OoS - Interact Necklace

Windsor Club chartered the Brisbane Girls Grammar School Interact Club which quickly became one of the most committed Clubs within the District. (Magarry, 2002) BGGS Interact President became an esteemed leadership role and early presidents were members of the Student Council. ‘Service above Self’ was the motivating motto for Rotary International and thus for the Brisbane Girls Grammar School Interact Club (1970 – 2018). The first report of the Club’s activities appeared in the 1972 School Magazine; membership was open to all IV and V Formers with Barbara Durie was the first Club president. In the early years, the commitment to community service was paramount, particularly evident in the C lub’s work at Xavier Home, Montrose Home, and with the Sporting Wheelies. Interact members of the 1970s and 80s were dedicated environmentalists, participating in tree planting days, recycling school waste and Keep Australia Beautiful. In 1979, the two clubs (BGGS and BGS) created a park on the site of what is now the RLC Forecourt, to further enhance the green space of the campuses. (Pollock, 1974) (Hawes, 1979) Community service always took precedence over fundraising as club members focused more on interacting with young people of differing cultures and abilities. Parties, swimming marathons, door knock appeals, picnics, charity concerts, and visits to hospitals kept the members active and involved. Interact extended its community relations off-campus often holding events with other Interact clubs, hosting several Interact district conferences and participating in the International Rotary exchange program. In her occasional address at the Interact 40 Year Anniversary dinner, Sarah-Jane St-Clair (1995 president) recalled a disastrous charity concert, ‘Acts on Show’, where the Grammar Girls arrived for a night of revelling to music, dance and theatre sports, while the BGS boys had invited their grandparents for a ‘school’ concert! (St-Clair, 2010) Interact supported Rotary programs such as Interplast and ROMAC; ‘Donations in Kind’, by donating books, food, and clothing to overseas Rotary projects; and the Rotary ShelterBox – President, Anna Redmond and club members actually pitched a tent at a school assembly and unpacked a ShelterBox to demonstrate the merits of the cause. (Redmond, 2007) At its peak in 2001, more than 200 students signed up to become members of the Club. (Brimson, 2001) Over time, specific charities previously supported by Interact, gained their own momentum and the service structure changed. The last president on the History Necklace was Isobel Prior, the 2012 president. Interact’s Presidential Gold History Necklace was mounted in a history box as part of the 40 Year commemorations in 2010. The 2010 president, Giullietta Avenia, and the executive organised a celebration dinner. Many past presidents were re-united with their badges at this highly successful anniversary dinner.

Past presidents, Lucy Fraser (2008), Rebecca Conoplia (1991) and Sarah-Jane St-Clair (1995) with 2010 president, Guilietta Avenia, and Vice- President, Briar Bracey, with the newly framed Interact Club’s Presidential Gold History Necklace.