President Jonas Edner welcomed all members and guests to the Weld Club
President Jonas gave a Christmas message:
Christmas is a wonderful festival, full of history and symbolism. I found this Christmas message by The Very Reverend John Sheperd, former Dean of the Cathedral of St George’s, which he gave when he was the President of the Rotary Club of Perth several years ago and he spoke about the rich history of symbolism at Christmas.
“‘Christmas’ is Christ Mass - the Mass celebrated in honour of the birth of Christ. The ‘Christ Mass’ began in Rome in the 4th century and then in England in the 10th and 11th centuries.
Santa Claus is actually St Nicholas who was the bishop of Myra in Turkey in the 3rd century, the patron saint of children, bringing them gifts on 6 December. Thanks to St Nicholas we give presents at Christmas.
The day after Christmas is St Stephen’s Day. This is how the carol ‘Good King Wenceslas went out, on the feast of Stephen’ came about. Wenceslaus was Duke of Bohemia in the first century and it is the true story of him setting off in the snow to help a beggar.
The tradition of Christmas trees came from Germany and Charles Dickens popularised the celebration around the Christmas tree.”
Enough about the symbols of Christmas. Importantly John Sheperd also reminds us in his message Christmas is when we think about our families and those important to us.
Christmas is a time when we do what we can to be with our families and friends and offer hospitality. We also open up our homes and offer hospitality to others.
Then, Christmas also gives us a chance to put aside all that frenetic, life-sapping addiction to text messages, emails and schedules. It gives a chance, to stop thinking about ourselves and appreciate others.
Christmas lets us show we really do care about other people. For most of the year we are often too busy to pause and think about those close to us, let alone contact them. Christmas says – get in touch. Tell people we remember them and we care about them.
And then, Christmas gives us a nudge. The stories of Christmas make us realise we ‘are’ what we give, not what we get. And as Rotarians, we get this. I have not come across anyone yet who has joined Rotary for what they can get out of it – except the joy of giving and being useful and helpful for the need of others.
And most importantly, Christmas is all about hope and brings us hope.
Sometimes we might think that what is going to happen next is bound to be worse than what has happened in the past. The trick is to take it one step at a time.
We are not faced with the problem of next year as yet or even next month. What we are faced with is tomorrow. And hope says: Tomorrow will be better than today.
So to my fellow Rotarians I wish you a happy and holy Christmas. If you are travelling, travel safe, and I look forward to seeing you all again in the new year full of hope and ready to join with me in giving more of ourselves for the needs of others.
Merry Christmas
PRESENTATION OF FOUR PAUL HARRIS FELLOW AWARDS
As an annual donor to the Rotary International Foundation, the Club has the capacity to nominate members or supporters of Rotary for recognition of their contributions to Rotary. The acknowledgement comes in the form of Paul Harris Fellowship recognition.
The Club has determined to make four awards tonight.
RECIPIENT JILL SUSAN ELIAS
Jill joined the Rotary Club of Dalkeith in October 2021. She was introduced by Steve Halbert.
She served as President from 2023 to 2024 and is undeniably the best female president the Club has ever had.
Jill is active in the club administration and undertook the role of Club Services Director in 2022 and has been Club Secretary for the past two years.
Jill is very active in supporting club activities, including Foodbank and Cans for Christmas and has been one of the driving forces behind our Club’s support for the Grandcarers WA organisation.
Jill contributes to many other volunteer activities, including by taking photographs, drafting publicity articles and providing a wide range of general support to office bearers and event organisers alike.
Jill is the setter of the Question of the Week and is therefore popular to sit with at Club meetings. Members are confident that she will know the answer and are therefore in the running to win the bottle of wine!
In summary, she is hardworking Jill-Of-All-Trades and I am delighted to recognise her wide range of contributions to the activities and administration of the club.
Congratulations on your Paul Harris Fellowship pin, Jill.
RECIPIENT SHELLEY MCGRATH
Shelley has been a stalwart supporter of the Rotary Club of Dalkeith since Anthony joined in 2014.
She is a critical part of the Cans for Christmas campaign each year, as she helps prepare the bags for distribution by members. This involves sorting and counting out five thousand flyers and red bags and collating them for each area. Shelley also steps in to support the Club whenever needed. A few years ago when Anthony had Covid on the Cans for Christmas collection day, Shelly effectively become Anthony for the day and provided all the leadership for that event that Anthony otherwise would have provided.
Shelley is also a regular and hardworking volunteer at Foodbank.
Thank you for your wonderful work in support of the Rotary Club of Dalkeith.
To show the Club’s appreciation I would like to present you with a Paul Harris Fellowship pin.
RECIPIENT HUGH JOHN LAMOTHE STOWELL
He served as President from 2024 to 2025. Hugh has been a huge contributor to the Club’s life and its activities. As just two examples, Hugh has organised the critical and mammoth task of the sorting table on Cans for Christmas collection day for the past few years which is a long and physical job.
Hugh also suggested and organised the highly successful and fun inaugural Quiz Night this year, the proceeds of which, in excess of $6,700, were donated to Grandcarers WA.
And, of course, everything Hugh does is undertaken with aplomb and a cheeky twinkle in his eye.
Congratulations, Hugh, on the award of a Paul Harris Fellowship pin.
Hugh joined the Rotary Club of Dalkeith in December 2018, having been sponsored by Trevor Gorey. He had previously been a member of the Rotary Club of Perth.
RECIPIENT DIANE WILCOX
Diane has been a welcome presence at the Rotary Club of Dalkeith since President Jonas joined in August 2022.
Di set up The Magic Coat Foundation and has developed a kit for children to assist them when they are in hospital. The kit comprises of a pillow case, book and bag with characters designed to allay fears and to give strength to the child at a time of stress.
The programme has received very positive feedback from medical and hospital staff, with the result that the Foundation has been asked to make eighteen thousand kits per year for the Perth Children’s Hospital. Di has brought the idea of helping to make and to fundraise for the kits as our Club project and we look forward to helping out as much as possible.
Di, thank you for all the work you do to help sick children and to ease their fears at hospital. To show the Club’s appreciation I would like to present you with a Paul Harris Fellowship pin.
A SURPRISE VISITOR!
SANTA CLAUS CAME TO DINNER TO DISCUSS WHO HAD BEEN NAUGHTY (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) AND WHO HAD BEEN NICE.
REMINDER OF COMING EVENTS:
Monday 15 December 2025 – Last meeting of the year, Christmas message by Peter Smith
*****REMINDER for Monday 15 December 2025.
5 pm AGM for the Charitable Trust, 6:20 pm AGM for the Rotary Club of Dalkeith*****
Monday 5 January 2026 - Drinks at Steve’s, The Avenue, Nedlands from 6 pm, dinner at 7 pm.
Monday 12 January 2026 – Fellowship.
ROSTER:
Monday 15 December 2025
Graeme Sansom Welcoming members and guests
Susie Rich Table duty
Richard Ranshaw Registrar 1
Kent Warburton Registrar 2
David Miller Introduction of guest speaker
Geoff Cahif Pass the microphone
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.
