
Let us all get in the festive mood and start the count down. As we prepare to ring in the new year, I want you all to spend time with your family and keep thinking of the great work we do as a community leader. The year has been a great success on many fronts, and I am sure we will keep building on it in the new year. I personally would like to thank you for your support and contribution.
Last few weeks have been busy with organising our 1st Family Picnic attended by 40 club members and their families. A great day out and a tradition we hope to continue in the New Year.
Rotary Means Business (RMB) celebrated their year with a Christmas Breakfast on the 3rd Dec and our club sponsored the RMB Social Impact Award by making available a Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) to Nilesh Makwana (past guest speaker). We then had Tom Murrell as our guest speaker at the last luncheon of the year on 6th Dec and he presented on “Leadership Lessons from the Fairview Art Collection”.
Being part of the Rotary Community Group (RCG) , I attended other club meetings / fundraisers to support them with some of our club members. Finally, I attended the Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia’s (PCFA) morning tea with Jeff Leach and Jill Dawson as the National Chair, Steve Callister, visited WA and Rotary has been one of the strongest supporters of the organisation with Jeff Leach leading the charge and also promoting PROST (please refer to the bottom of this newsletter for more information regarding PROST).
As a family, we managed to spend some more quality time with Abby Lin (Rotary Youth Exchange) and I see a strong bond building between Abby and Mansha (our 14 month old daughter) so much so that we can get Mansha to eat her food by just saying “eat your food quickly so you can play with Abby when she comes over” and it works 😊
Next 15 days are going to be a celebration and spending time with friends and family. I ask each club member to contribute to our upcoming Vienna Pops concert on 31st Dec. Whether you have been to the concert before or considering attending it for the first time, please book your tickets ASAP. WE need the support from the club members in promoting this event as this year, the venue has changed from Perth Concert Hall to Winthrop Hall with only half the seats compared to the Perth Concert Hall. Each ticket sale is important and Jill Dawson (Chair) has worked round the clock with her committee and Mark Coughlan (Musical Director) to ensure that we have a successful event. Booking link: Vienna Pops Tickets
Our Christmas breakfast is going to be a fantastic fellowship event with a target of 100 guests. If you are yet to book, please book ASAP - Christmas Breakfast Tickets. Santa will be there..... Children can bring and post their letters to the North Pole at the registration desk on the day. I look forward to seeing you all at the Christmas breakfast later in the week and we will have an action-packed morning with our all time favourite, Wes Sim, leading the way with singing Christmas carols. If I do not see you on Friday, I wish you and your family a wonderful festive season. We come back together, Thursday 30 January 2025 at the President's Cocktail Party Please purchase your ticket to attend before going on annual leave to assist us with our planning for the event. Stay safe and enjoy the festive season, your families and this wonderful country that we have the privilege to live in!
Regards,
Manu





UPCOMING EVENTS - PERTH ROTARY CLUB
- December 20th: Our Annual Christmas Breakfast at Parmelia Hilton is always a highlight of the year! Santa will be ready to join us for a busy and festive morning, with Past President Wes Sim leading the celebrations and carol singing. This year, we will also be bidding farewell to our next outbound RYE student, Eva Sussex, and presenting her with her RYE blazer. It's an event not to be missed! Book your tickets here: Christmas Breakfast Tickets
- December 31st: Our largest fundraiser of the year, Vienna Pops at Winthrop Hall. Consider gifting tickets to the Vienna Pops Family Matinee as a great way to celebrate the holiday season! Tickets: Vienna Pops Tickets
- January 30th: Presidents Cocktail Party at the Weld Club. Kick off 2025 with your Rotary Family. Tickets: President's Cocktail Party
- February 7th: Lunar New Year and the first Perth Rotary Business Luncheon for 2025. Lunar New Year Business Luncheon

Judith Pinczuk - Honorary Member of Perth Rotary Club.
