POLOKWANE – Rotary Club of Polokwane past president Roy Kirkpatrick, and his wife Anne were pleasantly surprised when last Monday’s club meeting turned out to be a celebration of Roy’s 50 years as a member of Rotary.
Roy joined Rotary in 1974 and apart from serving as president of the club, he is also a Paul Harris fellow as well as a Paul Harris Sapphire recipient, the highest awards a Rotarian can receive.
He is strongly supported by his wife Anne, who is also a devoted Rotarian and past president of the club as well as a Paul Harris Fellow.
Messages from former members of the club as well as Roy’s sons, Graeme and Ian, were delivered and past president Charles Hardy applauded Roy’s involvement in the Rotary Foundation, from where funds were regularly made available for projects initiated by the club.
Roy responded and said that the Kirkpatrick family has been involved with Rotary for many years, and that his father was also a devoted member of Rotary.
Roy posted some photos from the club’s history on a screen and reflected on the early days when the Rotarians met at various venues in the city until it finally found a home at Our Home/Ons Tuiste, a facility that was actually constructed by the Kirkpatricks.
“How things have changed!” he said and referred to the days when the Rotarians sold hotdogs in parking areas to source income to finance projects”.
Roy explained that the financial support that the club receives from the Rotary Foundation, goes a long way to finance larger scale projects such as provision of water and sanitary services to rural communities.
“The club’s own fund-raising initiatives such as the regular safaris for visitors from abroad also contribute towards funding our support to local charities such as Our Home/Ons Tuiste and we have to thank our local residents and the business community for their sustained support in this area,” Roy said and reckoned that the impact that the Rotary Club has on the local and rural community is underrated.
President of the club, John Mogodi called Roy to the front to receive a gift and wished him many more years as a member of Rotary.
