This week we have our very own Shed member, Michael Wilson, providing an insight into Islam. In Michael's own words... I graduated in mathematics from the University of New England many years ago. In my profession as a petroleum Geophysicist/Explorationist, I have lived and worked in many countries all over the world, basically in Australia, S E Asia, North & South Africa, North & South America. These many locations exposed me to many different cultures and diverse habitats and environments. Being naturally inquisitive I always delved into the assorted lifestyles and histories of these places. As I lived in these countries for many years my exposure to Islam is quite comprehensive, namely some 7 different countries, so while certainly no sociologist or scriptural scholar, I do have a lot of basic insights and experiences. I hope to show some of these facts to you today. The Western World, (our world) is predominantly Judeo-Christian in its Culture and Background. Following the great civilizations of Egypt, Sumer, Assyria, Babylonia, Greek, Roman and Judea etc. and the expansion of Christianity about 300AD when the Roman Emperor, Constantine declared Christianity as the state religion. Thus, Christianity spread thru Roman Europe/Byzantine and beyond. So please come along and be informed, entertained, and refreshed. Around 650-700 AD, a new religion (way of life) emerged out of Arabia. This new religion became known as Islam and rapidly spread from Morocco/Spain in the west to the Indus Valley, India in the east, mostly by warring expansion, called Jihad in Arabic. This Islamic Caliphate was later known as the Ottoman Empire. Innumerable battles ensued between this new religion, Islam, and Christian Europe and confrontation still persists today, after some 1,400 years. Following the Turkish defeat in WWI this Caliphate was broken up into individual Countries, States and areas of influence. With more recent conflicts in the Middle East, many adherents to Islam, known as Muslims, have sought asylum in the West and brought this religion with them. Since we Westerners are basically ignorant of the precepts of Islam, this talk is intended to reveal some Insights into Islam. This talk reveals some factual information about this religion/way of life filtering into our Western Society. Surprisingly many Muslims are also unaware of their own Islamic history and aims of their beliefs.

All Members who intend to be part of the Woodworking Group will need to complete this Power Tools Induction Training. There is a once off Cost of $10 for this Training Course, which can be paid when you purchase a ticket. Note: Members are required to complete the 'Yellow Dot' Shed Introduction session before taking part in a Red Dot training session. There will be a maximum of 3 persons for each Training Session.  If after booking, for some reason you cannot attend the training, please advise the Red Dot coordinator, Jeremy Wallace, on 0406927650 (SMS please), or email (jeremywallace5@outlook.com) as soon as possible, so we can arrange another session for you.  If you have trouble booking please contact Jeremy by SMS. The successful completion of the Red Dot Training is a pre-requisite to booking the Blue Dot Woodwork Machinery Course. Once you have completed this Training, your Membership Badge will updated to show a Red Dot and enable you to undertake any projects in the Main Workshop that utilise only Power Tools. 

Our July Meeting is being hosted by Glen Hahn who has assembled a selection of Bordeaux style wines from France and Australia for us to compare and contrast.  It promises to be a fascination old world versus new world tussle. As usual there will be 20  places at $25 each available, so be quick. Tell us if you miss out on a spot in case there are last minute cancellations. WAG Stephen, Chris and Mark  

ENTERTAINMENT and FOOD Our next Sunday Session (and the rest of Winter) will be indoors, so you need not fear being cold or wet while enjoying our musical offering! Come along and enjoy the music of The Bluetones.  This group offer the  music that most of the members of the shed danced along with in your youth.   Not only can you enjoy the music, you can have a beer (or wine) and have a chat with mates during the event. Not only will you be able to get music - you will also be able to enjoy a light and tasty meal of Minestrone with crust bread followed by carrot cake, all prepared by the Shed's excellent Kitchen Team .  All of this for the extremely reasonable ticket price of $15 per person (including the light meal).  Bring your partner and your guests are also welcome to enjoy the music. 

To maintain your Blue Dot Woodworking Accreditation you will need to, you will need to undertake a Verification of Competency (VOC) Assessment as follows. Woodworking members aged under 75 years will be assessed every 24 months Woodworking members aged 75 to 80 years will be assessed every 18 months Woodworking members aged 80 to 90 years will be assessed every 12 months Woodworking members older than 90 years  will be assessed every 6 months You will be assigned a simple task which shouldn’t take more than about 30 minutes. This is not a test of your craftsmanship; it is simply a demonstration that you can competently use the machinery unsupervised without endangering yourself or others.  You can book your VOC Assessment by clicking on your preferred VOC Assessment date below. The Rostered Supervisor for the day will oversee your assessment and he will either deem you "competent" or refer you to a Trainer for further assessment or training. If you choose not to do the VOC Assessment,  you will no longer be able to use the Machine Room equipment unsupervised.

Come along for our Thursday morning clean-up of the shed and then stay and enjoy our famous SCMS scones with jam & cream!

