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Each year, The Rotary Club of Ascot puts forward the name of at least one outstanding student with a passion for science to participate in a 12 day NYSF residential program designed to give attendees a broader understanding of the diverse study and career options available in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This year, Esther Nixon of Ursula Frayne Catholic College attended the first program run in Brisbane and returned to tell us about her experiences which she said were life changing. The program included site visits, lectures, workshops, group activities and social events as well as sessions on entrepreneurship, critical thinking, working effectively with others and much more and helps develop well-rounded individuals who have the skills and confidence to determine their futures. Esther wants to become a Doctor and we wish her great success for her future.

Happy Birthday Ascot

Posted by Christine Goss on Mar 22, 2018

The Rotary Club of Ascot formally celebrated its 49th Birthday with a most enjoyable night at Bentley Pines Training Restaurant, Bentley. Thirty-seven members, partners and friends enjoyed a superb three course meal prepared and served by Bentley TAFE hospitality and cookery students and their results were first class. A fabulous night out!

BikeRescue helping kids at Belmont City College

Posted by Christine Goss on Mar 15, 2018

The Rotary Clubs of Ascot and Belmont have teamed to support another amazing community youth project run by Dismantle for at-risk kids at our local high school. BikeRescue is a dynamic program that uses bike mechanics to mentor young people who need support beyond traditional classrooms. The kids strip and rebuild two bikes, the first is donated to charity and the second is earned by the kids to keep. Mentors engage with the kids, helping them to build their knowledge and skills, their self-esteem and confidence while identifying their vocational ambitions and any challenges they may have. The kids then graduate not only with a bike but with an individualised Pathway Plan and contact with appropriate support agencies that can help them to achieve their goals.

A friend returns to visit Ascot after 10 years

Posted by Christine Goss on Mar 15, 2018

Warmly welcomed back to our Club recently was Keetah McBeath who first came to WA in 2008 with a Group Study Exchange from District 5050 British Columbia, Canada and Washington, USA. Keetah is of the Ononadago Clear Sky people of the Six Nations in Ontario and represented them as part of our District's first Indigenous Exchange. She is now back revisiting her home hosts from ten years ago which reflects the wonderful friendships that were formed through this amazing Rotary program across the world, across generations and across time.

Stories and Skills across the generations

Posted by Christine Goss on Feb 15, 2018

Here's a great initiative that our local council is running to help bring together the young and old of our community, to help one another and share their stories and skills.

Seniors are encouraged to share their life stories and lessons learned along the way and young volunteers help them to record these in a beautiful booklet while teaching them some basic new technology skills along the way.

If you know someone in the Belmont area who may be interested and benefit, please help them to connect to this fabulous program.
Well done to the City of Belmont! It really is the City of Opportunity.

We all profited from a night at The Prophet

Posted by Christine Goss on Feb 01, 2018

Members and partners enjoyed a night out in place of our usual breakfast meeting this week with an enjoyable meal in the company of great friends at The Prophet Lebanese Cafe in East Victoria Park. If the noise we made was any indication of how we all enjoyed ourselves, I'd say it was a resounding success!

More fresh, clean drinking water for Timor Leste

Posted by Christine Goss on Jan 25, 2018

The Rotary Club of Ascot has just approved further financial support of about US$5,000 to purchase and install more water pipes, tanks and tap stands to bring fresh, clean drinking water to high school students in the village of Lete Foho, Timor Leste.

Currently, some of the students have to walk for 2-3 hours each day to attend school so their parents have recently volunteered to help build dormitories so their kids can stay close to school during the week. How fantastic are they! They want a better life for their kids and we are proud to support them by bringing water to their new dorms.

Our ongoing water projects in Timor Leste have already brought clean, fresh water from mountain springs down to thousands in hillside villages and has so far seen a massive reduction in hygiene related health issues and has allowed hundreds of kids to attend school instead of spending their days carting their family's water supplies from miles away.

If you are interesting in helping us to help them, we'd love to hear from you.

Handicamp's Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Posted by Christine Goss on Jan 18, 2018

Handicamp is a weeklong live-in camp for 18-35 year olds with a disability, who are teamed with a buddy for a week of fun and adventure. Now in its 36th year in Perth, campers enjoy trips to Perth Zoo and Adventure World, face their fears on the onsite abseiling course, try their hand at archery, have fun on the river and in the pool, and entertain one another at karaoke to name a few of the week's many activities.

