people (aged 18-28) aimed at building leadership potential, confidence and teamwork

Lizzy admitted she initially thought she would hate RYLA due to self-doubt and low self-confidence.

Her coworker at Games World, a facilitator at RYLA 2026, persistently encouraged her to attend, countering every reason she gave for not being good enough by saying, “that’s what camp’s for.”

The prospect of spending a week in a new place with no phone and knowing only one person filled her with dread leading up to the camp. The week-long camp was life-changing; her fears melted away upon meeting warm, welcoming people.

Specific activities are kept mysterious, considered part of the essence of RYLA. Her coworker would only hint by asking if she could make a good paper aeroplane?

Despite an Achilles tendon injury, she pushed herself to participate, discovering her resilience and how to channel her stubbornness into self-improvement.

Near the end of camp, a dinner was held for Rotary Club members. Her group had only four hours to plan the dinner and entertainment amid their usual “daily chaos.”

As the only non-musician in her entertainment group, Lizzy handled backstage management.

The representatives she met were wonderful, even inviting another participant whose representatives couldn’t attend to join their table.

Her biggest takeaway was realizing she is stronger and more resilient than she thought.

The experience significantly boosted her confidence; she plans to re-enroll in a course in June that she had previously dropped out of due to health and confidence issues.

Speaking at the dinner made delivering this post-camp speech less daunting.

Lizzy has formed a new group of inspiring friends, keeps in touch, attended a barbecue, and plans to go to the Balingup Medieval Festival with some.

Lizzy observed a lack of youth participation in Rotary and noted her generation wants to create change but is largely unaware of what Rotary does.

Initially, Lizzy and her parents humorously wondered if Rotary was a “cult” due to limited knowledge. She strongly advocates continuing and funding programs like RYLA, describing them as “eye-opening and life-changing.”

She suggests publicizing the “amazing work” Rotary does so more young people might join.

A pre-camp introductory dinner or meeting with the local Rotary club could ease nerves for future participants and clarify that Rotary is not a cult?

Youth Service Director Garrick McCamey presented Lizzy with a RYLA participation certificate on behalf of mill Point Rotary Club.

Garrick advised the members that we are anticipating a male inbound Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) student and host families are requested. At this stage we have only one offer and he stressed the host family don’t have to be Rotary members. The more families we have, the less time needed to host (e.g. four families would each host for three months). He observed our outbound student Makynli has already stayed with several families in France.

We are still awaiting details from District about who, when, where from etc.

Rotary Youth Protection requirements apply - every household member aged 18+ must obtain a Working with Children Card (WWC) and be reference checked. This will require lead time.

 

Michael “Gorby” Gottschalk introduced his guest Mia Krieger. 

Mia is from Freiburg, Germany, which she describes as Germany’s sunniest city and famous for Black Forest cake.

Her first trip to Australia was in 2020. Her father, a Rotarian, contacted Perth Rotary clubs, leading to a friendship with Gorby and his family.

She was welcomed warmly and kindly, which gave her the bravery to pursue other exchanges.

After Perth, she completed a six-month exchange in France, which taught her patience and how to get along with different kinds of people.

In 2024, she participated in a SAGSE (Scholarship for Australian German students) exchange. Mia hosted an Australian student in Germany for three months and then studied at Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC) in Perth for three months. She describes it as the “time of her life”.

Mia emphasizes the importance of international friendships in the current global context, referencing the genocide in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, and tensions involving Iran, the US, and Israel. She believes living abroad helps one respect other cultures, learn new languages, and adapt to different lifestyles.

These experiences foster empathy and tolerance and prevent people from being “out of touch with reality,” especially for those in more isolated places like Australia.

Mia believes anyone who hosts an exchange student will be “forever thankful,” as hosting is special and beautiful for both host and student.

Fine(s) Tuning to Top Up the Treasury

Fines Master Wayne M took to the podium in phenomenal silence and slow clapping...

• Visiting Ex-member Mark Jones - who decided to shower the table (and other members) with his coffee.
• All electric car owners - depleting our fossil fuels.
• Every Bicycle rider (oops Mark again!)
• Kelly G - whose thirsty 4-wheel drive has resulted in him getting a job.
• Ken P - for not having a last digit on his number plate.
• Lyn Metcalf (in absentia) - who may be called back to service as a result of the City of South Perth problems!
• Ian K - civil engineer extraordinaire who  forgets which coffee shop where he is supposed to meet Wayne.
• All ticket holders who have half a ticket which says "keep me" - Is it fair to all concerned? 

Winner of Heads and Tails

Two tails, two tails, two heads but visiting Rotarian Jill Mathwin beat David Tyler by a head! 

Attendance

37 attendees in all, including guest speaker and RYLA student Elizabeth Kerry, visiting Rotarian Jill Mathwin and visitors Mark Jones, Mia Krieger and Charlie Burnett.

Bulletin #35 : 20 March 2026

Presidential Ponderings

President Gerry (P1) welcomed everyone on this beautiful morning as the days get shorter. It has been an impressive week following on from the success of the District Conference last weekend and the great support from the Club.

This day in history saw two amazing events:

• 1969 John (Lennon) married Yoko (Ono)
• 1974 the tragic story of Patty Hearst who was kidnapped by the brainwashed and the Symbionese Liberation Army which resulted in her participation in a bank robbery. She was later captured in 1975, convicted and sentenced to 7 years, her sentence was commuted by President Carter in 1979.
• It was a draw for celebrations - Birthdays and Anniversaries nil - Angus nil! 

