President Hugh Stowell opened the meeting at 6.30 pm.
Welcome to our guests, Lindsey Shepherd, Diane Wilcox, June Wilkie, Robyn Chien and Michael Elias.
The meeting was opened by singing the National Anthem to the accompaniment ofAnn Bray on her violin.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
What is the name of the bagpipes in northern Spain?
Answer: The bagpipes are known as gaita.
Correctly answered by Ross Mackinnon.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES:The following birthday and anniversaries were announced by Susan Watson:
Member’s Birthday
John Murdoch 4 July 2025 71 years
Anniversaries:
Peter and Shelley Smith 1 July 2025 36 years
Bruce and Gaye Fiegert 5 July 2025 56 years
John Murdoch 4 July 2025 71 years
CLUB AND COMMITTEES
Invoices for 2025 – 2026 – Leon Lorenzen is away for much of July and the Club invoices have been sent out by the Club accountant in his absence. The invoices are sent out under the name Ronald Dominguez. If there is an issue please wait until Leon returns at the end of July as the accountant will not be able to resolve problems.
Treemission—John Bolto announced that the next Treemission event at Champion Lakes will be on Saturday, July 19, 2025. Please sign up via the email John sent out recently.
Foodbank—Thanks to the eleven Club members and Shelley McGrath who attended Foodbank on Friday. In addition to preparing 440 packs of frozen sausage rolls and pies and packing cartons full of carrots, potatoes, and onions, it was also a fun activity! Thanks to Anthony for arranging another fulfilling day for the volunteers.
Cancer Council – David Miller reported that the Cancer Council has approached the Club again to sell daffodils for its biggest fundraiser of the year. David has been told that the Rotary Club of Dalkeith members man the best fundraising stalls each year. Coincidence? Obviously not. The stalls are at two sites, Bunnings Wembley and Bunnings Claremont, over three days, Friday 15 August, Saturday 16 August and Sunday 17 August. Please let David know if you are available for the two or three-hour shifts on his email miller@iinet.net.au
ROTARY MOMENTS:
The Club recently gave $1,000 to Brollie Brigade as it was low on supplies. On Facebook, we received special mention, and there is a photo of the first of two lots of purchases made by the organisation, which include ten sleeping bags, sleeping mats, and backpacks with essential supplies.
The MetSO concert on Sunday was well attended by Rotary Club of Dalkeith members and was an exceptional musical afternoon. Well done to Ann Bray and the MetSO players.
The June volunteer hours were 60, 55 of which were given by Club members and five by a member's partner. For the year, 732.25 physical volunteer hours were given by members of the Club, their friends, and their family: 597.25 hours were given by Club members and 135 by family and friends. These hours do not include the considerable time spent organising the activities or travelling time to and from events. Well done to all our volunteers.
Paul Harris Fellowship recognition: RECIPIENT WINSTON LLOYD JONES
Win joined Rotary and the Club on 1 May 1987. Win is an active member of our Club and volunteers regularly. He served as Club President from 1999 to 2000. In 2008 Win received a Rotary Servic Above Self award, one of only 150 such awards granted annually worldwide.
Win and his wife, Margaret, were involved with the Rotary project known as the Bali Eye Clinic in 1991 until it became the John Fawcett Foundation in 2000. In 2018, Win was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for service to the international community, particularly through eye health programs. He has been a Board Member of the John Fawcett Foundation since 2002 and was the Chair of the Board from 2015 to 2021.
Win has previously been awarded two Paul Harris Fellowship pins, and it is with great pleasure that we award him a third fellowship pin in recognition of his work for the Club, Rotary, and the John Fawcett Foundation.
SERGEANT SESSION: The following members were fined by the Sergeant:
Paul Kestell for nearly being run over by a Coles trolley full of shopping;
Jill Elias for a letter in The West;
Mark Khangure for doing well at footy tipping;
President Hugh for parking his Aston-Martin in the Rolls Royce of parking places.
PRESENTATION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT:
HUGH STOWELL, PRESIDENT
My Fellow Rotarians
And so to my final address as your President and a report on the 2024 - 2025 Club year before I hand over to President Jonas…. May I say what an exceptional year it has been.
As is required by Rotary International we set ourselves 13 goals to achieve during 2024-2025 and I am pleased to report we achieved or exceeded all of them. The most satisfying were that the contributions to Polio Plus and the Annual Fund were exceeded by large margins due to the generous amounts given by the Rotary Club members.
Throughout the year, the Club has made various donations, and I wish to emphasise that these are donations by the Rotary Club of Dalkeith, separate from the incredible work by our Charitable Trust. Some of these donations include:
$6,200 to Grandcarers;
$5,000 to YouthCARE;
$5,000 to Foodbank;
$4,700 to the Angelman Foundation;
$3,000 to John Fawcett Foundation.
$2,500 to Sailability;
$1,000 to Brollie Brigade, specifically for it to buy sleeping bags, underwear and clothing.
These funds were raised through the Business lunch which brought in $10,561, the Quiz night $6,207, the annual golf day $4,700 and the Science and Engineering Challenge $31,400. In addition funds were raised throughout the year by Russell Hawkins selling top quality wines, Richard Ranshaw selling fruit cakes and the Sergeant ruthlessly fining members.
In addition, there are many thousands of dollars’ worth of in-kind goods and services given by the Club, for example the books collected for the Buk Bilong Pikinini Foundation in Papua New Guinea and the food collected at Cans for Christmas.
The Club’s Committees have submitted their reports on the 2024-2025 year, summarised below.
In the Club and Vocational Services Committee report Craig James wrote that the Club Committee has worked to ensure Club meetings were well organised and interesting, that members have been informed about Club activities, the Club’s property has been maintained, fellowship encouraged and Vocation Excellence in the community recognised. The Committee’s work relies upon the (often unnoticed) efforts of certain Club Members who deserve particular recognition.
