By CASEY NEILL
OUTGOING Rotary Club of Dandenong president and Paul Harris Fellow Ken McDonald received a second sapphire pin at the club’s changeover lunch on Sunday 13 July.
Trevor Harding and John Brennan received their first sapphire pins at the event, at Sandown Regency in Noble Park.
Mr McDonald joined the club on 26 May 1986. He served as president in 1993-’94 and again 20 years later.
He received his first sapphire in 2009, at the end of his year as district governor.
“I am lost for words. It is indeed an honour,” he said.
“It’s been great to serve the Rotary Club of Dandenong and it’s been a pleasure to serve Rotary International.
“It’s been a good year and a hard year and we’ve worked hard. Everyone in the club has really done their part.
“I’d like to thank my wife Marg for putting up with me.
“It would be difficult to do the job as president without someone behind you to help you.”
Mr Harding joined the Rotary Club of Dandenong on 4 October 1976, served as president in 1986-’87 and is active in distributing bowel scan kits to save lives.
“It’s a shock to the system, but I’m really delighted,” he said, receiving his sapphire.
“I’ve loved every minute of it.”
Mr Brennan has been with the group since 21 August 2000 and served as president in 2004-’05.
He was made a Paul Harris Fellow in June 2008 and is instrumental in running the club’s fund-raising barbecues.
“I owe it all to my wife Linda, really. She does all the work, I’m just a front man,” he said.
“I’ve enjoyed my time in Rotary and I hope to keep going.”
District 9820 governor Charlie Speirs presented the group with a Membership Development and Extension Award from Rotary International.
He said the district was completing work in 26 countries.
“There’s just influence everywhere by Rotarians trying to make the world a better place,” he said.
“We have more wins than losses.”
He said Rotary’s Polio Plus program had continuing success, with only 24 cases reported outside Pakistan last year.
“When I was a kid at school it was in the thousands,” Mr Speirs said.
Mr McDonald said Dandenong had achieved some good things during his presidential term, including removing badges from old Victoria Police uniforms to send overseas.
“It was a marathon. They loaded up a whole busload – twice,” he said.
They sent 59 boxes of shirts and 15 boxes of trousers in all – but weren’t sure what to do with three holsters and four flak jackets that ended up in the delivery.
“I don’t know how they thought we could use those in Fiji!” Mr McDonald said.
The group held its second annual Cinema Under the Stars in Dandenong’s Tirhatuan Park, where about 600 people watched Mamma Mia!
They delivered $2000 to Polio Plus, $1000 to Interplast and $3100 to Disaster Aid, delivered through Endeavour Hills Rotary in countries devastated by natural disasters.
About $1000 went to projects in East Timor, and cash also went to upgrade Dandenong Kindergarten.
“In all we delivered nearly $38,000 in funds in 2013,” Mr McDonald said.
Incoming president Ian Maxwell’s family and friends were the butt of jokes by the event’s entertainment, ventriloquist Lindi Jane.
The year’s Rotary motto is Light Up Rotary.
“We want to make Dandenong Rotary bigger and brighter and better,” Mr Maxwell said.
“We want to make Rotary fun.
“I enjoy going to work every day.
“What I want you to do is look forward to coming to Rotary.”
He said a recent barbecue was rained out.
“It was a flop but we had a great time out there,” he said.
“Not everything we do is going to be a great success.
“You never always make the right decision, but you make the decision based on the facts you’ve got at the time.
“We’re going to do our damnedest to be a success.”
