Attendance: Tony Ambrose, Jo Clarke, Jim Dillon, Viki Fennell, Di Gilleland, Hugh Lavery, Russell McKinnon, Robert Mosel, Don Rolston, Bob Symington, Ian Taylor, Bob Urquhart, Grant Woodhams, Barry Dring, Terry Stewart
Apologies: Kevin Green
Guests: Amy Ying, Allan Ying, Amanda Beaver, Andrew Beaver, Emily Beaver, Ray Cooper, Sarah Price-Walkley, Kim Wann.
President's Announcements:
-What worked well with our annual dinner? What can be improved? Please let Hugh know.
- Batavia Coast Rotary are holding a High Tea this Sunday (2-30 to 5-00) all welcome.
-Centacare Gala Dinner is on 26th.
-Landor Races are on again. Peter Sukiennik is organising Rotary's involvement.
-Rotarian Nomads are welcome at White Peak on Chapman Valley Show week, Saturday, September 6 2025
-Our guest speaker today is former Inbound Exchange Student, Amy Ying, Taiwan 2009
-Another guest today is our outbound exchange student for 2026 Sarah Price-Walkley
-Bob Hall is our President elect for 2026-27.
-Kelly and Ross Bennett have agreed to be the first host parents of our next inbound exchange student Esther Barbosa Rosa from Brazil in late July. Hugh is seeking 2 more Host families.
-Kim Wann will be inducted into our club on July 16
Life after Rotary Youth Exchange (to Australia in 2009)
Guest Speaker, Amy Ying, from Taiwanintroduced by her former host mother Di Gilleland.
The Gilleland's were Amy's first host parents in Geraldton. Other host parents included the Cooper, Beaver and Young families.
Amy says it made a difference to her being a Rotary Exchange student. She learned different lifestyles, hobbies and interests from her host families.
When she returned to Taiwan she went to university. And then she went into business. Up to 70% of business in Taiwan these days revolves around technology and the growth of AI- artificial intelligence.
However Amy has pursued a different track and is managing a 'holiday house' for meetings, re-unions, weddings and the like. She has a video which she plays showing that the wooden 'holiday house' can accommodate up to twenty four people.
She is happy to be back in Geraldton, her second home.
Questions
Hugh Lavery - What makes a good host parent?
Grant Woodhams - What is the relationship between China and Taiwan?
Russell McKinnon - What was it like to leave Taiwan as a teenager and come to Australia?
Emily Beaver - Did you choose Australia as your exchange country?
Hugh Lavery - What advice would you give to other exchange students?
Hugh recorded Amy's presentation, and it can be found on youTube here :
Hugh Lavery presented Amy with our traditional certificate of donation on her behalf of 50 polio vaccinations to End Polio Now and Amy reciprocated with a gift to Hugh. (We suspect he ate it! - No, he didn't - Donated to RC of Batavia Coast's High Tea, Changeover)
5. Andrew Beaver, Sarah, Emily Beaver, Mandy Beaver, President Hugh
After the meeting, President Hugh commented that "the Rotary Youth Exchange Program is the ONE thing we do that connects all of us- within the Club, within our Families and the Community, within our District, and across the World, AND across Time - a fantastic program and THANK YOU to all the volunteers that make it happen"
Attendance: Don Rolston, Dave Freeman, Tony Ambrose, Barry Dring, Jim Dillon, Ian Taylor, Robert Mosel, Kevin Green, Bob Urquhart, Hugh Lavery, Grant Woodhams
Apologies: Jo Clarke, Laurie Dines, Viki Fennell, Russell McKinnon, Peter Sukiennik, Bob Symington, Bob Hall
Guests: Kim Wann, Eugenie Burkett, David Power
President's Announcements:
Pres Hugh Lavery -Annual Dinner is this Sunday. Local MP Kirrilee Warr and City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Jerry Clune are attending. This year RCGG has sponsored over $50,000 worth of projects. It is cause for celebration. The Rotary Apprentice of the Year will also be awarded on the day.
-Di Gilleland putting a programme together for our Radio Auction.
-Next Wednesday will be the last meeting of this Rotary year.
-There is Board meeting tomorrow night. Zoom will be available.
Robert Mosel - Do we have a long handled stapler? No. Suggested we purchase one. Can anyone work photoshop? Hugh volunteers.
Thought for the day (Tony Ambrose)
Every dead body on Mt Everest was once a highly motivated person. We all need to calm down.
Another thought for the day (Hugh Lavery)
I'm at peace with myself and my circumstances. (Source; The Way of the Carrot, Roger Ballard)
Raffle - Heads or Tails - won by Dr Barry Dring.---> Dave and Tony colluding ...--->
Fines Session (Sgt Barry Urquhart)
Hugh Lavery missed the mayor from our members' list.
Jim Dillon has a flooded car park prior to the Board meeting.
Hugh Lavery and Rotarian responses on Club Runner.
