Bulletin #47

 Food for thought...

This week is all about food – some good some bad - even Artificial Intelligence was affected when MacDonalds trialled its first every AI Trail at 100 of its drive-throughs in the US and some order going very wrong.

Maccas and IBM partnered up to create a simplified experience for customers but the software proved to be not so intelligent when videos of mixed up order went viral.

This included things like:

• Toppings of butter instead of caramel sauce on ice cream
• Chicken nuggets with ice cream and bacon
• Breakfast McMuffin with caramel sauce instead of cheese

 …and the list goes on..

 However the rest of the world celebrated

• Eat your vegetables day        
• International Sushi Day
• Sustainable Gastronomy Day
• International picnic day
• Red Apple day
• National Chocolate Éclair day
• Apple strudel day and
• Cupcake Lovers’ day

 Enjoy your day whatever you are celebrating!

Guest Speaker - John O'Sullivan (Jnr) Collaborative Practice

John was born on 29 February, so is probably one of the youngest speakers we have had at only 14 years old.

 

He is the son of our member, John O’Sullivan and grew up mainly in Perth, but with three years in England.

When he was in upper primary school.  John remembers taking a double decker bus to school, sometimes in the snow.

 

John has four children aged from 5 to 27.  Some of you might remember 20 years ago, John’s eldest daughter, Brooke sometimes came to meetings with her grandfather (John O'Sullivan Snr). 

 

John has been a lawyer for over 30 years and has been running his own practice for over 20 years.  Early on in his career, he spent several years working in Bunbury before returning to Perth.  

 

 

He is also a Mediator and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and has been a Collaborative Professional for over 10 years.   

 

He is a council member of Collaborative Professionals WA and a board member of the Australian Association of Collaborative Professionals.

 

Collaborative Practice is an alternative dispute resolution process, aimed at promoting effective communication between parties and encouraging interest-based resolutions.

Mediation is the most well-known alternative dispute resolution process. In Mediation, you have one or two mediators who help the parties to have constructive discussions about resolving their dispute. Sometimes in mediation, each party will bring their lawyer with them to assist.

In Collaboration, each party is represented by a lawyer. The parties and their respective lawyer will enter into an agreement, formalising their commitment to working out a reasonable and acceptable settlement for the parties.

 The distinguishing feature of Collaborative Practice is this agreement. Under the agreement, if the matter cannot be resolved using the collaborative process, then the process will be terminated and each party’s lawyer is disqualified from continuing to represent their respective clients if the matter goes to court.

 A feature is often having additional professionals in a team. These would be a financial specialist and a mental health professional (most likely a psychologist or counsellor) who would act for both clients and be called “neutrals”. Counsellors can offer much more support in their role in collaboration than they could as mediators. The financial neutral can offer suggestions about the best way to move forward and their thinking and suggestions are often different to the way lawyers think. They can also offer suggestions about more tax effective settlements or for forecasting for financial decisions.

Lawyers can advocate, in a non-adversarial manner, for their client. Whereas as a mediator, they can ask questions about an issue but not advocate without losing impartiality.

The first Collaboration in WA was in 2008. There are currently hundreds of practicing collaborative practitioners currently in Australia. John believes disputes are almost always about much more than the law.

He is enthusiastic about Collaborative Practice and Mediation as a better way to resolve disputes over litigation. Collaborative Practice can achieve both lasting compromises, repairing, rather than further damaging, the parties’ relationships.

Directors Reports and Announcement

Raelene G

• Will be in Paris (France) next week when we celebrate our Changeover night so - please pay in advance for Changeover dinner to make things easier on the night as she won't be here.

Rick S

• Industrial size Fridge now delivered to Havenwell - check out the story on our social media Facebook page.

Lyn M

• Club dues are NOW payable so please pay asap.
• Changeover dinner costs should be paid into Club account and NOT Charity account

Ross S

• Ronald McDonald House dinner will be at the end of July either 21st or 28th - watch this space!

Gerry McG

• Fremantle walk was a great success and completely OVERWHELMING!

Dianne G

• Will be at Morley Senior High School today participating in careers speed-dating activity
  

Fine(s) I'll Pay Up...

• Pres Veronica for 'combobulating' last and every week; hob-nobbing with the hoi-polloi at Perth RC changeover last Friday night!
  
