Apprentice of the Year, RYE Students and Changeover

 

 

 

Chef Amelia Tomkies took out the Rotary Club of Greater Geraldton 2023 Apprentice of the Year at a dinner in the city on Sunday.

Sponsored by Hogs Breath Café and host employer ATC Worksmart, Amelia becomes the 60^th recipient of the award since Ron O’Malley won the inaugural award in 1964.

Having finished her apprenticeship, Amelia has gone into business for herself as a commercial baker supplying interesting food to various Geraldton outlets.

While a student at TAFE, Amelia was runner-up for TAFE’s apprentice of the year in 2022 and 2023. At Hogs Breath, Amelia was awarded runner-up as employee of the year from the 80 franchises nationwide.

 

 

Amelia applauded her employer and said she was looking forward to supplying unusual foods to more establishments. She also helps fill in as a chef at various establishments.

“My dream is to have my own café or bakery, while baking new recipes and ideas that have never been seen before in Geraldton.”

Amelia receives a cash prize of $1000 and a gift voucher for $500.

Ron O’Malley was invited to attend, but due to illness asked his daughter, Rachel Gardiner, to represent him. She gave an impromptu speech about Ron’s prize in 1964, which was a flight to Melbourne.

Rachel said Ron cashed in the ticket and he and good mate Maurie Drennan drove across the Nullarbor and spent three months in Melbourne. Ron is now the dealer-principal of Drennan O’Malley Motors.

Last year’s winner, Ethan Patience, sent a message to the dinner, congratulating the 2023 recipient, saying his current job keeps him out of the city.

The club would like to thank the following providers who promoted the award — Carol McManus of ATC Work Smart; Gail Prosser, CCIWA industry training consultant/mentor; Ty Jones, career development officer, Midwest Joblink; Billy Hopkins, manager Systems Administration & Solution Design; Central Regional TAFE and Andrew Aitken, apprenticeship field officer, The Apprenticeship Community.

The dinner attracted a large audience with Lara Dalton MLA and Mayor Jerry Clune in attendance.

 

The second part of the night was the changeover of the board for the Rotary Club of Greater Geraldton and the induction of Hugh Lavery into the top role. President Geoff Wood then stepped down from his year in office.

Before ending his tenure, President Geoff named three people as Paul Harris Fellows — Grant Woodhams, Di Gilleland and Bob Symington, for their outstanding service to the club over many years. (A Paul Harris Fellowship is worldwide recognition for having donated $US1000 to Rotary International’s Foundation).

He also named Karen Godfrey as Rotarian of the Year, “who has been my rock in a difficult year”.

Ms Godfrey said : “I never joined Rotary for the acknowledgement, it was more about trying to make a small difference in our community. I think anyone who has been a part of Rotary will acknowledge that what you put into Rotary, you get back tenfold.

“Rotary for me is an inspiring organisation that improves our community and for me, it is filled with extraordinary people who I value enormously and connects with inspiring leaders within our community.”

 

In his farewell speech, Mr Wood noted that the club had distributed about $70,000 to the community in the past year, showing what value the Rotary Club gives from its relatively small membership.

“I would like to thank not only the members, but all the Friends of Rotary who give their valuable time in our fundraising efforts,” he said.

His final plea was to encourage more people to step forward and “become members of this fantastic organisation”.

Also speaking was Hanna Lind, the club’s Rotary Youth Exchange student from Austria, who is about to finish her year in Geraldton. Hanna will return home next month and Sofia Underland, a student from Norway, will be coming to Geraldton. Hanna was joined at the dinner by Murillo Suzuki, the Brazilian exchange student from the Batavia Coast Rotary Club.

President Hugh also mentioned that Rotary had two Geraldton exchange students overseas —Nesaea Foster in Germany and Liam Mariani in Taiwan — and they are about halfway through their 12-month exchange.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Russell McKinnon

McKinnon Media

0410686849