Henley- on-todd - Rotary Down Under

Contributor Awards
Ken Scheller Honours
1985-86 Jim Roberton, Te Awamutu, NZ
1986-87 Arthur Brett-Kelly, PNG
1987-88 Maurice Hawken, Essendon, Vic
1988-89 Robert Stewart, Palmerston North, NZ
1989-90 Richard Walker, Salisbury, Qld
1990-91 John Steele, Penrose, NZ
1991-92 Alan Lawrie, Brighton, SA
1992-93 Ron Barnwell, Brisbane, Qld
1993-94 Patrick Colbourne, Mt Druitt, NSW
1994-95 Bob Turner, Marton, NZ
1995-96 Nevell McPhee, Toowoomba, Qld
1996-97 Tony Reade, Adelaide, SA
1997-98 Penny Hadley, Adelaide Daybreak, SA
1997-98 Michael Sharp, Penrith, NSW (joint winners)
1998-99 Neill Inkster, Masterton, NZ
1999-00 Jim Hudson, Papanui, NZ
2000-01 Brian Yecies, Bundoora, Vic
2001-02 John Watson, Wellington, NZ
2002-03 Elizabeth Caldicott, Blackwood, SA
2003-04 Gerald Victor, Rockhampton Capricorn, Qld
2004-05 Grattan O’Connell, Auckland East, NZ
2005-06 Graeme Woolacott, Glen Waverley, Vic
2006-07 Elaine White, Yea, Vic
2007-08 Lyn Thorpe, Newcastle Sunrise, NSW
2008-09 Ted Latta, Ashgrove, The Gap, Qld
2009-10 Carolyn Cook, Lower Blue Mts, NSW
2010-11 Denise Curry, Turramurra, NSW
2011-12 Jillian Brown, City Central Hobart, Tas
Judges reward creative ideas
Female Rotarians have dominated the nominations
for the 2011-12 Ken Scheller Award, with three of the top
four honours.
The award went to Jillian Brown, of the Rotary Club
of City Central Hobart, Tas, for her report published in
July 2011, entitled Far-sighted membership drive, which
detailed the Rotababies and Rotakids program instituted
by the City Central Hobart club, when several of its
members became pregnant at around the same time.
The Rotary Down Under Award is presented annually to
the author of “a literary contribution of outstanding merit
which, in the opinion of the Committee, best exemplifies
the principles of Rotary.”
The award was struck in 1985 and named in honour
of Ken Scheller, who died of cancer in 1984. Born and
educated in Adelaide, Ken was associated with Rotary
Down Under from its inception. As Rotary International
Director and Vice-President, it was his advocacy that led
to the approval of selected regional magazines as official
regional magazines of RI. Rotary Down Under was the first
to gain this status.
The judges specifically looked for contributions that
gave readers new, creative and effective methods to
tackle old problems.
“Jillian’s report showed that members aged between 20
and 40 did not have to resign from Rotary due to family
commitments if their club was prepared to adapt to
enable them to remain,” Rotary Down Under Editor Mark
Wallace said.
Three other stories were highly commended. They were:
• Rotary Club of Crawley: investing in the future, published
in April, 2012, by Rebecca Olsen. Rebecca detailed her
club’s innovative and highly successful approach to
recruitment of young Rotarians through its Corporate
Scholarship program.
• West Perth Rotarian an international achiever, published
in September, 2011, by Tim Dawe, of the Rotary Club
of West Perth, WA. Tim’s cover story reported on the
inspiring career of West Perth Rotarian Professor Ralph
Martins and his work to find a cure for Alzheimer’s
Disease.
• Deeds of Rotarians Past, published in November 2011,
by Celeste Rossetto, of the Rotary Club of Wollongong,
NSW, about a letter written to the club from a woman
who had been afflicted with polio when she was a child
60 years ago. A particularly moving story of the power
of simple gestures of kindness to change lives forever.
Honourable mentions went to:
• Anna Kemble Welch, of the Rotary Club of Wellington
South, NZ, for her moving account of her work with
underprivileged children in Vietnam suffering from the
rare disfiguring disease Epidermolysis Bullosa.
• Peta Rule, of the Rotary Club of Crawley, WA, for her
report published in October, 2011, on Holly Ransom,
the then 21-year-old President elect of one of the most
innovative and successful new clubs in Australia.
• Kerry Kornhauser, of the Rotary Club of Albert Park,
Vic, for her three-part series on the need to attract
more women into Rotary. •
www.rotarydownunder.org 31