Incoming President of the Rotary Club of Armidale, Dr Jim Maher and his wife Nina have been made Paul Harris Fellows at the recent Changeover Dinner held at the Armidale Golf Club.
The prestigious awards were conferred on the couple by Rotary International for their work in building a Library and Lifelong Learning Centre in Ban Khao Thalu, Chumphon Province, Thailand, which was officially opened on December 18, 2010, just over three years after the campaign to build the facility was launched in the Armidale Council Chambers by Mayor Peter Ducat.
The facility, designed by local Rotarian and Architect, Mr Tony Deakin OAM and overseen by local Rotarian and Builder, Paul Marquardt, was constructed and furnished at a cost of $A75,000, making it the biggest single project in the Club’s 78-year history.
Local Thai workers constructed the facility and all materials were sourced in the area, providing a much needed boost to the local economy.
Nina’s award is particularly impressive in that she is not a Rotarian. Jim initiated the idea and worked on site in Thailand and especially in fundraising in Armidale and Nina acted as interpreter, translator and negotiator on
the project. The Mahers said the facility could not have been constructed without the tremendous support of Rotary, the Armidale business houses and broader community who supported the project.
The facility will be used by local school children and adults alike for generations to come, making it a genuine Lifelong Learning Centre.