•  Brian J - too accommodating when last week's speaker failed to show
• All the oil and gas people - lucky the convention centre didn't go Kaboom!
• Everyone who knew today was the Winter Solstice (and what that means)
• National Selfie Day - all those who have...
• Astrid - welcome home, but pay up!
• Bulldusters who attend the BNB launch last Sunday and took home more than they ate!
• Dietmar and Raelene - Gold RAC members (probably joined before they could drive)
• Raelene - don't brag about being in Paris with the real Green and Gold!
  
• Brian A - ordering an Uber ride a day early - over the top!
• Kim P, Geoff L, Kelly G, Margaret W, Dianna G, Ian K, Garrick and Warren Mc, Rick S, Veronica L - guilty of paying into Charity account instead of Club Account for Changeover dinner!
  

Winner of Heads and Tails

After one of each and two heads the lucky winner was Pres Veronica - a big smile says it all!

Thanks to Lyn and Margaret Metcalf for supplying the grog for the winner!

Attendance

32 attendees in all, including guest speaker John O'Sullivan (Jnr) and visiting Rotarian Bill Boekman from Wongan Hills.

 

Bulletin #46

How combobulated are you?

Late Thursday night when I thought all my thinking was done for the day, I was phoned and accused of being guilty of 'combobulating' each week!

Now I'd heard of 'discombobulating' - by way of politicians, being confused, disoriented, disconcerted or somehow at odds with what is going on - but after a deep and meaningful conversation with Mr Google (between several Gin and Tonics)  I realised that yes, guilty as charged!

So each week I combobulate by putting things in order for example, the agenda for the meeting; ensuring Gorby’s table (dependent on whether I receive my coffee or not) gets to be second in line for breakfast. (If only he’d learn that if he sat at the top table first in line is automatic without having to exert himself at the coffee pot…)

 

Other ways in which I combobulate include whether we have fines; heads and tails; note and welcome guests and visiting Rotarians, and lastly who will give the charge to Rotary.

 

So if I was “discombobulated” none of this would happen and you’d have a confused, disoriented mess of a President on your hands.

Now we've all learned a wildly exciting word today - so I challenge you all to use it at least once a day for the next week and see who you can 'dis-combobulate'  by using the word “combobulate”.

Guest Speaker - Brian Johnson - Smartphone Travel Tips

Due to the short notice cancellation of our planned speaker, Vice President Brian Johnson “combobulated” a presentation on Smartphone Travel Tips.

 As a veteran traveller and “Apple geek”, Brian hopefully de-mystified the technology behind Dual SIM phones and several Google Apps to illustrate how they have simplified overseas travelling and communicating.

In opening, Brian reminded us of our younger days as overseas travellers. Travel involved carrying a copy of “Lonely Planet Guide”, paper maps and foreign phrase books while stumping from internet café to internet café…

Now it’s all in your pocket!

 

As we know, roaming charges for calls or internet on your smartphone can be exorbitant. While free wifi is now widely available in airports, hotels and cafes it is insecure. Also, it may not be available when you are out and about.

Most modern smartphones nowadays are Dual SIM. This means you can have two active numbers. That gives you the flexibility to have one for personal and one for work/travel. You to use a local data plan (cheaper) when travelling and use WhatsApp etc for messages/wifi calls.

 

Most phones have an eSIM, which is a digital SIM card that’s already in your phone waiting to be activated. The other is nano SIM which is a physical card in a small tray on the side of your phone. Brian recommended going to your Telco’s shop and having them change your personal number over to the eSIM. That then frees up your tray to insert a local travel SIM for data as the second line.

 

This option is a “no brainer” to keep it simple as not all countries have eSIM plans for travellers. It also allows you to swap the card between devices if needed. For the tech-savvy and depending on your phone, you can download/store multiple eSIM plans and use two simultaneously.

 

Travel SIMs can be purchased before travel covering an entire region or specific countries. ESIM plans can be ordered online or through an APP and easily installed/activated.

Brian then explained via screenshots how to use Google Maps and Google Translate.

• Google Maps has a handy Public Transport option that gives real time information on timetables, stations, platforms etc and even a map to transit between stations (very handy in Tokyo…).

• Google Translate allows you to download multiple languages. You can then type, use microphone or camera to translate phrases, menus and spoken language easily.

 

This presentation was only intended to explain the big picture of how to make travelling easier. You will need to become familiar with your own specific phone and how to set it up.

