Youth - Rotaract

Committee Pages » Youth Service

Youth Service

 
 
 
Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young men and women ages 18 to 30. Rotaract clubs are either community or university based, and they’re sponsored by a local Rotary club. This makes them true "partners in service" and key members of the family of Rotary.
 
As one of Rotary’s most significant and fastest-growing service programs, with more than 8,400 clubs in about 170 countries and geographical areas, Rotaract has become a worldwide phenomenon.
- See more HERE.
 

Rotaract Club of St Ives

The Rotary Club of St Ives was chartered on the 27th of March 1965.

 

Even in the early days of the Club, Youth was a major focus. The Rotaract Club of St Ives was chartered in 1969, which year also saw our first candidates to RYLA.

“Getting youth projects started -- exchange students started coming, and John Stuart had a particular interest in Indonesia, so we had a lot of Exchange Students from various parts of Indonesia, RYLA, making the people on St. Ives aware of our Rotary club, improving membership from 26 to 96. We held our Annual fireworks at the St. Ives Public School in our first year, then Hassall Park, then the Showground. Lots of Member activity in all avenues of service.

 

Jimmy Mazlin, President of the St Ives Rotary Club 1978/1979

“Jim Mazlin was perhaps the most outstanding in my mind because he was a person who spent all his time in every aspect of Rotary. I thought of him as "hands-on Jim". Jim was a builder, and was the driving force and central organizer for the building of the St. Ives Rotary Park, the Kiosk at the Showground, the Community Hall, the building work at Sir Eric Woodward Memorial School, and the St. Ives Ambulance Station. He had two or three trips to New Guinea to build a nurse's home and other buildings at the hospitals. He formed the Interact Club and the 28 Club, was involved with Rotaract for over 20 years, he housed many exchange students for many years as well as many other activities. 

“Jim’s lovely wife Joan attended all working bees with her terrific homemade cakes and scones for the members working on the Kiosk and Community Hall. 

“Other fellows who come to mind are Maurie Hook, our charter president; Arthur Gillott; Rowley Dart; Don Steer; Wilfred Reed; Bruce Knight; Arthur Levido; Ted Ludowici; Bob Hetherington; Peter Croker; Ken Shields; Eric Webb; Neville Chambers; Dudley Clynes; Peter Perry; John Stuart; Russell Crofts; Ray Schlecht; Lance Kirkwood; David James; Eddie Gurney; John Isaacs; Brian Coleman; Mike Stewart; Jerry Casburn; Roger Corbin; Bob Cleland; Donald Macaulay; John Read; Mike Chitty; Bob Stack; Mick Angus; Alex Hodge; Bill Butterfield; Frank Hutton; Geoff Fallow; Richard Ames; George Papallo; Megan Tilley; Derek Molloy.

 

The Rotaract Exchange Team to Malaysia comprised of Rotaract members from around District 980 also included Julie Hoare and Sally Syddell from St Ives Rotaract.

 

Youth Exchange Students were “taken care of” by St Ives Rotaract

  • Wendy Wenstrom (USA)
  • Ida Burhan (Indonesia 1975-76)
  • Dewi Rosad (Indonesia 1979-80)

 

 

The Rotaract Club of St. Ives was chartered on 16 December 1969 with 31 members, including several sons and daughters of Rotarians. Over the years, the membership has waxed and waned, and in the late 1990s, it appeared that the club would no longer be a viable entity. Luckily, PP John Isaacs presented the problem to his daughter, Jackie, and she encouraged a number of new members to join.  

So, in the first part of 2000, the Rotaract Club is again a vibrant club. Under the recent initial efforts of Jackie Isaacs Knox, and continuing under guidance given by PP and Past Rotaract District Representative Evan Burrell, their membership now stands at 15. Over the last 36 years, it is estimated that the Rotaract Club has raised over $35,000 for various charities. In recent years, St Ives has become the major club player in the Rotaract District, and has been involved in the formation of two new Rotaract Clubs in District 9680—Crosslands and Middle Harbour.

Sadly, though, as of 2012, the Rotaract Club of St Ives has ceased to function. Members of the Rotaract Club have either joined Rotary, or other Rotaract Clubs in District 9685.