President Jonas Edner opened the meeting at 6.30 pm.
Welcome to our guests Ilse Lorenzen, Di Wilcox and Michael Elias.
The meeting was opened by singing the National Anthem.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
4 July 2026 marked the Semiquincentennial of what?
Answer: The signing of the Declaration of Independence
Correctly answered by David Miller.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS:
• Susan Watson – Susan has hurt her shoulder and is in Hollywood Hospital. She is in good spirits, but also has a lot of pain. Hopefully, the issue will be identified and sorted out soon.
• A salutary lesson – Bruce Fiegert reported that Gaye had received a text that day from “their daughter in Hong Kong” (news to them, they thought she was in Perth) that she had dropped her mobile into the toilet and would they please send her $3,900 to get a new phone. Which, of course, they did immediately…NOT. Thank you for sharing this salutary lesson, Bruce. The scams are sounding more elaborate.
• Marathon – Jill Elias reported that their youngest son, Edward, and his girlfriend, Georgia, had competed in and finished their first marathon on Sunday on the Gold Coast. Edward said that at many points throughout the race children and adults were handing out lolly snakes. At one point around 26 kilometres in, a small and very cute toddler offered Edward what he thought was a sour lolly. The toddler put it in Edward’s hand and he subsequently put it in his mouth. Edward then realised it was actually a rock and quickly spat it out.
CLUB AND COMMITTEE REPORTS:
• Business lunch – The Business Lunch will be held on Friday, 4 September 2026, at the Royal Perth Golf Club.This year’s speaker is Professor Jacques Eksteen, talking about critical minerals and metals. A flyer has been sent to all members about it.Please get your tables together and let John Bolto or John MacKinnon know names and numbers. Thank you.
• Foodbank – Anthony McGrath gave thanks to the eight Club members who attended Foodbank last week. As well as preparing 200 boxes of tinned meats, soup, pasta, sugar, flour, cereal, and various other items, and packing over five and a half tonnes of fruit and vegetables, it was also a fun activity!
• Pollinator Garden Development at SubiStrand – John Bolto reported that much work had been accomplished over the weekend, with the pollinator garden being planted. Thanks to Kevin Jackson and Susie Rich for volunteering to work.
• Buk Bilong Pikinini – David Miller reported that he and Michael Bisset had packed up 94 boxes of books and transported them to Sadliers to be sent to Papua New Guinea. Thanks for your work, David and Michael.
• Charitable Trust – Russell Hawkins thanked every donor for their contributions to the Charitable Trust, the overwhelming generosity of Club members and friends means that the donations given by the Trust will impact so many lives over the coming year.
The following members were fined for various transgressions of mixed severity:
· All Dockers fans because the streak is over but not West Coast supporters because they have suffered enough;
· John Murdoch for hindering Michael Elias’ crew to a three second loss in a regatta on Sunday;
· Kevin Jackson and Bruce Jeanes for talking over a jazz performance last week at the University Club and not wearing their Rotary pins;
· Jill Elias and Susie Rich for colluding by wearing purple flower outfits.
PRESENTATION OF THE ANNUAL REPORTS AND PRESIDENT’S SPEECH
President Jonas presented the attached Committee reports and then delivered the following speech.
Volunteer hours
In 2025- 2026 a total of 599 hours was given by Club members and family and friends, 508 by Club members and 91 hours by family and friends. Some of the activities include volunteering at the Foodbank warehouse, Cans for Christmas, bicycle counts, Treemission, medicine sorting, selling daffodils for the Cancer Council and the Science and Engineering Challenge. These figues do not include the enormous number of hours given by the organisers in preparation for the events.
Donations by the Club
Many thousands of dollars have been donated by the Club in this past year. To be clear this is separate to donations given by the Charitable Trust. Donations were given to Foodbank, including $1,900 given in Nigel Johnson’s name, to the John Fawcett Foundation, including $1,500 given in Win Jones’ name, Sailability, Fishabiltiy, YouthCARE, Interplast, Grandcarers WA, Polio Plus, Dress for Success, Australian Rotary Health, Nakuru Hope orphanage and school in Kenya through the bottle recycling organised by Susan Watson, the fruit cakes sales by Richard Ranshaw raise funds for the Magic Coat Foundation and the golf day organised by David Miller sends funds to the Angelman Syndrome Foundation. Funds have also been raised through the Business Lunch, Russell Hawkins’ wine sales, John Bolto’s football tipping competition and Peter Panek’s bicycle counts.