 

A PDF version of Brian’s presentation can be viewed/downloaded at:

 

millpointrotaryclub.org.au>members only (password)>this link>Guest Speaker Presentations>JOHNSON Brian – Smartphone Travel Tips

Directors Reports and Announcement

Vocational

• Pride of Workmanship 12 July. Three nominations received still time to nominate someone from the workforce who goes 'above and beyond' the line of duty. Please contact David 0419 917 480.
  
• Walking Tour of Fremantle planned for next Wednesday by the great grandson of C Y O'Connor who has been awarded the keys to the city of Fremantle. Please contact Gerry 0438 642 738.
  

Fundraising

• Wine offer from RC of Como, good value with benefits for the club with every case ordered. Email sent in the week to all members.

Treasury

• Membership fees need to be paid by Monday 17 please as Rotary International invoice must be paid.
• Changeover costs $80pp please pay in advance to enable the night to run smoothly.
• Breakfast costs will increase to $30 from 1 July. This is still a great deal and was well negotiated by Lew Thomas, Raelene George and Kelly Gillan as a compromise to a) finding new premises (hard to do); b) paying weekly room hire ($200pw); c) $3.50per cup of tea/coffee; and d) $70pw for audio visuals. Also note that there has been no increases for a couple of years now.

Announcement

Dianna Goh is looking for volunteers with experience in economics/finance to assist with a career counselling speed-dating exercise on 21 June, 11.15am - 2.15pm at Morley Senior High School Library. Please contact Dianna on 0406 370 022

Breaking News...

BulldustNBack

• The 2024 BNB Launch is on this Sunday 16 June at Little J's Woodfire Kitchen (free Pizza) from 2.30pm - 4.30pm. BYO drinks. Please attend and swell the ranks!

District Appreciation Sundowner

Enjoy the sunset whilst sharing fellowship and celebrating with your Rotary friends and colleagues.

When : Saturday 29 June 5.30pm - 7.30pm

Where : City of Perth Surf Life Saving Club, 181-183 Challenger Parade, City Beach

Dress : Cocktail

Cost : $40 pp book here at  https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1222612?.  or scan the QR code on the flyer.

 

It was a 'Fine' performance ...

 Unsuspecting 'pocket rocket' Jenny McLean did the honors today ably assisted by David Rowell as 'tosser of the day' for Heads and Tails.

•  President Veronica for dobbing Jenny in at the last minute, obviously discombobulated in that respect!
• Gerry McG - missing a manicure?
• Kim P - made to do a twirl to show off her 'Himalayan Hiking Boots'
• Dianna G - Introducing her Delightful guest Dianna T (soon have as many Dianna's as Margarets...)
  
• All Socceroo fans $$$$
• All Financial people for their 'EOY' excuses.
• Everyone in arrears for club fees or changeover payments
  

Winner of Heads and Tails

The Delightful, Delectable 'two-header' David who won by proxy (Jenny Mclean) as he was tosser of the week - and then he re-donated the wine back to the Club!

Thanks to Lyn and Margaret Metcalf for supplying the grog each week! 

Attendance

33 attendees in all, including guest speaker Brian J, and visitors  Sharon and Shane Dowling (niece & nephew-in-law of Lorrie Gray).

 

Bulletin #45

 

Oh What A Feeling...

...to be back home after a week in Singapore - it's always good to be back home no matter how much you have enjoyed yourself, and back at Rotary - busted lip and all!

The RI Convention was a great success with over 14,000 Rotarians from all over the world. Visit to the Ukrainian booth in the House of Friendship was the real highlight as was the overwhelming applause and support in the opening ceremony for the Ukraine flag and its people.

Whilst there were many "Days" to celebrate this week none was more important than the anniversary of the beginning of D-Day in 1944  as the Allies prepared to land in Normandy, France and for which we are all very grateful for.

Guest Speaker Darren Reynolds - Every Daughter Matters

Darren is Head of Engagement at Every Daughter Matters. Previously he was with Destiny Rescue and in 2022 gave a harrowing account to the Club of his covert work rescuing trafficked girls from the sex trade in Thailand.

Darren has also spent six years as Community/Schools Development Representative with The Salvation Army WA and seven years with World Vision Australia.

After completing his education at Churchlands Senior High School and Greenwood College, Darren started his career with 98five Sonshine FM as Creative Director/Production Manager.

Darren commenced his presentation with raw mobile footage of the India/Nepal border showing a lady watching cars and stopping any suspicious vehicles with girls in the back. Police would then step in from the side. The aim is to intercept girls being trafficked from Nepal into India. Girls were being sold for sex work, labour, street begging, kidneys and even their skin (Nepali girls being much fairer than Indians.

