Bulletin #44 - 29 May 2026

Presidential Ponderings

P1 (Gerry McG) was warmly welcomed on cue from Sargeant Mike! Whilst we are experiencing some heavy showers, Europe is sweltering and Makinlay - our RYE student in France - boasts about swimming in 33-34 degree water! Good on you Makinlay!

However this day in history boasts very little information on who changed our world, except for...

1938 Fremantle settlers celebrate the coronation of Queen Victoria

1992 the memorable passing of the Mabo decision

Sargeant Mike then told us who had chnaged our world by being born on or about this day. 
 
Directors' Reports and Member Announcements

• Gerry McG : David Rowell (P2) away with the flu but would have reminded us that Changeover Lunch is on 27 June, please remember to book and pay at https://www.trybooking.com/DMESB.(scroll down to events)
• Alison T : Como RC have extended the offer of wine with $20 from every case sold by Mill Point being returned to Mill Point coffers (scroll down to events for more details).
• Veronica L : Bricktober is on again Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th October at Curtin Stadium, 9am to 5pm each day. Volunteers needed to help Ascot RC. Visit https://www.bricktober.au/.
• Lyn M : The Board announced that membership fees will stay the same as last year $290 with no increase. Invoices to be issued shortly so please pay asap.
• Gerry McG : Presented Veronica with a 3-sapphire PHF as a Rotary "Above and Beyond" peer recognition award.
• Wayne M :  The State Funeral for Bill Grayden will be held on Tuesday at St George's Cathedral in Perth at 10am. There will be a special screening at the Senior Citizens Centre for anyone who would like to attend.

Guest Speaker - Jessica Murray, Operations Manager, Hola Health : "Telehealth as a sustainable healthcare solution"

Lydia Wong introduced our guest speaker Jessica.

"Today’s topic is one that affects pretty much all of us. Because let’s be honest… most of us have either Googled our symptoms at 2am and convinced ourselves we had a rare tropical disease… or sat in a waiting room wondering if we’d recover from boredom before seeing the doctor.
Thankfully, healthcare is changing. And someone who has had a front row seat to that transformation is our guest speaker today, Jessica Murray."

Jessica is the Operations Manager at Hola Health, one of Australia’s leading providers of 24/7 on-demand telehealth consultations. She has spent nearly a decade in digital health operations, helping bridge gaps in healthcare access, especially for rural and regional communities. Jessica has seen firsthand how technology can genuinely improve lives.
Behind all the operations, systems, and innovation, Jessica's passion has always remained deeply human - improving health equity, reducing pressure on front-line healthcare workers, and making care more accessible for everyone. Jessica has also recently completed a double Masters in Health Leadership & Management, and Global Health. 
Australia faces a significant healthcare professional shortage, with projections indicating a deficit of 5,500 to over 10,000 full-time equivalent GPs by 2031-2032. Rural and regional communities are disproportionately affected, creating a cycle of delayed diagnoses, higher prevalence of chronic conditions, and poor health outcomes.

Telehealth originated from rural health necessity rather than pandemic convenience. The Royal Flying Doctor Service (established 1928) pioneered remote healthcare using radio communications, which evolved into phone calls and eventually modern video consultations.

The WA Country Health Services Emergency Telehealth Service was established in 2012. This service allowed rural emergency patients to connect with metropolitan specialists, reducing urgent transfers and improving treatment delivery. Following the 2018 expansion to include: inpatient care, mental health, and acute specialist services, the service achieved a 74% patient transfer avoidance rate.

Teleradiology is an advance from physical X-ray light box readings to cloud-based PACS (Picture Archiving and Communicating System), enabling reporting from anywhere. This reduced report turnaround from days/weeks to within 24 hours for rural patients.

Hola Health On-Demand Primary Care, provides short-term interim care at $39 per consultation through our website and an App, with 24/7 video consultations to bridge gaps when regular GPs are unavailable. Cost are kept low for affordability and equal the normal out-of-pocket expenses one would pay at their local GP. This helps reduce emergency department burdens on staff, waiting times and hospital resources.

