The Bellville Rotary Club welcomed its new president during a special dinner at the Protea Hotel in Durbanville on Wednesday June 28.
The new president, George Gordon, thanked outgoing president, David Holtzhausen, saying he had achieved a lot during his term, despite there only being a few members.
“This is a humbling experience being elected to serve as president. I am thankful to the members for placing their trust in me,” he said.
The evening was indeed a special one for Mr Gordon who was honoured with a Paul Harris Fellow Plus One from his son, Michael, who currently serves as president of the Rotary Club in Las Vegas.
Michael returned to South Africa for the first time since 2011 for the induction ceremony.
“It is not often that you get to serve as president in the same year as your father,” said Michael.
“I grew up in the Rotary club and hope that I have made you proud. Joining Rotary was a turning point in my life,” he said.
Former district governor Geraldine Nicol congratulated the club on the successes it has achieved over the past 64 years, saying it was one of the oldest clubs around.
“This is no small feat. The commitment of the members have been incredible and the club continues to grow.”
Under the leadership of Mr Holtzhausen, the Rotary club handed over a new tennis and netball court to the Carel du Toit Centre, developed a strategic plan for the long-term growth of the club, held a golf day and continued with its food distribution to various local institutions and organisations. The club also managed to increase its membership by 33%.
Mr Holtzhausen was inducted as a member of the Rotary club in 1994 and has been a member since, serving as president several times.
While his time as president has come to an end, Mr Holtzhausen said he would continue being an active member of the club. He is also an official nominee for the position of district governor.
Mr Gordon said he would put structures in place to ensure that the club focuses on key areas and believes the newly elected executive team would help take the club to greater heights.
“The next 12 months is not about me but us and what we can achieve during this time,” he said.
The event was also attended by members of the Durbanville, Tygerberg and Goodwood Rotary clubs and members of Bellville Rotaract.