By CASEY NEILL
Ron Damon grew up on a market garden in Noble Park.
“We had a 60-acre property and we lived across the road from the Corrigans,” he said.
“Our family was among the biggest cauliflower growers in the state at the time.”
In 1975 he joined Rotaract, the Rotary off-shoot for 18 to 30-year-olds.
“I became hooked on the community service – what Rotary and Rotaract stood for,” he said.
Mr Damon, now a Cranbourne resident, became a fully-fledged Rotarian on 10 January 1985 and on Friday 1 July became the Rotary Club of Noble Park president.
“I’ve been president before in 1991-92. This is my second go at it,” he said.
“I’m the fourth president that’s been recycled!”
Like many other Rotary Clubs, membership is a strong focus for the 21-member Noble Park group.
“We’re really only getting 18 of those 21 turn up,” Mr Damon said.
“But I believe that by embracing the Keysborough area more – because there’s no Rotary Club in Keysborough anymore – we can pick up from the new businesses and residents.
“There’s more people that live in that area now than when we were chartered,” he said.
“We just want more hands-on people. The more hands we’ve got the more we can achieve.
“It’s up to you how much you want to get involved.
“We know people have got families and people have got other interests.
“We want Rotary to be part of your life.”
The Rotary International president decided the organisation’s theme for the year ahead would be ‘Rotary serving humanity’.
“That’s our aim, to serve humanity – whether that be local, national or international.
“We’re non-religious, non-political.
“We’re a community service club.
“Our aim is to support and to help people, people that we feel need our help.
“That’s what we want to do, that’s what we love doing.
“Helping someone in your life, it’s a great feeling.”
The group meets each Thursday night at Sandown Regency Motor Inn at 6pm for a 6.30pm start.
“We do fellowship activities, too,” he said.
“We do some interesting tours and visits – we have a lot of fun.
“My main aim for Rotary is to continue on the projects we’ve done and find some new projects.
“Each year to have to change to keep up the interest.”
Helping young people throughout the region and beyond is a focus for the club.
Last year it provided funds so Noble Park Primary School students from two families could continue their education.
It also runs a literacy reading program at the school, dubbed Hooked on Books, and sponsored a cultural exchange trip to Yarrabah in Cairns.
Members participated in mock job interviews at Carwatha College, presented scholarships to eight students for their transition from primary school to year seven, gave $1000 scholarships to two VCE students, and paid for four year nine students from Nazareth Secondary College to attend the three-day science experience at Monash University.
The club helped two Noble Park Secondary College students to participate in a model United Nations assembly, collected desks for a school in Timor Leste, and spent $9600 to provide books to 114 pre-primary aged children through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Noble Park Rotarians are now working with Keysborough College to form an Interact Club – another Rotary off-shoot which is designed to get kids co-ordinating volunteer projects.
Mr Damon said a sister club relationship with Rotarians in Kofu, Japan, could provide opportunities for the students.
Call Mr Damon on 0408 766 643 to get involved with the club.
