In this, our 50th year, it seems appropriate that we launch a website that will allow all our members and supporters to see, in real time, what the club has been up to and what it has planned, for our continuing service to the community.

The Rotary Club of Lae has had a very busy 50th year with continuing implementation of rain water tanks to the settlement areas bordering Lae, the commencement of our “Adopt a Village” campaign to assist in the Rotary Against Malaria effort and significant financial support to the local Cancer Foundation. Coupled with a number of smaller support efforts and the continuing Donations in Kind containers from Australia it has been a very busy year.

One of our ongoing challenges has been continuity of membership within the club. Rotarians in Lae are mostly contracted business people within the community and as such tend to travel extensively throughout PNG and many leave PNG at the expiration of their contract.

This is not a new phenomenon, but it does make management and communication within the club on ongoing challenge for all members.

This new website, so graciously put together by Rotarian Robert Schilt, will give all of us within the club a much better medium of contact for all members whilst also making us available to Rotarians and supporters throughout our district and Internationally.

The needs in Papua New Guinea are many, and with the country on the cusp of a development boom, support for the local communities has become even more important, so that we can help Papua New Guineans reap the benefits of the forthcoming developments in the years ahead.

It is with pleasure that I am witnessing the development of the Rotary Club of Lae website during my term as President.

Kind Regards to all.

Steve McNeilly
President – Rotary Club of Lae.