PRESIDENT'S UPDATE
🌟 Weekly Club Update
We kicked off this week’s meeting with our new “2 Truths and 1 Lie” session—and Phil had us all guessing! Who knew he had an athlete in the family who won a race back when miles were still used—before Australia officially adopted the metric system? And that he learned to dance from Paul Mercurio?
We had some good laughs at the questions being asked, and had to read Phil’s body language and responses carefully to figure out the truth. Most of us guessed the lie was that he doesn’t like chocolate on his cakes!
🎉 Fun Fact: Back in the day, Australians measured distance in miles, weighed things in pounds, and filled their tanks in gallons. And if that wasn’t enough mental gymnastics, we also paid for things using pounds, shillings, and pence—with 12 pennies in a shilling and 20 shillings in a pound. Decimal currency (dollars and cents) arrived in 1966, and metrication began in 1971, wrapping up by 1988. So yes—Phil’s athlete relative really did race in miles, probably got paid in shillings, and maybe even celebrated with a sixpence!
I also gave Graeme a call to check in after his recent knee surgery—I'm happy to report he's recovering well. Our thoughts and best wishes are with him as he continues to heal.
Next Club Meeting, John Peck will be up for the challenge—looking forward to seeing what surprises he has in store!
🌱 Community and International & Updates
We had an urgent request from the Aus Afri Centre regarding their planter boxes, which were bulging and becoming unsafe. Howard stepped in on Friday and got them fixed quickly and efficiently. A circular motion to the board for $300 was raised, and Howard completed the job for just $218—an impressive 27% under budget!
Thanks to this, Aus Afri can now operate in a safer environment with reduced hazards, teaching the community valuable life skills and how to produce their own food. As you know, I’m a big believer in the idea that “if you give someone a fish, you feed them for a day—but if you teach them to fish, you feed them for a lifetime.” It’s about empowerment, not just assistance—planting seeds today that grow into self-reliance tomorrow.
Terry shared updates on his community work portfolio during Tuesday’s meeting. He presented his ideas to the club and received helpful advice on shaping them into a proposal. He’ll be working with his committee over the next four weeks to finalise it before bringing it to the club for endorsement.
Ashton couldn’t attend the meeting to provide an update on the International Committee, but he did let me know he’s planning an Indian dinner dance evening with its own band later this year to raise funds for the Sri Lankan orphanage’s solar battery project. More details to come!
Howard also shared quotes received for the project, and members provided feedback and explored funding options, including global grants. It was fantastic to see such enthusiasm and collaboration around these initiatives.
📅 Upcoming Engagements
I attended the Zoom Meeting on Thursday night for the Satellite Impact Collective. It’s wonderful to have them as part of our club family, and I’m truly excited about the opportunity to collaborate with them on meaningful projects. Their ideas and dedication to community work are inspiring, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together.
Next Thursday I’ll be representing our club at the RMIT Business and Law Centre for African Engagement Launch Event with Selba. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with community leaders, academics, and changemakers who are working to strengthen African engagement through education, research, and collaboration.
📌 Reminders & Thanks
Next week we’ll be holding a board meeting. I encourage all committees to meet on their own at a place of choice or via Zoom and continue working on their plans, aiming to lock them in over the next couple of weeks.
💡 A big thank you to everyone who has responded to the online survey—we’ve received feedback from 13 members so far. Let’s aim to double that this week! Your input is incredibly valuable and helps shape the direction of our club. The survey can be accessed here: 🟦 https://forms.gle/swuMZ3bEtgJkrBqF7
🔥 BBQ Fundraiser at Bunnings Dandenong
Thanks to Phil for organising our next BBQ fundraiser at Bunnings Dandenong! We still need five more volunteers to help on the day. If you missed out on the last one, here’s your chance to flip a snag, have a chat, and help raise funds for the club.
Once the roster is full, Phil will appoint a Shift Captain to ensure everything runs smoothly and allocate roles for the day.
Please familiarise yourself with the Bunnings BBQ Information Pack that Phil sent out on 8 Aug 2025 around 9am, particularly the Food Handling and OHS requirements. It’s important that everyone is across these for a safe and successful event.
🎊 90th Centenary Celebration
Plans for our 90th Centenary Celebration are well underway! We’re thrilled to announce that the Dandenong Club is booked for Saturday, 4th October. With special guests, great entertainment, and plenty of surprises in store, it promises to be an unforgettable evening. Save the date and celebrate this milestone in style!
Thanks again for all your energy and contributions!
