Annual Officer Installation Ceremony

The Rotary Club of Fuquay-Varina held its annual Officer Installation Ceremony on Monday, June 29^th at the home of Bob and Pat Barker on Woodrow Street. The catered meal from Daniels On Main was wonderful and a huge round of applause goes to the Barkers for hosting the event and supplying the wine, and to Pamala Williams who organized the food and refreshments. The opportunity to have a sit-down dinner with club members and their spouses and children in the warmth of the Barkers’ home was outstanding!

After the conclusion of the meal, outgoing President Lewyn M. Hayes III called the group to order and gave his remarks about the 2008-2009 year. Mr. Hayes and President-Elect Lynanne Fowle presented two awards to club members.

The first award was the Rotarian of the Year award, which was voted on by club members and presented to Willem Bodisco Massink for creating a functioning International Service Committee as well as his organization and administration of the RYLA scholarships and the Youth Exchange Program. This award also cited his commitment to Rotary International and the Rotary Club of Fuquay-Varina as evidenced all year by his active participation in representing Rotary at street festivals and fundraising activities.

The second award was an Outstanding Service award, given to Vitaliy Bezrodnov for his selfless service as the Club’s Communications Officer, his design and administration of the club’s website, and his documentation of most club activities through the lens of his camera.

District Governor Don Buckner from Roxboro performed the installation of the new President.

Following her installation, Ms. Fowle presented Mr. Hayes with a gavel plaque and a “Past President” Rotary pin from the club for his dedication and service, thanking him for his leadership and commitment to the club and to Rotary during his tenure as President.

Following the presentation of gifts, Ms. Fowle assisted Governor Buckner in presenting a Paul Harris Fellowship to Rev. Willem Bodisco Massink. Reverand Massink’s wife Janet helped affix the Paul Harris Fellow pin on her husband’s collar as part of the presentation.

The second Paul Harris Fellowship to be bestowed during the ceremony was earned by Charles McLaurin and given to his wife, Sarah. Governor Buckner and Ms. Fowle participated in the announcement, and Mr. McLaurin helped with the pinning.

The ceremony continued with the installation and reaffirmation of the club’s officers and directors of service. Those are as follows:

Willem Bodisco Massink    President-Elect/International Service Director
Tollan Wade                                     Vice-President/Club Service Director
Jim Minor                              Treasurer
Chris Abbott                          Community Service Director
Thomas Ray                         Vocational Service Director
And last, but not least, the new President introduced the committee chairs as follows:
Tollan Wade                         Membership Chair
Vitaliy Bezrodnov                 Club Communications
Pat Meacham                       Fuquay Youth Initiative Liaison
Charles McLaurin                Foundation Chair
Willem Bodisco Massink    RYLA and Youth Exchange Coordinator

The event concluded with remarks from new President Lynanne Fowle, who again thanked the Barkers for opening their home and Pam Williams for arranging the meal and refreshments for the event. Ms. Fowle shared her goals for the upcoming year and complimented the club as a whole for participating in several conversations about vision and priorities for 2009-2010. Reinforcing the idea that every member must reaffirm their active commitment to making the club strong and helping it grow in both vision and membership this year, Ms. Fowle stated that although a leader can shape and define the direction of an organization, only with the help of everyone in the club can it stand a chance of reaching its goals. With that, she adjourned the meeting with the Four-Way Test and the 2009-2010 Rotary year officially began!