John Hopkins, with the support of Jill Elias, have ensured Club meetings have been attractive by a diverse range of engaging speakers.
Kent Warburton has maintained the Meeting Roster with his usual quiet efficiency.
Tom Langley has continued to provide the invaluable service as webmaster including publishing the weekly roster and the Club’s Meeting Notes. Gratitude for Jill Elias preparing the Meeting Notes and to Susan Watson for acknowledging the birthdays and anniversaries of members.
Richard Ranshaw, as well as being the Club’s most appreciated purveyor of Rotary Fruit Cakes, working quietly in the background ordering badges and updating property coinciding with the change in Office holders.
During the year Paul Haddad was presented with the Excellence in Workmanship award and David Bean OAM the Vocational Excellence award.
The Chair thanks his committee, comprising Bob Davis, Pek Goh, John Hopkins, Kevin Jackson, Tom Langley, Richard Ranshaw, Kent Warburton, Graeme Sansom and Neil Wilkie.
Chair of the Membership Committee, John Murdochwishes to extend a vote of thanks to Lindsay Dry and John Lindquist for communicating with prospective members. John makes the observation that as with all volunteer organisations it is extremely difficult to find new members who are prepared to commit their time.
While speaking on membership I will pause here with the news that member, Nan Walker, retires as a member of our club this evening, having being lured back to the Rotary Club of Perth to assist their President, Jill Dawson, in the huge preparations underway for that Club’s centenary year. Nan, thank you for your contribution to our club and we wish you well.
Youth Committee Chair Jonas Edner reported it was an active year and the Club has sponsored a number of students at various events which will help them to become leaders, to choose pathways for their lives after school and to solve problems. A vote of thanks to Kim Smith for the ongoing support and valuable advice and special thanks to Anita Bourke for taking on the Youth Director role for 2025 - 2026, she has already put in substantial work whilst not yet formally being on the committee.
Community Services Chair Ant McGrath in his report has reminded us that around 3,000 kg of goods and $1,000 in cash was collected in the 2024 Cans for Christmas project. Many thanks again to Nigel Johnson for the use of his home on that occasion. Four volunteer days were held at the Foodbank warehouse. Also, terrific support for Grandcarers WA during the year with special shout out to Jill Elias and Richard Ranshaw.
Environment Committee Chair John Bolto thanks Susan Watson and Susie Rich for their work during the year towards the Committee’s achievements. John, it has been a highlight for me to see your Committee’s activities and contribution to the Club's prosperity.
International Services Chair, David Miller also reports on a busy year as we can see from the numerous activities on the screen. David, you exemplify to me “the quiet achiever” and I have enjoyed very much serving alongside you.
Also, quietly behind the scenes, Jason van Straalen, with Ann Bray’s assistance, has ensured our Public Relations are very public. Thank you also for being the Sergeant. You may not know, but we raised over $4,800 in fine money this year.
Unfortunately our Treasurer, Leon Lorenzen, cannot be here this evening as he is on safari in Africa. I would like, however, this report to record the enormous gratitude of our club for his meticulous bookkeeping, his ability to always provide the financial reports in a timely manner to the board and numerous volunteer hours this requires.
You cannot serve as President of this outstanding Club without acknowledging the Charitable Trust. As President you attend their meetings as Vice Chair and see the incredible work they do. To Russell Hawkins and everyone who serves on your Board I say on behalf of all of us thank you for your ongoing and tireless commitment to the Trust.
You learn in any leadership role, and particularly in the role as President of a Rotary Club that you are only as good as the people you are surrounded by. So in addition to an enormous thank you to Craig, John M, Jonas, Ant, John B, David, Jason and Leon I would like to particularly thank Jill Elias for her dedication to the role of Secretary over the past 12 months. Without fail a draft run sheet for every meeting would arrive in my box by 2 pm each Monday and the administration required of the Board has been impeccable.
It has been an enormous privilege to serve as your President and there have been numerous humbling moments when I have seen the outstanding work our Club does in the community. Indeed I say you are only as good as the people you are surrounded by and in closing I thank all of you, the members of the Rotary Club of Dalkeith, for your support and encouragement over the last year. You have been and continue to be the Magic of Rotary.
President Hugh Stowell 30 June 2025
HANDOVER
President Hugh inducted Jonas Edner as the new Club President for 2025-2026 and presented him with his badge, pin, and Presidential chain. Congratulations to President Jonas, and best wishes for the year ahead.
NEW PRESIDENT'S OUTLOOK:
President Jonas spoke of being grateful to be elected as the Club's next President. He thanked Hugh for his exceptional leadership over the past year and publicly set the challenge to do even better! President Jonas thanked Hugh for organising the quiz night which was a huge success and revealed that he has agreed to run it again in 2026. President Jonas talked of a big project being developed which will be revealed soon. Congratulations and best wishes to President Jonas for his presidential year ahead.
REMINDER OF NEXT ROSTER:
Monday 7 July 2025
Neil WilkieWelcoming members and guests.
Jason van StraalenTable duty.
Graeme SansomRegistrar 1.
Susie RichRegistrar 2.
Peter PanekIntroduction of guest speaker.
Peter JeanesPass the microphone.
REMINDER OF COMING EVENTS:
Monday 7 July 2025 – Jason Froud, Battery Storage in the South West electricity system.
Monday 14 July 2025 – Club Forum.
Monday 21 July 2025 – Dean Arthurell, Carnaby’s Crusader.
THANKS:
Thanks to the Nedlands Golf Club staff, 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 2024-2025, “THE MAGIC OF ROTARY”
