Ukrainian hosting program leads to Rotary president
Hosting a young boy along with fellow Warragul Scout families in 1999, following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine led Theresa Mitchell to get to know many Warragul Rotarians who were doing likewise.
Her initial impressions led her to join the club. Last Thursday she was inducted as president at the club's 84th annual changeover dinner held at Albert and Smith in Warragul.
Ms Mitchell was inducted by district governor Paul Mee and immediate past president Diane Carson.
A highlight of the dinner was the presenting of Paul Harris Fellowship awards to Rotarians Alan Tatlow and Susie Warenycia. A third award to Andrew Klindworth will be presented at a later date as she was unable to attend.
Alan received the award for for services to Rotary, particularly vocational service and for other community work including entertaining aged care residents, CFA, RSL and Legacy.
Susie received her award for support within the club as well as service to the Warragul Business Group, organisation of Snowfest and the Christmas Wonderland of Rotary Christmas tress.
Andrea received the award for work preserving the environment, particularly in waste management.
She is a representative on the Oceania Chapter of the Environment Sustainability Rotary Action Group and attends the Rotary peace and climate forums. She also has been instrumental in securing funding for the Rotary Park project.
In August last year a PHF award was presented to former West Gippsland Arts Centre manager Rob Robson for his services to the community and the promotion of the arts.
Pins that accompany the presentation of previous PHF awards were presented to Andrew Lewis, Chris Wilkinson, Chris Major and Don Cumming.
The award, the highest in Rotary, is named after founder Paul Harris.
Ms Carson said it had been an honour to lead the club although COVID restrictions had made meetings difficult.
She said even finding a meeting venue had been difficult, but now the club is meeting at the Railway Hotel, Warragul.
She said a successful film night had raised more than $1000 for the End Polio campaign.
"We also contributed to Rotary International's fund to provide much needed aid to Ukranian refugees in Europe and beyond and held a vigil at Harmony Park to remember those young boys that our community hosted some 30 years ago after the Chernobyl disaster, and pondered, with sadness their fate."
Ms Carson said it had been her objective to let the community know what Rotary was about.
She said some of this had been achieved through the Excellence in Small Business Awards, a range of various speakers at meetings, the club's first stand at Farm World and supporting the Baw Baw Arts Alliance art sale.
"A small group of us were honoured to be part of the service at the Shrine of Remembrance for the Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service," she said.
Ms Carson said an enormous amount of work had gone into stage three of the Centenary Rotary Project at Rotary Park, Warragul which will create links with local indigenous people and "acknowledge their incredible stewardship over this land for tens of thousands of years."
"We thank them for their generosity in giving time and talents to this ongoing project and look forward to joining with the wider community over the coming months in its development together."
She thanked the various directors who had assisted throughout the year
During the year the club donated more than $18,000 to local, national and international causes including Baw Baw Food Relief, Scouts, Warragul Cemetery Trust, SHaRm Foundation and Rotary Foundation.
Ms Mitchell said she hoped to form her leadership on the new theme Imagine Rotary.
She said she looked forward to a year supporting the many causes that had been supported in the past and supporting new causes as well.
"At Rotary we support so many causes that make differences in people's lives."
The new board includes past president Diane Carson, secretary Rosemary Allica and treasurer Richard Habgood, Andrew Klindworth, Tony Carson, Fleur Craig, Alan Tatlow and Sunil Bhatt.