|
DG
Bernie's CONCLUDING Message
TIME TO SAY GOODBYE!.JPG)
The journey
that commenced three years ago is now coming to its end and the
final step will be taken on Sunday at the District Changeover when I
hand the
regalia of office to John Davis who will be District Governor
2007-2008.
All around the
Rotary world, the new teams take their places on 1st July
from the RI President down to the Club officers. It is a time of
spring in Rotary as this
annual renewal takes place and the promise of another harvest is
born.
We reflect on
the past twelve months with a thin layer of nostalgia and a large
measure of gratitude and it is time to say thank you to the many
Rotarians that have Lead The Way during the year.
The Club
Presidents and members deserve a huge thank you for their warmth and
friendliness towards Margaret and me and we will have lasting
memories
of your
kindness.
Thank you to
the District Leadership Team and members of the various committees
who made it happen during the year and I wish to acknowledge the superb
support provided by the District Executive, especially by the
District Secretary, Dennis Shore and District Treasurer, Bernie
Gerlinger, who both have endeavoured to keep me sane this year.
I
pay tribute to the Rotary Club of Hawthorn who had faith in my
ability to carry out the duties required of an RI Officer. I will
always be grateful to my Club for
its patience and fortitude and the expertise of its members employed
in the conduct of the very successful District Conference held in
Canberra, an event that took a large committee over two years of
organisation.
During the
year, I have endeavoured to inspire and teach via my weekly and
monthly Messages and, to round off the year, I will relate an event
that happened in Salt Lake City. One of the speakers was a 22 year
old young lady from Turkey who was born without arms but, at the age
of 17 years, undertook the CLE literacy programme to improve her
position in life. Her name is Emine and she not only completed the
course, she also became a teacher of the programme who wrote by
holding a pencil between her toes.
She was the
most emotional of the speakers at the RI Convention but the event
was extraordinary for a number of reasons. I happened to be the
Treasurer at the Rotary Club of Hawthorn when we applied for a 3H
Literacy Grant for Kurdish women in Turkey and I wrote the cheque
for $25,000 that was the principal contribution which gained a grant
of US$283,000 for that CLE programme. The Turkish Government adopted
and promoted the programme throughout Turkey for the benefit of all.
On top of that,
I had the privilege of helping to establish an Alliance between our
District and District 2420 in Istanbul based on our common interest
in Gallipoli. District 2420 provided a pair of prosthetic arms for
Emine which she proudly wore on stage at the Convention.
This is a
further story about the wonderful world of Rotary and how the world
is becoming a smaller place where enemies of many years ago have
joined together in a bond of understanding and peace. Everything is
possible when we set our mind to it and, in Rotary, extraordinary
things happen, even when you least expect it.
To be a
District Governor is a great privilege and one is humbled by the
humanitarian projects and community efforts performed by the Clubs,
sometimes quite casually, for those less fortunate. I am proud to
have had the opportunity to lead the Rotarians of our great
District, who this year, have showed me, how to Lead The Way.
Bernie Walshe
District Governor
2006-2007
 |