By CASEY NEILL
DANDENONG Rotarians have been serving the community for 80 years.
They celebrated the milestone at Waverley Golf Club in Rowville on 15 May, presenting four prestigious awards to members who’ve gone above and beyond.
The proposed Rotary Club of Dandenong’s first meeting took place at the Royal Hotel in Dandenong on 29 March 1935.
The club counted Rotary founder Paul Harris among the guests, the only club in Australia to do so.
Among the 19 original charter members were M+K founder Jeffrey Macpherson and Dandenong Mayor Ray Jeffers.
The club distributes about $30,000 in the local community each year but has just 25 members – a long way from the 100-plus in the 1980s.
“So we’ve really got to pull up our socks and attract ordinary citizens of Dandenong,” former president Graeme Coates said.
He’s the club’s longest serving member, having joined in 1972, and thanked his wife of 56 years, Marlene, when he received a sapphire pin at the dinner.
“I’d just like to mention my wife, my one and only,” he said.
“Without my wife I’d be just a very ordinary Rotarian.”
Phillip Lunt also received a sapphire pin.
He joined the Rotary Club of Dandenong in 2007, served as president in 2012-13 and has taken a leading role in a number of projects including Cinema Under the Stars.
About 600 people attended the event in its first year and that number swelled to 1600 this year.
“It was a great family night. Not only did we make money but we got out there as Rotarians,” Mr Lunt said.
“It’s nice to see that we have made a lot of progress in the things we’ve started.
“I’m fairly lost for words, which is unusual for me. I love you all.”
Past president Don Cantwell received a second sapphire pin. He joined Rotary Club of Dandenong in 1977.
“I’ve enjoyed every moment of it,” he said.
“I just hope we can get some more members and keep the club really strong.”
Mr Cantwell directed the club’s art stand loan program over the past 14 years, raising about $18,000 per year.
Dandenong Rotarians would transport, assemble and dismantle the art stands but recently sold them to Rotary Club of Berwick due to ageing volunteers.
“They already had some stands so it’s worked out very well,” Mr Cantwell said.
The club made Linda Grennan a Paul Harris Fellow. She became involved when her husband John joined Rotary in 2000.
“I’d just like to say thank you so much. What a shock,” she said.
“I just help out with everyone else.”
As she made her way back to her table, several people commented “you do more than that”.
