It was fantastic to present David Gordon with his PHF last week. It’s hard to imagine a more committed Rotarian. There doesn’t appear to be a job description that he doesn’t know and has quietly done for us over the years. He has his finger on the finances, conference, Foundation, attends all social functions, quietly checks on welfare of members, keeps a photo record of our club, backs the arts, has a wealth of corporate knowledge and never seeks praise. We are lucky to have him!

Last week’s speaker was Arran MacDougall, from Albury Wodonga Men’s Group. The aim of this group is to improve mental health. Arran told us that suicide is still the leading cause of death for young men. Often, this is because they allow things to fester rather than confiding in people that they trust. This is particularly damaging for their well-being; participating in the Men’s Group gives them a chance to speak in a safe environment. Arran said that boys are tender when young and this is conditioned out of them as they get older. Within the Men’s Group, it’s ok to have conflicting ideas, although all participants need to approach issues from a position of compassion and understanding. We were told that it simply isn’t possible to be positive all the time and that men often express sadness through anger. The aim of the group isn’t to give advice – rather, it’s all about talking through things in a non-judgemental environment.

Kitty Rentsch, (our Rotary Exchange Student, From Norway in 1985), then made a short presentation about what she has been up to for the past 34 years since we last saw her. The most disturbing thing she had to say was about reliving the moment when she saw Ron dancing in a Kilt!