Bulletin 28 February 2017 (Feb 28, 2017)

Alan Bowes provided a wonderful testimonial to PP Ron Rauert as below.

I’ve been thinking for some weeks about appropriate comments for this testimonial luncheon, in honour of an outstanding Rotarian PP Ron Rauert. I tried to find some lines which represent Rotary-like service. The following are by a lady called Omanbuana Anthonia:

‘the greatest purpose in life, the greatest achievement one could ever have in life, the greatest satisfaction one could get in life can only be found in the service of others.’

Could they and the following by Richelle E Goodrich be adapted to the service to Rotary by Ron Rauert;

‘It’s impossible to be involved in all situations, but there’s no excuse not to be involved in something, somewhere, somehow with someone. Make an ounce of difference.’

It has to be rare for someone to be an active member of any organisation for 60 years. I have heard of dedicated women who have been members of CWA or perhaps a member and/or office-bearer of a fire brigade or sporting body for many years. 60 years represents two-thirds of Ron’s long life. But, significantly, he has also been a member of this Club for slightly more than two-thirds of its existence. What an amazing contribution of voluntary service to this community, bearing in mind that whilst a Rotarian, Ron was building up a business and later raising a family. I wonder how many Rotarians Ron has seen come and go. In 2009, then President, Judy Ross asked me to update the history of this Club for its 80^th anniversary. I prepared a table showing 32 new members were inducted but 37 resigned. If that was the turnover for 5 years, how many more over Ron’s long period of membership?

Whilst not trying to give you a history of the Club, it is very interesting to consider the significant cultural and other changes which have occurred over the long period since Ron joined Rotary in 1957. I remember the late John Reid telling us of his nervous introduction to Rotary in 1956 as a “humble electrician”. Ron too may have felt, as a 30 year old small shopkeeper and shoe repairer, outside his comfort zone joining an organisation comprised of much older men; bank and factory managers, senior business proprietors, professionals and civic leaders. But take heart Ron for our founder, Paul Harris said;

‘All honourable vocations are worthy of recognition if used in the service of society’.

Although it seems quite unreal today, Ron, like the late John Reid, would have found it difficult to call some fellow Rotarians by their Christian names, especially the late Fletcher Jones and others. Little wonder that, quite unfairly, from time to time Rotary has been described as a ‘knife and fork organisation’ of ‘self-appointed leaders’.

The dress for Rotary attendance for the first 40 years was much more formal with suits and ties the norm. A photograph of the Charter Members taken in 1930 shows virtually every Rotarian in a three piece suit. Even so, more than 409 years later in 1973, a Club photo still shows every Rotarian, including Ron in a suit and tie with many others in suits. I wonder what the early members would make of the casual wear at current Rotary meetings.

However, there is a flip side to formal versus casual dress. Whilst the early Rotarians dressed formally, it was the casual Rotarians of the last 30 years or more, who have undertaken a much wider range of ‘hands on’ projects. With no disrespect, I can’t imagine the early members of this Club cooking at BBQ’s, knocking on doors for Red Cross, selling raffle tickets, manning the Show gates, walking around an oval to raise funds for cancer research, collecting and loading waste paper, helping at a folk festival or painting the entire perimeter fence of Albert Park.

Another important cultural change during Ron’s long service was the introduction of women as Rotarians. I well recall the mixed reactions when this Club admitted women in 1990. I won’t revisit the objections, except to say that they were baseless. It is ironic that the first two women members were Roman Catholic nuns; Sister Rose Glennen, Principal of then St. Ann’s Convent, later Emmanuel College and later Sister Helena Lavelle, chief of the adjacent St. John of God Hospital. Both served Rotary very well, so well that I never thought I’d see nuns in jeans and shirt sleeves loading waste paper onto a semi-trailer. The facts are that many later women Rotarians gave and are still giving outstanding service. Some have held and still hold every major office in the Club with distinction. Many of us regard women members as the salvation of Rotary. Without them Rotary may have declined.