At our club lunch meeting, Friday 6 December we celebrated the contribution that Judith Pinczuk has made to the Perth Rotary Club and Rotary International. Judith joined Rotary June 30, 2003. A member for 21 years. Judith is a retired Conveyancer. Judith along with her husband Felix (dec) who was also a member of Perth Rotary Club have many memories and friends throughout the Rotary World.
Judith was very active on the District Homeless Hub Committee and within the Fellowship Committee of Perth Rotary. Judith has quietly contributed many thousands of dollars over the years to supporting Perth Rotary Projects including the Eye Contact Display in the Houses of Parliament, Canberra, Path of Hope Ball – tickets for women to attend; Vienna Pops – tickets for women and children to attend. Donations to the Shave – Bald and the Beautiful. Donations to the Salvation Army and many other Perth Rotary projects. Judith's contribution to our Sergeants sessions through trivia and general goodwill, wit and humor have been enjoyed by many.
We welcome Judith as an Honorary member of the Perth Rotary Club and thank her for her service these past 21 years.
PRESIDENT MANU'S CHALLENGE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE PERTH ROTARY CLUB - CAN WE RAISE $40K from Perth Rotary via the Cash for Cans/Containers for Change?
Past President Jeff Leach is growing a moustache for the month of November to raise funds for PROST - a not for profit charity assisting men to recover from prostate surgery. We want to help PP Jeff and our community by raising funds to set up another PROST group within Perth. President Manu will personally collect cans from your work place or home over the festive season and deliver to the recycling outlet. All you have to do is collect the cans and keep them aside. Ask your neighbors, family and friends to help. Lets see what we can achieve when we all work together.


I am committing to raising $40K from Perth Rotary in Cash for Cans in my year and help Jeff set 1 PROST up from Perth Rotary funding via the cans?
This is my Christmas appeal to YOU, the members of the Perth Rotary Club. I will report the funds we have raised at the President’s Cocktail Party, Thursday 30 January 2025 – ONLY IF we are able to get a decent amount 😉.
PROST! EXERCISE 4 PROSTATE CANCER INC
What is PROST?
PROST! is a gymnasium-based group exercise program, supervised by qualified and accredited exercise physiologists, for men diagnosed with prostate cancer, pretreatment and post-treatment, to help with their physical and mental health recovery.
“Muscle, Mate-ship and Mood” is its mantra. PROST! Governance
PROST! is:
- a registered not-for-profit association under the WA Associations Incorporation Act (2015);
- a registered charity with the ACNC (Australian Charities and Not-for-profits
- Commission);
- has DGR (Deductible Gift Recipient) status with the ATO (Australian Taxation
- Office);
- has Australian Business Registration with an ABN (Australian Business
- Number);
- is GST (Goods and Services Tax) registered with the ATO;
- an affiliated support group of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
- (PCFA); and
- the only exercise support group in Australia.
PROST! is managed by a board currently of 6 members (all are volunteers) elected from among its membership. Board members’ professional backgrounds span pharmacy, accountancy, small to medium business, and government. An
experienced exercise physiologist is also a board member. PROST! has lease agreements with the owners/operators of its gymnasiums and individual contracts-for-service with exercise physiologists, or their employers (except at the University of WA where access to facilities and staff is free of all charges). Owners of gymnasiums have public liability insurance coverage and exercise physiologists have both professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Administrative support services (eg attendance-based monthly invoicing, website services) and legal services are contracted out. PROST!’s exercise program The exercise program is evidence-based and focuses on strengthening pelvic floor muscles (which helps alleviate urinary incontinence and, depending on other factors, may assist in recovery of erectile functioning). The evidence-base for the effectiveness of these exercises is from research at the University of WA undertaken by PROST!’s founder Dr Jo Milios for her PhD.
experienced exercise physiologist is also a board member. PROST! has lease agreements with the owners/operators of its gymnasiums and individual contracts-for-service with exercise physiologists, or their employers (except at the University of WA where access to facilities and staff is free of all charges). Owners of gymnasiums have public liability insurance coverage and exercise physiologists have both professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Administrative support services (eg attendance-based monthly invoicing, website services) and legal services are contracted out. PROST!’s exercise program The exercise program is evidence-based and focuses on strengthening pelvic floor muscles (which helps alleviate urinary incontinence and, depending on other factors, may assist in recovery of erectile functioning). The evidence-base for the effectiveness of these exercises is from research at the University of WA undertaken by PROST!’s founder Dr Jo Milios for her PhD.
