The Rotary Club of Hutt City has awarded Honorary Membership to longtime member, friend and colleague, Bob Rowell.President Gaylene paid tribute to Bob as our truly talented but always modest friend.
Honorary membership is given only to persons who have distinguished themselves by meritorious service in the furtherance of Rotary ideals.
Growing up in Seatoun, Bob always had a love of the sea that has lasted all his life. Designing boats and catamarans with a wish to go faster, saw Bob win scholarships and graduate as a professional engineer. He started his career at Hutt City Council where he was soon given charge of a series of major water supply and drainage projects. A big responsibility, and a particular highlight for Bob, was undertaking the long awaited Waiwhetu Stream rehabilitation, which is now recognised as having transformed the stream and its environs to the wider benefit of the whole community. That was Bob!
However, it was Bob’s long-held interest and ability to create stained glass that prevailed through most of his working life. In a career of over 37 years, Bob established and grew his company known as The Stained Glass team, into NZ’s premier stained-glass specialists. Under Bob’s oversight, they undertook an extensive range of major conservation and heritage projects. Their conservation and restoration work stands as a particular feature of the 20-year refurbishment of NZ’s Parliament Buildings.
From his Seatoun beginnings, Bob’s lifelong interest and abilities contributed much to yachting through building, coaching and a continuing involvement with the Lowry Bay Yacht Club, where he is currently President. There, Bob has established many programs and events that involve and assist youth and families. Bob is widely known and respected for his knowledge and advice, and for the mentoring and encouragement he gives at every level of the sport.
Bob has also given much to the Lower Hutt Opera and Musical Theatre. There, Bob has dedicated more than 30 years to designing, building and managing the sets for more than 40 individual productions. He acted and sang in some. As with everything else, Bob’s energy and advice is remembered and appreciated through his inspiration and as mentor for many of their young and aspiring members.
And then there’s the work that he and Sue do as Volunteers at Hutt Hospital where you can find Bob on duty every Tuesday afternoon. Sue volunteers on Fridays, greeting, guiding and assisting anyone and everyone in and around the entrance foyer.
In recognition of his work, Bob was awarded the Hutt Civic Honor for Voluntary Community Service in 2015.
Bob first joined our Rotary Club of Hutt City in the 1989/90 year when David Mayne was President. Through the many years since, Bob has been involved and helped in absolutely everything we do to the benefit of the wider community. He put his hand up and went off to help establish the RC of Hutt Valley when it was formed in 1993, returning in 2007. Bob was our President in 2012/13 and made a Paul Harris Fellow in 2014.
Nowadays, as well as volunteering in every project he can, it is Bob who gives us our heart and soul through his writing and publishing of our newsletter. He tells us where we’ve been, what we’ve done and where we’re going next, alongside news and lists of who is to do what. Bob is always urging us to do more, always inspiring us to see the good in everyone, and always accompanies it with humor and a big smile.