1958-59

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The information on this page is from the Club’s publication “A History of the Rotary Club of Brunswick” Golden Jubilee 2nd edition, 2003:

District Governor: Joe Bradbury (Rotary Club of Essendon)
President: Doug Hemingway
Secretary: Bob Ferguson
Treasurer: Peter Hogg

During this year the “Meals on Wheels” project commenced for the “Incapacitated Elderly Citizens” of Brunswick. This was established with our Rotary Club organising through the Red Cross to deliver the meals to the various homes. The Club also provided the insulated food containers for the hot meals to be provided. We believe that Brunswick was the first Rotary Club to start the Meals on Wheels programme in Victoria.

One of our Rotary members, Fred Hopley, sent his daughter to America to stay with a Rotarian family, and our Club later became involved. The following year Fred hosted the daughter of the family where Lynette had stayed. We believe this was the commencement of the “Rotary International Student Exchange System” in Australia, possibly the World.

Joe Bradbury of the Rotary Club of Essendon became the first Chairman of the Committee for our District.

A weekend visit was made to Portsea to collect and cut firewood for the “Dalgany Deaf & Dumb Children’s Home”, this was again repeated the following year.

A “Careers Night” was held at the Brunswick Town Hall, this spread over three nights. A number of Rotarians from our Club were present each night to advise students on the various careers and jobs available to them in the Brunswick area. A number of Companies and Government Departments provided working exhibits. These nights were made an annual event over a number of years, and were very successful.

Again, the “Christmas Party” 1958 was well attended, the Club invited 30 Asian nurses who were training at the various hospitals under the Government sponsored Columbo Aid Program. Members of our Club collected the girls and hosted them for the day.

From these outings was developed a close association with the Asian student nurses, with a number of Rotarians becoming “stand in” parents for the girls during their stay in Australia, and took them into their homes during their leave periods.

Beside the nurses attending the “Christmas Party” were of course the children of Rotarians and students staying at “International House”, all receiving a gift from Father Christmas.

Following the success of the “Public Speaking Competition” last year, this was repeated this year with a great deal of enthusiasm amongst the schools.

DONATIONS

  • Elderly Citizens Welfare Centre Twenty five pounds
  • Brunswick & Coburg Boys Club Twenty pounds
  • Brunswick Old Pioneers Club Twenty pounds
  • Brunswick Creche Society Twenty pounds
  • Chaplins Fund Brunswick Technical School Twenty pounds
  • Melbourne City Mission (Brunswick Branch) Twenty pounds
  • Brunswick Free Kindergarter Twenty pounds
  • Don Bosco Boys Club Twenty pounds
  • Cyd Elwood Productions donated forty five pounds to our Club

INDUCTIONS

  • Ron Langsford 11 September 1958
  • Arthur Green 23 October 1958
  • Frank Hutchinson 30 April 1959
  • John Lennon 14 May 1959
  • Bill Foy 14 May 1959

RESIGNATIONS

  • Bert Coppin 26 February 1959
  • Denzil Don 7 April 1959
  • Bob Hatrick 22 January 1959
  • Bill Nutt 30 October 1958
  • Jim O’Meara (deceased) 4 December 1958
  • Alan Roberts 30 April 1959
  • Mal Quinn 11 June 1959
  • Cliff Way 6 June 1959
  • Warren Howell 6 June 1959

PRESIDENT’S CHANGEOVER NIGHT

This was held at “Ascot House” 50 Fenton Avenue, Ascot Vale on 29 June 1959. 

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