Although before Ron joined in 1957, in the first several decades of our Club few ‘hands on’ projects were undertaken. I recall Ron Rauert telling us that one of the first projects he worked on was the planting of trees in the medians of Banyan Street. It must be understood that the Club was founded in the middle of that dreadful economic depression when hard times prevailed and money was scarce. Then followed the Second World War with rationing during and shortages after. However, the early Club did plant Norfolk Island pines along Raglan Parade and Lava Street east in years 1936-38 and trees in Banyan Street in 1950. The major early projects of the Club were mainly financial, i.e. assisting victims of the Great Depression, hospitality for victims of bushfires, sandbags to flooded areas, hosting under-privileged children, or those afflicted by polio, then called infantile paralysis.

Worthy projects all, but how different from the wide range of ever expanding projects and services Ron has worked on, and with which Rotary is now associated. For example, there were few structured youth activities we identify today and the first outgoing Exchange Student didn’t leave until 1962-63, some time after Ron became a Rotarian. When the history of the Club was compiled for our 75^th Anniversary, the limited information available provided less than a dozen lines about year to year activities from the 1960’s to the late 1980’s. In the past 30 years or more, a similar summary of each Rotary year required half to a full quarto page and more in single spacing.

We do have some detailed records of Ron’s service to the Club but time does not permit my listing them all. Keith McLeod, a Rotarian for 51 years and I have been a member of the Club for 47 years, can affirm the many years of Ron’s service. Just a few examples of his enthusiasm for and dedication to Rotary and its activities include:

Attended 4 World Conferences
Attended over 50 District Conferences
Club President 1970-1971
Waste Paper collection
Meals on Wheels
Sheltered Workshop
Construction of electric BBQs
Geodetic cairn on Tower Hill rim
Rotary Foundation
Manning Show Gates for nearly 50 years
Senior Citizens Treat which commenced in 1932
Membership Development
Fundraising

However, Ron will always be remembered for his virtual solo efforts year after year promoting ongoing projects. How many years did Ron promote ‘On to Conference’ where he practised what he preached? How many are aware that each year Ron and Val would months earlier visit the venue for the next District Conference, do a round of the motels and secure the best deal for the contingent from our Club? For 46 years he organised Red Cross covering about 20 city blocks. Remember how he livened up our meetings near Christmas, dressed in Santa suit with his stentorian voice shouting ‘Ho Ho Ho’, urging us to buy hundreds of tinned Christmas puddings. Not only did he act as Santa at Rotary, but for many other organisations too. How many years has he tried to fill the door roster for Eisteddfod? Few are aware that he also organised a small band each year to clean out the ticket boxes before the annual Show.

In terms of awards, Ron has received every recognition that Rotary can present.

He was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship in 1990-91 presented by Past District Governor Ellis Bickley, 30 years after Ron joined the Club. But bear in mind the first Paul Harris Fellowship was not awarded until 1973-74 (43 years after Charter).
Presented with 3 Sapphire pins to his Paul Harris Fellowship
Presented by PP Robert Cuzens with a 50 year Membership Certificate in 2007 signed by the World President.
Ron was presented with the Four Avenues of Service Award, the highest award Rotary can bestow, in 2005, by Past World President, Glen Kinross at our 75^th Anniversary dinner. Part of the citation for this Award read;

‘this Rotarian continues to provide leadership, enthusiasm and drive for other members… a Rotarian of high business ethics, a strong family man and long-time supporter of his church and the community…an inspiration to us all’.

In closing, I want to share some quotes from a speech on the internet by our Founder, Paul Harris, given to a large gathering of prospective members in Boston in 1933, twenty eight years after he founded a fast expanding Rotary. It was not surprising that he said;

‘great oaks from little acorns grow’

‘the classification system is the genius of Rotary whereby, through friendship and cooperation between representatives of every business and profession, …human ingenuity could hardly devise a more effective form of organisation to serve the community.’

‘Rotary represents…the finest concept of the human mind, the concept of human goodwill… Rotary is a way of life…good, natural, wholesome…If you have the love of your fellow man in your hearts my friends, you can be a Rotarian.’

The 60 years of voluntary service given this Club and the wider Rotary community by PP Ron Rauert represent the epitome of what Paul Harris meant when he spoke 84 years ago to prospective Rotarians in Boston. We as current Rotarians owe a great debt of gratitude to our colleague and friend Ron. May he be with for many years to come as a continuing inspiration, particularly to those who are new to Rotary.