Don Tee celebrates 50 years with Rotaract and Rotary
Woy Woy Rotarian Mr Don Tee has celebrated his 50 years with the organisation with a talk reflecting on the early days of Woy Woy Rotaract in the 1970s and his involvement with the Rotary Club of Woy Woy from the 1980s.
He said a lifelong commitment to serving the community started with a knock on the door 50 years ago which started his Rotaract journey.
He was nominated to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.
He said this changed him from being quiet and shy before the camp to becoming confident and keen.
His mother probably wondered what on earth happened, he said.
Woy Woy Rotaract started with an "interest meeting" in July 1971, which led to the Charter night held in May 1972 at the old picture theatre in Ettalong.
There were 19 charter members and the Woy Woy bridge was closed so the guests "had to go the long way round", he said.
Woy Woy Rotaract was the second club on the Coast, with Gosford having been chartered two years before in 1970.
East Gosford, Wyong and The Entrance clubs followed.
Ultimately, District 268 had 26 Rotaract clubs and 1200 members.
Mr Tee said the Rotaract club took the children from Kincumber orphanage out for trips to the zoo.
It had picnic days at Rod and Pat Radford's property at Wagstaff.
It held working bees at people's homes tidying up yards and installing inside toilets.
Mr Tee recalled a Rotaract conference held at the Hydro Majestic in the Blue Mountains, with 300 young people between the ages of 18 and 28 attending.
Al Grassby was one of the guest speakers.
Other conferences were held at Morpeth and Robertson.
Mr Tee first served on the club board in 1973-74 as the club service director, and was president in 1974-75.
He was the northern representative for the Rotaract District and stayed on the board every year he was a member, including serving as President a second time.
He was invited and joined Woy Woy Rotary in October 1982 and started on the board in 1983-84 as international director.
He served as president from 1984-85 and another half year as president in 1991 as the incumbent president Mr Bill Hancock was moved with his bank and could only complete six months.
Mr Tee has served on the Woy Woy Rotary board for 35 of his 40 years, including two more stints as president.
October 6 will mark his 40 years in the club.
He said Rotary had never cared whether members were rich and famous, only that they were men and women trying to make a difference.
Mr Tee presented a display of the Rotaract history books, which had some very entertaining and youthful photos.
SOURCE:
Newsletter, 9 Jul 2022
Julie Jones, Rotary Woy Woy