Remember When - 50 Years of RCME

I first joined Rotary in Launceston over 50 years ago. In those days, it was not unusual for companies to encourage their staff to join Rotary. This was sometimes helpful when making a choice between attending to a Rotary project or remaining in the office !!  Circumstances have changed a lot, but the ideals are still there and much is contributed by members, with friendship and fun along the way.

 

I transferred with my family to Victoria in 1979 and, having bought a house in Mount Eliza, my next step was to find a local Rotary Club.  

 

The Mount Eliza Club has been a big part of my life now for over 40 years.  It has been a great experience and I have made many lasting friendships.

 

I served as Treasurer here for my first 3 years and that reminds me of one not so good episode. My office was in Dandenong so my wife Myrtle used to do the Rotary club banking for me. On one occasion, while she was waiting in the bank, a man walked in and pulled out a gun.  Everyone was ordered to get down on the floor and keep quiet – a nasty experience for the customers and staff but it eventually got sorted and nobody was hurt. I think that was probably the first and hopefully the last bank hold-up in Mt Eliza.

I found the job of Secretary a great insight into the workings of Rotary and have taken on the role five times but Brendon Hoban has pipped me at the post, having done the job six times.  

 

Maurie Selth has talked of times at Eildon – I can remember towing our boat up there and lots of happy times but not many fish being caught.  I also remember Ted Humphreys always volunteering to do the cooking on Harry Goodrich’s houseboat. Enough said!

 

Mount Eliza Rotary has a proud history of achievements.  In the days when the membership was a little younger, a steady stream of international exchange students stayed with families and spent a year attending schools in the district, and the club has also sponsored many local students to travel overseas in exchange.  There have been links to countries including Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, Japan, and America, creating lasting international friendships.  

 

There was a time when, at the end of their stay, students from all over Australia headed up by train and bus for a memorable final week’s camp under the stars in Central Australia before returning to their homes overseas.  Among the organisers and chaperones for this trip were Joyce and Bill Parsons from our Club, who travelled with the group on several occasions.

 

Helping young people has always been an important theme, from young leadership camps to the major project instigated by John Gordon to support Young Carers.  The Mornington Racing Club helped in a big way here, also, who will forget their involvement in 24-hour walks to support Cancer Sufferers.  We picnicked at the Race Club and at Mornington High School, as well as the Berwick Showgrounds where some Club members camped overnight.  Our Club was always among the largest group of supporters and fundraisers on these occasions.  

 

There was also involvement in the Jim Stynes Reach Foundation with camps and fund-raising dinners - Alan Byers played a leading role in supporting these projects.

 

Benita Taylor with her husband Neil and many others put a huge effort into the setting up of the Garden Festival which ran for several years. One of my jobs here was pestering shopkeepers in the area for items to put in the show bags!   These bags netted about $3,000. The most interesting offer I received was for a batch of watches from a promotional company – however there was a catch. The deal was for us to buy 1,000 of these watches for $2 each and it was suggested we could sell them on for 3 or 4 times that amount.   I was given one to try out and, after much discussion we decided that the risk was too great so the offer was knocked back. This was not a good decision.  I have been wearing that sample watch for at least 15 years and it has often been complimented on its slim line.  It still keeps almost perfect time and has never needed any maintenance apart from an occasional battery!!  

              
One special member and past president of the Club was Carl Seales, a heart transplant recipient, who owned an old model T  Ford. Over an extended period of time, he drove it all over Victoria, with various Club members assisting, to promote transplants and raise funds, in the ‘T for Transplant’ project.  Maurie Selth, Robert Cracknell and Graham Reid were part of that project.  

 

There have been some wonderful progressive dinners and other festive occasions and so many stalwarts of the Club like Rowan Miller and his willing helpers who are always on hand to lift, carry, drag and transport things to and from fund raising events.  John Welsh and his helpers who have done a remarkable ‘loaves and fishes’ job on so many occasions, the charity golf day organisers, etc. etc. where do you start and where do you stop. Judy Barrett providing the space and the hard work and planning to help with successful events at Morning Star.  Not to forget Linda Morris who somehow finds the time to say ‘yes’ to everything that is asked of her and has so many other commitments in the community.  It’s the old story -  ask a busy person if you want to get something done!!

However, I think the most significant and beneficial change to our club throughout its history has been the introduction of women members.

Initially, the Constitution and Bylaws of Rotary International stated that Rotary club membership was for males only.  Then in 1978, the Rotary Club of Duarte, in California, invited three women to become members. As a result, the RI Board withdrew the charter of that Club. This started a legal tug of war lasting about 11 years until the RI constitutional change was finally made in 1989 with a vote to eliminate the "male only" provision for membership.  Since that time, women have become members and leaders of clubs and districts throughout the world.

 

Many clubs were a little slow to react to this change. Several predictions were made as to what might happen to the all-male Rotary Clubs. It was suggested that marriages could be at risk, and that a large number of members would resign! Well, neither of those things happened in our club and late in 1996, PP David Petts proposed Trish Stamp for membership. Trish was inducted on 18/2/1997 and was followed (18 months later) by Elizabeth McCormick, then Joan Pullen in December 98, Carolyn Such in March 99, and Judy Coultas in August 99.

 

Trish did a great job as the only woman in the club for a long time, but then things began to move more quickly and we saw a progressive increase in the proportion of women members. In the first five years after Trish joined us, we inducted 10 women and 20 men. However, in the last five years we have inducted 12 women and only 7 men. We currently have 14 women and 22 men in the club.

 

There is no doubt that our women members have contributed enormously to the achievements of our club. In addition, many have served as directors, four as secretary, five as president and three as assistant governor.
Congratulations to you all, Ladies, you have done great things for our club.

 

Thank you John for such wonderful memories of our great club! (Ed)