Also, many in-kind donations have been made, such as in the Cans for Christmas campaign for Foodbank, donations of clothes and vouchers to Grandcarers WA and for the books collected and donated to the Buk Bilong Pikinini Foundation in Papua New Guinea.
Many thanks to Leon for being such a diligent Treasurer for the past eight years. We appreciate how much work you have put into the role and your careful management of the Club’s funds.
Club goals
As is required by Rotary International, we set ourselves 13 goals to achieve during 2025-2026, and we achieved or exceeded all of them. Therefore, the Club has achieved the Club Excellence Award, which is necessary before the Club can apply for District Grants.
Personal reflections
President Jonas spoke about how rewarding he had found the role of president in the past year. He said that Rotary is about a group of volunteers working together and that no president leads alone.
President Jonas gave thanks to the Board members, who are the engine room on the Club, providing him with strong and reliable advice. President Jonas thanked Craig James and John Murdoch for their work as they come off the Board.
President Jonas made particular mention of Susan Watson for her drive and commitment to projects in the Club and especially for the bottle collection drive.
President Jonas thanked his partner, Di, for her unwavering support of him and to Rotary.
INSTALLATION OF THE NEW PRESIDENT by John Lindquist
Incoming President Leon, you have been selected by the members of this Rotary Club to guide its affairs during the coming year. You have been entrusted with an important responsibility that will help shape our Club’s future. You have been elected President of the Rotary Club of Dalkeith by its members, an expression of their confidence in your leadership.
Oath by the incoming President:
I, Leon Lorenzen, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the Rotary Club of Dalkeith and that I will to the best of my ability uphold the Constitution and bylaws of this Club.
Past President Jonas handed the new badge, pin, and presidential chains to President Leon.
John Lindquist:
President Leon, we wish you an amazing and memorable Rotary year and promise to assist and support you in whatever it takes to make this one of the best years of your life! Fellow Rotarians, please welcome your Leader for the 2026 - 2027 year, Leon Lorenzen!
NEW PRESIDENT’S OUTLOOK:
President Leon thanked the Club for electing him as the next President and promised to serve the Club and community to the best of his abilities. Leon thanked Jonas for all he has done for the club, its members, and the community over the past year, especially during the last two months, when Jonas faced some health challenges. Jonas has grown in confidence, and his work is appreciated by the whole Club.
President Leon also expressed his gratitude to Jonas’ partner, Diane, for her support and help during the year. They are both much appreciated.
President Leon stated that he wants to make this year a year where everyone participates in our Club projects close to their hearts, and would like to inform members regularly through feedback from project organisers and champions about what they are doing and what has been achieved.
Congratulations and best wishes to President Leon for his upcoming presidential year.
REMINDER OF COMING EVENTS:
Monday 13 July 2026 – Club Forum
Monday 20 July 2026 – David Miller, Golf Day raising funds for Angelman Syndrome Foundation
Monday 27 July 2026 - Paul Parizel, WA National Imaging Facility
ROSTER:
Monday 13 July 2026
Peter Panek Welcoming members and guests
Kent Warburton Table duty
Anthony McGrath Registrar 1
John Lindquist Registrar 2
Paul Kestell Pass the microphone
THANKS:
Thanks to the Staff of the Nedlands Golf Club, Shino and Joel , for their service tonight and Chef Alvin 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 Leon closed the meeting by recognising the Rotary International presidential theme for 2026-27, "CREATE LASTING IMPACT "
Meeting Notes: Jill Elias Photography: Jill Elias Editor: Tom Langley
Question of the Week
In the Rotary Down Under July - August magazine, an article reports that the E Club of Australian Rotary Nomads raises funds annually for Rotary's fight to eradicate polio. What are the two drawcards of this Easter event?
