Club celebrates 89 years of local fund-raising
Spalding Rotary Club celebrated its 89th Charter with an evening of traditional formalities, great food and brilliant entertainment, at Spalding Golf Club.
Distinguished guests included District Governor Elect Dawn Denton and Assistant Governor Ian Steltner. Spalding’s Club President Graham Dawson and his wife Debby joined members and their partners, as well as Rotarians from clubs across the district and guests from the Inner Wheel club.
President Elect Jim Tyner kicked off the after-dinner speeches with the Python-esque question ‘What has Rotary ever done for us?’ (Apart from promoting world peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, supporting education, saving mothers and children, helping local economies and supporting the environment).
President Graham Dawson reported that Spalding Rotary Club had had a very successful year of fundraising, with proceeds going to a variety of community projects and national charities.
He said ‘We are People of Action, proud of our club’s commitment to service above self’. As part of the formalities, the Paul Harris Fellowship (PHF) Award was presented by Dawn Denton to three-times past president Barry Elliott.
This award is an accolade that a Rotary Club can vote to present to a worthy individual within or outside the international Rotary organisation. It is named after one of the Founding Fathers of Rotary and recognises extended effort and commitment in supporting the community.
After the formalities the entertainment began, with songs from local singers Jeff ‘Pavanotti’ Woods and Oksana Ponaida. Jeff’s songs ranged from the sing-along ‘Volare’ to ‘O Solo Mio’. Oksana dedicated a moving rendition of ‘I will Pray For You’ to her son in the Ukrainian military and ended with a beautiful Ukrainian folk song.
Club President Elect Jim Tyner said: ‘The evening was a great success and embodied the idea of fellowship and fun, while celebrating another year of selfless contributions to our local community.’
