Rotary Club Meeting – October 8, 2025
Meeting Proceedings
Opening and Invocation
President Hugh opened the meeting by encouraging everyone to use the microphone for better audibility. He then called for a volunteer to lead the invocation and toast, selecting Past President Kevin Green. Kevin delivered an invocation, asking for blessings on the food and mankind for Rotary and all of us, and proposed a toast to Australia.
Welcome and Introduction of Guests
President Hugh introduced the morning's guests. Guest Speaker, Past District Governor Joanne 
Schilling from the Rotary Club of Darwin South and her partner, Rotarian Percy Peel, were welcomed.
General Announcements and Conversations
A brief discussion ensued about the club's newsletter, with President Hugh encouraging members to read it for comprehensive Rotary information, including coverage of the month of September and updates from the Rotary exchange student, Esther Barbosa-Rosa. He recommended using closed captions on her YouTube talk for better understanding and highlighted her progress in English since arriving two months ago.
Updates were provided about Esther’s schedule, including her participation at the orientation for exchange students in Perth and her upcoming change in host family. Additionally, mention was made of another student, Sarah Price-Walkley, who would also be attending the orientation in Perth. Esther would soon participate in the Outward-Bound program and then move to her new host parents, Kira and Josh Foster.
President Hugh shared that the club was invited to host another profitable Rotarian BBQ at New-Haul on November 8, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., the day before the radio auction. He asked for volunteers and assured members that arrangements would be made if there was sufficient interest.
Rotary Auction and Community Fundraising
Symington spoke about preparations for the upcoming radio auction, emphasizing the importance of public awareness and the role of fence banners. Three banners were distributed for display at St Francis Xavier Primary School, St. John’s Primary School, and Sanford Veterinary Clinic, with Barry Dring volunteering to handle two of them. Members were reminded to obtain permission before placing the banners.Further auction-related details were discussed, including the handling of receipts by Warren Nathan and the status of pledges, which stood at over $73,000. The radio auction, now in its 34th year, is a major fundraiser, with expectations to raise about half of the pledged amount during the event. Combined with the Landor fundraiser, these efforts typically generate $55,000–$60,000 annually for community initiatives.
Community contributions so far this year includes $10,000 for the Edith Cowan statue, $5,000 for the RFDS, $5,000 for flood relief in northern New South Wales, and regular donations to Polio Plus. President Hugh also mentioned an increase in the club's weekly Polio Plus donation.
Landor Report – PP Jim Dillon
A busy but fun weekend was had by all who worked on the bar at the Landor Races on the weekend. Eight Rotarians attended boosted by a large contingent of “Friends of Rotary”. The event went very smoothly except for Michelle being called to someone experiencing chest pain, dragging her (and Jim!) out in the night to assess the situation and fortunately cancel the evacuation helicopter! There was another incident with Barry’s truck and a bull bar which was not discussed further! The event raises $20K for our club’s projects.
Bob Hall also reported on his 5,500 km expedition in the Wheat Belt recently. He was amazed at the history of towns such as Cunderdin and recommends this road trip to us all!
Member Engagement and Rotary Promotion
President Hugh encouraged members to actively speak with others about Rotary’s impact, stressing the need to overcome public misconceptions and share specific examples of the club’s good work. Members were asked to report on their outreach efforts each week.
Guest Speaker: Past District Governor Joanne Schilling
Joanne Schilling was introduced with a summary of her extensive Rotary experience, including roles in public finance, corporate governance, and Rotary Foundation committees. She currently serves as the District 9560 Polio Plus Chair and is involved in the Northern Territory Human Rights Awards Steering Committee.
Joanne presented on the Rotary Foundation’s global impact, focusing on polio eradication and other humanitarian projects. She highlighted positive unintended outcomes of Rotary’s polio campaign, including improved health infrastructure and capacity in affected regions.Using examples from India, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste, Joanne discussed the ongoing challenges of water and sanitation, maternal and infant mortality, literacy, and poverty.She shared personal stories from visits to India, where Rotary’s involvement helped stablish a school for children from marginalized backgrounds, and to East Timor, where a new library was built for a primary school with support from several Rotary clubs and district grants. Joanne emphasized the importance of Rotary’s work in providing educational resources, equipment, and opportunities for disadvantaged communities. (NB: The Rotary Clubs of Darwin South, Darwin and Dili Lafaek worked together to fund and manage this project. Darwin South used part of a District Grant to assist in the fitout of the library, RC Darwin funded the construction, and Dili Lafaek managed funding the building works. The project started with a phone call from a former RYLA participant, Adilsonio Da Costa, who first met Darwin South Rotarians when he was home hosted in Darwin. Don’t forget to use District Grants.)
