It’s been a regular feature of our club meetings to have a “Thought for the Day,” and today it was Leslie Stephenson’s turn. That was fortuitous, perhaps, as he’s Chair of our outgoing Awards Committee and was able to take the opportunity to award outgoing President Maxine Blades with a Paul Harris Fellowship.
Maxine joined our club in 2019 following a career in Human Resources. In her professional life, she’s taken on responsibility and helped others. “Those qualities have been clearly evident in all she’s done as a Rotarian”, said Leslie, on behalf of the Awards Committee.
Aside from her roles in the community – such as her involvement with the Canterbury Trefoil Guild and fundraising for her local church – Maxine has been deeply involved in the club’s activities and has consistently volunteered to take on responsibilities. Remarkably, she took on the secretarial position when others shied away from it, and she is the only Rotarian we know who’s served as President-Elect and Secretary in the same year – and gone on to be both President and Secretary at the same time!
“To do this has required perseverance and the patience of Job in handling the needs of others,” said Leslie. He continued: “Maxine has been instrumental in bringing together the efforts of the three clubs in the Canterbury area and has been a strong supporter of District [1120]. She enthusiastically supported our twinning arrangements with the European clubs by visiting our partners and taking an active role in developing relationships.”
At a time when some Rotary clubs are finding it difficult to survive, Maxine has been key in maintaining the vibrancy of our club. She’s welcomed new members, organised the club’s affairs, and she’s been a leader who encourages and supports – “and she’s done all this with good humour and a smile”.
“Our conclusion is that Maxine Blades has given exceptional service and is thus very deserving of the award of a Paul Harris Fellowship” said Leslie, as he invited Maxine to receive her Paul Harris Fellowship certificate and badge.
Before Maxine handed over the presidential role to our incoming President, she had the pleasure of presenting two further Paul Harris Fellowships herself – one to Rotarian Mary McGeary and the other to Past President Rosemary Doyle.
Mary’s citation reads as follows:
Mary has been a member of our club since 2015, during which time she has concentrated her efforts mainly on the Vocational Service Committee. She has chaired the committee for several years, involving herself in mock job interviews, public speaking competitions, and innovation competitions. She is also the lead for the Young Chef and Junior Writing competitions.
Outside Rotary, Mary is a STEM Ambassador, assisting young people in progressing in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. She is also a counsellor for people with betting or alcohol addictions, giving up a great deal of her time to those in need of help. Truly an excellent Rotarian!
Rosemary’s citation also highlighted her contributions within and beyond Rotary:
Rosemary has been a member of our club since 2008. Thanks to spending many years living and working in Brussels, she has used her experience and language skills to play a key role in ensuring the club’s continued strong relationship with our Pentangular partners. Her contribution is clearly admired and respected by all the clubs.
Rosemary also served as a City Councillor for many years, culminating in her year as Lord Mayor. Even after stepping down from council work, she has continued to foster the club’s important civic links. She served as Club President in 2023–24, successfully steering the club through a challenging period of change.
Our sincere congratulations to all three Paul Harris Fellows. There will be more news in the days to come, and a separate article will follow shortly about the handover to our new President, Raj Dasan.
Picture: Maxine (with Leslie Stephenson), Rosemary and Mary after receiving their Paul Harris awards. Picture credit: Rotary Club of Canterbury.
