Bowling & Golf Club on Saturday night. ▪ Photo contributed
The Rotary Club of Cobar held their annual Changeover Dinner on Saturday night at the Cobar Bowling & Golf Club with Past District 9660 Governor Bruce George in attendance.
(Mr George, from Inverell, is the immediate outgoing 9660 District Governor having handed over the reins to Evan Burrell last month.)
Mr George officially welcomed David Snelson to the second year of his two year term as the Cobar club’s president.
Mr George gave members an update on various Rotary programs and provided an overview of what Rotary members have been doing throughout the 9660 District, which spans from Newcastle to Cobar.
He praised the Cobar club for their ongoing service to the Cobar community and for “still hanging in there” with their small band of volunteers.
Mr Bruce said it’s not the membership size of the club that matters, it’s the quality of the people in it that keep it going.
He praised the club on their Return and Earn fundraising efforts which have raised $13,400 for the club over the past financial year.
Outgoing secretary Gordon Hill said the profits from Return and Earn have enabled the club to support Rotary programs as well as local community groups.
The Cobar club recently contributed $2,000 to the Central Coast Flood Appeal.
Mr Hill, who is also the Chair of the Rotary District Disaster Relief Committee, a role he’s held since 2019 when he coordinated drought relief for the western region, reports this appeal has raised almost half a million dollars.
A $1,000 donation was also made to ROAR (Rural Outback Animal Rescue and Respite) at the dinner and Mr Hill said the club will be making more donations to the community in the coming weeks.
As part of the changeover process Fr Paul Finucane is the new vice president; Andrew Riley is the club’s new treasurer with Molly Patton support treasurer; Mr Hill has stepped down from the secretary’s role and it will be now shared by two members, Demi Smith (admin secretary) and Peter Patton (minute secretary); and Tony Punzet was returned as the Sergeant at Arms.
