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President's Notes
Tom ATKINSON
0433 117 568
member photo
Dear Rotarians and Friends, 
 
The Applecross Rotary Board met in the last week with a number of end of FY matters to be discussed. This was our board's last meeting for the Rotary year, and my last before being joined by Murray McKay as Co-President for 2024/25. In particular, at this time of year we reflect on our values and connection to the community through the lens of a number of our club operations, one of which is membership. 
 
Rotary is an interesting volunteer organisation where we actually charge a membership fee for the benefit of belonging and volunteering. The reason for this fee is primarily to cover the upward costs of Rotary membership, which include a per-member contribution to the Rotary Foundation, insurance, administrative systems access and a monthly copy of the Rotary Magazine. These costs equate to about $300 per member. which loosely reflects our membership fee for the past few years. We also raise funds for member activities in other ways, such as weekly meeting attendance fees, fines etc.
 
For the coming year, the board has recognised increasing financial pressures on the community, along with the need to be a club with a forward thinking financial model and has subsequently elected to reduce the membership for 2024/25 by half, to $150 per member. This does mean the club will need to cover some of the above-mentioned costs in other ways, but this is not beyond our means.
 
Volunteering and service for your community is a privilege, no doubt. However, the burden of cost should not be a barrier to any community minded individual looking to give back. Reducing member costs is just one way we seek to recruit and retain members, and I welcome any ideas or opportunities to grow our membership and promote volunteering through Rotary in the community.
 
Yours in Rotary,
 
Tom Atkinson
President 2023/24
0433 117 568

 
Looking forward to joining you at our CHANGEOVER 2024, $60pp includes substantial cocktail food and cash bar at club prices available.

 
GUEST SPEAKER: Rotarian Marianne Thompson
Marianne’s Story
 
Marianne being interviewed by Ian Fairnie
Every day may not be good but there's something good in every day!*
It’s a tradition at Applecross Rotary for new members to address a Club meeting so existing members will know more about the new one.  Marianne’s was particularly interesting because she covered her early life growing up in a small village near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, through to looking for somewhere else to live and work after the anti-Chinese riots in 1969. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_May_incident
 
Marianne’s grandparents came to Malaysia from China, and her father, who was an electrician, worked very long hours, leaving home before 6am and was not usually home before 9pm.  He was also a war veteran, having fought the Japanese when Malaysia was invaded in the Second World War.  Although he was never caught, his wife was imprisoned and tortured.  Sadly her father died when Marianne was only 13 and an older brother took over the role of the father figure.  Her mother insisted all her six children went on to high school to give them a better chance in the future. 
 
Marianne left Malaysia 10 years after the rise of anti-Chinese sentiment and travelled the world (Melbourne, Paris, Germany, and 2 years in London), working and looking for somewhere to settle permanently.  However she returned home to KL and began a career in international banking in 1981.  This allowed her to successfully apply for a skilled migrant visa to Australia in 1985, working firstly in Sydney with Westpac, and then moving to Young NSW (population 7,000 and the "Cherry Capital of Australia") in 1988, with her husband Stuart, a Mechanical Engineer.  Their two children were born in Young, 30 and 33 years ago. Her daughter is a successful Occupational Therapist and their son is a Chemical and Process Engineer.
 
It was also in Young that Marianne first personally encountered racism, and the perpetrator was her Westpac manager!
 
Stuart was headhunted to work on the WA Gas Pipeline Project in 2005, and Marianne was not at all keen on moving to Perth but her children convinced her to give it a try.  She is so glad they did, describing it as the best move of her life.  In Perth Marianne was employed in the health sector in an Executive Assistant role, for example reporting to the Medical Director and Head of Nursing during the commissioning of Fiona Stanley Hospital in 2014.
 
As she and Stuart began planning for retirement their Financial Adviser asked them how they would busy themselves in the future.  Marianne’s experience as a Rotaractor in KL many years ago encouraged her to check out some local Rotary Clubs and Applecross won the prize!  She was impressed about the social impact of our engagement with community, and wanted to be part of this.  And by the way, she also said she wanted to learn to play the piano, and that’s just about done.  Next she wants to take camera lessons.  Pretty sure she’s going to get this done too, agreed?
 
* quoting Alice Morse Earle

 
Kenn's Musings
Attadale Changeover last Wednesday evening.
 
Incoming President Llew, with other Attadale Members and guests
 
It was only a small group of almost 30 who attended the Attadale C/O, many being away holidaying from their membership of mid 20’s in number.
 
Llew Withers, on his 3rd call for President, has also been a stalwart of the Waylon Bay Sea Scouts, and scouting in general.
 
Stand in President
 
Just before Christmas ‘23, then Pres Bev Moffat stood down, and Llew took over, and has set a very strong agenda to get Attadale back firmly on the Rotary map.
 
He agreed to be Pres for the ‘24-25 year, and it was my pleasure to induct him as the 43rd President of the Club. Part of his agenda is to aim for an increase of 12 new members for the year.  a big challenge, but they already have 3 or 4 lining up and are aiming at the pre and post retiree community. 
 
They are a great bunch of Rotarians, and I considered it an honour to support them on their special evening.
 
I have 3 more Change Overs to go, including our own, and if anyone would like to accompany me, then please let me know.
 
End of an Era.
 
The final Rotary Assistant Governors meeting was held at Dome, Mt Pleasant on Sunday, and marked the end of an era as we now move fully into the Regionalisation model, with Rotary Community Clubs and Leaders.
 
 
We as a club, along with all WA Rotary clubs, now need to get right in behind the new model and do our bit to make sure it is a success. David Barton is our nominated Community Leader and has a total of 11 local area clubs to oversee.
 
No doubt we will be hearing from David in the near a future.
 
Kenn.

 
Wheelchairs For Kids Update
 
     for latest newsletter

 
ROTARY ON THE MOVE - June 2024

Checkout the latest edition by clicking on the following picture (very topical for tomorrow's presentation by Chris W) ....


 
How good is Rotary Youth Exchange!!
From the Rotary Club of Katanning's FB page
 
The Rotary Club of Kojonup & Rotary Club of Katanning, farewelled their shared Exchange Student Gaspard Kania.
 
He gave his enlightening & entertaining final presentation at Kojonup, last Friday.
 
Gaspard, will be missed, he has been an outstanding Exchange Student who has learned and taught us many things, over the past year.
 
His final week will spent as captain of KSHS’ Soccer Side at Country Week.
 
 
and it is good to see our RYE Valentin is keeping busy wink
 
Watching the footy with Gustav a Danish Exchange student

 
 
FOOTY TIPPING ROUND 15

Round 15 WINNER - Clive Pearson smiley

SEASON LEADER BOARD as at R15


 
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Jun 25, 2024
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Applecross Rotary Changeover 2024
Shirley Strickland Reserve
Jul 14, 2024
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Perth Makers Market
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Sep 22, 2024
 
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Using matching funds from District and Rotary Foundation
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The current state of shipping trade in Australia & world wide & the impact on our goods and services
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