NEW PLYMOUTH ROTARY

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1926, Page 10

NEW PLYMOUTH ROTARY

PAST PRESIDENT HONOURED. In his capacity as president, of. the New Plymouth Rotary Club, Mr. A. Nisbet Smith attended his last luncheon yesterday. In handing over the reins of government of the club to his own nominee as successor, Rotarian Walter Penn, Mr. Smith 'said it was with the keenest regret that he closed his associations with the New Plymouth Rotary Club. During his four years as a member of the club he had taken the keenest interest in its activities and was convinced that by these activities his life had been made much happier than he would otherwise hare been. His own particular wish had been to develop the social side of the club. The assence of Rotary was that the members should know one another better, and he felt that in this respect great progress had been made in the New Plymouth Club. In Rotarian Penn he had a successor who he knew would fill the position of president with dignity fnd grace. It was his duty and his privilege to say a few words regarding the departure of Mr. Nisbet Smith, said Rotarian Penn. In filling Mr. Smith’s place he had a hard task in front of him, for the latter had assumed with distinction the office of president. Partly on account of his reserved English nature, and partly because the retiring president had more youth on his side, he was afraid that he would not be able to put as much enthusiasm into the work as had Mr. Nisbet Smith, but he would do his best. Rotarians felt that they could not let their president go without showing in some tangible way their personal regard for him and their appreciation of his service to Rotary, said President Penn. In choosing their gift, they had borne in mind the fact that Mrs. Nisbet Smith had been just as good a Rotarian as her husband, often opening her home to receive visitors to the town, and they wished her to be included in their good wishes. He then presented Mr. Smith with a silver entree dish, the late pre-i sident suitably acknowledging the compliment. Rotarian R. W. D. Robertson was nominated by the new president as vicepresident.