At Monday night District Governor Craig, Bills wife Lynn and son John were on hand when a noticeably moved Bill Duncan was presented with the Five Avenues of Service Award. This award is one of the highest recognitions a Rotarian can receive and can only be issued by Rotary International. Bill is the Club’s first recipient of such recognition.
Why Bill? Listening to his list of both achievements and Rotary involvement made that answer very clear.
Financial support of Clubs across the District, GSE leader, WCS Chair, RYLA Chair, arranging RAF mercy flights to the Pacific, established the local Senior Citizens Club, established numerous Trusts including those supporting the visually impaired, local youth, post graduate studies for women in law, medicine and politics. These trusts have disbursed many hundreds of thousands of dollars to the community. In addition Bill is an active church leader, chairs the Saint Andrews Village Residents’ Association and is a hospital chaplain.
Fifty one years a member of Rotary, Bill has served as President, Past President, Bulletin Editor and on the Board of Directors multiple times. He has been Almoner, spent many years on District Committees, had a strong involvement with the Rotary Walkway, Trees for Survival, Top Schools, Dictionaries in Schools and Carnival.
Bill has the reputation for being a quiet, humble gentleman who is acutely aware of the needs and feelings of others. He demonstrates a strong commitment to the ideals of Rotary and the importance of "service above self values. He is an outstanding citizen who has our utmost respect. Sadly, with Covid related international delivery delays and Rotary shut downs in the States, the official crystal award and pin had not arrived and in fact may not get here for several months, so DG Craig, very kindly, had a simple version created here in Auckland, as it was important we celebrate this occasion now.