Bulletin #011 - 11 September 2026

Howdy Pardners...

President Wayne Duke opened the meeting by reminding us of The Four Way Test #4- “Will it be BENIFICIAL to all concerned?”

The Rotary International monthly theme for September 2026 is Basic Education and Literacy Month.

Today in 2001:

The 25th anniversary of 9/11, where hijacked airliners were flown into New York's Twin Tower, with over 3,000 people killed.  

 

Induction of New members

Alison Thair conducted the Induction formalities for our two newest members, Elizabeth Adamson and Eno Budo.

Elizabeth has relocated to South Perth from a farm in Toodyay, where she and her late husband had been very involved with Rotary. Her Classification is “Farming” and she will join the International Committee. Elizabeth's Mentor is Ian Kremmer.

Eno is originally from Albania before moving to Australia and lists his interests as running marathons and tennis. His Classification is “Water Solutions” and he will join the Community Committee. 
Eno's Mentor is fellow Toastmaster Dietmar Mazanetz.

      L to R: Dietmar, Carole, President Wayne, Eno, Ian, Elizabeth, Lorrie

 

Directors' Reports and Member Announcements

Carole O : Ronald MacDonald House Dinner Sunday 01 November, seeking cooks. Second Old Mill Theatre play Wednesday 18 November. “Pick Your Poison”, $30pp, slight excess on group price will go to our charities.

Owen F :  “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?” next Saturday 19 September. More details to follow next Friday…

Ian K : OffTraq 22-25 October, more volunteers requested.

Kelly G : Club Service Committee meeting after breakfast.

Garrick M : Our outbound RYE Makynli has changed schools in France (new Host family). Inbound RYE Felipé loves soccer. Another Host family will be needed from April onwards. Youth Committee meeting after breakfast.

Guest Speaker - Professor David Blair AO – Einstein’s Science for Children

Professor David Blair is a physicist and professor at the University of Western Australia and Director of the Australian International Gravitational Research Centre.

He emigrated to Australia from the UK with his family in 1950. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Western Australia in 1968 and a PhD from the University of East Anglia in 1973.

Professor Blair works on methods for the detection of gravitational waves. Among his projects:

• During the 1990s he set up the Gingin Gravitational Wave Research Centre.
•  In 2014 he led the Einstein-First Project which aims to introduce Einsteinian Physics at an early age.

Professor Blair was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours, in recognition of his:

"distinguished service to physics, to precision measurement science, to gravitational wave research and to scientific education"

 Professor David Blair presented on the Einstein First education initiative, which aims to integrate Einsteinian physics into school curricula from Year 3 to Year 10. He outlined shortcomings in traditional 19th-century science education as an illustration with light:

• students are still taught the wave-only model,
•  whereas modern science recognizes light as photons (quanta), a concept central to fibre-optic internet and other technologies.

He recounted the origins of Einstein First, including initial skepticism from assessors, subsequent Australian Research Council funding and the development of an eight-year program culminating in two capstone modules:

• The Climate Cruise Adventure and
• The Greatest Story Ever Told (the scientific history of the universe).

Professors Blair’s experience shows children readily grasp Einsteinian ideas when presented clearly, challenging the notion that such concepts require university-level study. Adults often perceive these topics as requiring genius, but he emphasized that the difficulty lies in outdated teaching approaches, not inherent complexity.

 

He highlighted historical milestones, including a pivotal 1922 UWA-led experiment confirming curved space, and discussed gravitational wave detection and the role of the Gingin Gravitational Wave Research Centre and Gravity Discovery Centre, which educates 20,000 students annually. 

 

Professor Blair also described recent global interest - after a conference in May, in Italy sponsored by the Templeton Foundation, he was invited to apply for funding to scale the program worldwide.

Professor Blair and colleagues convinced the state government to include this content in the Year 10 curriculum, launched in 2026.

