Aileen MacDonald was inducted as President  for her second term. Aileen said that it has been a humbling experience to serve as President for the last 12 months.

“Our club, whilst small in numbers, is big of heart and I continue to be in awe of the things our club has been able to do over the past year and indeed over the last 70 years,” she said.

“To think back to 1946 when we were coming to grips with the end of World War 2 our club was chartered. 

“This was a time when Ben Chiffley was the Prime Minister of Australia, William McKell was the Premier of NSW, King George VI was our monarch, Councillor William (Bill) Youman was the President of Guyra Shire and Dr A G Child was the President of the Rotary Club of Guyra.”

“This year’s motto was ‘Be a Gift to the World’ and I believe that Guyra Rotarians certainly lived up to this motto,” Aileen said. “It is an honour to be part of such a group of dedicated members from the community of Guyra and I wish the Rotary Club ‘Happy 70th Anniversary’ and hope that they continue to serve the community for another 70 years.

The club has donated $9208.50 throughout the year to local community groups, and successfully applied for a district grant on behalf of St Mary of the Angels School.

Two well-known locals were surprised with a Paul Harris Fellow. Dorothy Lockyer was recognised as one of the town’s unsung heroes who just gets in there and does what needs to be done without fear or favour.

The award honours her long association with the Guyra Adult Learning Association and involvement in many community organisations including the Historical Society, the Guyra Scout Group, the Lamb & Potato Festival and the Guyra Show Society.

Rotarian Hans Hietbrink has been a valued member of Guyra Rotary Club since June 2009 and was recognised for his service to the club and the whole community, including eight years as Mayor of Guyra Shire Council.