Recognising Human Achievement written by Noel Halford
As Rotarians we are privileged to be in a place where we are able to use our individual talents for the benefit of those in our community who are less fortunate.
It is from these experiences we learn about wonderful personal achievements by those who have overcome enormous adversity. Sadly there are many stories that do not rise to the surface and are all too quickly lost in history unless someone is inspired to keep their memory alive. The personalities of those who have achieved are not always of a type that ensure there is a wider population awareness of their achievements, indeed many are modest and sometimes are embarrassed about the prospect of receiving any form of public recognition.
I am sure all of us know of someone, possibly a family member, who has an interesting story to tell but do not know where to start. As the years pass, we can look back on so many experiences and chance meetings with people whose achievements to date are unheralded. The question I pose is what means are available to apply to reveal these stories, which are not only inspirational but provide very personal glimpses of the historical events that have shaped the world we live in today.
History is recorded in many ways through art, hieroglyphics of ancient civilisations, Aboriginal rock art and storytelling and in more recent times writing, film, recordings and the science of carbon dating. There is nothing, however, that is more informative nor compelling than a medium that provides firsthand experiences of those who were there. Letters, photographs and memories of our ancestors are so valuable as we can learn lessons from history through their jig saw of experiences which, when combined, provide a bigger picture from which future generations can learn so much. It could be said we have a moral obligation to identify and preserve the messages from our ancestors.
A recent Rotary Hawthorn event illustrated how various mediums can align to proud outstanding opportunities to understand the sacrifices made by those in defending their freedom. Their efforts have ensured succeeding generations have the freedom and opportunity to learn and, as a result, contribute to science, medicine, technology and literature for the benefit of the local, national and global communities. Rotary Hawthorn was privileged to have prominent artist George Petrou address a meeting where he presented an excellent talk on his recently released “The Art of
Sacrifice”. This impressive publication features a collection of portraits of those who have served their country, along with a biographical insight into the events which shaped their lives and the lives of many others.
It was an event such as this that reveals the value of art, literature, modern technology and Rotary aligning to ensure the story of these special human beings is not lost in history. I can hardly wait for George Petrou’s latest publication “ The Art of Humanity” which I am sure will be most relevant when one considers the “Rotary Service above Self” ethos. I am sure all of the above will come into focus when Rotarians and friends visit the Pharoah Exhibition on 23rd July.
Noel Halford