Howdy Pardners...
President 'Duke' Wayne welcome everyone and announced that this day in history...
1955 Walt Disney opened the original Disneyland in Anneheim, California
17 July is World Emoji Day 👀
Directors' Reports and Member Announcements
- Angus : Fundraising committee meeting after breakfast
- President Wayne : On behalf of the District Governor Veronica Lawrance. "Although this person could not be with us tonight, they jump in with both feet, every time they are asked, no matter what they are doing, wherever they are, whoever they are with - and take on the responsibility no matter what you throw at them. In their Club they are known as ‘Maverick’ – not because they are a loose cannon, but in light of their previous occupation as a pilot, their ability to think logically, their dexterity, flexibility and their organisation skills and as a bonus - they are better looking than Tom Cruise! What they do at club level is phenomenal, what they volunteer for is unbelievable and what they did at the District Conference ensuring timeliness, looking out for presenters – like herding cats and jumping in at the last minute with excellent follow up and organisational skills was unimaginable. It gives me great pleasure to celebrate a 3 sapphire PHF to Brian ‘Maverick’ Johnson".
- Brian J: Still recovering from surprise... Kelly ill oday so club Service Committee meeting deferred until next week. More speaker suggestions needed.
- Rick S: requesting more meals for Perth Inner City Youth Services (PICYS) please.
Guest Speaker : Mike Dixon - Big Brother, Big Sister.
A man of many hats, Mike is a devoted partner and father, a disability mentor and the CEO of Sudbury Community House in Mirrabooka.
Today he is speaking as the passionate WA State Manager of Big Brothers Big Sisters, a much-needed mentoring service, helping change the lives of less fortunate children and young people.
Mike introduced Tom Oosterhof (Perth WA Chair).
Tom brought BBBS to Perth. Mike acknowledged NAIDOC Week and paid respects to Aboriginal elders, noting the significance of the Yerrigan.
The Big Brothers movement founded in 1904 in New York City to help boys stay out of trouble. The BBBS presence in Australia began 1996, with programs in Victoria and New South Wales. It expanded to Western Australia in 2026, focusing on one-to-one mentoring for youth.
The Mission aligns with forming lifelong, meaningful adult-youth connections, similar in spirit to Rotary’s fellowship. It targets youth aged 7–17, emphasizing prevention before
crisis. The program aims to build sustained, supportive relationships that prevent youth from entering the justice, health or child protection systems.
The WA Program Model and Operations involves volunteer-based mentoring: weekly, face-to-face, after school or weekends to avoid disrupting education. The initial commitment is one year, often extending longer. There is comprehensive support from staff to sustain matches and navigate hurdles.
Phase 1: preventive mentoring
Phase 2 (future): services for justice-involved or disengaged youth with strong support or paid professionals.
Mentors are screened by a Mentor Coordinator with oversight from Mike. It includes police checks, Working with Children checks, three interview stages and a home visit. Typical screening timeline is about six weeks. Referrals from local Mirrabooka organizations: care schools, Headspace, Department of Education’s home schooling services, and Youth Care (school chaplaincy).
Weekly mentoring for 12 months is highly impactful; even single significant adult contact can be life-changing.
Comparative costs:
- Youth justice involvement exceeds $350,000 per year; hospital costs are higher.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters annual match cost: $4,800 per young person due to non-institutional model and volunteer base.
A Fine(s) Act To Follow...
- Disneyland visitors or watched a Disney movie.
- Tennis Tragics who followed the Wimbledon Ladies and Gentlemans final.
- Golfers who can now watch some golf.
- Travellers who have been away in the last week or planning a getaway.
- President Wayne 3 meetings down and only another 46 to go…
- Cold blooded Rotarians who have put a heater on and only halfway through Winter!
- Toyota or Lexus drivers (Joy just traded hers…) or EV/Hybrid owners.
- Lorrie for leaving her car lights on.
- Theatre-goers attending “Sister Act JR” and had a great night.
Winner of Heads and Tails
Attendance : 31 attendees in all, including guest speaker Mike Dixon and Tom Oosterhof, guest Eno Budo and visiting Rotarians Mitch Whalen (Scarborough) and Soovi Sungur (Southern Districts).
