The Applecross Advocate Vol. 54 No. 23 (Dec. 08, 2025)

Dear Rotarians and friends

Christmas was welcomed with gusto by Rotarians, partners, friends and guests at a fantastic celebration at Bad Apples on Sunday evening. Our thanks to Adele, Lorri and Liz for their various parts in organising the event.

As 2025 draws to a close we note the thanks from our various charitable partners as the funds from the 25^th Anniversary Applecross Rotary Jacaranda Festival have been distributed to their organisations in appreciation of their invaluable support on the day.

Our Rotary Youth Exchange program continues with Essi heading off to Broome to be with her second family for the summer holidays while Briohny prepares to head off to Finland in January. It is such an honour for Applecross Rotary to share the excitement of these adventures with such wonderful young people. We are grateful for the involvement of All Saints College in supporting our role in the exchange program and for the generosity of families who open their homes to host our students, as the Clarkson family have for Essi so kindly since her arrival in July.

I wish everyone within Applecross Rotary, families and friends a very safe holiday season and hopefully a very healthy new year for all.

Margaret Brede

Meeting notes - unfortunate late cancellation of Guest Speaker

Posted by Michele MUIR on Dec. 08, 2025

Our guest presenter, Mr Brian Burke, who was the last scheduled speaker for 2025, was obliged to pull out the night before due to ill health. As Mr Burke had a very colourful political career, his presentation would have been a great way to end the year on a high note.

Mr Burke was most apologetic and very keen to re-schedule another speaking engagement with us, so we will still be able to engage with him – we’re betting that there will be lots of questions from members on that day!

Nevertheless, we made good use of the unexpected time, including the induction of a new member, Dawn France, by President Margaret as Memberships Officer Adele was not available. It’s great to welcome another Applecross Rotarian, with Essie and I noting that Dawn was wearing killer heels!

It was also great to meet Sue Boi who came along after expressing an interest in Rotary when surveyed at the Jacaranda Festival.

President Margaret read a report from the Mobile Dental Clinic, which was introduced to the club from Como Rotary and which we are keen to sponsor in their quest to buy a specially fitted van to tour the north of the State looking after the dental needs of homeless people.

Next week, which will be “Bad Santa” and our last meeting for the year, Essie will talk to us about her week down south with fellow exchange students, which included visiting The Gap, the Anzac Museum and the Whaling Station in Albany.

Essie showed off her badly bruised elbow from water-skiing on the river the day before.

There was a nice relaxed feeling to this meeting, summed up by Kenn, who celebrated our very successful Jacaranda Festival by dropping some happy dollars in the box and telling us “and it’s a year till the next one, and that’s got to be good!”

Final Perth Makers Market for 2025

Posted by Ray Philp on Nov. 24, 2025

This market is traditionally one of our busiest of the year, so hopefully we’ll all have recovered from our huge Jacaranda Festival effort and be ready to regroup for one more successful Perth Makers Market parking fundraiser to close out 2025.

Lorri has prepared the first draft of the roster; however, we’ve since had several of our regular volunteers become unavailable for various reasons. Waylen Bay Sea Scouts have a conflicting event on Sunday, Kenn W will be attending his sister’s funeral in New Zealand, and a number of members have advised they are now unable to assist.

Please check the roster at the link below and let Lorri know if you can offer any additional support: click here to download roster.

I know this is an especially busy time of year, but the saying “many hands make light work” has never been truer—especially when it comes to the setup and pack-down that are essential to the success of this activity.

Even if you can spare just a couple of hours on Saturday morning for setup, or an hour or two on Sunday for setup or pack-down, every contribution helps lighten the load for the team.

Let’s make a special effort to finish our 2025 Perth Makers Market fundraising program on a high note.

For interest, here are some photos from our activity at this time last year: click here.

Kenn's Musings

Posted by Kenn WILLIAMS on Dec. 08, 2025

1. About Membership.

Applecross RC has submitted a case to our Rotary District Membership Grant Project for a combined effort with Melville Rotary and the Melville Cockburn Chamber of Commerce to develop a closer relationship in supporting small/medium business members of the CoC to become involved with us and our community activities.

