New Bern Breakfast Rotary presents Awards and Installs a New President

New Bern Breakfast Rotary Club
Following his Paul Harris Fellow presentation, Mitch Lewis explains his organization, Arts to End Genocide, and the program that helps barefoot children in Africa

The New Bern Breakfast Rotary Club installed a new President and presented four awards to local residents for their service to the community at the annual meeting in June at the New Bern Country Club.

Clifton Pike was inducted as the new club President for 2017-18 by District Governor Jim Findley of New Bern. Officers and Committee chairs for his term of office were also installed for the new Rotary year.

Awards were presented to four local citizens for their service to our community and beyond. The Paul Harris Fellow recognition is the Rotary Foundation’s way of expressing appreciation for a substantial contribution to improving our world. It is a tribute to a person whose life and efforts demonstrate a shared purpose with the objectives of Rotary to “do good in the world.”

An Honorary Paul Harris Fellow award was given to Corey Purdie, founder of Wash-Away Unemployment, an organization that helps individuals released from prison with mentoring, education, skills training and employment to become contributing members of our community. A second Honorary Paul Harris Fellow award was given to Mitch Lewis, founder of Arts to End Genocide and who developed a program called “Heeling the World” in several African countries to show mothers how to make shoes for their children from local materials to prevent the soil-transmitted diseases, infections and even death from going barefoot. Paul Harris Fellow recognitions were also presented to club members Joni Bass and Nancy Fisher for their dedication as Co-Chairs of the club’s annual Oktoberfest fundraiser, scheduled this year for September 30th at the Riverfront Convention Center.

Deirdre Kiernan was presented with an engraved Lucite award to recognize her many years of dedicated commitment and service as Advisor to the Rotary Interact Club at New Bern High School.

Following the installation of the new officers, Deedra Durocher was presented with a plaque in appreciation for her service as New Bern Breakfast Rotary President for the 2016-17 year.

Submitted by: Rotarian Deirdre Kiernan