Directors' Reports and Member Announcements

DG Veronica : Thanked all members of the Club for their support and attendance at the District Conference and special thanks to Gerry, Brian and Alison for their amazing teamwork! Many accolades for the 'Best Conference - EVER!' and all down to you, the Rotarians, sponsors (Garrick and Diana) and team who made it happen.

Ian K : Croquet is on again 6.30pm, 27 March. $20 pp for food, and BYO drinks. Membership committee meeting after breakfast

Angus F : Fundraising committee meeting after breakfast.

Garrick McC : Gave an update on Makinlay, our RYE student in France. Inundated with photos and videos of her recent trips, Makinlay has now moved to second host family, near her school so no more  long bus trips to and from.

Rick S : Pankind BBQ a great success raising $350. Rick thanked all supporters and especially Mandy who organised it all.

Gorby : Historical walk on 10 April in the City - scroll down to Events for more details. Gorby looking for suggestions for dinner/drinks afterwards. THE PINES dinner 12 May 6.15pm. Trybooking link will soon be open, only 50 seats so book early! 

David R : Seeking interested members to chair the meeting each week from 1 July. Mentors supplied so lots of support given.

Ian K : Auctioned off a bottle of Jamieson Irish Whisky, kindly donated by ex-member Ross Stewart. Shaun O'Brien outbid everyone and was the lucky bidder - well done Shaun! 

Guest Speakers - Dr James Savundra and Dr Mark Strahan, Interplast Surgeons.

Dr James Savundra, Plastic Surgeon trained in plastic surgery in Perth, Melbourne and New York City. He works at Perth Children Hospital, Royal Perth Hospital and St John of God Hospital, Subiaco.

 

James’s first Interplast Trip was in 2001 to Tonga. Since then, he has done several Interplast trips to countries in the Pacific, Asia and Africa.

 

Dr Mark Strahan, Plastic Surgeon 

trained in plastic surgery in Perth, Brisbane and Exeter, United Kingdom. He works at Fiona Stanley, Armadale and South Perth Hospitals, covering elective and emergency surgeries.

Mark’s first Interplast Trip was 2014 when he joined James in Laos. Since then, he has been on several trips to Papua New Guinea, Laos and most recently Kiribati.

 

Interplast is a small charitable organisation started by Rotary in 1983 through a

partnership with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Interplast sends fully qualified Australian and New Zealand volunteer plastic and reconstructive surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and allied health professionals to the Asia Pacific region to provide free surgical treatment for patients who would otherwise not be able to afford access to such services.

The surgeons do their job of fixing the devastating deformities such as cleft palates which cause huge social issues for the patients as they are generally outcasts at school and in their own community being unable to speak understandably.

Today, we were privileged to have not one but two Plastic Surgeons give their valuable time to tell us about their work with Interplast.

Mark and James discussed the history of Interplast, a collaboration between surgeons, Rotary and the College of Surgeons. This partnership is crucial, as surgeons are skilled in surgery but not in logistics and organization. Rotary provides the necessary funds and logistical support to make the overseas organization functional.

 

They detailed the types of surgeries they perform, focusing on cleft lips, cleft palates, and severe burn contractures, which are the most common cases. They used numerous case studies from their trips to places like Papua New Guinea, Laos, Somalia, and Kiribati to illustrate the life-changing impact of these procedures. Their presentation also emphasized Interplast’s commitment to training local medical staff to create sustainable healthcare solutions.

Volunteers’ time is given freely, while Interplast covers airfares and accommodation. Teams are required to be self-sufficient, especially in smaller locations, carrying about 200 kilograms of equipment.

A typical team consists of six members: two doctors (surgeons), two nurses, and two anaesthetists. The team travels for approximately two weeks at a time.

Surgeons face challenging conditions, such as operating in cramped theaters, sometimes with two tables in one room. Resources are often basic, exemplified by a “high-tech scrub sink” and power outages requiring generators.

Personal challenges include surgeons getting sick but still needing to perform difficult operations.

Training local surgeons and medical personnel is a high priority, especially in larger centers like Papua New Guinea (PNG).

The goal is to build local capacity so that surgeries can be performed year-round, which is more effective than relying solely on visiting teams. Interplast has been involved in training the last 3-4 plastic surgeons in PNG. Trainees may also be brought to Australia for parts of their training.

An example of successful training is Kurtmy in Laos, who was taught by Harold McCombe and went on to train the next generation of Laotian plastic surgeons.

It is worthy to note, our own member Ken Pittman accompanied an Interplast team over twenty years ago as their official photographer.

Also joining us at our meeting was Steve Weychan from Canning River Rotary Club. Steve has been involved with their fundraising a total of $1.2 million for Interplast over the years.

Their presentation contained many personal stories of patients and examples of their fantastic results. A PDF version can be viewed at:

millpointrotaryclub.org.au>members only (password)> this link>Guest Speaker Presentations>SAVUNDRA James- Interplast

 

It's a nice Fine(s) kind of day!

Madame Lash aka Joy Burnett informed us all that as it was International Day of Happiness she'd play nice with her fines...

• Gorby - Indian Pacific fiasco.
• ALL non attendees at District Conference (you missed an amazing conference!)
• Lydia W - for suggesting group photo of Mill Point Rotarians and partners at the Conference and then went MIA! Now looking for Photoshop expert to 'photoshop' her in!
• Geoff L - bachelorhood isn't what it's cracked up to be, his bed-making/sheet-washing abilities were questioned! 

Winner of Heads and Tails - Two heads, one of each and finally two tails saw our beloved Mike Collett win the wine - well done Mike!

Attendance - 39 attendees in all, including guest speakers Dr James Savundra and Dr Mark Strahan, visiting Rotarian Steve Weychan (Canning River) and guests Stewart Harrison and  Estelle Hayler.