THE District Governor of Rotary International is encouraging the organisation’s Kerang members to continue being out in the community.
Stephen Lamont spent Thursday visiting various locations as part of his effort to visit as many clubs as possible during a three-day tour of the region.
Accompanied by Rotary Club of Kerang president, Annette Kelly and her husband, Ron, as well as assistant governor, Rosanne Kava, Mr Lamont spent the afternoon learning more about the club.
The tour included visiting the local club’s headquarters, which had previously been the town’s table tennis stadium, and exploring Atkinson Park, where club members have put in hundreds of hours beautifying the popular attraction.
Plans are being developed to install a community information board within the club’s barbecue area at the park to highlight projects that have been undertaken or planned.
“Rotary is a quiet achiever. We do things not to be put on a pedestal and do not like to beat our chests, but something like the board may encourage other community groups to approach Rotary for assistance in their projects,” Mr Lamont said.
Other parts of the tour included a visit to St Joseph’s Primary School, where Mr Lamont spoke to Rotary Community Leadership Award program, as well as the Kerang Cemetery to see the club’s information booth.
Mr Lamont also received an update on the popular Alternative Schoolies initiative, which the club developed nine years ago as an alternative to Schoolies Week for local year 12 students.
Since its first trip in 2007, students from Cohuna Secondary College and Kerang Technical High School have joined club member and other community representatives to build homes in Cambodian villages.
“There was a stage there were a generation of people shunned volunteering, but that is something that is coming back,” Mr Lamont said.
“The tour enabled me to get a great perspective on what country clubs are doing in their communities.
The Rotary Club of Kerang hosted Mr Lamont that evening, where the group inducted two new members, bringing it current numbers to 25.
“Stephen’s visit means a lot both ways. It enables him to put a face to the club, and we get the support of the district, which covers the area from Geelong to the South Australian border and Swan Hill,” Mrs Kelly said.