He has written several books, available online through UWA Publishing: 

• “Uncovering Einstein’s New Universe” 
• “Where is Everybody” 
• “Starstream”

Two PDF versions Professor Blair’s presentation are available at:

SUMMARY : https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GQ2OZfMe_Mi9aQTaxdFhw82csu4ImRPb&usp=drive_fs

TRANSCRIPT: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1aeTSrhJSk6m8NnDMki4dSNYvEGIO6wtp&usp=drive_fs

Fines - Wayne Muller (short due to time constraints)

• “Penny” from new members Elizabeth and Eno.
• Trump Game -True/False about whether Trump actually said it?
• “Show me someone with no ego and I’ll show you a big loser”          (True)
• “Any negative polls are fake news, just like the CNN polls in the election” (True)

Attendance

37 attendees in all, including guest speaker Professor David Blair, visiting Rotarian Jill Mathwin (Kojonup), soon-to-be-members Eno Budo and  Elizabeth Adamson, and visitor Anne Maie Mazanetz.

Bulletin #010 4 September 2026

He's baaaack...

The Duke welcomed everyone and thanked Michael “Gorby” Gottschalk, Carole O’Brien and Garrick McCamey for standing in while he and “First Lady” Katrina were in China. He commented China was Ni Hao Ding Hao, meaning “very good” in Chinese.

The Four Way Test Tip #3 “Will it build goodwill and better friendships?” was very much on display with the people of China. Just don’t visit in their Summer!

Today in history 1998: 

• Google founded by Stamford Uni students Larry Page and Serey Brin, 
• National Wildlife Day, and 
• National Ladies Mums Day (bet you haven't heard of that one!)

Directors' Reports and Member Announcements

Ian K : Volunteers requested for OffTraq 22-25 October; Sign-up sheet circulating, list of activities on back.

Brian J : First Friday meeting of each month will be for “In House” club proceedings.

No external speaker.

Carole O : Next Ronald MacDonald House Dinner Sunday 01 November. Ten volunteers needed 2:45-7:30PM to cook for children and families.

Wayne M : Volunteers requested to make sandwiches for OffTraq lunch on the Saturday.

f you can help, please see Wayne after meeting.

Owen F : “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” Saturday 19^th September.

Rick S : Men’s Dinner - Next Wednesday 09 September 6:00PM. Asian Delight Restaurant, corner Salsbury Ave and Canning Highway. Names to Ken please.

Wayne D : Board meeting last night. The printed Membership Directory costs over $600, so PDF version will be sufficient to satisfy most people. Show of hands please, how many people read Bulletin? Veronica advises website analytics only showing 6-7 “hits” per week.

 

Guest Speaker : Celina Chen - The Silk Road

Celina started as an English-speaking tour guide in China in 2001. She now runs her own travel company based in WA.

With a background in both tourism and international Chinese language education, Celina has a strong interest in Chinese history and culture. She is also the founder of the Real China Cultural Society.

Celina aims to present China through thematic “threads” like tea, porcelain, or ethnic groups to provide a deeper and more connected understanding of China. She challenged common knowledge by revealing that the term “Silk Road” was only coined in 1877.

As her presentation is condensed from a much longer version, Celina engaged the audience by allowing them to choose discussion topics. The selected topics were:

• the enduring mystery of Marco Polo’s travels to China,
• the sacrifices of Chinese princesses sent along the Silk Road for diplomatic purposes,
• the monumental 1900 discovery of the Dunhuang Mogao manuscript cave.

Her presentation concluded with a poignant reading of a 2,000-year-old letter from a Sogdian woman, emphasizing that the Silk Road was not just about grand civilizations but also about the real, personal lives and stories of ordinary people.

The Silk Road is a network of routes rather than a single road, stretching from Chang’an (modern-day Xi’an, the capital of the Han Empire and home of the Terracotta Warriors) through Central Asia to Europe (the Roman Empire) starting two thousand years ago.

Marco Polo’s Travels

There is an ongoing debate about whether Marco Polo actually traveled to China.

