THE worldwide Rotary movement of ‘Service above Self’ arrived in the Taree/Manning district in 1937 with the formation of the Rotary Club of Taree, having been sponsored by the Rotary Club of Newcastle.
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It was a very special event for Taree. First president of the infant club was Cuth. Haddon, a Taree dentist.
The Rotary Club of Taree has a proud history within the Rotary movement and in the Manning Valley, and the club has in turn sponsored a number of other Rotary clubs including Wingham, Taree on Manning and Taree North, all very successful clubs delivering valuable services to the community. These clubs have become part of the fabric of life in the area as they have done all over the world.
Now it is time for the Rotary Club of Taree to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding, and this will culminate in a special international dinner at Club Taree tonight.
It will be a memorable evening with many guests from other clubs, as well as the Rotary District Governor and international visitors including 11 members from the Rotary Club of Taree’s sister city, Okayama Chuo in beautiful south-west Japan.
The visit by the Japanese Rotarians follows a trip to Okayama City by 11 members of the Rotary Club of Taree in September 2011, where they helped celebrate the Okayama Chuo Club’s 25th anniversary.
The Sister-Club arrangement between the Rotary Club of Taree and the Rotary Club of Okayama Chuo was formalised in 1998 when 15 members of the Taree club, including the then president Brian Hole and facilitator Herb Beer, flew to Japan and in a colourful and memorable ceremony, the Sister-Club agreement was signed.
In 1999, 15 members of the Okayama Chuo Rotary Club visited Taree from Japan and consolidated the Sister-Club arrangement between the two clubs.
This visit was followed in 2001 by 11 members from the Taree club travelling to Okayama to assist in the celebration marking the 15th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Okayama Chuo.
There have also been a number of less formal interchanges between the clubs over the years, including student exchanges.
A spokesperson for the Sister-Club arrangement, Herb Beer of the Rotary Club of Taree, says the international arrangement between the two clubs had worked very well and continues to deliver memorable experiences to the members of both clubs.
“The Sister-Club arrangement between the two Rotary clubs is still very strong and has been very rewarding,” Mr Beer said.
“But - most importantly - it fosters international goodwill and understanding.”
