Please don't rush me to feel better;
It doesn't work that way
Allow me and my body to heal,
Is all I wish to convey.

I can't control what's happening,
But I try to control how I react
Time heals everything, they say;
And your understanding is all I ask.

Not everyone is the same,
So don't even begin to compare;
Just please be patient,
Recovery cannot be hastened.

Your kind thoughts and concern
Never go unnoticed;
They are truly appreciated -
You really are the greatest!

The thoughtful pressies and home-cooked meals
Gave me such unending thrills;
Your text and emails
Likewise make my heart swell.

Just give me time to return to "normal";
And when I can once more be social,
Let's all meet again for a cuppa
At Dome, C15, or Denada.

©610

Guest Speaker Julian Pace, founder and CEO, Happiness Co.

It was an emotional presentation by Julian.  After the death of his father to suicide, Julian used that pain as motivation to build his business called “Happiness Co” and dedicated his life to helping people find inner joy.

On Sunday, 18 October, a few members attended a Breast Cancer Foundation Fundraising event, hosted by Trish Sharp.   

I, for one, had never heard of Circus W.A. although I had noticed the big top by Clancy’s Fish Bar along Adelaide Street in Fremantle and thought no more about it.  Well, that changed as from Monday night when Jo Smith the Artistic Director of Circus W.A. opened our eyes and our hearts.  After the meeting, I had to find out more as I couldn’t quite understand how Jo’s presentation, especially the video of differently-abled people participating fitted into “circus”.  The website certainly promotes what I imagine a circus to be like — trapeze, tight wire walking, juggling, etc., and involvement with differently abled people appears to be an adjunct to this.  The take away messages for me were that everyone is welcome, fees are somewhat incidental and needs appear to be accommodated.  Almost like a large extended family.  If you visit their website, for a very modest amount you can become a Friend of the Freo Big Top.

Of course, we had our annual Lift the Lid Hat Day but time got away from us and not celebrated to the fullest.  However, thank you to everyone who took the time and the effort to participate and thank you for your donations.  I particularly liked Keith’s head gear as it reminded me of the novelty grass potato heads on sale in Fremantle Markets.

It was a pleasure to have Elise Powell, one of our RYPEN candidates join us on Monday night to give us her thumbnail sketch of the RYPEN weekend.  Listening to Elise, it makes the programme come to life and re-enforces the benefits that participants gain.  Well done Rotary and we should take a pat on the back.

Next Monday our guest speaker will be Julian Pace, Founder of Happiness Co. and a national and international key note speaker.  See you all then.

05 October 2020

What a night!!  I don’t think we could have asked for anything better than to be riveted to our seats listening to Yuot not so much simply retell the epic trek of The Lost Boys of Sudan, that would have been too easy.  He set the scene, laid out the background and projected it into current times.  In short he took his blank canvas and coloured it with words and all with a sense of humour.  His father, Mr. Mecak Alaak, was icing on the cake, we got two guest speakers for the price of one and both were superb.   Mr. Alaak Snr. honed his spoken Amharic with Giovanna; he was thrilled to be able to converse with someone in the Ethiopian language and took great delight in telling his son just that.  For those of you who were unable to attend last night, I highly recommend buying a copy of the book “Father of the Lost Boys – A Memoir”, I think Ian may still have a few copies left.  Giovanna is busily reading it and says that she feels as if she is transported back to Ethiopia as Yuot recounts his life as a boy there.

Next Monday is “Lift the Lid Hat Day” night and no expense has been spared, as in none whatsoever, to award the winner judged to be wearing the most appropriate headdress.  Heather does not, if you pardon the pun, have a head start by turning up with her creation on Monday night.

It was great to see Betty, not quite doing the 100-metre after her knee replacement, but obviously her faculties are still 110% as at one stage she was quick to point out the amount of groats it had cost her. (Groat:  traditional name of a long-defunct Scottish coin).  Although I am not quite sure if this saved her from the Happy $ session.

Christmas is fast approaching; frightening isn’t it, and a plan is formulating to do something different this year.  As Ian says the best part of this year has been turned on its head with Covid-19 so why not continue the trend for Christmas.  I’ll put some ideas to the Board next Tuesday and let you know the outcome.

Don’t forget that next week we are back at The Kardinya Tavern, 6.00 for 6.30 when our guest speaker will be Jo Smith, Artistic Director of Circus WA.  Do not forget your hat.

All the best and see you next week 

What a different night Monday turned out to be.  Giovanna and I arrived about 5.50pm for the meeting and met Gillian as she was leaving (family duties called); George was engrossed in the live AFL match which left Winston and Carole.  Seating was arranged for a minimum number and I was prepared for guests, who I knew we had quite a number of, to outnumber members.  However, as is often the case, all’s well that ends well.

We had three planned presentations.  Of course Robin and Tom were to be presented with their Honorary Member badges and it was somewhat as if time had stood still seeing them sat there, Tom with his beer and a shiraz “chaser”, Robin being the driver, as ever being slightly more cautious in his choice of drink.  It was with great pleasure to be able to offer Robin and Tom their Honorary Member badges and I really look forward to seeing them in the future.  Could it be that we ensure we invite them on our special occasion evenings. 