Arguments for his travels: His book, The Travels of Marco Polo, described Chinese cities, cultures, and specific details like paper money (which didn’t exist in Venice then) and the government’s salt tax in great detail. 

Arguments against his travels: 

He never mentioned iconic things like the Great Wall or tea.

A search of the Yuan Dynasty’s detailed official documents found no mention of the name “Marco Polo.”

However, Celina suggested he might have used a Mongolian name. Her conclusion is that he probably visited China, but perhaps not for the 17 years he claimed.

The Role of Women on the Silk Road

Many women on the Silk Road lived lives of waiting for their husbands, fathers, or children to return.

Chinese princesses played an important diplomatic role and were sometimes sent to marry rulers in distant regions to forge political alliances and build connections between cultures.

The story of Princess Jieyou from the Han Dynasty (2,000 years ago) was highlighted. She was sent 3,000 km from Xi’an to the Western Regions, a journey of two to three months.

Despite the hardship of being sent so far from home, Jieyou embraced the new culture, learned the language, and participated in diplomatic affairs with her husband, helping to maintain decades of stability, which was crucial for the newly opened Silk Road. Her name, Jieyou (解忧), means “relieve sorrow.”

The Dunhuang Manuscript Cave

In 1900, a Taoist monk discovered a sealed cave in Dunhuang containing 60,000 ancient manuscripts. The Mogao Caves in Dunhuang contain over 700 caves, 40,000 square meters of wall paintings, and 2,000 painted sculptures created over a thousand years.

A real love letter, buried for 2,000 years, was found. It was written by a Sogdian lady.

The Sogdians were an Iranian-speaking people from Central Asia who became some of the most important merchants on the Silk Road. They established trading communities along the routes, creating an extensive commercial network between China and Central Asia.

The letter is addressed to her husband, expressing her sorrow and desperation as she waits for him for years in a distant land, feeling abandoned and “worse off than a dog or a pig.”

Celina used this story to illustrate that the Silk Road was about the real, ordinary, and often painful lives of individuals.

Celina uses these cultural “threads” in designing small-group journeys, connecting stories with the places where they actually happened. The small-group format also allows for more personal cultural experiences, such as visiting local families, sharing tea, and interacting with local people.

A Fine(s) Collection 

Anyone interested in “Great Outdoors” or been to Zoo.

Owen F $1 for every tooth extracted. 

Anyone who’s had tooth extracted, has implants, plates or false teeth.

Dockers Supporters who went to game last night.

Rugby Supporters. 

Pilot’s Brian J and Ken P for the low flypast in South Africa.

Wayne D on his return from China, guest speaker picked just for you.

Deputies “Gorby”, Carole O and Garrick M – watch this space!

Mark J Visitor of the week.

  
Winner of Heads and Tails

...and the lovely Astrid won the wine of the day beating everyone tails down or heads up!

Attendance

39 attendees in all, including guest speaker Celine Chen and friend Ping, visiting Rotarian (and RYE host) Jeff Anderson, Rotary Youth Exchange student Felipé Alves Mizobuchi and visitors Mark Jones (ex member), Estelle Hayler, Elizabeth Anderson and Jill Mathwin.

Bulletin #009 - 28 August 2026

Is it a warm up?

Youngster Garrick McCamey took the Chair today to thunderous applause but was quick to point out that this was NOT a trial run for President next year (watch this space!). 

Reminding us of the 4 Way Test tenet - Is it the Truth? - he reminded us that today in history...

• 1963 - Martin Luther King Jr gave his ever-remembered speech "I had a Dream"
• 1996 - Charles and Diana's divorce was finalised
• The legend of Kung Foo Panda (aka Jack Black) turned 50

and not forgetting the demise of multi-talented singer/songwriter/actor Dolly Parton - beloved queen of country music and philanthropist;  and iconic actor Tim Curry forever immortalised in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

 
Directors' Reports and Member Announcements

• Owen F - Guess Who's Coming To Dinner - circulating sheet for hosts and guests
• Lorrie G - relieved ex-member Sid Jessup of 34 boxes of bottles to go towards her FUNdraising for Offtraq. Sid doing well and sends his regards.
• Wayne M - Seeking assistance from sandwich makers for the Offtraq Saturday lunch on 24 October.
• Ian K - Reminder that Offtraq is looking for entertainers (or those who like to dress up) to entertain the participants en route. 

