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North Shore Electorate Rotary Clubs

Published on: July 2020

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-111301

North Shore Electorate Rotary Clubs

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (17:43):

:36 I acknowledge the local Rotary clubs in my electorate of North Shore. One of the great disappointments for our Rotary organisations is the impact of COVID on their ability to continue to meet and engage. They have had to find new ways to engage with the community to provide the services and support that they always have. As the Assistant Speaker would be aware, Rotary is an organisation that contributes above and beyond to our local communities. I know that they are doing everything they can in this time and will be alongside us during the recovery journey.

I thank all of my local clubs for the work they have been doing and acknowledge some of the recent changeovers that have occurred. The Rotary Club of Mosman was formed over 55 years ago and has been a leading service organisation on the North Shore since its formation. As many people would know, members contribute their time, energy and passion to sustainable long-term projects both within Australia and across the globe. Each specific project has its own humanitarian aims but common to all is a desire to make the world a better place. This is shown through the many causes they support, including disease prevention and treatment, disaster relief and water and sanitation.

At the end of June the Rotary Club of Mosman held its annual handover dinner over Zoom, where outgoing president Graeme Robinson outlined the achievements of the past year and handed over to new president Richard Vahtrick. I thank Graeme for his time as president of the club and also thank the incoming committee for the new year: Richard Vahtrick, president; Derek Andrew, treasurer; Graeme Robinson and Dom Rabu, secretary; and president‑elect Mark Wallis. I also congratulate the rest of the committee: Mark Alderson, Suri Jain, Di McKenzie, Halyna Koscharsky, Sarah Harding, Clare Stockdale, Barry Starr and Ruth Thompson. Congratulations to all of those members and best of luck for their new Rotary year ahead. I look forward to seeing you all again in person.

The Rotary Club of North Sydney is one of the foundation clubs in Australia. It was chartered on 16 August 1928 and was only the third Rotary Club in New South Wales. There is always a lot going on at the club, with members involved in local projects and activities that serve to improve life in local communities as well as in international projects that expand Rotary's humanitarian reach around the globe. The club is also well known for embracing the business community locally and offers vocational service activities and support to stimulate youth in our local community to achieve their potential.

In July the Rotary Club of North Sydney held its annual changeover dinner with president Lily Clarke handing over the reins to president-elect Toni Field, OAM. I congratulate Lily on her time as president and congratulate the incoming committee: Toni Field, OAM, president; Tony d'Arbon, secretary; and Doug Garner, treasurer. I congratulate the rest of the committee: Ross Waugh, David Field, Jenny Thomas, OAM, Lily Clarke, Samantha Lee, Jili Lee, Peter Lulic, Geoff Pritchard, OAM, Denis Booth and Mel Sharpe. Congratulations and good luck to all those members throughout the new Rotary year ahead. Again, I look forward to seeing you in person.

The Rotary Club of Crows Nest has a strong sense of community engagement and fundraising within the local area. Over the years the club has helped the Crows Nest Centre and North Sydney Boys and North Sydney Girls high schools, funded the build of 19 schools in China and raised thousands of dollars for the global End Polio Now! campaign. The club has donated many thousands of dollars to organisations such as the Fred Hollows Foundation and the North Shore Heart Research Foundation. The Rotary Club of Crows Nest recently held its annual changeover dinner, where president Mark Staples handed over to president-elect Ian Pocock. I thank Mark for his work and dedication as president. I congratulate the incoming committee: Ian Pocock, president; Mark Staples, secretary; and Owen Houston, treasurer. Congratulations to the rest of the committee: Kate Riddle, George Condell, Tom Sweeney, OAM, Bill Lee, Sue Raveane, Howard Sullivan, Angelo Raveane, Philip Smith, Alon Beran and Danny Low, OAM. Congratulations and best of luck to all those members.

The Rotary Club of North Sydney Sunrise is the only handover dinner I attended, as I am a member of that local club. It does some amazing work. President Allan Coates handed over to new president Cathie Glinka. I would like to say a special thanks to President Coates for his outstanding work over the last two years and to congratulate the incoming committee, particularly president Cathie Glinka. I wish her and the team all the best. Congratulations to Moira de Vos, Andrew Young and Allan Coates for receiving the Paul Harris Fellow award as special thanks and in recognition of their great commitment to Rotary and to our club. They have spent the last couple of weeks in Molong supporting drought‑affected communities. Each of these Rotary clubs across the North Shore electorate embodies the Rotary ethos of "service above self". They promote integrity, advance world understanding and enact goodwill and peace through a fellowship of community leaders. Congratulations once again. I look forward to seeing you as soon as I can in the future.

Ms GABRIELLE UPTON (Vaucluse) (17:48):

:44 I take this opportunity to compliment my local Rotary club, Rose Bay Rotary, and to say that for the second year in a row we have a woman leading the club. I congratulate Grace Spyrou, who took over from Lucy Robson. Together with Gary Marx, Hugh Clarke and John Lennox, who are outstanding and longstanding members of the executive at Rose Bay Rotary, they are a power within my electorate. They staff the City to Surf races each year and accompany most community events with a fantastic sausage sizzle. I challenge any other Rotary club to do a better one. I congratulate the new executive team at Rose Bay Rotary.