Joanne also covered the significance of ongoing polio immunization efforts, especially in countries bordering polio-endemic regions such as Pakistan and Afghanistan. She shared experiences from participating in immunization tours in India and the importance of maintaining vigilance until eradication is achieved.
Darwin’s club’s involvement in the Rotary Foundation Cake program was detailed, including efforts to secure the license to act as vendors and the challenges faced with product approval and packaging. Joanne pointed out that every purchase and sale of cakes and puddings supports the Foundation’s work, benefiting individuals and communities worldwide.
She concluded by reflecting on the profound effect Rotary projects have on the lives of those they reach, encouraging continued support for the Foundation to maintain the flow of resources for such initiatives.
Q&A and Acknowledgements
Barry Dring asked about the E-Forum and the library project in East Timor-Leste, to which Joanne clarified the structure of the E-Club and the flexibility in providing resources like books and computers for the library. She also mentioned the donation of postie bikes to help midwives access remote areas.
President Hugh thanked Joanne for her presentation and presented her with a certificate of appreciation, noting that a donation had been made to Rotary International’s End Polio Now Program on her behalf, providing approximately 200 vaccinations for children.He also acknowledged the support of partners like Percy Peel and commended the contributions of all members and guests.
Raffle and Fine Session
Sgt Bob Urquhart led the raffle, with Don Rolston winning a Rotary Celebration Cake, which was subsequently donated back to the visitors. There was a light-hearted discussion about the cakes and their popularity, followed by a fine session for members not wearing Rotary badges or name plates, and for other minor oversights.
Special recognition was given to President Hugh’s daughter, Erin, who celebrated her 32nd birthday, a milestone given her early health challenges. Members contributed fines in honour of birthdays and anniversaries.
There were additional anecdotes shared regarding recent events, including Barry Dring’s car troubles and the hospitality among Landor attendees.
Meeting Close
President Hugh closed the meeting by expressing appreciation for the guest speaker, guests, and returning members. He emphasized the importance of sharing Rotary’s story and adjourned the meeting until the following week.
Certificates of appreciation were awarded to Russell and Shirley McKinnon for their support of the competition, with Russell recognized for his media outreach. Donations in the names of Geoff Crothers and Greg Cooper were made to Rotary International’s polio eradication program, each funding approximately 50 vaccinations for children.
The Four Way Speaking Competition for Year 10 students will have its final at Geraldton Grammar School on Saturday, 20th September. Notably, one Perth club has declined to attend due to travel distance, despite regional clubs travelling to Perth for over 30 years. Discounted airfares are available through Nexus. The District Governor and Fred Marsh, the originator of the competition in WA, will be present. Batavia Coast Rotarian Clark Scarff is coaching Geraldton entrant Aaysha King, who will address the club next Wednesday. Volunteers from the club are needed to assist with timing and tallying adjudication sheets. Hugh will circulate a proposal for the RCGG Board to endorse a $1,000 contribution to help manage competition costs. The District’s response to funding support has been disappointing, as they have indicated no available budget. Hugh will attend a GGS assembly on Monday, 22nd September to make a presentation.
Andrew Dare, a former President of his club for the past two years, spoke about the personal growth that comes from holding such a position. He recommended taking on the role to other Rotarians. Andrew migrated to Tasmania from Victoria in 1990. Originally an electrical contractor, he transitioned into the hospitality industry, running a guest house. He admitted to initial fears, particularly around preparing "hamburgers the lot" without meat or bacon, which he described as a trial by fire. He also mentioned his early paranoia about theft at the guest house, but found that giving lollies to children fostered goodwill and reduced incidents of stealing. Eventually, due to the financial strain of running the guest house, he returned to his trade as an electrician.
Currently, Andrew manages a company with seventeen employees and is involved with seventy dairies in Northern Tasmania, some of which are robotic dairies. He has recently obtained accreditation for solar battery installation. Andrew intends to keep working for a few more years before transitioning into retirement, acknowledging the challenge of making that transition.
Bob Urquhart – Cat
President's Report - Hugh Lavery:
1) Psalm Talamo our Outward Bound Exchange Student f(January 2025) from Warnbro High School.
2) Jamie Bravington our Rotary Youth Leadership Award recipient (January 2025) from Tom Price.
Geraldton, WA 6530
Australia