President Jonas Edner opened the meeting at 6.30 pm. He started by reading the following statement:
On 14 December, a violent attack at Bondi Beach resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries, including children.
Rotary is committed to promoting peace, goodwill and understanding. It was founded on the belief that lasting change comes from respect, compassion and working together for the greater good.
Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all who have been impacted. We encourage everyone to support one another and uphold the values that unite us.
Welcome to our guest speaker, Peter Smith, and to our guests, Robert Hall, Ward, and Marilyn Nelson.
The meeting was opened by singing the National Anthem.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Why wouldn't the prawn share his treasure?
Answer: Because he was a little shellfish!
Correctly answered by John Lindquist.
(Good joke, Lindsay!)
FAMILY AND FRIENDS:
· Craig James reported that he had recently received a certificate from the Law Society to commemorate his 50 years in legal practice.
· Jill Elias reported that her and Michael’s youngest son, Edward, had been promoted to Captain in the Australian Army Reserves.
CLUB AND COMMITTEE REPORTS:
• Grandcarers WA – Thank you to all the Club members who donated new toys to the Grandcarers toy drive. Your generous donations meant that over $1,500 worth of toys were donated, that is a conservative estimate. The toys, as well as beautiful handmade quilts sewn by a friend of Anita’s, Carolyn, 24 fruit cakes and puddings from the Club and grocery items were taken to Warwick last week and are much appreciated by the grandparents. Thank you to all the generous donors. In addition, Anita was given special items from her book club friends for the grandcarers. Richard Ranshaw collected 450 Rotary red bags, which are especially useful for the Christmas hampers for the grandparents because of their strength. He took the items and bags and did a second delivery last week.
• Steve’s – on Monday 5 January 2026 there will be drinks at Steve’s in Nedlands from 6 pm and then dinner for anyone who wants to eat there at 7 pm. An email will be sent out before the event.
• Pocket Forests – John Bolto reported that he and Mark Khangure had recently attended a meeting about pocket forests. A suitable site at the Showgrounds has been identified and if all goes to plan a planting may take place in winter 2027.
• Fruit cakes – Richard Ranshaw let the meeting know that there were no more fruit cakes available due to a new supplier taking over and that the cakes will next come in the third week of January, please let Richard know if you would like to place an order.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES: The following birthdays were announced by Susan Watson:
Members’ Birthdays
Ann Bray on 18 December 2025.
Tony Chien 76 years on 18 December 2025.
Bruce Jeanes 86 years on 25 December 2025.
Russell Hawkins 79 years on 28 December 2025.
Kim Smith 67 years on 1 Janaury 2026.
Anniversaries
Bruce and Sue Jeanes 25 years on 16 December 2025.
Richard and Barbara Ranshaw 48 years on 17 December 2025.
John and Mary-Jo Lindquist 15 years on 18 December 2025.
ROTARY MOMENTS:
Ward Nelson – Ward and his wife, Marilyn, are visiting their daughter and her family who live here in Perth. Ward and Marilyn live in Ely, Minnesota, where the temperature today was -17 degrees below! Ward is a member of the Rotary Club of Ely which was established in 1921. It has 36 members and raises US$40,000 per annum, which mainly goes to its youth programmes. The Club holds a successful penny drive each year which raises money for a food shelter. Ward presented his Club pennant to President Jonas and was given a Kings Park flowers calendar for 2026. Thanks to Ward for his presentation.
Magic Coat Foundation hospital packs – Recently, the Stan Perron Foundation donated to the Magic Coat Foundation to prepare 750 more hospital packs. Thanks to the generous contribution. The third edition of the Magic Coat book is now being included in the hospital packs.
·
Tide Rider – The Club sponsored a team from MLC to participate in the Subs in Schools State STEM Challenge, and we have received a certificate of appreciation from MLC.
Tom Langley – Tom Langley was awarded his third Paul Harris Fellowship pin in June 2024, but we have not been able to present the pin at a meeting, so a lunch was arranged for President Jonas to give it to him. Tom’s citation reads:
Tom joined Rotary and the Club of Dalkeith on 8 December 2008. He is a stalwart of the Club and the chief communicator for our members. He has been the webmaster and editor of the Bulletin since 2012. No problem is too large or onerous for Tom to fix, and he completes every task promptly with a sunny disposition. Tom spends many hours a week editing the Bulletin and sending out emails to the Club members. He is the first port of call for enquiries and ensures that the proper Club member is notified of relevant information.
This is Tom’s third Paul Harris Fellowship pin. Thank you, Tom, for your unstinting support of the Rotary Club of Dalkeith, without you we would not be the strong Club which we are today.
·
Paul Harris Fellowship award - DAVID CHARLES MILLER
David joined Rotary and this Club in June 2008. David is currently the Director of International Services.
David has made tremendous contributions to the Club over the past seventeen years. He organises the annual golf day each year and this year all the funds raised from it went to the Angelman Syndrome Foundation. David also helps to organise the highly successful school book drive for Buk bilong Pikinini in Papua New Guinea and in remote Western Australia. David was introduced to the John Fawcett Foundation by Win Jones and he has served on its board, including as Chair, since 2017.
David was awarded an OAM in January 2019 for service to hockey.
This is David’s second Paul Harris Fellowship pin, he received his first one in 2019. Congratulations, David, for your impactful work through Rotary and the John Fawcett Foundation.
• President Jonas’ message on hospitality and Christmas – At Christmas we are reminded that hospitality is really the art of making people feel they belong – even the ones who try to politely decline a meal. A friend once visited while we were sitting down for dinner. I asked him several times to join and each time he refused. Eventually I realised he wasn’t uninterested – he was starving and simply being polite. So I solved it the Swedish was – I made up a completely fictional rule that in Sweden it is considered rude not to accept hospitality, even if you’re not hungry. He sat down, trusted the ‘tradition’…and ended up having two serves.
A very wise man told me not long ago that the key to hospitality is to anticipate someone’s wants or needs and exceed their expectations.
I also had a conversation with another friend about what “feels like Christmas”. I said it never feels quite right without the sky going dark at 3pm – and he said for him, it isn’t Christmas unless it’s very hot.
And that’s the magic of the season – everyone carries their own version of Christmsa, but hospitality is what brings all those traditions together at the same table.
SERGEANT JASON SESSION: The following members were fined by Sergeant Jason for being his or a past sergeant’s favourite:
· His favourites;
· Bob Davis’ favourites;
· Graeme Sansom’s favourites;
· Jon Steward’s favourites;
· Basically everyone was covered.
GUEST SPEAKER: Peter Smith
Peter spoke about humility and how it is incorporated into the Christmas story. The birth of Christ was announced to the lowest in society, the shepherds, and not to kings or nobles.
· Humility is the willingness to use one’s power in the service of others instead of putting it to one’s own use.
· Humility is using what we have received to better society and to make positive changes.
· Thanks to Peter for reminding us to be humble and to show humility whenever we can.
REMINDER OF COMING EVENTS:
Monday 5 January 2026 - Drinks at Steve’s, The Avenue, Nedlands from 6 pm, dinner at 7 pm.
Monday 12 January 2026 – Fellowship here at the Club.
Monday 19 January 2026 – Barbecue.
ROSTER:
Monday 12 January 2026
Michael Snell Welcoming members and guests.
Kim Smith Table duty.
Susie Rich Registrar 1.
Richard Ranshaw Registrar 2.
Kent Warburton Pass the microphone.
THANKS:
Thanks to the Staff of the Nedlands Golf Club, Anton 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 Jonas closed the meeting by recognising the Rotary International presidential theme for 2025-26, "Unite for Good"
