My experiences as a Rotarian have shown that one man can make a difference.

I was born in Wollongong NSW on 21st October 1951. My teenage years were occupied with an excellent social life spread between interests in girls, snorkelling, aeromodelling, the Air Training Corp and parties.

After four years in the Air Training Corps and completing school, I joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in January 1970 as an Instrument Fitter. My 25 year career in the RAAF took me to South Australia, Wagga Wagga and Williamtown NSW, Canberra, Melbourne, Malaysia, Singapore, USA, and Katherine in the Northern Territory. I serviced my last five years at RAAF Amberley west of Brisbane.

I am told that in today's world one is expected to change jobs every five years. Well the longest I held the same job title in the RAAF was 2 years and 9 months. My positions ranged from instrument fitter on helicopters, transport and fighter aircraft to simulator technician to training developer and training manager to computer systems manager.

On leaving the RAAF in January 1995 I took up a position of Regional Information Management Officer with the Department of Emergency Services in Queensland. This position gave me the responsibility of managing the Information Technology environment for South Eastern Queensland with the Fire and Ambulance Services as my main clients. Once again I have moved around within that organisation and had held 12 titles in the last 4 years.

So were does Rotary fit into my life.

A part of my role while managing the Hornet simulator at RAAF Tindal, near Katherine in Northern Territory, was public relations. As the first operational work area of the newly redeveloped base I would conduct tours of the simulator for the local business people which lead to me being asked to be a guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Katherine and I subsequently became a member in August 1989.

On being transferred to Brisbane the following year, I joined the Rotary Club of Ipswich where I serviced as the Community Service Director. I decided to make Brisbane my home; moved to Logan City and joined the Rotary Club of Loganholme is August 1991.

In that Club, I have occupied various positions on the board over the past 10 years and was President in 1996-97.

I have enjoyed a number of opportunities to mix Rotary and work such as installing smoke alarms in the homes of our senior citizens and encourage Rotary Clubs to prompt the Medic Alert scheme which provides a bracelet with an emergency contact phone number which provides live saving information about a person, eg allergies.

During my time as Club President I was responsible for co-ordinating the stocktake for South East Queensland within Emergency Services and was aware of the process the Ambulance Service undertook to decommission an ambulance. I knew, through the Rotary network, that there was a need for an Ambulance for the Kilu`ufi Hospital on Malaita Island in the Solomons and so I decided to ask for the donation of an Ambulance - six months later the Queensland Ambulance Service said YES and on 21 January 1999 the Minister for Emergency Services handed the keys to a decommissioned 4WD Toyota Landcruiser Ambulance to the 9600 District Governor, the District of the Solomon Islands. The Ambulance was donated in an operational condition and included a stretcher, Oxy Viva, Thomas Splint and Entonox unit. Two training officers from the Queensland Ambulance Service also travelled to Kilu'ufi as a Rotary Australia World Community Service volunteers team to train the community in the use of the Ambulance and its equipment.

The Club received the District's Significant Achievement Award in 1998-99 for this project.

I see this as a typical Rotary project in that it required a certain amount of persistence but not a great deal of effort to achieve.

On 7th October 1999 there was a major motor vehicle accident at Malu'u, North Malaita Island, involving a 3 tonne truck and resulting in a total of eleven casualties including one death. One of the victims, who had a fractured spine, was transported safely and comfortably over 45kms of rough track in the donated Ambulance thanks to Rotary and the Queensland Ambulance Service.

Following this project my Club presented me with a Paul Harris Fellow at our change over night in June 1999.

The donation of the Ambulance is just one of the achievement of my Club in the last five years that has made our Club one of the best, others include:
" 25% or more of the club members have been involved on District committees and/or projects for the passed five years
" Distinguished Rotary Club award for 2001 - 02 by RI President Richard King.
" Presidential citations for the last four years
" Fundraising for the Rotary Overseas Medical Aid for Children program via a day driving a race car for 10 laps of a raceway
" Financial assistance to the Logan Hospital Adolescent Mental Health Unit.
" Installing smoke alarms in the homes of our senior citizens.
" Our partners raised funds for CANTEEN who provides support for youth with cancer.
" Actively supporting the Australian School Achievers Program through hands on and monetary support