Rotary awards
Drouin Rotary Club announced three recipients of Paul Harris Fellow recognition awards at a recent meeting.
Rotarians Ian Brooker, Max Scott and Peter Williams, with 13 years, eight years and 16 years of service respectively in the club, were recognised for service to Rotary and for the betterment of the community.
They have filled a variety of offices and positions in Rotary and have been active in many fundraising and service projects.
The awards are named after the late Paul Harris who was the founder of the Rotary organisation in 1905. They are seen by many clubs as the highest award they may bestow upon a citizen – whether a member of Rotary or not.
Each award requires a club to contribute US$1000 to the Rotary Foundation, a trust which finances health, educational and humanitarian programs worldwide.
Ian Brooker has provided “Rotary information” to club members at its meetings for many years, aimed at increasing knowledge on worldwide humanitarian and community-benefit projects sponsored by the Rotary organisation.
On a local level, he is gatekeeper at various club events at Lardner Park and manages the club’s footy tipping. Ian has held several directorships over the years – notably the Rotary Foundation which he promoted with considerable vigour, leading by example by personally donating US$1000 and his wife Sue over US$850.
In his second year in the club, Max Scott was elected as treasurer. He served for two years before returning to the role for a further two years in 2018.
Max has served on the club’s Swap Meet committee, a representative (and secretary) on the Drouin Combined Service Clubs committee, the Rotary Market committee, and assisted the attendance officer – as well as, in his spare time, renovating cots for Olivia’s Place.
In the words of club president Tim Wills, Max is “a member who is there when needed”.
Peter Williams was recognised for his expertise as an auctioneer and organiser or several major fundraising club projects. The first of these was the novel dinnerauction held in a marquee at Bellbird Park which enabled the club to donate $50,000 to Gippsland Rotary Centenary House at Traralgon.
Then came the “Celebrity Dinner with Sam Kekovich” which raised money for shelter boxes for Haiti ($4900) and Rotary Centenary House ($7000). This was followed by the 2010 dinner-auction at Lardner Park which raised $91,250 for a development project at Lyrebird Village.
The following year, a “Celebrity Dinner with Tom Hafey” raised $2900 before a clearing sale at Bellbird Park in 2017 raised $25,000 for the palliative care at West Gippsland Hospital.
In the following year, a Mike Brady Night raised $20,000 for Rotary Centenary House and $12,300 for Variety Children’s Charity.
A further clearing sale at Bellbird Park last year raised $7700.
The “auction-component” of these events totalled around $150,000, which is a significant contribution by an individual Rotarian.
At the same meeting, 30 years of service to Rotary by Colin Gardner and Graeme Watts was acknowledged when club president Tim Wills presented both with service certificates.
Colin was club president in 2012/13, and both members have held various directorships, performed many other club roles and received Paul Harris Fellow recognition.