Telehealth's Dual Purpose, is seen as a partner function - not as a replacement for in-person care but as a supportive partner which:    

• Reduces the burden on GPs and hospitals by handling lower-acuity cases;  
• Frees up in-person appointments for patients who truly need them; and  
• Provides convenient access and triage for non-urgent cases away from emergency departments.

Hola Health maintains strict policies on medication prescribing - in particular avoiding stimulants, ADHD medications, and pain medications. Hola Health focuses exclusively on short-term care, referring chronic condition management back to regular GPs. The service is not Medicare-covered but costs are kept low to match out-of-pocket GP visit expenses.

Hola Health is piloting telehealth consultations in Queensland emergency departments to reduce waiting times and operational strain. The company is also working toward integrating with MyHealth records, a government requirement for all practitioners.

Jessica's team has also put together a little special discount code for anyone that wants to use it or just try out their services. 

 

Fine-ly Focussed 

Sport and the weather featured heavily today...

• 10 days of continual rain - cough up recalcitrant reticulation-ers.
• State of Origin watchers - if you left before the last 10 minutes you wasted your time.
• French Open fans - coaches quitting mid tournament , players collapsing from heat stroke and Djokovic hanging in against the local Govt and on track for a potential Grand Slam title #25.
• Soccer fans - Crystal Palace just took out a trifector of Conference League, County Shield and FA cup - Mike Collett one for you! 
• Dockers Fans - Big week in AFL last Friday night for the "boys in purple" at our very own stadium!
• Fishers (Anglers) being encouraged to target Carp as apparently it tastes like the 'next-best-thing-since-sliced-bread', and there are NO LIMITS as to how much you can bag and sell.
• Civil Engineers - 602 river barriers removed in 2025 reconnecting 2324 miles of rivers in the EU - pay up for treating rivers as engines for economic growth.
• Lew T - AWOL last week because it was cold and he slept in!
• Gerry Mc - not knowing the difference between a King and a Queen...
• Veronica L - Fame comes at a price! 

Winner of Heads and Tails

Wayne Duke was nominated as 'Tosser' of the week for Heads and Tails which Shaun O'Brien won by a 'head'

Attendance

30 attendees in all today.

Bulletin #43 - 22 May 2026

Presidential Ponderings

As we started today’s Rotary meeting, President Gerry reminded us that we are all volunteers. Whilst this week, is celebrating 'Bee' week -more importantly it is also VOLUNTEER WEEK, which runs from 18 to 24 May. 2026 is the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, and the week encourages community participation and honors the vital role volunteers play in fostering connection and purpose.

President Gerry then called on Sargent Angus to tell us what other Volunteers amongst our members have birthdays or anniversaries on or about this day.

Directors' Reports and Member Announcements

• Foreshore Clean-up: A clean-up event was held on Saturday, May 17, 2026, along the foreshore. Nine members participated and collected many piles of rubbish.
• Changeover Event Payment: The booking link for payment for the Changeover event on June 27, 2026, is now open. The link is available on the flyer in this week’s bulletin. Members are encouraged to book and pay early to confirm lunch numbers.
• Membership Committee Meeting: A membership committee meeting will be held immediately after today’s meeting.
• Lions Club Ballroom Dancing: Club members are invited to attend the Lions Club ballroom dancing event tonight at 8:00 PM in the South Ballroom of the civic center.
• Off Track: fundraising event is on again this year. A fundraising webpage has been set up and a donation link will be sent out.
• Eye Clinic: Planned trips to Sri Lanka and Timor are postponed as they are not considered safe yet. Further details on the destination and dates will be provided once confirmed.

Unsung Hero Awards

The meeting this week is a special tribute by our Club for Volunteers Week, and in presenting “Unsung Hero” awards, acknowledging individuals who contribute significantly to the community.

This award has been presented by the club for 15 years, starting in 2011, the International Year of the Volunteer.

It recognizes volunteers and employees of not-for-profit organizations within the vicinity of the city of South Perth.

In Western Australia (WA), 1.5 million people volunteer annually, contributing 400 million hours and creating $5.64 billion in economic value.

Today we congratulate three people who have contributed to our community. 

