Paul Bendix takes over presidency of Rotary Club
THE ROTARY Club of Shetland’s new president Paul Bendix has taken over the reigns from outgoing president David Anderson following a socially distanced handover presentation.
Handing over the club’s chain of office to the incoming president Anderson said the Covid-19 pandemic had been a challenging time for his presidency, adding that it had encouraged the club to discover technology.
“We recently had a meeting with an Australian Rotary Club using videoconferencing technology – something we probably would not have done without Covid-19. I hope we can use technology to widen our membership.”
Reflecting on his time in office, he added: “The Shetland Youth Volunteer Awards were our opportunity to celebrate some of the amazing voluntary effort that characterises our community.
“Rotary has been associated with that from its inception: it’s always been a ‘good fit’ for Rotary whose motto is Service above Self.”
Bendix, from Vidlin, meanwhile, said that he had two objectives for the coming 12 months.
“First is a duty of care to my fellow Rotarians. We have some older members who may be in some sort of ‘additional risk’ category during the pandemic.
“I need to ensure that whatever activity we pursue to raise funds does not put Rotarians at unnecessary risk. Success is finishing the year with at least as many Rotarians as I started.
“The second is – make the place a better place. But how? Well, I’m not alone. I have the collective minds and experiences of the entire club at my disposal. I’m sure they’ll find stuff for me to chase.”
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