JOANNE TWIST JOINS ‘PILLARS OF COMMUNITY’ AS PAUL HARRIS RECIPIENT

GRAVENHURST — Service Above Self is the Rotary Club’s motto.

And in Gravenhurst it’s a bit of a way of life with volunteers.

Recognizing them is something else Rotarians give back to the community through their Paul Harris Fellowships.

Each year the club recognizes one or two and hosts them at a club meeting luncheon.

Recently they welcomed 31 past honourees along with one new one.

Joanne Twist is the latest to receive the recognition, which comes with a certificate, medallion and pin to wear prominently in any setting.

Twist is a founding member of the Women’s Centre in town, chair of the GAP (Gravenhurst Against Poverty) project, and a past chair of the former Community Policing to name a few of her contributions to the town.

She joins an illustrious group of citizen volunteers who Rotary Foundation Chair Mark Clairmont described as “pillars of the community.”

Other recipients were: David Trethewey, Pat Brownlee, Hank, Smith,Christina Hunter, Betty Flaherty, Garnet Schenk, Joanne Hills, Steve Waite, Dorothy Reynolds, Audrey Brown, Penny Varney, Fred Schulz, Ted Smith, Gord Adams, Peter Smith, Rick Hunter, Judy Sherman, Valerie Ceschia Hart, Marion Fry, Lynda Ferguson, Ardyn Todd, Cyril Fry, Annette Gillan, Brian O’Hallaran and Gord Maunder.

Mayor Paul Kelly thanked Twist and the other Paul Harris Fellows, before speaking about his first 160 days in office in his address to Rotarians last week at the Muskoka Discovery Centre.

If you know of anyone who shares of themselves in the same manner as Rotarians for whom Service Above Self is their mantra, contact Clairmont at mark@muskokatoday.com