 

Guest Speaker

Host Peggy Leung, a DTMI team member, introduced her Boss Peter Parolo.

Peter is a Fellow of CPA Australia (FCPA) with more than 35 years' financial experience, with the first 15 years being in the private sector, prior to moving to public sector government. 

He has worked in diverse government agencies including spending time with the Department of Justice (as an employee) and working as the Chief Finance Officer for the Department of Water, Peter landed the role as Executive Director of Ports and Maritime from 2011-2016, taking on a major reform program.

Peter has been in his current role as CFO at DTMI since 2016 where he sees the organisation as complex from a financial perspective but with a lot of flexibility.

Some of the favourite parts of his job are being surrounded by a team filled with cultural diversity and high performing people.

Peter, CFO of the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure (DTMI), delivered an overview of the agency’s financial operations, structural governance, community programs, and major infrastructure projects. He outlined how DTMI manages a $1 billion annual operational budget, oversees a $23 billion major projects pipeline, and collects $3.8 billion in state receivables.

He reflected on transitioning from the private sector to public sector maritime reform, noting that Western Australia (WA) generates nearly 50% of Australia’s export income. He described managing government trading enterprises alongside private industry as a “z-donkey” model, pairing the agile execution of private enterprise with the governance and reliability of the public service.

An excellent AI-generated summary of Peter’s presentation (thanks to Ian Kremmer) can be viewed at: https://drive.google.com/open?id=13uovZibzkQ_Xk2mjK1mRGdjIat_jqzgL&usp=drive_fs

A Fine(s) Figure of a Finesmaster...

• Garrick - not knowing the difference between a President and Chairman as well as dressing in pink to match his dog just to buy a coffee.
• Bow Tie Day - anyone who has owned or worn a Bow Tie (for whatever reason)
• All Brits - whether by birth or default  as today in 1933 the British Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act to end legal enslavement in most parts of the British Empire.
• Fans of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, fish net tights etc etc but especially Tim Curry fans
• Astrid - for abandoning here usual multi-coloured garb for monochrome gear this morning (very black and white)
• Mike C - After Tottenham paid out in excess of $80m but still lost 3-0
• Ross S - Ticking off Lorrie
• Ken P - Missing in action
• All "Dolly" fans - she will be missed.

Winner of Heads and Tails

A great win for soon-to-be member Eno Bud0, mighty pleased with his win.

Attendance

37 attendees in all, including guest speaker Peter Parolo, and visitors Maurice Hanrahan, Elizabeth Adamson, Chris Pittman and Eno Budo.

Bulletin #008 - 21 August 2026

Howdy Pardners...

As “The Duke” is away, Community Service Director Carole O’Brien conducted proceedings, assisted by stand-in “First Man” Shaun.

Carole drew on the Four Way Test #2 “Is it fair to all concerned?” for her "Today in History":

• 1858 Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln participated in the first of seven historic debates with Stephen A Douglas. The debates centred entirely on slavery.
•  2018 Australia introduced the Modern Day Slavery Act. Under review this year.
• 1808 Duke of Wellington defeated the French at the Battle of Vimeiro.
• 1904 American jazz icon Count Basie born.
• 1911 Mona Lisa painting stolen from the Louvre and not recovered for two years.
• 1942 Disney animated film “Bambi” released.
• 1959 Hawaii became 50^th state of the USA.
• 1986 Carbon dioxide bubble from Cameroon’s Lake Nyos kills more than 1,700.
• 1987 Film “Dirty Dancing” released.