Darren recapped his previous covert work posing an Australian businessman visiting bars in Thailand, to gain the trust of the underage sex workers and provide photographic evidence to the Police for their rescue. It is very dangerous work, as evidenced in his photos and secret videos.

Shockingly, over 30% of the “sex tourists” in Thailand are Australians. Darren speaks to Year 11/12s at schools, most recently Hale School. He poses the question “do you want to be part of the problem or the solution”. Educating young men on treatment of women and reducing the clients for these trafficked young sex workers is vital. Sort before you go what sort of man you are….”

Darren spoke of the Nepali girls in Indian brothels, described as “meat markets”. They have to service as many as 40 clients a day, for less than the price of a beer. How do you value the life of a child?

The role of Every Daughter Matters is more about prevention. Where the girls in Thailand were being rescued, many of the Nepali girls were being lured with job offers and lacked seeing the “red flags” that are obvious to us. When being intercepted, they often were unaware of what they were being saved from.

Every Daughter Matters was founded four years ago in Port Macquarie by a Rotarian. They now have fourteen border stations and two safe houses in Nepal. Several rescued girls are also now on EDM staff there.

Many girls are given refuge at the safe houses and given retraining  (2,662 girls as of April) or reunited with family (152).

 

A PDF version (minus videos) of Darren’s presentation is available at:

 millpointrotaryclub.org.au>members only (password)>this link>

Guest Speaker Presentations>REYNOLDS Darren – Every Daughter Matters. The full PowerPoint (1.18 Gb) with videos can be made available via USB on request.

Directors Reports and Announcement

Vocational, Gerry McGann

• Pines Dinner on 12 June - only 7 places left. Book now $40 pp https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1223933
• Fremantle Tour with Mike leFroy 19th June - more details to follow
  

Brian Johnson VP

• Membership Directory Proforma sent out requesting new/change of details from each member . Please return ASAP.
• Speaker roster is full to end of July, send in any suggestions to bajohno@gmail.com

• Invitation from Matilda Bay Rotary Club (see events page) to join them for their breakfast meeting on Wednesday 3rd July. Simon Trott has been in the media over the last couple of days and should be a very interesting speaker. Please advise Brian if you would like to attend to coordinate the numbers. This is a great chance for inter-club fellowship and to see how another active club “does business”…

Rick Sneeuwjagt

• Thanks to Gorby and Sana for their 'mostly intact' delivery from Brumby's to the Haven each week. A pie or two may go missing!
• An industrial fridge has been donated by a neighbour of Rick and Mandy's to store the meals supplied by members of the club. This is of great assistance for the Haven who supplying meals to 200+ homeless people each week.
  

 Treasurer - Lyn Metcalf

• Invoices have gone out for fees, please pay asap to assist in our payments to RI.
  

Fundraising - Dietmar Mazanetz

• RC of Como are having a wine sale - great wine at reduced prices so please see Dietmar before stocking up with your usual tipple.
  

Fines

"Money can't buy you love" sang the Beatles back in 1964 - but it can buy you lots of substitutes - and Jenny McLean saw to it that everyone was selfless in sharing their stash as she slashed our savings!

• "Kings Award for Acrobatics" went to President Veronica - busted lip and all.
• Cruise fanatics - past, present and aspiring
• Netflix aficionados who will miss their "gogglebox" fix when Sony terminates Netflix from 24 July.
• Those people who aren't Netflix aficionados!
• Those wanting alternatives to Netflix (Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV Stick.
• Everyone who doesn't give a continental about any of the above!
  

Winner of Heads and Tails

Dianna Goh won hands down this week with two tails! Many thanks to Lyn and Margaret Metcalf for supplying the slurp of the week.

Attendance

38 attendees in all, including guest speaker Darren Reynolds, and visitors/guests Mandy Sneeuwjagt, Sana Dimovich, Heather Kamal, Gordon Smith, and Peggy Leung.

Bulletin #44

 

 When the President is "Wounded in Action"...Rotary still goes on as usual!

Vice President Brian opened the meeting and advised President Veronica had suffered a fall in Singapore, while attending the International Conference. She is “battered and bruised, but luckily nothing broken…”

 

Lew Thomas may need to “spill the beans” later..

