Changeover

There was a warm feeling in the room as we celebrated our changeover from President Doug McLean to Dorothy Gilmour.

Dorothy told us how much she appreciated our support and fantastic attendance: she was  literally blown away with the number and breadth of Rotarians and friends at Kooyong.

She especially mentioned DG Ron Payne and Deb, DGE Michael Lapiña, Mayor of Boroondara, Lisa Hollingsworth, her own family and Members of the Rotary SAFE Families, and friends from Rotary Melbourne and Rotary Hawthorn –  especially Terry Kitchen and her Team.

She thanked Doug McLean for his leadership and our splendid Board, which has led our Club to a very successful year with terrific events and much club fellowship. In thanking Terry, she said  “Behind every successful male, is a good woman! ….Together their partnership has seen Rotary Hawthorn prosper as a highly respected Club with growth, strong fellowship and respect.”

Dorothy then introduced the Board of Directors for the coming year:

• Secretary, Ian Bentley
• Treasurer, Richard Logan
• Membership, Andrew Crockett AM
• Club Service, Terry Kitchen
• Youth Service, Doug McLean 
• Community Service, Kevin Rose
• RotaryFoundation, Anne Scott OAM
• Vocational Service, Vincent Chen
• International Service, Peter Lugg

In closing, she said: “I promise you all to do my very best in the spirit of Rotary’s commitment to Making a Difference to disadvantaged communities worldwide. I have a fridge magnet with wording I apply to my everyday life… so be warned: …Well behaved women rarely make History!”

Photos of the evening are HERE

Better still, put your feet up and watch president Doug’s lovely slide show HERE

A Change of Role

Wasn’t it nice to have DGE Michael Lapiña along at our changeover? Members will recall the great Xmas Party we had in 2019, when he was the featured entertainer: his singing was entrancing. And soon he will be our District Governor: how good is that!

But don’t forget the tilde - the accent placed over the Spanish n when pronounced ny (as in señor )  Michael is pretty cool about it: he knows who he is, no matter how you pronounce his name.

Role, by the way, is less commonly written rôle. (merriam-webster.com)

The Rochester Connection

It was also a treat to see Bryan Griffiths again, coming all the way from Rochester to join our Changeover.  Bryan tells us that the repairs on his house are nearing completion, following the floods last year. The community is extremely grateful for the assistance provided by our Club and the Sackville Grange residents.  Our photo shows Anne Scott with Bryan at his makeshift living quarters. 

Vale John Blackman

Radio and television personality John Blackman has died at the age of 76.

Blackman's career started in radio in the late 1960s, but he was best known for his voiceover work on Channel Nine's Hey Hey It's Saturday, which ran on TV for decades.

He famously voiced the character Dickie Knee who popped up in front of presenters of the show to crack jokes.

Blackman was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2019 and underwent surgery to remove part of his jaw.

Members will of course recall how John was the star MC at DG Dennis Shore’s District Conference at Albury in 2013. His video clips and wisecracks made it a conference to remember: we left every session laughing.

He will be sadly missed and fondly remembered.

Rotary Club Forum

How nice that we will start next Rotary Year with a Club Forum!

Several newer members have never heard of a Club Forum.  - A forum is a place, situation, or group in which people exchange ideas and discuss issues, especially important public issues.

The meeting is an opportunity for members to ask questions, debate and find out about issues and events that affect our club.

Our photo shows Katrina Flinn picking a winner at a previous forum.

More info next week.

Where are they hiding?

When Dorothy Gilmour introduced her incoming Board, she noted that  Ian Bentley, Vincent Chen and  Peter Lugg are currently overseas.

However Ian Bentley sent a photo to give us a clue where he is, and challenges us to guess the location.

Best guess wins a kiss at the Xmas Party. 

That’s about it for the day.

TTFN