The Rotary Club has a long history in Temora, starting in 1948 some 78 years ago and the service club is still going strong with the annual changeover dinner held at the Temora Bowling Club last Saturday night 4 July. In coming club president Michael Rundle, better known as Taz, said that when he first joined Rotary the outgoing president, Nigel Judd was also the president, and it feels fitting to now take over the role and continue the good work that has been laid out before him. “I look forward to Nigel being here among the board and helping us with experience,” said Mr Rundle. “In the next year, I believe this club has so much more to be able to offer. “We need to get out, and we will accept the challenge.” Outgoing president Nigel Judd said that one of the highlights of the year was the continuing growth of the Rotary Book Shop. At the Rotary District change over on Sunday 28 June the bookshop was awarded the District Project Award. Bookshop manager and club secretary, Sue King, said that the bookshop first opened on 12 August 2012. “It was then closed for a month due to a late Covid lock down,” she said. “Since reopening it has gone from strength to strength, expanding from two rooms with a couple of trestle tables to all seven rooms packed to the rafters with approximately 100 bookcases and 30,000 books. “During the last Rotary year we sold 25,500 books, as well as giving away a lot to the Community Centre, childcare centres, waiting rooms and the Ariah Park Café. “We have saved more than 100,000 books from landfill and found them new homes.” Ms King thanked Ronald Auswild who generously supplies the building. Other fund-raising projects operated by the club include a firewood raffle and the Moo Poo project. Over the last 12 months Rotary has distributed $29,040 throughout the community with 21 donations. Mr Judd said that being club president is never going to be an easy job, but having a good executive, a competent board and reliable members made it that much easier. This year’s Paul Harris Fellow was Malcomb Retallack and had the award presented by Rotary College of Governors Chair John Egan. The award is bestowed on a member that has performed above and beyond the call of duty and is named after the founder of Rotary International. Member for Cootamundra attended the night and said that the fabric of our small towns and communities very much depends on the type of volunteering and the type of community service that each club member gives to our town here in Temora, and to those other clubs in the district, to their respective communities. “To Sue and the committee that run the bookshop, it is an incredible achievement. Well recognised with the award tonight, but each and every week you do incredible things in that place,” Ms Cooke said. “It's not just about the saving of books from landfill and raising important money for local charities. “I have seen firsthand people come in, in a certain way, and they leave a different person. “They come there not just for books. They come for friendship. They come for connection. They come for a sense of belonging and you have created a place for that. And that is just words very difficult to find, to articulate how important that really is.”
