Electrical Engineer Garry Smith handed the baton of leadership for Lower Blue Mountains Rotary Club to Industrial Chemist Bruce Bailey in a colourful ceremony at Lakeside Restaurant last Tuesday.
Garry enjoyed a successful career with Transgrid during his working life whilst Bruce is still enjoying service with water treatment organisation, United Group Limited. Both are residents of the Lower Mountains area.
In his annual report to the changeover dinner, retiring President Garry reported an outstanding year of activity with more than $90,000 distributed to an impressive list of local, regional, national and international projects – Mountains Youth Services, Friends of Nepean Emergency, Rotary’s Model United Nations Assembly, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Rotary Street Libraries, Books in Homes, School in a box for PNG, Rotary Flood Relief, St John Ambulance, Gateway Services, Rotary Christmas for Seniors, The Haven, Pride of Workmanship, Purple House Indigenous support, Association of Bell, Clarence and Dargin, Shelter Box for disaster areas, Rotary Tonga Tsunami Appeal, Umoja Orphanage Kenya, The Rotary Foundation, END POLIO Campaign and many worthy other worthy charities and causes.
He told of the club’s dedication to the Lower Mountains Community and of its continued growth and success. He explained that funding of the above projects was made possible by the Rotary Opportunity Shop in Blaxland and regular Glenbrook Market Days, along with charity movie nights, the Book Fair on Market Days and sundry special appeals in response to disasters.
Special mention was also made of the Club’s major sponsors – Jim Aitken & Partners Real Estate, Bendigo Bank, and Blaxland Tiles & Bathrooms.
The new Board of Directors was sworn in ready for the year ahead – Bruce Bailey, Evan Stevens (President-Elect), Garry Smith (vice president), Roger Winterburn (secretary), Kathy Pettit (treasurer), Michele Ellery (admin), Susan Wakefield (community), Karalyn Brown (International), Bianca Marlin (youth) and Bob Aitken (vocational).