Directors' Reports and Member Announcements

Kelly G: Club Service meeting after breakfast.
Gorby: Perkins Institute vocational visit date changed to first Friday in October.
Owen F: “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” 19^th September. $25 per head + wine (scroll down to events for more details).
David R: RYE student Felipe now changed to Year 10 syllabus at Kent Street HS. He has joined a soccer club and has new boots bought by Mill Point.
Rick S: Brian Conway now in a Care facility in Nedlands and is keen for visitors, Rick will coordinate roster. Lions Big Band dance next Friday, invites to join him & Mandy on table.
Carole O: Community Service meeting after breakfast.

Guest Speaker : Rob  Parker - America's Great Loop

Rob is a “local lad”, born in Subiaco 1957. He attended Swanbourne Primary school then Christ Church Grammar School. He has a Bachelor of Commerce from UWA and was a Chartered Accountant for 35 years in practice and commerce.

 

Rob has been a member/sailor at RFBYC since 1969, then Treasurer 2016 – 2018 and Commodore 2020 to 2022. He is an avid cyclist, sporadic rower and frustrated 4wd tourer.

Rob and his wife have two children and two grandchildren. He described an ongoing boating adventure he and his wife are undertaking, called “America’s Great Loop”. 

 

This journey circumnavigates the eastern half of the United States via protected inland and intracoastal waterways. Their plan is to complete the loop over four American summers on their boat “Boomerang”. 

His talk covered the first leg of their trip, from Miami to Chesapeake Bay near Washington, D.C. and outlined the route for subsequent years. Rob shared detailed insights into logistics, planning, equipment, and daily life, including boat selection, essential software, navigating bridges, and the social aspects of the “Looper” community.

The route stays within protected waterways, including the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) along the East Coast. A common starting point is Florida. The loop proceeds up the East Coast, through the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi River system (or alternatives like the Ohio and Tennessee), and across the Gulf of Mexico back to Florida.

Rob’s Four-Year program (4x American Summers – 9,700 Km)

Year 1 - April-June 2026 – Miami to top of Chesapeake Bay (2,600 Km) DONE

Year 2 - May-August 2027 – Chesapeake, via New York to St Lawrence River

Year 3 - June-September 2028 – St Lawrence, Great Lakes to Chicago

Year 4 - June-September 2029 – Chicago, Mississippi River, Gulf of Amexico to Miami

Year 5 - Option – Bahamas!! – 5 hours at sea

SELL IT IN LAUDERDALE

His boat, a 2020 Greenline 45 with two cabins and ensuites, renamed “Boomerang” has some essential features to be their home for up to three months -

• Air conditioning (critical in American heat and humidity)
• A washer-dryer for self-sufficiency, and a hydraulic platform for easy dinghy launching.
• E Bikes: “Absolutely fantastic” for getting from marinas to towns and stores, often four to five miles away.
•  “Marriage Savers”: Headset communicators that clip onto caps, enabling quiet communication across the boat without yelling—especially useful during windy docking.     

Rob shared many stories and photos of their journey and the wonderful social interactions with other “Loopers”, including the many evening “Docktails” shared at overnight marinas.

Their boat is current in a marina land storage, near Washington DC, awaiting the next leg of their adventure.

A PDF version of Rob’s very detailed presentation can be viewed via the following link:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1O-1BFyZ6SCGkOlP5gtFJhVBOiV_bJMag&usp=drive_fs

Fines - Jenny McLean

Gorby - Being surrounded by “old” people, with him the only one seated.

Owen F - 60% of Nedlands Tennis Club have received dental treatment from him.

Smokers - are winners, because Pauline Hanson wants to slash tobacco tax.

Woolies - Shoppers who can’t tell between “best before” or “use by”.

Albany - homeowners – no gas

Augusta - dwellers for being featured on “Back Roads”

AFL - fans who are suffering indigestion over latest “animal behaviour”.

 

Winner of Heads and Tails

Angus Florence - you can drink this with your Haggis, laddie…

Thanks to Owen for the donation of wine each week.

Attendance

34 attendees in all, including guest speaker Rob Parker and brother Tony (Western Endeavour RC)