Baton relay celebrates a century of Rotary

ROTARY Clubs across the Geelong region will combine to pass a baton from club to club this Sunday, March 21 as they help celebrate 100 years of the service organisation in Australia.

The Centenary Baton Relay for Geelong will start in Torquay at about 9.15am, with members of the Rotary Club of Torquay walking and carrying the baton from the grassy area at The Esplanade in front of Front Beach Cafe to the nearby Rob Emmett Playground.

Once there, the club will hold a small ceremony, at which Torquay Rotary president Jan Emmett and district governor Phil Beasley will receive the baton.

Ms Emmett will then climb aboard a Harley Davidson motorbike as a pillion passenger and carry the baton to Barwon Heads, where it will be passed onto the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove, and the journey will continue.

Other Rotary Clubs transporting the baton include the Rotary Club of Drysdale, which will encompass a stretch from St Leonards, the Portarlington Miniature Railway, Drysdale Market and Leopold Bunnings, travelling in a car nearly 100 years old.

The Geelong leg will culminate in an event with all the Rotary Clubs from the Geelong district at Christ Church Geelong at 3pm, with the official reception and speeches, a BYO everything picnic, and music by Shy Guys.

The first four Rotary Clubs in Australia and New Zealand were created in Melbourne, Auckland, Wellington and Sydney, all in 1921. From there, Rotary and Rotaract clubs spread everywhere across the two countries.

For more information on Rotary’s centenary celebrations in Australia, head to rotary100downunder.com/home.