Purpose Build practical understanding of mental health, recognise early warning signs, and know how to respond—for yourself and for others. Key Messages Mental health is active and learnable, not a fixed state Mental ill health is a persistent disturbance that impacts daily functioning Early attention leads to better outcomes Recognise the Shift Early signs: stress, worry, disconnection Warning signs: low mood, fear, loss of self‑belief Deeper conditions: depression, anxiety, trauma reaction What Helps Move from coping (avoidance, distraction) to solving Talk early, see a GP, use what’s worked before Set small goals, organise support, build solid relationships Supporting Others Listen with empathy, be useful, look after yourself Involve others when needed and persist Training and community resources are available Bottom Line Mental health improves when awareness, early action, and practical support are actively addressed.   Geoff Paull is a retired Psychologist specialising in sports psychology and in later years, men's health. After completing Honours in Psychology at Curtin University—with a strong focus on sport psychology under Prof Denis Glencross—Geoff headed overseas. He spent time at Florida State University and then completed his PhD at Arizona State University. That work opened the door to an academic career in the UK at Staffordshire University, where Geoff progressed to Principal Lecturer and Head of Sport, Health and Exercise Psychology. In 2001 he returned to Perth and put a long‑held plan into action: establishing a private psychology practice. Over subsequent years his work ranged across therapy and counselling, exercise‑based interventions, and performance enhancement programs, delivered from locations east of the city until I fully retired in 2024. Alongside clinical practice, Geoff has been deeply involved in men’s wellbeing and mental health initiatives. His strengths include learning and motivation, goal setting, communication, and relationship building—grounded in broad competence across mental health care and a particular interest in men’s help‑seeking behaviours. Geoff has held executive roles with organisations including the WA Men’s Health and Wellbeing Association and The Menswork Project. His work in positive masculinity and men’s wellbeing has included facilitating workshops and education programs, running retreats in WA and Bali, and leading a men’s group in Perth - now in its 22nd year. In retirement Geoff has continued to deliver mental health presentations. Sessions focus on practical, real‑world issues that matter to men—especially those more vulnerable to threats to wellbeing. 

Building on the success of Allan Bandt's wines sourced from Wines Direct in April, we have bought some more Shiraz's from Wines Direct and will host a big Shiraz night as a EOY Special for Wine Group members.  Expect a good selection of never to be repeated bargain big ballsy Australian reds, all for the bargain basement price of $5. As usual we expect the evening will be popular, so don’t hesitate to reserve a spot immediately.  If you reserve a spot, but then realise you can’t make it, please let Stephen or I know ASAP so we can offer the place to other members. Chris / Stephen / Mark - WAG Management

All Members who intend to be part of the Woodworking Group will need to complete this Power Tools Induction Training. There is a once off Cost of $10 for this Training Course, which can be paid when you purchase a ticket. Note: Members are required to complete the 'Yellow Dot' Shed Introduction session before taking part in a Red Dot training session. There will be a maximum of 3 persons for each Training Session.  If after booking, for some reason you cannot attend the training, please advise the Red Dot coordinator, Jeremy Wallace, on 0406927650 (SMS please), or email (jeremywallace5@outlook.com) as soon as possible, so we can arrange another session for you.  If you have trouble booking please contact Jeremy by SMS. The successful completion of the Red Dot Training is a pre-requisite to booking the Blue Dot Woodwork Machinery Course. Once you have completed this Training, your Membership Badge will updated to show a Red Dot and enable you to undertake any projects in the Main Workshop that utilise only Power Tools. 

To maintain your Blue Dot Woodworking Accreditation you will need to, you will need to undertake a Verification of Competency (VOC) Assessment as follows. Woodworking members aged under 75 years will be assessed every 24 months Woodworking members aged 75 to 80 years will be assessed every 18 months Woodworking members aged 80 to 90 years will be assessed every 12 months Woodworking members older than 90 years  will be assessed every 6 months You will be assigned a simple task which shouldn’t take more than about 30 minutes. This is not a test of your craftsmanship; it is simply a demonstration that you can competently use the machinery unsupervised without endangering yourself or others.  You can book your VOC Assessment by clicking on your preferred VOC Assessment date below. The Rostered Supervisor for the day will oversee your assessment and he will either deem you "competent" or refer you to a Trainer for further assessment or training. If you choose not to do the VOC Assessment,  you will no longer be able to use the Machine Room equipment unsupervised.

Steve Gerreyn has offered a selection of jarrah offcuts for members to use to make endgrain cutting boards. Scary eh? Stay on after morning tea on Thursday and I will go through the process and hint and tips I have picked up over the past couple of years to help you make an endgrain cutting board for yourself ......... and also to produce some product for the shed to sell during the show. No need to book or pay for this event. See you there?  

Come along for our Thursday morning clean-up of the shed and then stay and enjoy our famous SCMS scones with jam & cream!