A group of our members and their partners donned their silliest hats for the camp's Mad Hatter's Tea Party and had the pleasure of sharing their dinner table with Jade (sponsored by the Rotary Club of Como) and her buddy Kristy (by Rotary Club of Esperance) who were enjoying the experience immensely.

Our best wishes go to all of this year's participants for a most enjoyable week and well done to all those who help to make it happen each year. Its another example of Rotary Making A Difference in our community.

italktravel - takes the hassles out of your travels

Posted by Christine Goss on Jan 09, 2018

An old friend came to visit us this morning and gave us an update on his Travel Agency and a reminder of the benefits of using a quality Travel Agent over DIY online bookings for your dream holiday.

Dave Ahlhauser of italktravel Midland said the "Internet is for looking - [your] Travel Agent is for booking" and he gave us some examples of the many pitfalls some travellers have experienced when booking online. There are fraudulent sites and reviews that are no more than paid ads so the internet is only as good as the user and many don't explore all the facts, they often just go for the bargain. However, cheap can have hidden costs like poor flight times, bad connections, long stopovers and no backup for the unexpected. Don't get caught - contact Dave at https://www.italk.travel/midland to make your dream holiday become a reality.

Christmas at Ascot

Posted by Dianne Reed on Dec 19, 2017

We had our annual Christmas meeting this morning and it was an action packed meeting. It all started with President Ron providing us with an update of what our club has achieved this year.

"Breadieval" or something more powerful?

Posted by Christine Goss on Dec 05, 2017

Today's guest speaker, Timothy Green, pitched his concept to us for a community event that combines all thing Medieval with the staple food of that era, bread. He suggested a family friendly event which included dressing up for the occasion, having tables of food reflective of those times, community baking competitions, cooking workshops and dough making, arts and crafts, music and maybe even some archery and jousting exhibitions. He called it "Breadieval".

But was that really his message of the day? Or was his message much more powerful?

It appears Timothy may be aiming much higher and pushing himself to face his fear head-on by taking part in the "100 Days of Rejection challenge" where participants actively seek ways to be rejected day after day, for 100 days, so that they become desensitised to the pain that "no" can cause. But along the way, they learn many, many valuable lessons that will help them to achieve great things and live their life to the fullest.

Well done Timothy and best wishes for success in your bright future.

For more about the "100 Days of Rejection challenge" , check out https://www.rejectiontherapy.com/

A Land of Contrast

Posted by Christine Goss on Nov 22, 2017

Member Colin and his wife Judy recently returned from a trip to Jordan and Israel. Although they started with a trip down the Danube and Rhine where everything was lush and green, their first stop, in Oman, Jordan, reminded them they were now in the desert.

They took in many fantastic sites and enjoyed many new experiences including the beautiful pink city of Petra and eating in a bedouin tent in Wadi Rum where Lawrence of Arabia made his mark. They effortlessly floated in the salty Dead Sea and climbed (via a chairlift) to Masada, an old fortress atop a mesa. And further on, they saw where fresh water was taken from the Sea of Galilee to irrigate the lands and turn the deserts green.

Reminiscences of 50 early years of Perth

Posted by Christine Goss on Nov 16, 2017

Few can claim a more thorough account of early Western Australian history than our member Gren who's ancestor Joseph Thomas Reilly recorded an amazing report of the trials and difficulties experienced in the early life and settlement of Western Australia. With his wife Mary Lucille, a teacher at age 14 who was one of the first born and schooled in the new Swan River Colony, years before records were kept, and as a newspaperman and entrepreneurial businessman himself, J T Reilly was in a prime position to write his memoirs and preserve our history forever. We thanked Gren this week for sharing a brief glimpse of his family's history.

Ascot Race Day

Posted by Christine Goss on Nov 16, 2017

With horses straight from the Kendall's "LEGO" Stables, we celebrated Melbourne Cup Day with a few races of our very own! The ladies donned their most fascinating fascinators and the men, well they came as themselves! We had a few guests and lots of winners and more than a few laughs for an enjoyable day.

