A Century of Service: Rotary Club of Invercargill Celebrates 100 Years with Community Legacy Projects
Community
Less than a week after reaching its 100th Anniversary milestone the Rotary Club of Invercargill has started its first project of supporting the YMCA with walking tracks at Omaui Camp to celebrate its 100th Year. This project ties back to clearing boulders from Omaui Camp, the first working project the club ever did in 1935.
A 100th anniversary is an appropriate time to reflect on past achievements, as well as look to the future. “We aim to reinvigorate those long-held community partnerships from years gone by,” Invercargill Rotary Club President Chami Abeysinghe said.
The 2024 Environmental Education Project at Omaui Camp with community partners, connects the present with the past, for future generations, and links to supporting the environment as the newest of Rotary’s 7 areas of focus,” she explained.
The Rotary Club of Invercargill held its inaugural lunchtime meeting on 25th February 1924 in the Federal Tearooms next to the Grand Hotel in Dee St. Lunchtime meetings still continue regularly with inspiring speakers from all walks of life, and the club’s purpose of “service above self for the good of others”, remains at the heart of Rotary community projects today.
The 100th celebrations commenced with an Anniversary Dinner on the eve of the founding date two weeks ago.
A update of the Club History book is being worked on in the same format as the 50th and 75th booklets done by John Hall Jones. The 100th booklet is to be published later this year.
Current Club President, Chami Abeysinghe is excited about the projects underway for the centennial year. “John Hall-Jones and his father produced a history of the club for the 50th and 75th anniversaries and we have a committee working on the 100th booklet.” The new booklet will capture the club’s last 25 years but also. Highlight long-standing community connections, historical and ongoing projects.
Lighting on Invercargill’s Water Tower, contributions to the Southland Museum and Art Gallery, gardens at Southland Hospital, paddling pool, play equipment and shelter in Queens Park are just a sample of the Club endeavour’s over the decades.
Ongoing projects include annual working bees at Deep Cove Hostel – recently a group of members went in to lay carpet tiles and complete other tasks ready for schools visiting. Supporting youth has remained a key focus through providing Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) and school partnerships.
Now in its 43rd year and still going strong, the well-known Rotary Annual Book Sale has seen more than one million dollars donated back to the community through numerous local charities.
Mrs Abeysinghe said the Rotary Club of Invercargill was still going strong and working hard for the community. The club has lots of fun amongst projects and welcomes new member enquiries.