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Rotary Changeover Luncheon

Boorowa Rotary Board 2025-2026 – Ilze Myburgh, Chris Carter, Jenny Carter, Alan Banks, Sina Banks, Lyn Diskon, Will Kelly, Julie Poplin. (Absent/ Ingrid Corcoran, Mike Ward, Angie Farthing).

The Rotary Club of Boorowa celebrated their changeover on Sunday, the 6th of July, at the Boorowa Ex-Services Club. The event was a celebration of the club’s achievements over the past year, the club’s resilience, commitment, and vision for a brighter future. 

The Rotary Year starts in July and is a time of change in the Rotary world. At this time of the year, all 34,000 Rotary Clubs around the World conduct a Changeover ceremony, which brings new leadership, new ideas, a new theme and renewed vitality to each Club. Changeover is a time when appreciation is extended to members for the work they have achieved, the community for their support and (often) the awarding of a Paul Harris Fellow Award – one of the highest awards Rotary can bestow on anyone to individuals who have earned the respect of the club.

At the Boorowa Rotary luncheon, Mr Robert Gledhill was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship in recognition of the great services he has provided to the wider Boorowa community over many years. This included his tireless work to rebuild the (new) Boorowa Hospital after the old hospital was destroyed by fire; his service as a Boorowa Councillor for 30 years, and his time as Mayor for 14 of those years, among many other services.

“Robert has also been a creative force” said Rob Uhl, who awarded Robert with the Paul Harris award. “A pillar of the Boorowa Musical and Dramatical Society for many years. His contributions to the cultural life of our town have brought joy, laughter and connection to countless people. Throughout all of this, Robert has remained a devoted husband and family man quietly enjoying the values of service, integrity and community that Rotary holds dear. Today, we are proud to recognise Robert Gledhill with a Paul Harris Fellowship not just for one area of service, but for a lifetime of meaningful contributions across many walks of life.” 

While guests enjoyed a delightful luncheon, the outgoing President, Christopher Carter, thanked Boorowa Rotarians for their dedicated service and outstanding leadership shown over the past year. He highlighted Club achievements such as the 2024 ShelterBox Sleepout, raising funds for people around the world who have been affected by conflict or disasters; the recent TIMBA (This Is My Brave Australia) performance to help reduce stigma surrounding talking about mental health; the great achievements of our local OpShop; and much more. 

Chris also thanked Friends of Rotary and the whole community for their support of Rotary projects. The afternoon included a raffle, a ‘Silent Auction’ (which raised over $400), and two different games. One game was a “Who Knows Rotary best” trivia game and the other, much more challenging one, was a word game where guests were asked to unscramble both/either “Rotary International” or the incoming year theme of “Unite for Good” to make as many words of 3 letters or more. The highest number of words was 157 at one table. 

Rotarian, Mrs Ilze Myburgh, was inducted as the President of the Rotary Club of Boorowa for 2025-2026. Ilze brings a wealth of experience, passion and commitment to the role, and spoke passionately about the Boorowa Club working closely with the Rotary Club of Swakopmund in Namibia in helping to support women towards financial independence and their children in education.

Ilze also introduced her team, which will carry the club forward for the new year. (Secretary) Jenny Carter, (Treasurer) Julie Poplin, (Public Image) Lyn Diskon, (Bulletin) Sina Banks, (Director) Ingrid Corcoran, (Service) Alan Banks, (Environment) Will Kelly. Outgoing District Governor, Rob Uhl, congratulated the Boorowa Rotarians for their initiatives over the past year, saying it was thanks to the tireless work of the band of members who turn up time after time.

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