Barbara Dickson is congratulated on her Rotary Club presidency by District
By Kath Gannaway
YARRA Glen retiree Barbara Dickson will lead The Rotary Club of Healesville through its next year.
Ms Dickson was inducted as president, taking over from Robert Chippindall at the 32nd Annual Changeover Dinner on 11 June.
Mr Chippindall said among many ongoing projects, two new projects, Car Torque 3777 and the redevelopment of the BMX track were completed during the year.
He said a monumental effort had been made by all members as part of the club’s response to the February bushfires.
The Bushfire Relief Group was formed and has, Mr Chippindall said, dispersed large sums of money, and worked on many hands-on projects to do with the bushfires.
The annual report reflects the enormous contribution the club makes to local, national and international programs and causes.
Ms Dickson joined the club in 1997 and was the second woman to join the club.
She said she was looking forward to the challenge of a very busy year ahead.
“We have so many projects going, I would like us all to continue with those and to work through with the bushfire project,” she said.
Her pet project has been through the sale of second-hand magazines on club nights to raise funds for the Rotary Wheelchairs for Kids project.
“In the past 12 months we raised $700, which pays for seven wheelchairs,” she said.
Her president’s project is to support the role of a young indigenous woman from Melville Island who stayed as an exchange student with the Dickson family while studying at Billanook College.
“Karen is running a kidney disease research program on Melville Island through the University of Queensland and I would like to help her expand her qualifications,” she said.
Ms Dickson is the second female president of the club.
