Rotary Club of Kona Installation / Awards Banquet
As I said at Saturday's fabulous Installation Dinner, we've had a good year of building up our club! We not only won the award for the largest percentage membership increase in the District, but we're bringing in two more new members this week! You've all helped to make this a great year, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve again as your president. It seems to me that we've also built up our friendships and fellowship, while providing ever-increasing service to our community and the world.
As I'm sure all of you know, almost all of the good things that we did this year depended heavily on the skills, energy and enthusiasm of Liz Heiman, our Vice President and now President for the 2014-15 Rotary year. I can't thank her enough for all she's done, and I feel that convincing her to take on this 3-year commitment (PE, Pres, PP) is an important part of what I've been able to do for our club as president. MAHALO Liz!
As noted at Saturday's gala, all of the members of the Leadership Team made major contributions to the success of this year. I won't go through all the kudos and mahalo again here, but I especially want to thank Chrys Yamasaki for her continuing service as editor of the Coffee Blossom. She continues to maintain the high standards and helpful content that have made our newsletter one of the best around for many years. She was the Coffee Blossom editor when I was club president in 2001-02 and it was a great relief to me when she agreed to continue again this year. I've relied heavily on her organizational and publication skills both times - and she's similarly served several other club presidents in the intervening 12 years. MAHALO Chrys!
This also seems like the appropriate place to announce officially the special awards that we gave on Saturday to three Rotarians who've gone above and beyond the call of Service Above Self this year:
Quiet Rotarian - Tom Fine
Tom's always there helping, and generally too busy to take credit for all he does.
Outstanding New Rotarian - Kimber DeVerse
Kimber jumps in to volunteer when things need doing and she's learning rapidly how to accomplish things in Rotary.
Rotarian of the Year - James Resor
James has thrown himself into every project and greatly improved all that we've done this year - and we're really pleased that he's agreed to be our VP-President Elect this next year.
Mahalo to every one of you in the club for making this year so successful - and fun!
A Hui Hou, Tom Daniel,
Club President, 2013-14