Dave Freeman wearing Di Taylor's name badge.
Barry Dring was 78 on Monday and needs to pay wine tax.
Bob Urquhart met his wife on 18 June sixty years ago.
Jim Dillon claims the golf club fridge makes noises, so he rattles plates.
Barry ends with a plea for all to please wear Rotary shirts, badges et al in public.
Floor Fines:
Kevin Green wants a Collie explanation from Tony Ambrose
Barry Dring's daughter had a son on Barry's birthday.
Jim Dillon says Bob U's pump does not clear flood waters.
Hugh Lavery auctions off his last "Magic of Rotary" badge - Dave Freeman pays $20 for same.
Centacare has been in Geraldton since 1986. They turn over between $M5-6/yr. Owned by the Catholic Church, who are very hands off. The local Bishop is their only representative on the Board. Their funds are 40% Federal, 30% State with the rest raised locally.
Some of the services they provide include mental health, family separation, children's contact, emergency financial relief, 'Men's Hub' and 'Housing First'. They have offices in Geraldton, Carnarvon and Exmouth and operate across the MidWest and Gascoyne and associated towns and communities.
Last year it is estimated that 10% of Geraldton accessed Centacare services. This year will probably be higher. Since Covid demand for services has increased noticeably and the costs to operate Centacare have also risen substantially.
To try and overcome some of the financial challenge, Centacare has organised a Gala Dinner on 26 July. Similar to Christmas in July it is intended to bring the community together while also providing some education about the work that Centacare does. Tickets are $210ea and discounted for a table of eight.
There is the need for volunteers to help on the night.
Questions and comments from Barry Dring, Don Rolston and Hugh Lavery.
Hugh indicates that our RCGG Board will talk about how to help Centacare and their Gala dinner at the meeting tomorrow night. NB The Board has indicated that they fully support the initiative and will be proactive in encouraging assistance.
President Hugh presented David with a certificate representing 50 Vaccinations donated to the End Polio Now program on his behalf
Guest Speaker:Russell McKinnon ex Wanganui First XIV.
Russell initially outlined how the magazine he produces "Caravans West" was scammed by a Chinese company. He then went on to elaborate on the recent Caravan Association of WA biennial rally which was held in Geraldton.
Eighty Six caravans parked on the No.2 Oval at Eadon Clarke for the forty sixth running of the event.
It was a good turnout by comparison with recent rallies which saw one hundred and seventy at Pingelly, but only seventy six in Bunbury.
There are seven hundred caravans in the WA association. The last national rally was in Albany in 2019 (Pre-Covid) where two hundred and eighty vans turned up from all over Australia.
Meanwhile there are fifty caravans in the local MW club, but very few of them camped at Eadon Clarke although many participated in the various activities that were organised e.g. ladder golf, disc bowls, horse racing and a visit to the HMAS Sydney Memorial.
The Geraldton rally tipped $67,000 into the local economy.
President Hugh thanked Russell for informative talk and contribution to the local community.
Apologies for not presenting in person. Thanks for getting zoom working to enable the sharing of the incoming World President Stephanie Urchick's address:
Hugh's message echoes Stephanie's in making our meetings irresistible and engaging. Have conversation, connect, learn and get involved in the Community. It is important that we become a more diverse membership.
In 1998 the Rotary Club of Geraldton (now Greater Geraldton) embarked on an ambitious journey to build a memorial on Mt Scott in Geraldton, dedicated to the 645 sailors lost at sea when the HMAS Sydney II was sunk off the Mid-West coast during World War II. The HMAS Sydney II Memorial is by far the largest and proudest project the RCG has undertaken.
Australia’s worst naval disaster occurred on 19 November 1941 when HMAS Sydney II was lost following a battle with the German raider HSK KORMORAN, in the Indian Ocean off the Western Australian coast. Geraldton was the last port visited prior to her demise. The loss of the SYDNEY with its full war complement of 645 sailors remains etched in the nations psyche. The KORMORAN was also sunk, but 317 of its crew of 397 survived. The fate of the Sydney remained one of Australia’s greatest wartime mysteries until the location of the wreck in 2008. “LEST WE FORGET”
Guest Speaker: Russell McKinnon ex Wanganui First XIV.
mped at Eadon Clarke although many participated in the various activities that were organised e.g. ladder golf, disc bowls, horse racing and a visit to the HMAS Sydney Memorial.
Australia’s worst naval disaster occurred on 19 November 1941 when HMAS Sydney II was lost following a battle with the German raider HSK KORMORAN, in the Indian Ocean off the Western Australian coast. Geraldton was the last port visited prior to her demise. The loss of the SYDNEY with its full war complement of 645 sailors remains etched in the nations psyche. The KORMORAN was also sunk, but 317 of its crew of 397 survived. The fate of the Sydney remained one of Australia’s greatest wartime mysteries until the location of the wreck in 2008.
