By Danielle Kutchel
A father-son duo will take the helm of the Rotary Club of Cranbourne for the next year.
At an in-person changeover event at Settlers Run on Tuesday 29 June, Cranbourne’s Rotarians welcomed their new president, Scott Pinxt.
Mr Pinxt comes from Rotarian stock; his father, Andrew Pinxt, is a past president and current secretary of the group.
The younger Mr Pinxt’s appointment took place in front of his wife and children, all of whom have helped him in his Rotary journey so far – so it seems likely the Pinxt legacy will continue.
Handing over the reins – and the ceremonial chains – outgoing president John Cotter said it had been a great year for the club, which has been busy despite the closures associated with the Covid pandemic.
Reflecting on the group’s achievements, Mr Cotter said the club had made a number of donations to causes around Casey, including to the Cranbourne Information and Support Service, ACE (Advancing Casey Education) Foundation, Disaster Aid Australia, Cranbourne West Primary School, the Ride to Conference, various projects in Timor, Blairlogie and East Gippsland’s fire relief.
Thousands of dollars were raised through the club’s annual golf day.
“We haven’t been sitting on our hands all year,” Mr Cotter told guests.
He paid tribute to the committee chairs and Cranbourne’s Rotary members.
“It’s been a great year and I’m looking forward to handing over the chain to Scott,” he said.
Accepting the position, Mr Pinxt said he had “very big shoes to fill”.
“You’ve all set the bar pretty high,” he said.
He pledged to continue a number of the club’s current programs, particularly those that help the most vulnerable and needy in the Casey community as the pandemic continues to hit people hard.
The club’s board agreed to come back for another year.
Also announced on the night were the club’s Paul Harris Fellows for the year.
This year, husband and wife duo Paul and Jenny Rice were the twin recipients of the fellowship, which recognises individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1000 to The Rotary Foundation.
Mr and Mrs Rice were thanked for their contributions to Rotary’s Ride to Conference.
