Charter Celebration 2017

Charter Celebration 2017

This year's Penrith Rotary Club charter celebration was highlighted by two awards. One was to current member Robert Coon for his exceptional service to the Rotary movement.  But the second was the first occasion that the Penrith club has conferred a Rotary fellowship to someone outside of the club.  The criterion for this honour is substantial evidence that a person’s contribution has made the world a better place.  And by overwhelming consensus the club identified this worthy recipient as Mrs Muriel Slee, a Penrith stalwart and a woman well known in the area for her long contribution to life in Penrith.

 

In a busy life characterised by public service Mrs Slee has been a key figure in many local organisations. And inevitably she has received a large number of community awards in recognition of her unstinting efforts.  As a long service member of Penrith Inner Wheel Club, in 2004 she was given the highest recognition of that organisation, the Margarette Golding Award.

 

She was also Chair of the Governors of  Beaconside Infant School  and for  over 30 years, together with her late husband Ernie , she held the roles of Secretary and Treasurer  to Skelton Show, developing it from a small village event to a large, regional and much loved aspect of the county calendar.  In 2012 she was awarded the Mothers Union Certificate for 50 years of continuous service.  She was also a Sunday School Teacher for many years .

 

The club also recognised the partnership and support she had given her late husband Ernie Slee, who in his lifetime worked as a local councillor and as a magistrate, as well as being a director of Skelton agricultural show. He was also a past-president of Penrith Rotary Club.