Lorna Robertson

Lorna has served as the volunteer band coordinator for the South Perth Lions Club since 2015, which runs a community music program with youth and adult bands.

She also volunteers for Save the Children Australia, sorting and pricing donated sheet music for their annual book sales.

Previously, she taught lip-reading for the Telethon Foundation and currently cares for her grandchildren. Lorna's choice of charity was Starick, which supports domestic violence victims. They will receive the $200 donation from the Club.

She invited attendees to the South Perth Big Band’s monthly dance at the South Perth Civic Centre, held on the fourth Friday night of each month. Next one is 26 June.

Nelson Wu and Jen Pei Ng

Nelson Wu and Jen Pei have been leaders and volunteers for the Neighborhood Watch Asian Community Service Incorporated since 2018.

The organization, formerly the Neighborhood Watch Chinese Group, now serves broader Asian communities (Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Thai). It acts as a bridge between Asian communities and local/federal government and law enforcement to improve community safety.

Nelson serves as the volunteer Media and Community Liaison Officer. 

He collaborates with WA Police and Crimestoppers, and assists Chinese-speaking residents in reporting crimes. 

 

Nelson also hosts community events to raise awareness about crime prevention.

 

 

 

Jen Pei has served as Vice President and Team Leader. He provides translation services to help residents engage with government departments. 

Jen Pei plays a key role in bridging cultural gaps within the Australian community.

Nelson Wu announced that the $200 donation would go to Vinnies (St Vincent’s) for the CEO Sleepout.

 Awardees and Sponsors

L-R: Diana, Gerry, Jen Pei, Rick, Lorna and Howard

A Fine(s) way to start the day...

Our lovely Joy reminded us that it’s coming up TAX time again so today was going to be very taxing…

• Gorby : 1^st cab off the rank…What does the Pres say at start of every meeting….TURN off your phone…last week you forgot!
• Anyone still working or gone back to work Ian K, Kelly Gillen sure have Lydia, Eunice, Diana, Garrick. Might bring the average age down to help pay for us retirees.
• Claimants of the $100 fuel bonus from the State budget, better still those who still has the Services WA App on their phones! We thank you for your donation!
• Shareholders: who can pay up whilst you still have some loose change before the taxman grabs it.
• Bitcoiners/Pizza lovers: Today is known as Bitcoin Pizza Day - commemorates the first known commercial Bitcoin transaction, the event became symbolic of the currency’s early potential—and the high cost of a slice of Pizza. The day now serves as a reminder of how digital currency entered real-world use. Whoever among us has invested in Bitcoin can dob in a Dollar and anyone who has ever enjoyed the odd slice of Pizza can cough up as well - that goes for all the men at last weeks Men’s dinner!
• Tokyo visitors : Worlds tallest tower was open to public on this day in 2012 – everyone who has ever been to Tokyo can pay a TAX.
• Beancounters : ...or Tax accountants etc., let's start with Dietmar and Kim!

Winner of Heads and Tails

Guest tosser of the week (P1) tossed it away to Wayne the Elder - and doesn't he look thrilled! 

Attendance

44 attendees in all, including Unsung Heroes Lorna Roberton, Nelson Wu and Jen Pei Ng; visiting Rotarians Syryani DeSouza (Nedland RC) and Jill Mathwin; and visitors Genn Lee, Angela Wu, Phillip Hatton, Howard Ong, Mandy Sneeuwjagt, Isacc Wu, Jianlin Wu, Fengxi Yang, Lisa Li, and Tony Gao.

Club Duties

Club Duties : 2025 - 2026 

29 May

Sargeant        Mike Collett

Attendance    Astrid Mitchell, Brian Adams

Welcome        Wayne Muller

Host               Reggie Lau

Club Dress    Mike Collett, Angus Florence

Birthdays 

Ross Smith (29th)

Linda Thomas (30th)

Raelene George(31st)

Margaret Metcalf (31st)

Beverly Ferguson (1 June)

Gerry McGann (3 June) 

Anniversaries

      

5 June

Sargeant        Angus Florence

Attendance    Margaret Hyatt, Michelle Lovkis

Welcome        Geoff Longshaw

Host               Brian Adams

Club Dress    Warren McCamey, Angus Florence

Birthdays 

 

