50 YEARS OF SERVICE
The 1950's was a period of growth and consolidation for the new Rotary Club of Moe. Moe grew very rapidly in the 1950s with many people from a variety of nations moving into town, often to work with the State Electricity Commission. The Rotary Club of Moe found much work to do in the community in helping local organisations provide the urgently neededsocial facilities for a growing community. Such projects, large and small, are mentioned in the Club's Annual Reports of the 1st Ten Years.
The 1960's
The 1960's saw the Rotary Club of Moe grow in membership and record excellent annual attendance percentages. Community activities included beautification projects in Moe, assistance to both the youth and elderly and fund raising for the Latrobe Valley Hospital. Internationally, the Club continued to seek contact with overseas Clubs while it supported World Community Service with schemes such as "Milk Powder To India" and "Books for a Library in Tanganyika". Vocational Service focussed on Career Advice to School Leavers. The Club's involvement in the wider Rotary scene culminated in Allan McHardy being selected as District Governor in 1968-69. The Club hosted the District Conference the same year.
The 1970's
During the 1970's the Rotary Club of Moe continued to expand and to continue many of the approaches in each avenue of service of the previous decade. Many new initiatives also were taken with considerable success. In the community area, support for the Latrobe Valley Hospital and the Latrobe Valley Village for the Aged remained important. The successful formation of the Rotaract Club of Moe was a highlight of the decade. Assistance to Youth through such activities as refurbishment of Woorabinda Camp, support for local Scouting and sending Young Leaders from Moe to a Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) was important. Beautification activities continued including the innovative Gatehouse Gardens Project. In the VocationalService area, Careers Programs continued to be an on-going activity including ambitious Career Contact Program in 1970-71. In International Service, involvement of Moe Rotarians in a Fourth Avenue In Motion (FAIM) Team was a highlight as was the selection of Graeme Stephenson in a Group Study Exchange (GSE)Team to Japan and the arrival our first full year Exchange Student, Mosato Odaka, in 1976-77. Support for World Community Service and the Rotary Foundation continued and Allan McHardy became the Club's first Paul Harris Fellow (PHF).
The 1980's
The 1980's started auspiciously for the Rotary Club of Moe with the receipt of a second District Significant Achievement Award for the Handicamp. However, the decade was dominated by two'Big Ticket' items. The "Night Out" at Old Gippstown as a major fund raiser and "the development of the ambitious Botanic Gardens Project". The "Night Out" required a large scale co-operative effort by Rotarians and their wives. It generated much fellowship, funds for club activitiesand much debate within the Club. Support for community bodies in Moe continued to be strong while the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund and Polo Plus received strong initial grants. On the International front, the Club was regularly involved with International Student Exchange and New Zealand Exchange while Group Study Exchange (GSE) teams were hosted by the Club. A tradition of supporting the Rotary Foundation by donating funds for a Paul Harris Fellow was commenced by PP Bill Pollock's International Service Committee in 1983-84. It enabled the Club to honour a group of worthy Rotarians who had contributed much to the Club over the past two or three decades.
The 1990's
For the second time, a Moe Rotarian was chosen as District Governor, with Bryon Puddy assuming this Key Rotary role in 1993-94. The Club took pride in Bryon's excellent leadership of the District with many Club members undertaking important roles in the District Administration and most successful District Conference at Echuca in February 1994, capping a massive co-operative effort by club members and wives. The Rotary Club of Moe accepted the challenge of staging the 1st two Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN) Seminars in the District. During the decade it successfully sponsored three Probus Clubs in Moe and Newborough - an indication of changing demographics - and an Inner Wheel Club. The Club's International focus was another feature with David Power leading a Group Study Exchange (GSE) team to Missouri, USA, the Club successfully sponsoring three GSE team members and hosting GSE teams from Michigan, Ontario and Brazil. Support for the Rotary Foundation and Youth Exchange remained strong. The "NightOut" came to and end as the major fund raiser mid decade but was revived in 1997-98 with a change of scale and a focus on club fellowship. At much the same time, the Club responded to the challenge of playing a major role in organising the existing "Blue Rock Classic" as a demanding and large scale project.