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Rotary’s star not By Megan Haggan
THERE’S a saying that if you want something done, ask the busiest person you can find – and that person may be Fred Fawke, who has just been named District 2009-10 Rotarian of the Year. To Fred, serving the community – whether here in Canberra or internationally – is a privilege, not a chore; he’s loath to take credit for his work, instead paying tribute to his fellow Rotarians. “I’m honoured, for obvious reasons, but it really is a question of just being one among your peers,” he told “CityNews”. “We’re all lucky enough to be able to act on behalf of the community.” He attributes the award to his being a public face for ShelterBox, displaying the boxes in schools, work environments and other locations. “Because of the actions of my fellow Rotarians, last year we raised over $200,000 in district 9710 (south-eastern NSW and the ACT) alone. “I was stunned to receive the award – that night was the quietest I’ve ever been – because I always say that in reality, you never really receive one of these things as an individual: It really is a reflection of the company you keep.” Fred joined Rotary in 1996, asked by a fellow AFP superintendant: Fred was head of National Criminal Records, while his friend was head of Traffic.
CityNews November 10-17
“It was funny, because when I joined Rotary, other close friends said ‘I would have asked you, but you always seemed so busy’. I’d already been part of the Police Head Shave which, in those days, was fund-raising for childhood cancer victims, and basically everyone said that if you wanted to raise money for something, you had to go and ask Fred! “I joined the [then] Commonwealth Police at just short of 22, and retired at 55, and the majority of that was not only very exciting, it was a privilege to do what I did. I enjoyed every minute of it. “We were fortunate in that we were allowed to serve the community and be allowed to help establish the Australian Federal Police. We told people at the time that we only had 20 years to do it in and get it right, because after that, we’d be retired. “When I became a member of Rotary, my fellow superintendent said that when you retire, you have to do something with your life, you can’t just sit there. Now I say to people that I don’t know how they find the time to go to work!” As well as being very involved with a number of Rotary initiatives including the Jamison Trash and Treasure Markets, and his involvement with ShelterBox Australia, Fred also volunteers at Macgregor Public School, where he helps mentor children in putting together Meccano creations as part of the ACT’s School Volunteer Program. “If it’s true that once you retire you have to have a life, when I actually retire I’ll let you know about it,” he laughs.