By Margaret Maccoll
Rotary gives ordinary people extraordinary opportunities to serve the community, was a quote from former Rotary International president and Nambour Rotary member Sir Clem Renouf that sang true for John Gabb who recently retired from the Rotary Club of Cooroy after 47 years service.
“It does,“ he said of his extraordinary opportunities. “But you have to join Rotary for the right reasons.
“You don’t join Rotary to gain benefit – although I did. It gave me an into into the community. You join Rotary to serve. You join a service club.“
When John took over as academic registrar of the TAFE college at Cootamundra in New South Wales in 1973 the principal told him he “should get into the Rotary Club“.
John was transferred for his job, moving to Mudgee from 19978-82, Casino from 1982-87 and Armidale from 1987-93. In 1994 he moved to the Sunshine Coast and joined the Rotary Club of Cooroy.
“What Rotary did for me was every time I walked into a town I was able to visit Rotary. It was a quick and easy introduction into the business community and the town,“ he said.
What John gained from Rotary he gave back in spades. For 26 years he took on the role of treasurer, a job he liked and one no one else wanted. In 1999 he was elected District Governor for District 9600, a role that required he visit each club in the area that covered south east Queensland, PNG and the Solomon Islands. His community involvement included volunteering with Meals on Wheels, Queensland Ambulance, Pomona State School breakfast club, Noosa District State High School Interact Club and Clean Up Australia Day.
More recently he has been involved in the Rotary and University of Sunshine Coast Community Fund partnership to advance tertiary education opportunities and with Rotary Youth Driver Awareness, a program to provide high school students with the tools and knowledge to be be responsible road citizens.
Having lost two students in fatal car accidents while at TAFE made it more important to John to be involved in a program that made students safer on the roads.
The Rotary Club of Cooroy celebrated John’s contribution to Rotary at a dinner at Cooroy RSL on 24 August.
“John and his contribution to many community organisations will be missed,“ club president Carol Johnston said.