A call to all members:  Shelley asked if I knew of the organisation which collects spectacles and then donates them overseas.  I do not, but I do know of the Lions Hearing Foundation of WA and Lions Recycle for Sight.  If any members have access to hearing aids or unwanted spectacles, if you could bring them to a meeting, I am more than happy to collect them and pass them on.

(full message here)

I suppose the question of the week is what did you think of our trial run at The Trade Winds?  I thought on the upside was that it was almost like being home at Tompkins on Swan.  We were on our own, had heaps of “elbow room”, the audio / visual simply worked and if it had not have rained the parking would not have been too much of a problem.  On a very personal note they also provided a lectern meaning less for me to try and fit into the ever useful but always never quite big enough 60-litre container. The negatives are that we do lose money on the night and I thought that the meal needed a bit of an upgrade.  However, it did seem that our food preferences were catered for.

I suggest that the Board makes a recommendation when it meets in two weeks’ time.  In the meantime, don’t forget that we are back at the Kardinya Tavern this coming Monday with the highlight of the night being the induction of Barb Kitto.  It also means I get to dust off the chain of office and remember my lines.

What about our guest speakers Craig and Jade on Monday - they were simply awe-inspiring and emphasises to me that every journey starts with one small step, from two volunteers to more than 90 in such a short time.  Craig still finds time to work full time as a civil engineer and he comes across as such an unassuming person.  Full marks to Jade and the volunteers. I, for one, would find it quite daunting to be so up close and personal.  

I cannot believe where the month of July has gone.  If it continues in the same vein, the year will be over almost before it has started – which brings me to a very important point, we do need a President Elect for next year, and while we are at it, it would be great to also have a President Nominee for Rotary Year 2003-2004 to support District Governor Nominee Designate Patricia Schraven from the Rotary Club of Mandurah Districts.

​One more weekly meeting down and counting.  By the time it gets to my 52nd I should be word perfect and more than capable in handing the baton over.  All I have to do now is to remember to thank the member(s) who provided the after dinner snacks and to call for a volunteer for the forthcoming week.  So, a little belated but better late than never, thank you Giovanna for tonight’s snacks and to Heather in volunteering to provide next week.

 We were delighted to welcome  guest speaker Michelle Lennon and her colleague Adam King, and Barb Kitto (her 3rd visit).

​Whilst we continue to hold our weekly meetings at The Kardinya Tavern, we have a choice to reintroduce a weekly host to meet and greet us as we arrive and sign in, or we look after ourselves and find our own name badge and more importantly return it to the cabinet when leaving the meeting.  It’s quite a sight to see Carole struggling with the name tag cabinet but she cannot do everything, which I noticed this evening included helping the staff to serve our meal.  Do we need to reintroduce a host with the additional task akin to a maitre d’ in directing the waiting staff to the member whose meal is being served?  At the very least it is far better than in the earlier weeks when staff were trying to find meals a home by shouting out the name of the member and thoroughly disrupting the meeting procedure.
 
I, for my part, will try and keep the meeting on schedule and close by 8.00pm in order that we have time for fellowship but it’s surprising how time slips by and the 1 ½ hour simply flies by.

-nwm

Well, what a night!  Thank you everyone for the support, I really appreciated it and know that I and, more importantly, the Club are in good hands.
 
The evening had its ups and downs.  Firstly, I knocked my new beaut President’s name badge that promptly flew off my lapel onto the driveway in four pieces (actually three of the pieces stuck to the car door sill).  Good start for a President and obviously a sign — only for it to happen again during the meeting.  This time I was prepared and after the meeting IPP Gail found the magnets, this time clinging to the metal leg of a table.  Someone obviously still wants me to be President.
 
What a moment for me to be the first in District 9465 to acknowledge IPDG Wayne and Suzanne as guests at my first meeting.  I did feel for Gail who also re-joined the meeting without a speaking role.  However, like me, someone must have been looking over her as she and Colin won both the door prize and the joker wine.  I could sense a huge sigh of relief from the rest when Gail didn’t draw the Joker.
 
I thought our speaker, Neil Stanbury, was informative.  For some reason the Port of Fremantle was like a magnet to me when I arrived in Perth and I still have a useless photo taken with a Kodak camera, the one that had the blue square flash cube, taken from the footbridge over the railway facing the Port Authority Building.  Maybe I should donate it to our speaker for their photograph collection.  On second thoughts, no, it’s one of my early memories of Perth.
 
Of course the night would not be complete without a mention of PP Tom Slater.  With the ups come the downs, and it was a sad day for the Club in accepting his resignation after almost 30 years of service.  As the new kid on the block, I had no idea of his Rotary involvement and I thank PP Ian Pittaway for putting together at short notice an overview of Tom’s Rotary involvement.  
 
So, my first meeting is over and only 51 more chalk marks to put on the blackboard until it finishes next year.  I know that I am really going to enjoy my year as President and with your help and support, I will get through.  There will be some challenges, of that I am sure, but taken one step at a time, the journey can be enjoyed.
 
The Club’s first task is to accept DG Colin’s challenge to create one new Club Project this year.  I have some ideas, but let’s all put our heads together and see we what we can do.  Without spreading ourselves too thin, I think we can manage one more major headline project and I believe there is a local project, waiting to happen, that will enable us to accept DG Colin’s challenge.
 
Yours in Rotary
Pres. Neil