Posted on Jul 01, 2020

Members and friends of Perth Rotary,

Thank you once again for your very warm welcome last Friday at the 2020/21 Perth Rotary Changeover Luncheon.  I along with the 2020/21 Board of Directors are looking forward to serving the Perth Rotary Club members in Rotary Australia’s Centennial Year. A year of celebration and opportunity for Rotarians to come together and celebrate a rich history of making a difference to many lives here and abroad.  On behalf of the members I thank Past President Vangelis Katsaitis for his year of service and congratulations to the recipients of recognition for service to the Club during 2019/20.
The year ahead promises to be another year full of opportunities, excitement, challenges and change for our members.  However, first we must farewell our RYE Student, Laura Saleh.  It is time for Laura to return home to her family in Brazil and I invite all members to attend lunch Friday 3 July as we thank Laura for her exemplary exchange, embracing every opportunity and for being so easy to host, particularly in recent months.  It is also an opportunity to pause and acknowledge her host families, who have welcomed Laura into their homes and made it possible for her to enjoy a wonderful year of cultural exchange.  RSVP via paperless post invitation (emailed) and pay at the door/registration desk on the day. ($55/pp)
 
It is also an opportunity for me to lay out the year ahead, our plans, our aspirations, our challenges and our hopes.  However, change can only be effected when members engage with the club, accordingly, I urge you to get to know your Board of Directors, attend committee meetings and become involved with the life of the club.  There is so much which happens in our club, it is difficult to keep up, however, sometimes we are so busy, we leave our fellow members behind.  I ask you to reach out to each other, catch up for a coffee, ask a new member to join you at a committee meeting or a social event.  Please scroll down for a full list of our Board of Directors and Chairs of Sub-committees for your reference.  The Perth Rotary Board meets on the first Monday of each month. 
 
Congratulations to Past DG Graham Peden on a fabulous year of service to District 9455. 
 
District Governor Jon Bilson is now in the hot seat and will be visiting our club Thursday 23 July at our After Business Drinks Meeting (5.30pm – 7.00pm).  RSVP for this event is via a trybooking link  www.trybooking.com/BKHZY for ease of registration.  Your ticket includes canapes & cash bar available.  I urge you to attend this interactive Q&A session with DG Jon.  At the District 9455 Virtual Changeover event (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbQBJvSyTXo&feature=youtu.be) DG Jon urged all Rotarians to take up the challenge of being a more inclusive club, broaden our membership and to embrace change. 
 
As of 1 July 2020, the members of all Rotaract Clubs will be welcomed as Members of Rotary International.  We have extended a standing invitation to the Perth Rotaract Members to join us each month at the After Business Drinks Meetings.  Please get to know them, introduce yourself and find out a little about them.  They are our future Rotarians and club members, we need them and they need us.   
 
A tremendous amount of work has been carried out over the past month by Treasurer Joseph Wambua, Membership Director Ashley Whitworth and Secretary Darren Perera in contacting members to clarify their membership aspirations for 2020/21.  On behalf of the Board I extend a sincere vote of thanks to our membership team and to all members who have already paid their 2020/21 membership dues.  We welcome newly inducted members Laurence Pace, David Preece and Jane Papalia.  We are delighted to welcome back Barbara Mc Naught and look forward to inducting Nicola Johnston and Lisa Kazalac in the very near future.  Sadly it is also a time when we farewell members as they retire from Rotary or relocate to another club.  In particular I would like to acknowledge and thank PDG Phillip Skelton AM and Michael Egerton-Warburton for their service to the club over many years.  Although no longer members they will always be a part of the Perth Rotary Family and they along with all past members are always welcome to join us at any fellowship event or weekly meeting.
 
This year we made a conscious decision to reduce our annual individual membership fee by $200 and for this year only, made the $100 donation to Rotary International Foundation optional.  This decision was not taken lightly, however, reflects the unusual global circumstances we currently find ourselves in.  Should any member currently be experiencing extended difficulty with regards to paying their membership subscription, please contact Treasurer Joseph Wambua (treasurer@rotaryperth.org.au) or myself direct (president@rotaryperth.org.au) to work out a payment plan.  We value you as a member of our club and are here to help you to continue serving your community and remaining within the Rotary Family.   If you are yet to pay your 2020/21 Membership, please eft funds direct to the Perth Rotary Bank Account as a priority.  The club must pay out Rotary International and District subscriptions on your behalf and your cooperation in early payment is greatly appreciated.
 
Each week, I would like to hi-light a member of our club and this week, I would like to introduce you to Jo Morris, chair of our 2020/21 Fellowship Committee. Jo is the Operations Manager and Company Secretary for Reflections, a NFP committed to reducing the ongoing impact of asbestos in our community.  Reflections was launched in partnership with Perth Rotary in November of 2015. 
 
With a background in public relations, Jo jumped at the chance to take on the role of Perth Rotary’s Minister of Fun.  She loves people, has great ideas and most importantly a sense of fun.  Members of our club participated in the 2020 Rotary Walking Challenge. 
 
To quote Jo… “I finished #1781 steps on the leader board – my steps were disrupted when I cracked a rib halfway through ☹”   PP Wes ranked #640 with 59, 639 steps and feels Jo displayed an unhealthy sense of competition…..  and I brought up the rear ranked ….never mind, with only 1220 steps.  
 
We aim to participate in a fellowship event every 4 – 6 weeks with the next event the Family Bonfire Night at Gingin.  Details will be emailed to you within the next day or so and we so appreciate Jeff & Helen Leach’s generosity in making their home away from home available to members and their families for a bit of bush fun.   Should you have any queries in relation to this event or ideas for future fellowship events, please do not hesitate to contact Jo and her team via fellowship@rotaryperth.org.au.
 
In closing, I want to thank you once again for the privilege of leading the Perth Rotary Club.  I along with the Board of Directors are here to serve you to the best of our ability. 
 
Yours in Rotary Service,
 
Jill Dawson
Perth Rotary | President | 2020-2021

PERTH ROTARY 2020/21 BOARD & CONTACT EMAIL:
 
President:                  Jill Dawson                 president@rotaryperth.org.au
Past President:          Vangelis Katsaitis       vangelis@excellenceps.com.au
President Elect:         Rev Dr John Shepherd AM john.h.shepherd@bigpond.com
Treasurer:                  Joseph Wambua        treasurere@rotaryperth.org.au
Secretary:                  Jacques Phillips         secretary@rotaryperth.org.au
Rotary Foundation:    Emma Cork                emma@oneenergyfps.com.au
Club Services:            Darren Perera            clubservice@rotaryperth.org.au
Fellowship Chair:       Jo Morris                     fellowship@rotaryperth.org.au         
Media Chair:               Barry Thornton           barrythornton@hotmail.com
Speaker Program:      Nicola Johnston         programmechair@rotaryperth.org.au
Membership:               Ashley Whitworth       membership@rotaryperth.org.au
Vocational:                  Jonas Edner               vocational@rotaryperth.org.au
Community:                 David Wee                 community@rotaryperth.org.au
International:               Wesley Sim                international@rotaryperth.org.au
Youth:                          Kelly Gibson               youth@rotaryperth.org.au