Life on the Road

Posted by Christine Goss on Nov 16, 2017

Another week during renovations of our usual meeting place, our member Michael brought along his caravan to give us all a little taste of why he loves life on the road. He and wife Robyn have recently returned from another trip across the Nullabor to visit their family. While away, they partied with the ladies of an Inner Wheel Changeover in Brisbane and said "they sure know how to let their grey hair down"!

We've been undergoing a Makeover!

Posted by Christine Goss on Nov 16, 2017

Belmont Tavern has recently undergone some major renovations and we've had a bit of disruption for a few weeks and still have some issues to sort through. One week we took the opportunity to check out the local cafe "Sapore's" with great results. We had a delicious and very social brekkie!

Rotary Foundation Centennial

Posted by Christine Goss on Oct 19, 2017

At a recent meeting, Past President Dianne Reed presented our member and Past District Governor Hugh Langridge with a limited edition medallion commemorating this year's Rotary Foundation Centennial. Dianne brought the medallion back from Atlanta, Georgia, USA after attending this year's Rotary International Convention as a small token to thank Hugh for the many years of wonderful work he has contributed to The Rotary Foundation.

Arthur Bray Foundation at work!

Posted by Christine Goss on Oct 19, 2017

We recently awarded a part sponsorship to 8 year old Gracean Alago so that she could represent Australia at the SEMAS International Abacus Math Championship in Thailand and we were proud and pleased to hear this week, that Grace won the Super Champion trophy and another one, a performer trophy, in their on-stage talent show. Our congratulations go to Grace for a fantastic result, for herself and for Australia!

BRICKTOBER Perth 2017 - An enormous success!

Posted by Christine Goss on Oct 09, 2017

BRICKTOBER Perth is the Rotary Club of Ascot's gift to our Community and we've just wrapped up another very successful event over the weekend. BRICKTOBER Perth is a family-friendly exhibition of models built by the Lego® fans of Perth and gives local families a special day out in the October school holidays.

If success is measured by smiling faces, it was an enormous success! And the feedback from our community is heartwarming and makes our hard work so worthwhile.

Here's a few of their comments:

"Thank you to the organizers of Bricktober - Perth for opening an hour early this morning for kids with special needs. Both our boys absolutely loved the displays and it was beautiful to see them enjoying something like this, which wouldn't have been possible in a general public session. It's the first activity like this that we have stayed at longer than 10 minutes! And all the exhibitors were incredibly friendly and welcoming. We need more organizers to do this type of thing. Thank you again." - Amanda Christie

"What an awesome family focussed event! Absolutely fantastic we were thrilled with everything! I'm sure it will be an annual family trip up from Busselton!" - Melanie Jarman

Stutterer to Public Speaker

Posted by Christine Goss on Sep 08, 2017

For almost a lifetime, Geoff Martin suffered social anxiety due to stuttering. But he is now a proficient public speaker and he proved just that this week when he told us that at the age of 56 he was introduced to The McGuire Programme and through a huge effort on his part, and guts and determination, he overcame his stutter.

Geoff is now heavily involved in mentoring others, through not only that program, but also Australian Speak Easy Association and Toastmasters. We congratulate Geoff on his success and applaud him for now helping others to take back control of their lives too.

The McGuire Programme www.mcguireprogramme.com
Australian Speak Easy Association http://www.speakeasy.org.au
Toastmaster WA https://toastmastersd17.org/

Fresh water all year round for Mulara, Timor Leste

Posted by Christine Goss on Aug 30, 2017

For several years now, the Rotary Club of Ascot has funded water and sanitation projects in Timor Leste.

Most of these projects involve bringing water via poly pipes from mountain springs down to hamlets, villages and now schools, sometimes up to 15 kilometres away, to a series of tanks and tap stands accessible to the resident locals. The water and ablution blocks we've had installed have made a significant difference to the health and welfare of the local children who would otherwise be engaged in carrying water for their family and animals and now frees them to attend school. In addition, where there was once a high incidence of diseases related to poor hygiene such as scabies and diarrhoea, the general health and appearance of villagers has been dramatically improved.

While we've provided the funding, all materials are sourced locally and labour is done by the villagers who gladly take ownership of the project and ensure maintenance is done as necessary.

