Last Friday night’s Changeover at the Caledonian Hotel was well attended and a great deal of fun. Instead of a changeover of Presidents, it was a seamless transition for me from one year to the next.
We were pleased to award Lili Osario with a Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) award for her dedication and commitment to Cuppa Conversation and our WhatsApp listing of 175 migrants.
It was also wonderful to award Treasurer Bruce McDonald with his PHF 2 Sapphire pin for over 20 years of guarding our Club’s finances like a pit-bull terrier (it may be longer than 20 years, I got tired opening up the old parchment scrolls!). We couldn’t have asked for a better Treasurer or a more solid voice of reason as to what and where our Club should spend its hard-earned money on.
Di Lane was also awarded a PHF 2 Sapphire. Di keeps our Club working efficiently and effectively as Board Secretary, newsletter editor, the BBQ roster aficionado and, this year, is taking on the role of Foundation Director as well. She is the important driving cog (the one that makes all the other cogs spin in unison) in the running of the Club and this award was very much deserved.
As President, I was also honoured to accept a PHF with 2 Sapphires after a lovely spiel from PP John Wotherspoon. We thank DG Craig Dowling for pinning on these PHFs on the night.
Certificates of Appreciation were given to our intrepid Timor Leste travellers Kirsti Kankkunen, Rob McLennan and John Wotherspoon as well as our International Director Paul Jupp for the work and paperwork previously undertaken on our future water project in Suai. This will be our largest project to date that our members were scoping out to provide clean potable water to two remote villages. This project will cost around $AUD70,000 which will be sourced from two other Clubs apart from ours, as well as a Rotary Designated District Grant and Global Grant. In both villages, quality tested water will be pumped from an existing well to a new tank on a high spot away from each village then gravity fed in a kilometre of pipework to public taps situated throughout the villages.
I was also pleased to present Certificates of Appreciation to Fred Field who will be leaving the Board after many years as Secretary (prior to Di Lane) and Foundation Director. I’m happy to say Fred has kindly agreed to continue as Public Officer and Child Protection Officer.
Our last Certificate of Appreciation was awarded to Alison Carter for her work progressing Youth, Vocational and Rotaract Liaison. Alison was making real inroads when personal matters intervened and the portfolio was passed to our hardworking Board member Richard Jarrett who is also Club Administration Director and Club Webmaster. My thanks Richard for taking on this extra portfolio.
We handed out Annual Reports detailing all our projects from this year; and I still have copies available for those who couldn’t attend on the night. We will also put a pdf copy on the website.
My thanks for the honour and privilege that you have given me by once again electing me as President of this Club. It has truly been my pleasure to serve as President last year and I thank all members sincerely for their unending support, encouragement and excellent ideas.
Our Directors for this coming year are:
Community – Paige Honor and Kirsti Kankkunen as Joint Directors
Vocational Service & Youth – Richard Jarrett
International – John Wotherspoon
Club Administration – Richard Jarrett
Rotary Foundation – Di Lane
Public Relations – Yvette Reade
Membership – Rob McLennan
Fundraising & Fellowship – Rob McLennan and Di Lane as Joint Directors
This Thursday will be dinner at the Kent Town Hotel – see you there.
Best wishes and have a great week. Yvette, President.