Guest Speaker Allen Graham - "Inns and Outs of Fremantle"

Author Allen Graham was born in 1938 in Beaconsfield and has lived in the area most of his life. He has worked as an HR Manager for a number of Councils and is now retired and living in Shoalwater. He has previously written two e-books ('I AM DEAD! What Do I Do Now?' and 'Beyond The Martial Arts' which has sold in 23 countries). These are also published in print by 'Lulu.com'.

He has taken a great interest in the history of Fremantle and has written another book, as you will hear today.

Allen’s book “Inns and Outs of Fremantle” is an emphasis on the “Inns”, but is really a book about Fremantle in general. It has been 40 years in the making, he started writing in 1983 ending with a 300,000 word manuscript. At the suggestion of his sons, he has published this as Part One of a Trilogy. Although the title is “Inns and Outs of Fremantle 1829-1929”, this Part One is really 1829-1856.

We are on the eve of “WA Day”, previously known as “Foundation Day” (1st June). Also we are now only five years away from our 200^th Anniversary. If you really want a feel for what things were like in WA, this book will help you out. The decades of the 1830-1840 were the toughest times we’ve ever had.

Allen took us through the hardships the early settlers experienced since the arrival of the Challenger. There were two classes of settlers – capitalists and servants. Drunkenness was rife and the Governor resorted to withholding land grants to any new settlers selling alcohol without a liquor licence. He told of the many iconic hotels, amongst them the “Stirling Arms” (Robert Thompson also of Thompson Bay, Rottnest), “George IV” and “Collins Hotel”. Later there was the “Swan” and “Albion” Hotels.

William Keats built the “Kings Arms”. It was his sons who ambushed and killed Yagan, after whom Yagan Square is named. William Keats himself was a shady character, described as “better known than respected….”

The brewing industry developed, with the Gold Rush seeing local beer exceed imported beer. This was also a time when many American whalers were in port. They were very important for bringing money into the town, but with it also came many drunken brawls. In 1855 the new Governor thought there were too many hotels and introduced new taxes and laws to reduce drunkenness. There were at this time nine hotels in Fremantle and eleven in Perth.

The second part of the Trilogy deals with 1857 onwards, where the number of hotels in Fremantle was reduced to five and Perth to eight.

Allen concluded with a quote from Englishman Marcus Clarke, author of the 1847 novel For the Term of his Natural Life when comparing Australians to other national groups – “They are not a nation of snobs like the English, or of extravagant boasters like the Americans, or reckless degenerates like the French. They are simply a nation of drunkards…”

Host Gerry McGann directed questions from “us drunkards” and thanked Allen for his presentation.

Directors Reports and Announcement

Brian (Vice President)

• John O’Sullivan has had a fall at home, resulting in a hip replacement. He is out of hospital and will be out of action for a while.

• Please return the Directory proformas. The committee and portfolios relate to RY2024-25. If unsure I can fill in.

 

David Rowell (Vocational)

• Pride of Workmanship 12^th July. Final nomination of participants requested.

 

Lyn Metcalf (Treasurer)

• Advised Club Dues should be in your mailboxes now. Pleased to note that 15 members (25%) have already paid in first three days. There is provision on the Square to pay your dues with credit card, but club incurs $5 fee, so you are encouraged to put directly into bank if possible. Changeover can also be paid for on the Square.

 

Raelene George (International)

• We donated $5,000 to the Bali Water Pump Project in conjunction with Como and Moora Rotary clubs. The official handover is on the 20^th June in Bali and we have been invited to attend. Please advise me if you wish to come.

 

Ian Kremmer (Community)

• The Sunday Charity Drop-Off with Como RC was very successful, thanks to the six members who assisted. There were four large truckloads of useful and high quality goods – one to SOS, one to ParaQuad and two to “Vinnies/Sammies”. It may continue in the future.

Fines session - Wayne (the Elder)

• More enthusiasm please…the amount of happiness in the world is a constant, and I am the only one here who is happy…
• Warren McCamey for sending spam emails about laryngitis.
• Tricia Smith for not introducing Rob.
• Margaret Walton for being late (having an issue with the front door?).
• Baby Boomers, born 1946-65, the richest generation (20% of population) with 52% of wealth in the USA. Baby Boomers a penny in…..
• Wayne part of the “silent generation” 1928-45…some say “Stone-age”.
• If you are not a Baby Boomer, penny in….

Winner of Heads and Tails - Howard Nelson

Attendance

36 attendees in all, including guest speaker Graham Allen and visitors Rona McGann and Rob Hubbard.