Rotary Club of Okehampton celebrates 60th birthday

The Rotary Club of Okehampton has gathered in high spirits at Bracken Tor on Thursday evening (February 29) to commemorate six decades of the club.

The anniversary dinner was well attended, boasting a lively crowd that included esteemed guests such as present and former Okehampton Rotarians.

They gathered to commemorate the club's extensive legacy of community service, spanning support for both local and international causes.

The Rotary Club of Okehampton came into existence on 18th February 1964.

The mother club at the time was the Rotary Club of Launceston.

The first President of Okehampton Rotary was Mr A W Fullwood.

At the heart of the evening was President Rotarian Rob Harman, who expressed heartfelt gratitude to all attendees for their unwavering support throughout the years.

Highlighting the club's remarkable achievements, Rob shared the significant contributions made in the past 12 months towards both local initiatives and international causes. 

Notably, the club's steadfast commitment to supporting Shelter Box, providing essential aid to crisis-stricken areas worldwide, was reiterated as a cornerstone of their ongoing efforts.

Amidst the celebration, Mr Harman awarded Rotarian Dave Potter the Paul Harris Fellowship Award.

Named in honour of Rotary's founder, Paul Harris, the award is available to both Rotarians and non-Rotarians who demonstrate high professional standards.

The award is given by the Rotary Foundation. 

In response to this esteemed recognition, Dave Potter said: "It was a huge surprise to be presented with the Paul Harris Fellow award at the 60th Anniversary dinner by President Rob Harman. Organising events to raise money for good causes is something all Rotarians do, so to be recognised by my fellow Rotarians in this way is a massive compliment and I’m very grateful to them.”