Anniversaries

 

12 June

Sargeant        Mike Collett

Attendance    Jenny McLean, Eunice Sari

Welcome        Peggy Leung

Host               Brian Johnson

Club Dress    Mike Collett, Angus Florence

Birthdays 

 

Anniversaries

 

19 June

Sargeant        Angus Florence

Attendance    Lorrie Gray, Lydia Wong

Welcome        Mike Collett

Host               David Rowell

Club Dress    Mike Collett, Angus Florence

Birthdays 

 

Anniversaries

 

       

Future Guest Speakers

Mill Point Guest Speakers 2025 

May 1                      Pride of Workmanship Awards 8                      Kath McQuaide - On My Feet 15                    David Siddell - Swim Vitenam 22                    Various - Unsung Heroes 29                    Jessica Murray - Telehealth  June 5                      Patrick Morrison - Wrecks of the Swan River 12                    Michael Bleus - Royal Flying Doctor Services 19                    David Rowell/Gerry McGann - Club Forum 26                    No breakfast meeting 27                    David Rowell/Gerry McGann - Changeover Lunch

Upcoming Events

27 June - Club 40th Celebration and Changeover

Yes! It's that time again when we put on our party gear and say farewell to the old and celebrate the new!

Changeover is always a sell out so be quick and book your places now at https://www.trybooking.com/DMESB

Join in the fun, wear something RUBY RED and celebrate our upcoming 40 years of Rotary! 

 

 

*****

 Rotary Club of Como Wine Offer

 

*****

4 June - Exclusive Interview Invite 

 *****

11 July - Starry, starry night District Celebration

Book now for our night of stars, District Celebration - a night of fun, fellowship and good food. 

Dress up (or down) but join the star-studded night as we celebrate our successes throughout the year.

https://www.trybooking.com/DMOCS or scan the QR code below.

Make it a really special night, by staying overnight with special rates for Rotarians at the Mercure.

Book your special room at https://www.idem.events/r/rotary-western-australia-b7f7ec19 

 

 

 

 

Bulletin #42 - 15 May 2026

Presidential Ponderings

As we start today’s Rotary meeting, let us recall for a minute the Rotary Motto of "Service Above Self" and remember that today in history:

1928: Mickey Mouse made his first appearance in our lives.

1930: Ellen Church became first airline stewardess (now called CREW members).

2016: Max Verstappen became the youngest driver ever to win a Formula 1 race.

2026 : Sargent Angus Florence called up to tell us which of our 'fast movers' were born or hitched on or about this day.
 
Directors' Reports and Member Announcements

P1 (Gerry McG): Changeover 27 June - theme is "Ruby" for our 40th year. Flyer will be sent out on Monday when Trybooking opens. Please book early to assist in preparations and catering.

Garrick McC : Makinlay has been travelling with other exchange students and having a great time. Our incoming Youth Exchange student Felipe has likely secured a place at Kent Street SHS, with Trinity College as a back up. Three host families have volunteered to date, but a couple more are needed as relief.   

Wayne M : Epic day of service tomorrow, Saturday 16 May. Meet at the Mill Point car park near the old Mill, be there by 9.30am. Bring gloves, hat and water, and an implement for picking up litter. Kelly and David are leading the event.

Gorby : Pines restaurant a great success, thanks to everyone who attended - see our Facebook and Instagram pages for photos! Unsung heroes next week. Lions big band starting again 22 May at the Civic Centre, 8pm.

David R : Wayne Duke has nominated for President next year, still require a secretary. Nominations to David or Gerry please. Applicaitons are open for Census Community Field Officers. Visit their website at census.abs.gov.au/jobs for  more information.

Guest Speaker : David Siddell - Swim Vietnam

Trustee David Siddell presented an in-depth overview of SWIM Vietnam. This is a charity focused on reducing child drownings through free swimming lessons, water safety education, and training of swim teachers and lifeguards in Hoi An. 

