General News
18 July, 2024
Rotary appoint new president
What does it mean to be the youngest female president to head the Rotary Club of Maryborough? For 48-year-old Rebecca Lowery, who was elected into the position last month, it is an opportunity to mold the organisation to better reflect today’s...
What does it mean to be the youngest female president to head the Rotary Club of Maryborough?
For 48-year-old Rebecca Lowery, who was elected into the position last month, it is an opportunity to mold the organisation to better reflect today’s society.
And as she takes on the reins for the next 12 months, she will straddle a rugged line — working to retain Rotary’s traditional makeup while ushering in modern values.
Although a daunting undertaking, no one is better equipped for the task than Ms Lowery.
Currently employed in the people and culture team at Sonac, Ms Lowery brings significant management experience to the table.
She has also previously presided as president of Californian Gully Kindergarten, AG Leech Kindergarten and Carisbrook Play Group.
Now, she hopes to use her aptitude to help fellow club members leverage their own.
“Since I took on the role, I’ve hit the ground running,” she said.
“The key, I think, for us to succeed is to identify and see the strengths of individual people.
“I’m a strengths profiler and so I’m a very strong believer that we need to lean on each other’s strengths — we’ve got members from a range of backgrounds, like teaching, marketing, and agriculture so all of them have something unique to add.”
According to Ms Lowery, who is “well-supported” within the club, under her direction the focus will be on memberships and projects.
“While we’re going to try and get younger members in, a major part of it is also going to be on keeping existing members engaged so they continue to stay,” she said.
“We will also reassess how and what initiatives we support throughout the year.
“But, as a group we have already committed to continue a number of projects.”
These include Rotary’s popular initiatives, such as:
• SayNO2familyviolence campaign.
• Restoration and maintenance of the Bristol Hill precinct through the Friends of Bristol Hill Tower group that the club initiated.
International End World Polio project.
• Provide books to grade four students across the region to improve literacy outcomes.
“We’re doing great things but we need to promote Rotary to a wider audience and be more visible in our community,” Ms Lowery said.
“There is no organisation that does what we do — we have a direct impact on communities across the world.
“That’s the beauty of Rotary and in my time as president I want to get that message out there so more people support us in our endeavors.
“If locals are looking for something that gives them meaning, then Rotary’s the answer.”