Year of growth, success for Rotary

Celebrations were in full swing as the Rotary Club of Narrabri celebrated a year of giving back to the Narrabri community as well as continued membership growth at its annual changeover dinner.

Almost 60 Rotarians and guests were part of the festivities held at the Narrabri RSL on Saturday night.

Donations and projects for the year totalled more than $50,000. The club ended the year with 40 members.

Outgoing president Karen Kirkby described the year as being full of fundraising, sponsorship, youth activities, vocational activities and membership growth.

Dr Kirkby reflected on the club’s many successes, including an increased focus on supporting local youth.

“We are sponsoring high school student Elizabeth Faris to partake in a three-month Rotary Youth Exchange heading to Germany,” Dr Kirkby said.

“Our club also supported three Narrabri High School students: Will Faris, Kaitlin Barnes and Maeve Harris to attend a STEM course in London.

“The club sponsored four students: Will Faris, Daniel Smith, George Bennett, and Maeve Harris to attend the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF).

“Our club also sponsored Jesse Weekes to attend RYLA.

“Our club supported the young driver training program, provided by Narrabri and Northwest Training, for 10 participants.”

Many of the donations and projects throughout the year have been bolstered by the fundraising success of the Rotary book sale.

This year’s sale has spanned several months and draws to close at the end of the month.

The sale has again been a record breaking success and is expected to raise in excess of $35,000 once it closes.

“This would not have been possible without the volunteers, in particular Bruce and Joan Pyke and Pat Norrie,” Dr Kirkby said.

“I thank you for your continued support of this community project.”

This year, Rotary also chartered the formation of a new Rotaract club in Wee Waa.

A celebration dinner was held earlier this year.

Among the Rotary success stories is the continued growth of the Narrabri markets.

“With new initiatives and regular entertainment, the Rotary Markets have continued to grow in numbers of stall holders, attracting even more customers and those who wish to use the markets as a place to socialise,” Dr Kirkby said.

“It is because of this growth, that the markets outgrew the capacity to be held in Selina Street. The markets continue to be a financial success for the club.”

Dr Kirkby praised Jocellin Jansson for her oversight of the markets.

One of Rotary’s more recent triumphs was the annual Science and Engineering Challenge, held at The Crossing Theatre.

Almost 500 students attended the challenge, held across three days.

“For another year, the Science and Engineering Challenge was held where we hosted primary and secondary school students from across the district for three days of stimulating science and engineering activities,” Dr Kirkby said.

“Our thanks to Kirk Harvey for taking on this role this year and to past president Bruce Pyke for mentoring Kirk, making this event another success.”

Other community projects undertaken by Rotary in the past year include painting the Meals on Wheels office, a thank you barbecue for local police as well as barbecues at PCYC events.

Rotary also assisted in catering for the many firefighters, local and visiting, who were in Narrabri for the Duck Creek bushfire in late 2023.

Donations throughout the year were made to the VRA, Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, Bellata Christmas Tree, Shake It Up Foundation and to the Wee Waa Rotaract Club to assist in its establishment.

As reported by The Courier last week, Rotary also announced end of year donations for community and Rotary organisations totalling almost $19,000.

New Rotarians were inducted with Miranda Broekman and Dr Sumudu Bandarage joining the club.

The club also welcomed transferring Rotarian Julie Drake, from Port Macquarie and was thrilled to see past president Wayne Madden return home to Narrabri after living in Dimboola, Victoria, for several years.

In the past Rotary year, members were saddened by the death of long-standing members John Grellman and Ron McKenzie.

Club members were also saddened by the death of Bebe Mackey.

Mrs Mackey’s husband, the late Bruce Mackey, was a past president of the club and died in 2017.

Following his death, Mrs Mackey continued to be a great supporter of Rotary.

Ongoing projects include a memorial to well-known local general practitioner the late Dr Robert (Bob) Anderson near the newly-refurbished Rotary shelters on Selina Street, a domestic violence phone project and progressing towards a columbarium wall at Eulah Creek.

Additional fundraising activities conducted by Rotary include a screening of the short film Giants for the End Polio Now campaign, conducting the chocolate wheel at the Narrabri Chamber Christmas Street Carnival, various barbecues at sporting and community events as well as manning the main gate at the Narrabri Show.

Dr Kirkby thanked her outgoing board members Jocellin Jansson (vice president), Dylan Smith (immediate past president, secretary and club director), Kat Denniss (treasurer), Darrell Tiemens (international director), Tricia Hadley (vocation director), Kirk Harvey (youth director), and Grahame Herbert (community director) for their dedication to making this year, another year where Rotary could provide “hope”.

“I would like to express my sincere appreciation for all that each of you has done over the past 12 months,” Dr Kirkby said.

“Thank you for your commitment every month to attend board meetings and all the volunteer hours you have spent carrying out your respective roles. You have helped me in more ways than I can express.

“I have also had the benefit of great mentoring from past presidents including Dylan Smith, Darrell Tiemens, Phil Norrie, Bruce Pyke, Grahame and Julie Herbert, Tricia Hadley, Pat Carberry, and Len Hall.

“Importantly, thank you to each member of this wonderful club.

“It has been my absolute privilege and honour to represent you as the club president over the past year. Your kindness, your encouragement, and your belief in me helped me so much.

“Thank you for always rallying and coming together to volunteer your time, whether it was to do a barbecue, to paint the inside of a building, to help at the markets, or to help at other community events.

“I am excited to see what our incoming president Jocellin has in store. Our club has a great future ahead.”

Following the report, and presentation of awards, district governor Bruce George, of Inverell, officially inducted Ms Jansson as president of the Rotary Club of Narrabri.

Ms Jansson was presented with the chain of office, the club’s charter and a banner with the new Rotary theme ‘The Magic of Rotary’.

The club’s focus on youth will continue under Ms Jansson’s leadership while also continuing to support many community, national and international areas of need.

Ms Jansson introduced her officers for this year, including, Dr Kirkby (immediate past president), Wayne Madden (vice president), Julie Drake (secretary), Chris Taylor (treasurer), Tess Lindsay (club director), Liz Campbell (international director), Ethan Towns (youth director), Grahame Herbert (community director), Tricia Hadley (vocation director), Dylan Smith (bulletin editor) and Pat Carberry (club historian).