On June 11, the Gananoque Rotary Club handed out its latest Paul Harris Fellowship Awards at their final meeting of the year. L-r, Recipients Carolyn Knight, Don Matthews, Susan Tulk and Brenda Asselin.

New member Jeff Moran gets welcomed into Rotary by Don Matthews and outgoing President, Emily Bell

Paul Harris Award winner Don Matthews gets his pin from outgoing President, Emily Bell

Outgoing President Emily Bell shows off two Interact members of whom she’s very proud, Patricia Warren and Bell’s grand daughter.

written by Lorraine Payette, June 11, 2013

(GANANOQUE, ONTARIO) The Gananoque Rotary Club squeezed its way into its end of season meeting at Emily Bell’s home as members prepared to get ready for summer activities. But the highlight of the event was the presentation of four Paul Harris Awards.

“The Paul Harris Award, in honour of Paul Harris who founded Rotary in 1905, is a worldwide award given to outstanding Rotarians or members of the community,” said Gwen Hundrieser, secretary of the club. “Today, we have four recipients of this award and a $1,000 donation has been given in each of their names to the Rotary Foundation. The Foundation has recognized each of them as a Paul Harris Fellow, and they will join not only many members of this club and community, but over a million Paul Harris Fellows worldwide.”

Members of the Paul Harris Awards group include such distinguished names as Mother Theresa, Prince Charles, Nelson Mandella, Pope John II and Indira Ghandi, to name a select few. The Gananoque Rotary Club was proud to announce that the four newest Paul Harris Fellows in the world were now Brenda Asselin, Carolyn Knight, Don Matthews and Susan Tulk.

While not a member of Rotary, Asselin works in guidance at Gananoque Intermediate and Secondary School (GISS) and is known for her work with both the Rotary’s Interact group and assists with the Rotary’s exchange student program. She also oversees Gananoque’s Rotary Club’s Student of the Month Award.

“The Rotary Club of Gananoque appreciates her dedication to her students and all the great work she does with Student of the Month, Interact Club, Exchange Students and all the activities that these students participate in tom raise funds for their projects and travel on missions to places like El Salvador,” said Emily Bell, outgoing Club president.

The three remaining recipients are all members of the Rotary Club of Gananoque.

Knight, a past president, has been a member since 1994, and has served on many different committees and boards as both a director and committee chair. She has chaired an “All Candidates” meeting in Gananoque on behalf of Rotary prior to each of the federal, provincial and municipal elections.

“She is currently a director at large and has been an integral part of the Club’s student exchange program for many years,” said Bell. “She is a mentor to the students – both Out-going and In-coming – and is on the selection committee for Out-going students, as well as Club Liaison for Gananoque Students attending Regiopolis High School in Kingston. The Club appreciates her input on legalities and relies on her sound advice.”

Matthews, another past president, joined Rotary in 2002. He is chair of the Bay Road Development Committee, and has been a director with several other committees.

“Don is our club ‘techie’,” said Bell. “The tireless ‘Club Bulletin’ designer and distributor, he also designed and up-dates the Club website. Every year, he hosts the Club Christmas parties along with his lovely wife Marion at Sleepy Hollow B&B, always making the Rotarians welcome.”

Last recipient of the evening was Susan Tulk, who has served as president for several months of this past year and will start her position as new Club president on July 1.

“A member since 2009, she has served on four Boards of Directors,” said Bell. “Susan has represented our Club at District Assemblies and Conferences, and travelled to El Salvador on a mission with other Rotarians. She is on the RibFest Committee, and has the huge job of managing the beer and wine facilities at RibFest – all the inventory, staff training and ‘Smart Serve’ responsibilities, bottle returns and endless hours on-site from opening until close. She is always involved supporting activities and members, and tirelessly organizing Club events.”

These four new recipients join a group of more than 40 local community members and Rotarians who have become Paul Harris Fellows sine 1977. The Club wishes to congratulate them for their tireless efforts, and to let them know that their works will be remembered well into the future.

For more about the Gananoque Rotary Club and its activities and services, please go to http://www.gananoquerotaryclub.com/ .