The Lord Mayor of Perth, Basil Zempilas, visited us to tell us all about his time in the Perth city’s top job. In this role Basil has visited many Rotary Clubs, and he is impressed by the humble qualities of the organisation. It also begs the question though: how does Rotary (and other organisations) remain relevant and provide continuity? As Lord Mayor Basil presides over many Citizenship Ceremonies, and each time the term ‘Lucky Country’ springs to mind. Lucky? Yes, but we make our own luck, and after travelling it’s always wonderful to get back home. Basil has spent 31 years as a broadcaster, and this has afforded him a wealth of wonderful experiences – including 9 Olympic Games and 17 Australian Opens – either in the role of commentator or presenting prizes. One of the classics in the latter was when Federer beat Nadal in the fifth set at something like 10 – 8! In standing for the Lord Mayor position, Basil took into account the fact that Perth had been run by Commissioners whilst the Council was suspended, and he felt he had as much of a chance as anyone else. The rest is history! Basil likes to use his talents for the betterment of society, and he fears that common sense is a forgotten attribute. Teamwork is of utmost importance, and Basil cited Rick Ardon & Susannah Carr as a prime example of that; 40 years of doing the news together!