Gary Halliday posted on December 21, 2009 12:30
This was our last club meeting at the Catholic Club for 2009. My thoughts were that most members would have already started indulging in the season’s festivities. I was however proved wrong with the meeting being very well attended instead. Our thoughts go to those poor souls that have indeed started partying while awaiting the rest of our clubs arrival in Nelson Bay. We know who you are and our fine sergeant has duly noted.
Our special guests were Mr Walter Bock of Burwood Club, Mark Brooks, (Salvation Army) and Liverpool Greenway and Brett Smythe, of the Salvation Army.
An extremely fit looking Walter, who was also celebrating his 73rd birthday, gave us an insight into his “Community Chest” fund raising activities, followed by a talk on his recent climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. Walter is a truly inspirational man and one that Rotary should be proud to have in its ranks. His dedication to his fund raising activities and the various causes it supports globally is nothing short of phenomenal.
We also had the opportunity to farewell out going Salvation Army representative, Mark Brooks, who has been given a new mission in Newcastle. We wish Mark all the best in his new posting and thank him for the great work he has overseen in The Liverpool area over the years. His replacement, Brett Smythe, who was warmly welcomed by our members, displayed an enthusiasm for the challenges ahead that will ensure he has a successful tenure. Our club looks forward to working with and supporting Brett over the coming years.
I attended the Farmer’s Markets BBQ last Saturday and was blown away by the support this ongoing club project receives week in and week out. At one stage we had no fewer than six part time chefs attending to duties, two of whom are not even members of our club. This speaks volumes for the camaraderie between members and friends alike, that the farmers market BBQ is nurturing every Saturday. The financial gains are also nothing to be scoffed at as the funds raised help finance many of our clubs ongoing projects.
Finally, I would like to thank each and every member of our club for the help, guidance and support you have all afforded me in the first half of my year as president. I have only been a Rotarian for three years and do not profess to know everything there is to know about Rotary. I do however have a love and enthusiasm for the job of president and indeed the club and its goals as a whole. I hope that we will all return from our Christmas get together in Nelson Bay fully refreshed and reinvigorated for the challenges ahead.
A very merry Christmas to all.
The raffle jackpot will be $130.00 on 2nd February 2010.
Charlie.