The exercise program also includes a holistic age-appropriate set of exercises to keep men fit as they age. These exercises revolve around building core strength, improving cardio-vascular fitness combined with strength and resistance training and exercises to improve balance and coordination. Each PROST! venue provides two one-hour sessions each week for members. It is recommended that men attend for two (2) sessions a week to optimize physical recovery The exercises are performed in a group, often working in pairs, to develop comradery and improve men’s mental health after a cancer diagnosis. A coffee shop men’s club operates at each venue to further strengthen the bonds between men.
Membership
PROST! has a current active membership of 180 men. An average of 1-3 men are registered each week via referrals mainly from physiotherapists, medical practitioners and publicity by Curtin Radio. Although over 500 men remain on the database, not all continue to attend, as their need for physical recovery is individual and variable. PROST!’s locations PROST! operates in six (6) metropolitan locations:
- Crawley (University of WA Exercise and Performance Centre)
- Fremantle (BFT Gym, Queen Victoria Street, Fremantle)
- Joondalup (West Perth Football Club gym, Pentanent Stadium, Joondalup)
- Leederville (Subiaco Football Club gym, Leederville Oval, Leederville)
- Leederville Loftus (Loftus Recreation Centre, Loftus Street, Leederville)
- Mandurah (Peel Thunder Football Club gym, Downer Street, Mandurah)
PROST! expenses and income
The main operating expenses are for contract payments (at award salary rates) to exercise physiologists, rent for use of gymnasiums, and purchase of initial equipment (eg iPad for facial recognition, first-aid kits, gym mats). Initial set-up costs for each new venue are around $40,000 in the first year. Attendance fees are the main source of income. There is no annual membership fee to join PROST! The attendance fee is $12 per session. Members who have private health insurance may receive a rebate for some or all of the attendance fee, depending on the insurance fund and the level or category of cover they have. Ad hoc establishment grants or seed funds have been received over the years for specific venues from:
- Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
- Lotterywest
- Connects Group WA
- Tour de Cure Cancer Charity
- Federal Government’s Stronger Communities Program
No grant has exceeded $15,000.
Other sources of funds are from occasional donations and the sale of PROST! branded merchandise to members (gym polo shirts, caps and hats).
PROST! origins
PROST! was founded 12 years ago by Perth men’s health physiotherapist, Dr Joanne Milios after her brother, a Perth urologist, referred men who were suffering the side effects of surgery for prostate cancer. Dr Milios recognized the importance of appropriate exercises and mental health support for men recovering from surgery after a prostate cancer diagnosis. Through her own efforts and the support from the Subiaco Football Club (SFC) she opened the first venue in 2012 in the SFC gymnasium, with access to Leederville Oval. What is prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer that occurs in the prostate. The prostate is a small walnut shaped gland in males that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.
How is prostate cancer treated....
Prostate cancer is treated in different ways depending on several factors, such as how fast the cancer is growing, whether it has spread and the patient’s age and overall health, as well as the potential benefits or side effects of the treatment. In Australia, treatment can include surgery to remove the prostate (a prostatectomy), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and/or hormone treatment. Most of PROST!’s members have opted for surgery. All treatments have side-effects and often include urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction and low-mood.
Further information
The PROST! website provides all details of locations, registration, required pre-exercise assessments, and other details at: www.prost.com.au
PERTH ROTARY CORPORATE MEMBERS


