Rotary Club uncertain heading into the future

Rotarian Greg Deacon said the Rotary Club of Nyngan may fold for a variety of reasons including low membership, poor meeting attendance and members not prepared to fill the key office bearer positions of president, secretary and treasurer. 

Members are due to make a decision on the club’s future this Tuesday at the RSL Bowlers Bar at 7pm. 

Mr Deacon said although the club held monthly business meetings it was still struggling to attract current or new members. 

The club contributes to many aspects of community life in the shire and has done for more than half a century. 

“Rotary raises funds for local charities, schools, hospitals and any needy organisations,” he says. 

“Locally Nyngan Rotary raises funds through cooking barbecues for the Garden Club, Australia Day, isolated schools, organising raffles at the Nyngan Ag Expo and RSL, the sale of old batteries, wheat drive and music fundraising.” 

The Rotary Club has been known to donate to children’s retrieval service Angel Flight, Nyngan Hospital, school speech nights and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. 

The club also assists school students on Rotary exchange visits overseas and recently helped provide school leavers with financial assistance to further their education. 

Manager of the Rotary Foundation based in Sydney, Bruce Allen said it would disappointing to see a club close. 

“We do have very small country towns and very small clubs but if there wasn’t a club in the town it would lack something,” he said. 

“The local Rotary Club perform a valuable service.” 

Mr Allen said new recruitments had been challenging. 

“We have to revive new membership,” he said. 

“We need young people to get into the community spirit. We need people who are willing to provide a service to the community and to the world.” 

Mr Allen said being a part of the club could also benefit individual members. 

“People learn about different vocations, it’s a friendship builder and a place to share knowledge,” he said.

“In rural communities these clubs are absolutely critical, they perform a valuable service. It would be disappointing not to see it supported.”

Mr Deacon agrees pointing to the 1990 flood where Rotary performed an invaluable service. 

“Rotary was responsible for distributing funds and goods after the 1990 floods,” he said.

“To lose a Rotary Club in your town is a backward move. The Rotary Club in Nyngan has been in existence for 51 years and has done so much for the community. 

“Help us keep Rotary in Nyngan,” he concluded. 

If you don’t want to see the Rotary Club in Nyngan dissolve, attend the meeting this coming Tuesday at the RSL’s Bowlers Bar at 7pm.