More work to be done to complete the Application, which, if successful, will provide a limited shared cost between District and local Rotary to work with the CoC and promote to business the Rotary benefits of community volunteering.

Certainly Melville RC has a very close and active relationship with the CoC, working with them and the Curtin Uni School of Business, offering practical support and mentoring to the students and course.

We have also been part of the Awards for Small Business along with hosting a function for the CoC.

We are both Members of the MC CoC.

The project will endeavour to work with businesses and their staff to highlight how volunteering can be good for business, and hopefully attract leadership interest to join with us on our many community projects.

The project could culminate with a Volunteers Expo Day (or night) later in this Rotary year as the District Project needs to finalise on the 30th of June, ‘26.

Adele will be the AxR team leader, as M/ship Director, and has many great ideas to get our message out on the benefits of being part of the Rotary community story.

2. Hear ye, hear ye….

This Thursday, 11th, from 5 pm at Tompkins Park we will be holding a special JacFest Celebratory Sundowner following our fabulous 25th festival of 2 weeks ago.

We know that it is indeed a busy time of the year but it is important that we can sit and chat, socialise and relax and enjoy each others company in celebration of this years success. Ideas for the best future for the JacFest can also be discussed.

All welcome, usual Sundowner rules for Tompkins, and those who wish to stay on for a meal, just do it!!

I will be away as I leave for New Zealand Thursday morning to attend my sister’s funeral in Raglan, south of Auckland, returning Monday.

Happy Festive Season to All…

Kenn.

Kenn Williams

0428 472619

CONFERENCE NEWSLETTER #3

CHAIRPERSON

BREDE, Margaret

ATKINSON, Tom

RECEPTION

HAEUSLER, Tony

Breakfast Meeting Invitation
DOME Deep Water Point
Dec 09, 2025 7:30 am – 8:30 am

Perth Makers Market Set Up

Dec 13, 2025 8:00 am – 10:00 am

Perth Makers Market

Dec 14, 2025

Breakfast Meeting Invitation
DOME Deep Water Point
Jan 20, 2026 7:30 am – 8:30 am

Breakfast Meeting Invitation
DOME Deep Water Point
Jan 27, 2026 7:30 am – 8:30 am

Breakfast Meeting Invitation
DOME Deep Water Point
Feb 03, 2026 7:30 am – 8:30 am

View entire list

Dec. 09, 2025 7:30 a.m.

Evil Santa

View entire list

Member Birthdays

Logan DUNCAN-SMITH

January 6

Clive Purt

January 8

Chris DAWSON

January 13

Jamie KELLY

December 3

Suresh PRABHAKARAN

December 13

Margaret BREDE

December 29

Kenn WILLIAMS

December 30

Spouse Birthdays

Helen Dawson

January 8

Dennis Brede

January 24

David Palmer

December 23

Anniversaries

Hamish TURNER

Chris Turner

January 17

Gordon DUNBAR

Diana Dunbar

January 20

Chris BACK

Linda Back

January 26

Peter McEWEN

Dany McEwen

December 5

Margaret BREDE

Dennis Brede

December 8

John KELLY

Ann Kelly

December 16

Ray Philp

Val Philp

December 30

Join Date

Liz PALMER

January 17, 2012

14 years

Kenn WILLIAMS

December 12, 1997

28 years

Logan DUNCAN-SMITH

December 12, 2017

8 years

Malcolm TAYLOR

December 15, 1996

29 years

President

Margaret BREDE

Immediate Past President

Tom ATKINSON

Secretary

Ronald BOWER

Treasurer

Brad FRANKEN

Foundation

Chris WHELAN

Membership

Adele CLEMENTS

Public Image

Ray Philp

Vocational

Aaron Hoffman

Community

Marianne THOMPSON

International

Tom ATKINSON

Youth

Logan DUNCAN-SMITH

Attendance

Tony HAEUSLER

Club Protection

Ronald BOWER

Bulletin

Ray Philp

Perth Makers Market

Lorri BRAZIER

Jacaranda Festival

Chris WHELAN

Program

Clive Purt

Program

Michele MUIR

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