President Jonas Edner opened the meeting at 6.30pm.
Welcome to our guest speaker, Gaye McMath, guests John McMath, and Kevin Jackson’s guests, Jan Jackson, Rotarian Jaap Poll and Margot Poll.
The meeting was opened by singing the National Anthem.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
What is the only flag in the world that does not contain the colours red, white or blue?
Answer: Jamaica. Correctly answered by Paul Kestell.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS:
Red Shield Appeal – Craig James reported that because of the generosity of the Club members, as an individual collector, he was able to amass the highest amount of money at $1,250 in Western Australia and was the 7th highest in Australia! Congratulations to Craig for collecting, and well done to the Club donors who made it happen.
CLUB AND COMMITTEE REPORTS:
• Foodbank – Anthony McGrath told the meeting that there are still one or two spots available for Foodbank on Wednesday, 24 September. Please get in touch with Ant if you are able to assist.
• Youth Committee – Anita Bourke announced that there would be a Youth Committee meeting next Monday, 22 September, at 5:30 pm at the golf club.
• Quilts – Anita reported that her friend, Carolyn Brown, has hand sewn many quality quilts, two bags’ worth of them will be given to Grandcarers WA. Two quilts have been held back for raffle prizes.
• Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner – Craig James asked for interest in this event. The Club Services Committee is happy to organise it if there is interest. Straw polls were taken as to which half of the year suits better and
• Club Project – President Jonas is looking for Club members to help form a steering committee for the Club Project, which is assisting the Magic Coat Foundation to fundraise to make 18,000 hospital bags per year for children being admitted to hospital, to ease their anxiety and give them coping mechanisms for their surgery and treatments. If you would like to assist with the steering committee please let President Jonas know. There will be opportunities for Club members to assist with the Club project once it takes off, with tasks such as packing the bags.
• Rotary Community Group 2 – Rotary Community Group 2 is comprised of sixteen Rotary Clubs in Perth, from the Swan to the Surf. Some of the projects being promoted include Mini Forests, Christmas wrapping, an art exhibition, mentoring of young professionals, World Polio Day and Carols in the City. Within this group President Jonas will be promoting our Magic Coat Foundation Club project and has asked the Committee directors to let him know which projects they would like to advertise.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES: The following birthdays were announced by Susan Watson:
Member’s birthday
Steve Halbert 67 years old on 20 September 2025.
Partner’s Birthday
Helen Ilett 10 September 2025.
SERGEANT JASON SESSION: The following members were fined by the Sergeant:Paul Kestell for stealing the Guest Speaker’s badge last week;
Ken Ilett for visiting the Sunshine Coast last week and having the audacity to complain about jetlag;
Hugh Stowell for being fashionably late and for not getting the rock star parking spot;
Susan Watson for accidentally (strategically?) wearing Susie Rich’s name badge tonight;
John Murdoch for flying to Sydney tomorrow, as dobbed in by a friend, who is also flying with him (though obviously no longer sitting together on the flight);
President Jonas for finishing dead last in the footy tipping. He would be dangerous if he used his tipping for good.
ROTARY MOMENTS:
Collectable bottles and cans – Did you know that the Club collected $7,675 from recycled bottles last financial year? Of that, $6,800 was donated to the Nakuru Hope orphanage and school in Kenya. This large sum is due to the hard work of the chief bottle collector, Susan Watson, her sidekicks and the other members of the Environment Committee led by John Bolto. The even better news is that from 1 July next year, all beverage containers between 150 millilitres and three litres will be able to be recycled! As a wag commented, we’ll be rich!
GUEST SPEAKER Gaye McMath– introduced by Lindsay Dry
Gaye is the Chancellor of ECU and spoke to us about the new city campus which is currently being built next to Yagan Square in the heart of the city.
The origins of Edith Cowan University date back to 1902 with the establishment of the Claremont Teachers College. It became a university in 1991. ECU has four campuses, at Joondalup, Mt Lawley, Bunbury and Sri Lanka. It has 31,000 students.
The new city campus will have ten thousand students and 1,500 staff on campus on any given day. The city location makes the university easily accessible to it via bus and train.
The city campus will have spaces for the public to enjoy as well. There will be an art gallery and space for its heritage pianos, of which ECU has the largest collection in the world. There will be a playhouse theatre, a recital hall and dance and jazz theatres. The outside of the building will be a LED façade and will highlight students’ work.
The Mt Lawley campus will be given up in the swap for the city location.
Many thanks to Gaye for the insight she gave us into the new campus.
REMINDER OF NEXT ROSTER
Monday 22 September 2025
Win Jones Welcoming members and guests .
Bruce Jeanes Table duty.
Kevin Jackson Registrar 1.
Richard Gorham Registrar 2.
Bob Davis Introduction of guest speaker.
Susie Rich Pass the microphone.
REMINDER OF COMING EVENTS:
.Monday 22 September 2025 – Olivier Letrône, restauranteur of C-Restaurant and Swell in Mullaloo.
Monday 29 September 2025 – no meeting, public holiday.
Monday 6 October 2025 – Fellowship with short reports by Claire Hazelwood on her study trip to Uganda and a RYPEN student.
Monday 13 October 2025 - District Governor Veronica Lawrance.
THANKS:
Thanks to the Staff of the Nedlands Golf Club, Sean and Joel, for their service tonight and Chef Zamry for dinner.
WE RECOGNISE OUR VERY GENEROUS SPONSORS:
Lizzi Bee - supplier of flowers.
Dry Kirkness Chartered Accountants (Butler Settineri) – Club Auditors.
Accura Accounting & Advisory Services for providing Xero Accounting software and Sharesight Portfolio reporting software to the Charitable Trust.
Dirk Vanderstruyf from Euroz Hartleys.
MEETING CLOSE:
President Jonas closed the meeting by recognising the Rotary International presidential theme for 2025-26, "Unite for Good"
