Et Nova Et Vetera
The first tranche of meetings in 2025 show off ’Both the new and the old’, not that Roger Painter is old, just his thousands of puns are!
The new is uncontested: 17yo Joshua Patrick will start year 12 at Northam Senior High School in 2025. He wants to do well enough to be accepted into a Biomedical Engineering course at UWA, and win a scholarship to live at St George’s College, before applying to Medical School. He is also very keen to join the Western Australian University Regiment, and is really looking forward to meeting Colonel Tim Inglis.
Let’s start with Roger who will kick off 2025 on 21 January before he heads back to the Canadian winter.
Roger “The Punster” Painter with Gordon Dunbar
Roger visits Perth from British Columbia, Canada every couple of years to reconnect with his grandchildren, usually just in time to help out at JacFest, and as a Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Duncan, he comes to most of our meetings as well.
His old club RC South Cowichan, recently merged with RC Duncan and he is going to tell us how that has gone and what activities his new Club is involved in, just in case we might like to look at doing something similar.
On 28 January, Chis Back will give us his insights into the Los Angeles Wildfires from his perspective as a former CEO of the WA Bush Fires Board.
Lobsters and Fancy Plants

And that’s what he will talk to us about on 4 February - Catch Quotas for recreational fishers.

Now, John's on a mission to make plant-based foods mainstream — addressing issues like taste and texture — with millennials a big target. His first venture is Fancy Plants, a chilled dessert-style product. John insists Fancy Plants isn’t some “hardcore vegan brand” but instead wants to capture the rise of flexitarians — people who are choosing to eat less animal products in their diet.

And finally here’s Josh Patrick. A young man who Never Gives Up! He’ll be our Guest Speaker on 18 February.

"Our previously functional and harmonious home turned suddenly volatile and violent as Charlotte’s extensive medical treatment and complex home care needs proved too much for her father. The combination of prescription and illicit drugs mixed with alcohol had a terrifying effect on a man who was battling to come to terms with the prognosis, and the impact of the countless medical procedures and hospital admissions required to keep this new baby girl alive. After a terrifying, unpredictable and volatile few months, my mum eventually found herself a single mum of three, newly pregnant with my youngest sister and caring for a child with extremely intensive and complex round-the-clock care needs. Her only option was to rely heavily on her eldest child, me, who was only 6 at the time."
"Despite the history of volatility, violence and drug and alcohol abuse that my mum and our family had all known so well and were relieved to be free of, our battle to protect my sisters had only just begun. Following almost two years of my mum fighting with everything she had to protect her babies from further male trauma and danger, she finally was awarded sole custody. Though the outcome was an immense relief for every member of our family, this prolonged, dehumanising process took an immense toll on my mum physically, emotionally and financially."
"Charlotte is now 10 and we were recently advised her condition is caused by a very rare genetic mutation, which is not heritable. It is an absolute miracle that the infant who was given such grim odds at birth and had such a traumatic start to life is now fairly medically stable and has survived a decade! Our hope is that we can use our tumultuous journey to advocate for initiatives that will hopefully pave an easier path for the young carers or disadvantaged youth of today and tomorrow."
"I acknowledge and honour my other family members, including my step-father Paul, who not only encourage me to embrace any opportunities to contribute and share our reality and story, but who actually do so knowing the toll and impact that my absence or investment will have on each and every one of them every time I accept yet another engagement.”
So we have some great and contrasting speakers coming to us in early 2025, with meetings that members should seriously consider inviting potential new members to be their guests.