John Fishburne presentation

The Rotary Club of Nantwich hosted an extra special meeting of the Club to honour and say "bon voyage" to a remarkable Rotarian who has made an enormous contribution over 50 years. More than 30 Rotarians from the Rotary Clubs of Nantwich, Crewe, and Crewe and Nantwich Weaver, together with Crewe Inner Wheelers, gathered on 7th January to recognise PDG John Fishburne MPHF before he left Nantwich to be nearer to family members in the West Midlands.

John was invited to speak to the attendees on his time in Rotary, and we were all left spell bound as he spoke about joining the Nantwich Club in 1971, his experience in 1984 as a GSE Team Leader in an exchange with Kentucky, and then also being Club President in 1984/5. Some of the Weaver Rotarians present were founder members of their Club and were so pleased to hear John, who was part of the team set up by Nantwich to create a new Club, talking about the creation of Weaver being one of the most important things he did in Rotary. This was even more surprising as John detailed his service as District Governor in 1992/3, which President Simon of the Weaver Club commented on, remembering his early days as a young new Rotarian being so impressed by the senior, but amazingly helpful Rotarian, that John was at that time.

But John`s service did not end there as he was invited by several RI and RGBI Presidents to serve as their representative on various international committees, and as a Council of Legislation delegate on several occasions. Rtn. Kate remembered that, whilst John had been instrumental in the creation of Weaver, it had been the Weaver Club that had nominated him to be District Governor, awarded him his 1st PHF and had previously honoured him by making him a Life time Honorary Member.

On the conclusion of his presentation, John was presented with the 5th Sapphire to his PHF by President Simon of Crewe and Nantwich Weaver, and then by 3 Rubies to his PHF by President Rod of the Nantwich Club. This was accompanied by a standing ovation for a Rotarian of enormous quality, and whose contribution to Rotary, his community and internationally, will never be forgotten in South Cheshire.