Several of our Rotarians have recently returned from a site visit and we've now been advised a sixth project has just been completed giving the isolated village of Mulara, Hatulia, fresh drinking water all 12 months of the year after raising the pipe above a river which floods during the wet season.

Fresh water for hillside villages in Timor Leste

Posted by Christine Goss on Aug 23, 2017

Another way in which the Rotary Club of Ascot helps, this time in our International community, is by funding pipes, tanks, taps and ablution blocks in highland villages in Timor Leste.

Two vehicles for Starick

Posted by Christine Goss on Aug 23, 2017

The Rotary Club of Ascot recently donated two vehicles to Starick, a local organisation in Perth's south-east metropolitan area, to assist them to better provide their services to women and children affected by domestic violence. This article appeared in this week's local newspaper, the Southern Gazette.

History of Belmont

Posted by Christine Goss on Aug 16, 2017

Bridget Curran, the Local History Curator at Belmont Museum gave an interesting and entertaining account of early life in Belmont at this week's meeting.

Trip to Northern Thailand

Posted by Christine Goss on Aug 02, 2017

Having recently returned from Northern Thailand, Christine Goss, showed some photos of the highlights of her trip, including a visit to Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai where she was able to walk among rescued elephants and feed and bath them.

Rotary: Making a Difference

Posted by Christine Goss on Jul 27, 2017

"However each of us chooses to serve, we do it because we know our service makes a difference in the lives of others. Whether we are building a new playground or a new school, improving medical care or sanitation, training conflict mediators or midwives, we know that the work we do will change people's lives - in ways large and small - for the better". Ian H S Riseley, President, Rotary International 2017-18

Norman Bell (1918 - 2017)

Posted by Christine Goss on Jul 27, 2017

It is with sadness that we learned this week of the passing on Saturday 22 July 2017 of our most esteemed member, Norman Bell.

Norm passed peacefully at the age of 99 years having spent more than half his life devoted to Rotary.

Originally a member of Belmont, Norm became a founding member of the Rotary Club of Ascot in 1969, our District Governor in 1970-71, our Club President in 1990-91 and continued to work tirelessly for our club, our district and our community for more than 50 years.

Norm was a true gentle man in every sense and our friend and mentor. He will be sadly missed and our sincere and deepest sympathy goes to his children and their families.

RAC WA - Helping keep us safer on our roads.

Posted by Christine Goss on Jul 19, 2017

This week's guest speaker, Natalie Wong of RAC's Community Education centre, told us about how they are helping to keep road users safer by educating us to make better decisions behind the wheel, travel at safer speeds and drive safer vehicles and they are proactive in highlighting roads for improvements. One of their initiatives in the RAC Intellibus, currently on trial in South Perth. To book a seat on this driver-less bus, check out http://intellibus.rac.com.au

Arthur Bray Foundation at work

Posted by Christine Goss on Jul 13, 2017

This month, the Rotary Club of Ascot awarded a part scholarship of $750 from its Arthur Bray Foundation to eight year old Gracean Alago who came along to our meeting this week with her mother Brenda.

Grace, who attends Notre Dame Catholic Primary School, has been selected to represent Australia in the International Abacus Math competition in Bangkok, Thailand on 1 October 2017 where she will compete at level 10 against kids from 14 other countries.

By attending Perth's SEMAS Academy, Grace has learned not only to use an Abacus which has been around for centuries, but by picturing one in her mind, she is able to make complex calculations in her head. Her demonstrations of this brought much applause from our members at this week's meeting as she was able to provide accurate answers faster than we could with our calculators.

Well done Grace and Good Luck in Bagkok!

How Rotary Youth Exchange shaped a life

Posted by Christine Goss on Jul 13, 2017

This week's speaker was Sgt Paul Daly, a Police Officer of 21 years who has twice been awarded Western Australian Police Officer of the Year.

Paul told us this week, at age 17 his life lacked direction until he was selected to take part in a Rotary Youth Exchange to USA. While recounting some of his amazing experiences, Paul said his host families became guiding lights in his life and they, and the opportunities he was given, helped to shape his future.

Paul is a strong advocate for the program and welcomed the idea that our club was again considering participating and encouraged us to keep in touch with our students as they are our future assets.

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