IPP John Lindo (center) with Guest Speaker St. Elmo White (right) and Rotarian Otis.

Like a sensible leader, I look back at my year as President with mixed feelings -- happy to hand over to a new enthusiastic administration while thinking of things unfinished.

The year ushered in the global recession and even at the Club level we felt its effect in the participation of members many of whom were kept at their desks leading your country’s response.

This year we adopted the new RI organizational structure allowing us to focus on service projects and chose the development of a Learning and Development Centre in the Swallowfield community as our major project. Also in line with the charge of RI President DK Lee and the theme Make Dreams Real the club undertook two other child survival projects – the purchase of ventilators for the Special Care Nursery at University Hospital and participation in a neonatal resuscitation project for the Bustamante Children’s Hospital. We also participated in joint projects with several other clubs and external partners in providing sanitation and water supply for several basic schools.

Griffin Charitable Trust's Ms. Moira Morgan with the Grant Family after receiving the Gary Grant Vocational Award 2008

I wish to express my gratitude to the Rotaract Club of New Kingston for their sterling and steadfast support of the Swallowfield project. We are extremely grateful to them and their leadership for providing this support and for being the “boots” on the ground. They have indicated a commitment to the project until at least 2011. We were successful in securing not one but three Matching Grants with other clubs and the Rotary Foundation to support the Basic Schools Project, the Ventilator Project and the Neonatal Resuscitation Project. Past President and now Assistant District Governor Dennis Chong must be congratulated for his hard work in this regard.

The club kept its commitment to support the Christian Boys’ Home and on Labour Day joined in establishing a kitchen garden to support the nutritional needs of the boys at the Home. We hosted a Christmas Luncheon for the residents of the Harrison Home for the Aged and staged the Annual Health Fair for children at the Constant Spring All Age and Junior High school. Rotarian Lloyd Samuda dedicated much effort, time and personal treasure to the success of these ventures and the club thanks him for his leadership.

We kept tradition alive with family worship at the Church of the Good Shepherd and brunch at the home of PP Wayne Powell and his beautiful wife Jennifer to whom we are grateful. The club also introduced a once a month fellowship at the home of a Rotarian and this has been a successful venture.

The Gary Grant Vocational Services Award was won by the Griffin Trust for their work in transforming the lives of the youth in inner city Cockburn Pen. Among the distinguished nominees for the non Rotarian Award were CAMP Bustamante and Children First who have also made significant contributions to the lives of Jamaica’s children.

The club participated in the Rotary Youth Leadership Initiative spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Kingston and organized our inaugural Breakfast with a Leader initiative bring over 20 young people to share breakfast with Rotarian business leaders. Our Rotary Youth Leadership Award for 2009 was also presented. These programmes were successful and the club was duly recognized for its participation.

Finally, we held two successful fundraisers, the Evening of Excellent Music and the Bar ‘B Fry, both of which were well supported.

The achievements notwithstanding, there is some unfinished business, but such is the life of any Club President. I wish to thank the members of the club and members of the outgoing Board for being so supportive over this past year. Without your help, guidance and encouragement we would not have made the strides and successes we have been able to report on this year. I wish for the new President, Rtn Clive McLean and his administration every success.

It was indeed an honour to have served.