President Jonas Edner opened the meeting at 6.30pm.
Welcome to our guest speaker, Sally Brauen and guest, Sonja Cardici.
The meeting was opened by singing the National Anthem.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
At the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics a new official sport has been introduced for the first time in nearly three decades. What is it?
Answer: Ski mountaineering
Successfully answered by John Murdoch.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS:
New grandson – John Murdoch announced that he and Carolyn were proud grandparents of their second grandson, born on Friday 13 February 2026 in Melbourne. The second name of the baby is Logan, named after John’s uncle who was shot down on a Friday 13 in World War II.
CLUB AND COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Club Services – These are upcoming events:
Brazilian dinner to be held on Monday 23 February, 6pm for 6:15pm at Moose Café, Bay View Terrace, Claremont. $70 per head, BYO or cash bar. Bookings are essential to attend and must be made by this Thursday 19 February. https://www.trybooking.com/DJHGO Please contact President Jonas if you have a hooded barbecue that you could lend him for the night, he can arrange transport of it. If the numbers hit 50 President Jonas will provide two bottles of wine on each table! Obrigada, o Presidente Joao (numbers currently at 39).
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner – to be held on the evening of Saturday 7 March, please let Craig know as soon as possible if you are interested in attending or hosting, his email is Craig.James50@outlook.com 24 people have already indicated their interest.
On Friday 10 April a tour of the Joondalup campus of ECU has been arranged, further details available closer to the date. Please mark the date in your diary now.
The Vocational Awards will be given out on Monday 20 April 2026. An email will be sent out to members asking for nominations for the awards, please start thinking of a person in our community worthy of recognition.
Quiz night – A quiz night will be held on Monday 30 March 2026, please look out for the email with more details. The cost is $35 per head for a shared platter on each table, drinks available at the bar, no BYO. There will be a live auction and a raffle. Please book by cutting and pasting at https://www.trybooking.com/DJSDK Tickets can be booked singly, couples or up to eight on a table. This year proceeds from the quiz night will go to the John Fawcett Foundation in memory of Win Jones OAM. Please support this evening, it is great fun for fundraising! Thanks to Hugh Stowell for organising the evening.
CINI - On Wednesday February 25, the CEO Dr Indrani Bhattacharyya of CINI (Children in need in India) is visiting Perth and giving an information talk at 6:45 for 7 pm at the Nedlands Golf Club. Everybody is welcome. For a free ticket, please register: www.trybooking.com/DJFLI Drinks available to purchase. “Nibbles” provided.
Alliance Francaise Film Festival – Kim Smith brought in brochures for the films to be shown for the Alliance Francaise Film Festival starting next month. Part of the cost of every ticket supports the Alliance Francaise financially.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES: The following birthdays were announced by Susan Watson:
Members’ birthdays:
Ken Ilett 16 February 2026 83 years old.
John Bolto 18 February 2026 70 years old.
Partners' birthday:
Mary Warburton 17 February 2026.
.SERGEANT JASON SESSION: The following members were fined by Sergeant Jason:
· Anthony McGrath for going to Vietnam to play golf;
· Hugh Stowell for getting the rock star parking space even though he is no longer El Presidente;
· Jill Elias for having an Uber bring her forgotten mobile from home;
· Stephanie Fryer-Smith for jetting in from India;
· Graeme Sansom for being Graeme-ish (I forget his transgression, but the fine was probably well deserved).
GUEST SPEAKER: Sally Brauen introduced by Kim Smith.
Ø Sally is the Chair of Dress for Success (WA), a charity helping to empower women from all backgrounds to achieve economic independence. DFS helps women recently released from prison, escaping relationships, re-entering the work force after years out of it and first nations women by building confidence in the women.
Ø DFS is a global network which started in New York. The organisation started under the DFS umbrella and name in Perth ten years ago. It has three components, outreach and career programmes and professional styling. DFS has a boutique in West Perth where, at no cost to the women, stylists will help them to choose three outfits for job interviews. Each styling session costs $220. If a woman is successful in obtaining a job she can choose another outfit to celebrate. DFS has a van so it can travel to Western Australian regions.
Ø There are six part time paid staff and 50 – 60 regular volunteers, ramping up to 100 volunteers for certain times of the year.
Ø The available clothes are donated to DFS. A side benefit of donation is that over 30,000 items of clothing have not been thrown on landfill. Clothes that are not suitable for the women coming into DFS are sold and the profits go to buying needed items such as underwear and to keep the place running.
Ø DFS receives no government funding. It relies on partnerships and last year it received a $288,000 grant from LotteryWest.
Ø Thanks to Sally for speaking to us about Dress for Success.
REMINDER OF COMING EVENTS:
Monday 23 February 2026 – Brazilian dinner at Moose Cafe, must book via Trybooking
Monday 2 March 2026 – no meeting, public holiday.
Monday 9 March 2026 – Nancy Chiam, Janet Reynolds, Life as a volunteer.
ROSTER:
Monday 9 March 2026
David Ellis Welcoming members and guests.
Lindsay Dry Table duty.
Geoff Cahif Registrar 1.
Neil Wilkie Registrar 2.
John Bolto Introduction of guest speaker.
Kent Warburton Pass the microphone.
THANKS:
Thanks to the Staff of the Nedlands Golf Club, Claire and Matt, 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 Jonas closed the meeting by recognising the Rotary International presidential theme for 2025-26, "Unite for Good"
Meeting Notes: Jill Elias Photography: Jill Elias Editor: Tom Langley
Question of the Week
In the Rotary Down Under magazine for January - February 2026, an article on learners drivers' licences features a story about a Rotary Club of Sullivan's Cove member, whose name is the same as one of our members, who is it?
