Following collegial drinks prior to our Club meeting our able Sergeant, Dennis Simpson opened our meeting and along with our President, Phil Peckman welcomed all members.
This week’s Reflection and toast by Kerrie Hayes-Williams was for the world’s refugees. At the end of 2024, there were approximately 42.7 million refugees in the world. This is part of a larger total of 123.2 million people who are forcibly displaced globally, which also includes over 73 million internally displaced people and over 8 million asylum-seekers. Breaking this down there are:
- Refugees: 42.7 million people have crossed an international border due to conflict, persecution, or violence.
- Internally Displaced People (IDPs): 73.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes but remain within their home country.
- Asylum-seekers: 8.4 million people are awaiting a decision on their asylum claim.
- Total forced displacement: The total number of people who are forcibly displaced reached 123.2 million globally at the end of 2024.
In Australia, the number of refugees granted protection and resettlement in Australia varies annually, with recent years showing a high of nearly 30,000 in 2023 (including both recognized 14669 and resettled refugees, 15223), but the intake fluctuates based on government policies and global events.
The toast was for all refugees as we acknowledge their numerous challenges including displacement, survival, stable unemployment, housing, long term physical and psychological effects of trauma, cultural differences and isolation.
This was followed by Annette Lavender’s international toast to the Port Moresby Rotary Club in the Boroko District 9620. The Club was founded in 1964 and currently members in the Club work towards providing agricultural opportunities for the rural communities by helping to buy livestock, plant crops and help in learning about sustainable farming. Other community projects are the provision of school desks to local schools as there currently are not enough for every student; some classes have more than 60 students. The population of Port Moresby and the surrounding areas has a birth rate of 3.5% which has continued to grow by 2% per year creating many logistical problems for the communities and infrastructure.
The Club also donates medical supplies, equipment and fund a surgical team to operate on children with cleft palates; thus enabling those children to live a normal life.
As November is Rotary Foundation Month the following statistics provide an insight into the continuing need for our support:
- $9.2 million spent on growing local economies and reducing poverty.
- 795 million people (or 1 in 9 people in the world) do not have enough to eat.
- 60% of the world's hungry are women & girls.
- 70% of the world’s poorest people live in rural areas and depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihood.
There is a long way to go to achieve equality in areas of economics, health access and
gender equality, in both developed countries and less advantaged or repressed ones.
Welfare Report: Anne Christensen reported that Barry Stevens was doing well with Barry attending our meeting. Mal Bracken will return to some Rotary functions and Arthur Booth has settled into life at the nursing home in Shellharbour and welcomes all visitors.
Members' reports:
- Rose Pope noted that our next BBQ is on the 15th December at Kembla Grange and asked members who could attend to register in Clubrunner
- School Citizenship Awards - there are still some gaps for members to attend school assemblies. Please contact Ros Yeoman if you can attend (see Rose’s email 20th November, 2025)
- Robert Armessen: discussion on the Christmas menu which will depend on cost. Members agreed to a two-course menu (main and dessert) costing between $50-$60. Janet Crackenthorp and Rose Pope will liaise with Centro to finalise details.
- Ray Lee: When the Club purchased several native beehives for schools, he also bought one. Ray has now split the hive successfully and will return one to a school where their hive has failed. Ray noted that it will be important to support the school keeping the hive functional.
- Ken Potter: In his portfolio of New Generations, Ken asked members for names for a RYLA candidate (early Jan) and a RYPEN student to represent our Club.
- President Phil Peckman: The (anti) Domestic Violence Walk is on the 29/11 – and walkers will marshall at Fairy Meadow Surf Club at 9:00 am, walking to Stuart Park by 10.40 am.
- ARH Indigenous dinner is on the 2/12 at Bankstown with Ros Yeoman and Michael Crowley attending.
- Cheques from the Race Day fund raiser were distributed to the PCYC and Green Connect Farm.
- Attendance at club meetings: Phil led and members embraced a discussion about our attendance at meetings. Phil presented a graph noting attendance at meetings progressively declining and members responses previously attained. Members agreed their interest in guest speaks and the social aspect of our meetings. Reducing the frequency of meetings discussed noting advantages and disadvantages to both. Suggestion from Phil were as follows:
- Stay as we are, there is nothing wrong.
- Stay as we are but reduce workload through things like: Fortnightly bulletins - Fortnightly / Monthly banking. Use Clubrunner functionality more to reduce workload. - Better delegation to members.
- Make the first Wednesday of every month a Social Evening and the 5th Wednesday of month Club Business (4 per year max). Member rotation or committee for organising location and numbers.
- Move to fortnightly meetings to reduce the workload of preparation and organisation.
- Move to fortnightly meetings with fixed social evening every 2nd week.
Consensus from members was to trial three meetings a month with the first meeting of every month a Social Evening and the 5th Wednesday of month Club business (4 per year max). Dinner locations are flexible and a member rotation or committee for organising this for a period of 3 months before reviewing with members if this does support a stronger attendance.
- Phil Peckman: Board nominations for 2026-2027 Rotary year have been received and accepted for Secretary, Treasurer and Directors. However, there is no nomination for President Elect (2026/27), no nomination for President nominee (2027-28). After a discussion:
- Bob Armessen has agreed to do the first three months as President Elect
- Barry Stevens will do the next 4 months and
- Annettte Lavender the final 3 months and
- Janet Crackenthorp the remaining two months finalising the 2026-2027 Rotary year.
Wine raffle winners: Our lucky winners were Marilyn Phillips and Rose Pope
Meeting Closed at 8:20 pm.
13-month-old Jonaila from the Philippines is grinning from ear to ear the day before her first routine immunizations. Thanks to Rotary, they will include her polio vaccine.