New Rotary Van Ryn leadership inducted
Club members were pleased with the rare decision to hold the Rotary Club of Benoni Van Ryn's presidential induction ceremony in the morning.
The breakfast induction, which took place at Benoni Country Club, on July 4, saw the end of the Rotary year 2014/2015 and started the new Rotary year with two inductions and several awards.
Nick Cole-Niven, the acting president, inducted Ken Gosnell as president for the new Rotary year.
Gosnell thanked Cole-Niven and the rest of the club for entrusting him with the role of president and outlined his plans for the following year.
Ann Smith, outgoing Rotary Anns president, handed over the position to Linda Gosnell, who thanked the club and promised to uphold the standards of the club in the 2015/2016 Rotary year.
Additionally, Angie Thornton and Yvonne Savage each received a Paul Harris Fellowship Award, the highest recognition a Rotarian can receive.
Thornton was recognised for her founding of and involvement with Touch Our Pets Therapy Dogs (TOP Dogs) and Savage was rewarded primarily for her involvement with improvements at the Salvation Army.
In his report on the past Rotary year, Bob Savage spoke of the successful fund-raisers and community projects the club had finished or been involved in.
He also noted the importance of fellowship among the club members and wished the new presidents good luck for the following Rotary year.
Savage mentioned the tough job taken on by Cole-Niven, who took over as president of the club after the president, Norman Smith, fell ill last year.
Smith died in June, after having served as president of the club twice.
Among the projects completed by the club in the past year was the Brian Davey Stem Cell Project, which involved the handing over of three step-down suites for leukeamia patients in Pretoria.
The induction ceremony was preceded by breakfast and fellowship was enjoyed during the event.
