On Tuesday 26th June District Governor Rob Woolley and several visitors from neighbouring clubs joined the Rotary Club of Hall for the club changeover dinner where Barbara Baikie, President for the year until the 30th June and her board handed over the baton to the incoming President Brian Goldstraw and the new board.
District Governor Rob Woolley, Past President Barbara and Incoming 2012-13 President Brian
The Changeover Host, Past President Adrienne Moss kept the evening flowing by interspersing the formal proceedings with some light entertainment, reading some poems by Pam Ayres and interviewed the incoming board members.
During the evening outgoing President, Barbara, provided a report on her year and welcomed new members Tony Tucker, Janine Linklater, and Yvonne Robson who have each wasted no time in becoming active with various Rotary projects.
She thanked club members for their tireless work over the last year which resulted in the ongoing growth of the Farmers Market, an interesting and varied social program that included hosting a weekend friendship exchange with the Rotary Club of West Wyalong.
Barbara paid tribute to Past President Vic Gibbons who has been responsible for leading the Rotary District Rotary Youth Leadership Award program for the last couple of years and the clubs’ continued provision of support to a wide range of Rotary youth programs for local students.
She reminded us of the achievements of the past year including hosting International Youth Exchange Student Jessica Yen from Brazil, the establishment of an investment committee to provide a professional structure for management of club funds, the development of a very full program of community service projects, the establishment of this website and Facebook presence.
Under the leadership of Tam Arnold and Pam Brown the international committee has continued to support many of Rotary’s international programs. In addition the club is supporting a sustainable safe water program in Laos and investigating a hands-on project in a school in Vanuatu.
President Barbara thanked all club members for their support during the year and their continued contribution toward achieving club goals. She then invited District Governor Rob Woolley to assist her in presenting Paul Harris Fellow awards for significant contributions of service to Rotary and the community to:
- Past District Governor Bernie Rodgers
- Past President Vic Gibbons
- Bill Watson, Incoming Director for the Capital Region Farmers Market Committee
- Cynthia Small; Capital Region Farmers Market Manager
- Posthumous Award for Past President; Michael Brown
President Brian thanked Barbara for her thanked her and her board for their very impressive achievements during the year. He then went on to remind everyone of what the Club had achieved over the last 22 years under 22 Presidents and 22 Boards and 22 years of support and commitment from all our members.
He recounted that, “The club started with a youth and community project in 1992 to support Shane O’Reilly, a toddler with cerebral palsy and that the club itself was only just ‘learning to walk’. He said and the club has come a long way and undertaken many many projects in the intervening 22 years before introducing the gathering to their new 2012-2013 Board:
- Brian Goldstraw – President
- Barbara Baikie – Past President
- Roger Powell – Vice President
- Ralph Southwell – President elect
- Paul Tyrrell – Secretary
- Liz Rodgers – Treasurer
- Adrienne Moss – Director Club Service
- Chris Edwards – Director Community Service
- Bernie Rodgers – Director Youth and Vocational Service
- Pam Brown – Director International Service
- Bill Watson – Director Farmers Markets
“Here’s to a fabulous 2012-13” … cheers.
Thank you to the Rotary Club of Hall for a wonderful night and the extraordinary award bestowed on me. It has been a pleasure working with the Club and the friendships made along the way will be forever cherished.