Paul Harris Fellow - Past President Bren Milsom

At our Annual Club Changeover on 28 June 2004, the Rotary Club of Canberra South Inc. named its newest Paul Harris Fellow - Past President Bren Milsom.

This is the text of the citation:

Paul Harris Fellow – Past President Bren Milsom

Bren joined us in December 1999 and came with plenty of experience in the Rotary Youth Exchange programme, through the participation of his children in that programme.

Bren Milsom rapidly became an invaluable member of the Club.

Bren has a very dedicated approach to his involvement in Rotary and indeed seeks the same commitment from his fellow Rotarians.

He became the club secretary, Club Service Director and President (2002-2003) in rapid succession and since then, there has been no reduction of his energy and enthusiasm to meet the Club's aims and objectives.

Bren's determination to ensure our Venezuelan Youth Exchange student, Mari, would speak English as soon as she possibly could, provided the perfect example of this. Daily, he transported her to and from school at Dickson and together with Sue, provided a happy home environment so that Mari soon found her feet in Australia, with new friends, new found independence and a new family at the Rotary club.

Nothing is too much trouble for Bren. He was the co-ordinator of stationery collections for our East Timor project - which was a huge task of collecting, sorting and storing the items as they were donated.

If BBQs are the go, then Bren is in the engine room organising the food and equipment, transporting them to and from the venue and then storing the leftovers if his quantity surveying over catered. The standard is always excellent.

As membership co-ordinator for the past three years, Bren has been tireless and relentless in his follow-up of leads.

There has never been a time when the task Bren assigned himself has not been a complete success. Sue and Bren have hosted Youth Exchange and NYSF students, and has supported all major Club fundraising activities to the hilt.

Bren was at the forefront in helping with many of the Club's projects and activities. For example, his magnificent efforts with the Centenary of Rotary project - refurbishing the park and playground at Chauvel Circle in Chapman - an area which had been devastated by the January 2003 bushfires. The Club recently received the District 2003/2004 Significant Achievement Award for this project which inlarge part, was due to Bren's efforts.

Without this tireless worker, our Club would not have achieved the success that it has done in completing so many projects and helping so many people. This man is the perfect archetype of a Rotary leader: selfless, hardworking, versatile and dedicated. As a result we honour him this evening, by naming him as a Paul Harris Fellow.

28 June 2004