Rotaract District 9465 Awards Night 2015

On Sunday 31st of May, Rotaractors and Rotarians from District 9465 and 9455 came together to celebrate the efforts and work of the Rotaract Clubs in District 9465. A night in which outstanding Rotaractors are celebrated and rewarded for their hand work.

Each year District 9465 has 4 special awards to present.

Rotaractor of the Year / Stephen Kendall Award- This award is to recognise a Rotaractor who goes above and beyond for their club. It is a person who is completely dedicated to the Rotaract family and is highly valued among their peers.

The Ian Ball Award – The Ian Ball Award is an award that recognises the values instilled by the ever-dedicated Ian Ball. Those Rotaractors who are reliable, dependable and are always willing to help out the club in any way that is required.

Rotarian of the Year / Helping Hands Award – This award recognises a Rotarian who has gone above and beyond their service in assisting and helping Rotaract grow and develop. It should go to a Rotarian who is valued by the Rotaract Clubs and believes their service should be recognised.

For the first three awards nominations are called from each Rotaract club and then decided upon by a judging committee.

It was with great pleasure that I was able to award Kim Dawes the 2014/2015 Stephen Kendall Award, Alex Hill, the Ian Ball Award and Janet Moore, the Helping Hands Award.

Kim is always available to help out when required, and goes over and above her duties as President. She has sacrificed time with her family on a number of occasions for both fundraising events and on our international project to Jakarta where her input and effort was second to none. Kim has recently accepted a second term as President on top of her work, study and family commitments and is always working tirelessly in the background to make sure the club is running smoothly. She is a truly valued member of her Rotaract club of Rockingham/Kwinana.

L-R: Kim Dawes, Kero O’Shea and Anthea McCormick

Alex goes about his business quietly but with precision. His work as treasurer of both the Rockingham Kwinana Rotaract and the District Rotaract is second to none and he is always happy to assist in any event. Alex is always the first to put his hand up to organise personal development days which encourages not only our personal development but also our teamwork.

Alex was an integral part the Rockingham/Kwinana Rotaract Club international project in Jakarta and he helped lead the club to achieve our fundraising goal which allowed them to help the Jakarta Metropolitan club to renovate a school in need.

As if all of the above wasn’t enough to warrant Alex to be nominated for the Ian Ball award he had also designed and printed the district and his club banners.

L-R- Kim Dawes, Mike Nella and Alex Hill

As President of both the Rotary Club of Rossmoyne, and parent to the Rotaract club of Rossmoyne, it’s impressive how Jan manages to juggle us both, yet she never fails to show up at meetings. She’s been an inspiration for some of the Rossmoyne Rotaract members even while they were in high school Interact Clubs, guiding them through the most tried teenage years and into adulthood.

Janet was instrumental in guided the club towards their recent Charter Night and supported them over the last years during ups and downs.

L-R: Janet Moore and Anthea McCormick

As DRR I also have the privilege to award the DRR Appreciation Award- This award is presented to someone that the DRR feels has been instrumental in the support and running of the District. With so many key people and supporting Rotarians and Rotaractors it was hard to choose. I was honoured to award both Mike Nella and Ian Ball these awards for 2014-2015.

As the youth chair for the Rotary District Mike is required to attend all out meetings however his support surpasses this. He can always be relied upon to come up with creative ideas and suggestions and has all the Rotaract Clubs in his heart. He truly is someone with a heart to join Rotaract.

Ian Ball is a name known to all WA Rotaractors. As a past Rotaractor, DRR, member of MDIO and recipients of a Paul Harris Award, Ian is always willing to offer advice and guidance. However with Ians’ recent move into membership of a local Rotary club we were expecting him to be drawn into serving at his club. But, without fail, whenever we needed him Ian was there, and in particular a valued support with the handover of our Dial A Santa project.

All in all the awards night was a success and just a small glimpse into some of the amazing Rotaractors, Rotarians and projects that we have here in WA.

-Anthea McCormick, DRR, District 9465