Our chair for the evening was President Elect Andrew Rofe and we welcomed Honorary Member Pam Mott and our special guest Olwyn Vague together with David and Barbara Peek, Jan McGowan and Ruth Christian from the Christ Church Meals Program and a group of young people who came along to learn what Rotary does.
The occasion was the presentation of the R.J. Vague Award for community service.
The RJ Vague Award
The RJ Vague Award was named to honour the extensive community service of Robert Vague, a Foundation Member of The Rotary Club of Geelong East Inc. The award was the idea of Past President Bob Pullin.
RJ (Bob) Vague has served the community of Geelong in many ways over a long period of time.
Bob was a member of Apex and served that organisation as District Governor. He was a co-convenor of Birthright, an organisation that provided support to children who had lost their fathers. He was actively involved with the organisation Civilian Widows – a group that no longer exists because the government has taken over the support role.
In addition to these activities, Bob was on the executive of YMCA and served as the Secretary / Treasurer. He was a foundation member, and President of a number of Housing Cooperatives. Bob served the Uniting Church both at a local and State level. He also served 17 years on the Council of the Geelong High School, much of that time as Chairman.
On November 21st 1969 Bob became one of the Charter Members of The Rotary Club of Geelong East and has been an active member ever since. He was club Secretary from 1975 to 1977 and President 1978/1979. Bob was recognised by the club as a Paul Harris Fellow.
These are just a few of the community service activities that Bob has been involved in.
Professionally, Bob was the Company Secretary for Cheetham. He was also a much loved husband and father, who despite his many community service commitments spent quality time with his wife Olwyn and his children.
Members of The Rotary Club of Geelong East are invited to nominate people for this prestigious award provided they meet the following criteria:
A person who:
- is of good character
- who has served the community well
(can be one or more organisations or groups of individuals)
- over a period of time
(not simply a one-off act)
- in a way that reflects Rotary’s values and ideals
- and who may or may not be a Rotarian
The award carries a donation of $500.00 made on behalf of the recipient to a charity of their choice, by The Rotary Club of Geelong East.
Jan McGowan receives the 2015 R.J. Vague Award
Past President Jenny Acopian announced that this year's R.J. Vague Award recipient was Jan McGowan who is a leading light in the Christ Church Meals Project.
Jan received a certificate and a cheque for $500.00 which Jan can donate to her favorite charity and Jan spoke fondly of her friendship over many years with the Vague family.
Jan expressed her appreciation of the contribution made by our Club members and gave some examples of how the Program had changed lives for the better.
We are all invited on Monday 15 June to Christ Church for the Thanksgiving Service at 7.30 pm to celebrate 25 years of the service.
Our New Members Speak
Bernadette Hammond presented her new member talk and told us how her values were formed as part of a big family in the country. She came to Geelong and brought up her children in East Geelong.
She has done a variety of jobs and, in the process, has learned much about people and herself and is a proud mother and grandmother.
James Dunlop, international man of mystery, took us back to his grandfather's birth in the 1890's in Fitzroy and then to South Africa where James was born and then on to Australia where his family operated a boarding house (good training for a Youth Exchange host family?) and James saw many reasons to strive to achieve his potential.
James became a teacher after qualifying in dishwashing and after trying (unsuccessfully) to convince the Navy that the port and starboard lights were the same colour.
James spoke of meeting Susan and the wonderful things they have shared (including Margaret and the benefits which come from stopping at red traffic signals), the joys of youth exchange and the culinary skills gained through membership in our Rotary Club.
Our Newest New Member – Welcome Bill Bailey!
We inducted (induced?) Bill Bailey into membership of our Club.
Bill comes to us from Eastbourne in the United Kingdom.
Bill has his daughters and grandchildren here in Geelong.
It was the hamburgers (or Alannah) which drew Bill to our Club and we look forward to sharing Rotary friendship and service with Bill over many years to come.