David detailed Vietnam’s high drowning risk due to extensive coastlines, rivers, flooding, and climate challenges; the charity’s origins from a triathlon initiative in 2007–2008 led by founder Joanne Stewart. Operational models include an in-ground school pool and multiple above-ground pools in partnership with Rotary and AusSwim for teacher qualification, program impacts and statistics, COVID-19 disruptions, funding needs and disability swim programs - all in collaboration with Rotary clubs in Vietnam and Australia.

Vietnam has 3,500 km of coastline and over 2,500 rivers, plus abundant flooded rice fields. Central Vietnam, including Hoi An, is highly flood-prone due to extreme tides, monsoons, and worsening climate change effects. At the end of October last year, floods and typhoons severely hit Central Vietnam (and the Philippines), causing many drownings, loss of agriculture, homes, landslips, and huge loss of animals. SWIM Vietnam teachers were personally affected, losing kitchen utensils, motorcycles, and entire yearly crops.

About 50% of the population lives near open water (rivers, rice paddies, etc.). Government figures on average show that 5 children drown every day in Vietnam. Whilst WHO estimates the government figure is understated by roughly half, other charities cite around 35 children drowning daily.

Children are often unsupervised, especially during school holidays, UNICEF calls it the “silent epidemic.” Vietnam reportedly has a higher number of child drownings than any other Asian country.

In 2007, Singapore-based triathlon organizer TriBob planned a children’s race in Hoi An but found no entrants because children couldn’t swim. TriBob researched the issue, established a charity, and sought a volunteer in Joanne Stewart, an investment banker in Singapore. Joanne arrived in 2008 with a mobile phone and one contact in Hoi An’s tourism department, securing hotel pools to start lessons. In the first year with a local volunteer and an expatriate, 300 children were taught to swim. Joanne led on the ground for nine years, and remains the founder and a co-trustee.

In 2009, donations enabled building an in-ground pool at a Hoi An school, providing free, controlled-environment swimming lessons.

Above-ground pools are operated at schools; they are large, require substantial water, are collapsed in winter, and are potentially transportable.

The charity provides pools, training, teacher qualification, and water quality management; schools/local authorities supply hard standing, security fencing, and roofs.

SWIM Vietnam operates 11 pools and has built additional pools, with an aim to hand operations to local authorities where feasible.

Rotary was established in Vietnam 4–5 years ago; clubs in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang (Da Nang is 35–40 minutes from Hoi An). Ho Chi Minh City club reportedly did not survive; current active clubs: Hanoi and Da Nang (~25 members; vibrant mix of expatriates and locals). Da Nang Rotary reportedly has nine global grants in progress with a strong interest in collaborating on a grant with SWIM Vietnam and Australian clubs.  

Fitting drowning prevention into Rotary’s Areas of Focus is challenging: it is not classified as a disease; education and mother/child health categories are partial but not precise fits. The U.S. CDC is attempting to classify drowning within disease frameworks, which could aid grant eligibility. SWIM Vietnam and Rotary partners are exploring pathways to align with grant criteria.  

In the future there will be:

• more exploration of sponsorship opportunities as it costs $45AUS per child for 15 lessons over 5 weeks
• seek support for the disability swim program
• identify donors to fund AUD 3,500 annually for 70 children 
• advocate for policy alignment
• engage with stakeholders to support recognition of drowning prevention within health/education frameworks (e.g., CDC classification efforts) to ease grant eligibility

 The priority is to assess infrastructure needs, partner with local authorities to fund and install durable metal roofs over pools, and evaluate additional above-ground pool deployments in remote regions. 

The full transcript can be found in the member section on the website. 

Another Fine(s) Mess...

As Wayne the Elder took up the challenge he was ruthless (as usual) in his deliberations of who donated the dough...

• Marg H, Howard N, Vic S, Ross S and Ross L, Kim P, Astrid M and Lorrie G - for being so quiet previous fines persons have not found reason to fine them.
• Everybody else -  because they had not been so lucky!

Winner of Heads and Tails

...and what a grin as our lovely Astrid grabs the grog in heads and tails, winning back her fine in multiple! Thanks to Lyn and Margaret Metcalf for their weekly gift of grog!

Attendance

30 attendees in all, including guest speaker David Siddell.