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On Monday 29 October the Club dined out at the Bentley Pines Restaurant where as usual, the student chefs and wait staff gave everyone attending (but sadly not Maureen and me) a night to remember with outstanding food and service and I thank Greg Hamilton and Mary Henderson for organising this very successful event.
Back at the Club on 5 November we welcomed prospective member Neelam Badve. (Neelam's son, Sagar, is a member of the Rotaract Club of Subiaco, so Neelam knows a thing or two about Rotary); and our exchange student, Anna, who has now finished her schooling for the year (no exams for her, just holidays until February 2019). She will shortly be off to Sydney for a week in the company of many of her fellow exchange students; followed by a week down Mandurah way. Don't forget to invite Anna to other events whenever you can. While she keeps herself busy, I'm sure she would welcome outings over the Christmas/NewYear period and beyond.
Our guest speaker, Angela Bowman, was born in Canada, where she developed an early love for wildlife, exploring local habitats and seeking out iconic animals such as beavers, bears, sea lions and orcas. As Senior Development Executive with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) Angela is responsible for the Conservancy’s activities in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. She spoke about Australia’s extinction crisis and how AWC is delivering measurable increases in Australia’s most endangered species. See our report below.
Thanks to Club Director of Community Service, Ashley West, for reminding us about the Club wine fund raiser which closes on Friday 9 November with orders available for collection from Biemel's Hardware on Saturday 17 November between 9.30am and 11.15pm. I encourage everyone to place their orders in support of this great initiative. All profits will be used for Good Works.
Well deserved congratulations are due to Club Fair Chair, Simon Cubitt, who has secured a $5,000 grant from the City of Canning to purchase three (3) Gazebos, twenty (20) treble tables, three (3) ice boxes and a barbecue. This is a great help and reduces the support we need from our major sponsors, Healthway and Lotterywest.
The Willetton Senior High School (WSHS) Interact Club plan to send Care packages to Australian Defence Force (ADF) members serving overseas. Parcels weighing up to a cubed weight of two kilograms in a ‘BM’-sized Australia Post carton can be sent free of charge. The items most appreciated include uniquely Australian treats such as Tim Tams, lollies, magazines, books and DVDs. Items such as cigarettes, alcohol, perfumery products can't be sent. If you would like to donate in cash or kind, please contact Sue Thorp on 0421 972 344 before the closing date of 25 November 2019.
For everything else happening in the Youth portfolio, see the separate report at right.
If you have some loose change lying around after the Melbourne Cup and would like to End Polio Now, the Rotary Club of Melville has a unique way to raise funds for the campaign through their 500 Club. There are 500 tickets for sale at $100 each and a Grand Prize of $10,000 to be drawn on Paul Harris' birthday, 23 February 2019. Each ticket holder will have their name recorded on the Rotary Club of Melville End Polio Now ‘500’ Club Virtual Honour Board to be posted on the District 9465 website; and become a District 9465 Foundation Centurion member. To buy a ticket, see the details below.
Aswin Rajagopalan from the Rotaract Club of Rossmoyne and I collected a "truck load" of books from Willetton Senior High School (WSHS) for the Smith Family. I also thank Anne Edgar and David Honeychurch for their contributions and if anyone else has books or stationary to donate, please contact me on 0417 900 008 to arrange delivery or collection.
Like many West Australians (including quite a few Club members), Stuart Diggins was once a student of the late Arthur Marshall, learning the finer points of tennis. Arthur's wife Helen went to school with Lannah Diggins and through that association, Stuart has a considerable quantity of Arthur's memoirs to give away free of charge. There's a bit more detail about the book below in the right column and if anyone would like a copy, please contact Stuart on 0409 115 855.
Our Annual General Meeting will be held on 26 November 2019. We will present the Club's audited accounts and conduct elections for office bearers. At this time there are two Board positions to fill plus most importantly, the office of President Elect. I urge everyone to think seriously about taking up any one of these three roles. From experience I can confidently say that you will gain a great deal from involvement in the leadership team.
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Angela Bowman
