Judy Ferguson Awarded Paul Harris Fellow

Posted on Dec 07, 2016
 
Judy Ferguson was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow at Tuesdays meeting.  She is pictured above with President Geoff Breust and John.
PP Peter Crozier announced the award and gave an overview of Judy's achievements.  His presentation is reproduced below:
Today, the Rotary Club of Wollundry – Wagga Wagga has the privilege of honouring an outstanding member of the community in the form of bestowing them with the highest honour of Rotary International, a Paul Harris Fellowship.
This awardee was born into a rural family at Casino and was educated locally at Casino Public and High Schools before moving into her tertiary education at the University of New England and the Armidale Teachers College. She taught at several schools on the South Coast and the Riverina for over 40 years. She met her husband, John, when she was appointed to the Collingullie Demonstration SchooI. I guess only a few would not recognise that I am referring to Judith Anne Ferguson. Her involvement in the management and love of sports both in the public school and adult fields would be without peer. Her roles within the Primary Schools Sports Association have been voluntary and completed outside her teaching roles. I will touch on her activities in the PSSA:
  • Wagga Wagga PSSA   –  Secretary 1984 to 1999; organisation of ten sports throughout           Wagga on Friday afternoons at many locations; instrumental in the introduction of the Royal Life Saving Swim and Survive program into Wagga Schools; convenor of Hockey, Softball and Tennis trials; convenor of Swimming Carnivals for 10 years.
  • Riverina PSSA – Life Member 1995; Softball convenor and Coach 1976 to 1996 responsible for selection and attending state championships; Hockey convenor and Coach 1983 to 1999 responsible for selection and attending state championships.
  • NSW PSSA – Life member 2008, with John, the only wife and husband team to be made life members in the 127 year history of the organisation; State softball convenor and manager 1989 to 1999 responsible for the organisation of two state championship a year for boys and girls involving 13 teams and the selection and coaching of NSW teams at National championships; involved in the final series for both Boys and Girls school softball knockout competitions where around 800 girls schools and 400 boys schools took part. This was one way to develop her geographical knowledge of  NSW.  She was the state Coach of the girls hockey team from 1991 to 1997.
 
 
 
Moving onto her community sporting life:
  • She is a Life Member of Wagga Wagga Hockey Association and was secretary of the Wagga Wagga Hockey and Wagga Junior Hockey Association for 15 years being recognised as a recipient of the Ted Ryder award in 1995. She is a Qualified High Performance coach utilising her ability to coach numerous representative teams for 20 years. She was the Riverina Academy of Sport Hockey coach. She coached numerous Lake Albert Mens and Nangus Womens teams to first grade premierships and has herself played first grade with Rosellas and Lake Albert for many years.
  • In softball, she was the inaugural coach for the Riverina Academy of Sport for 6 years coaching many representative sides at State Championship. She played many years with the first grade sides of Turvey Park and South Wagga clubs.
  • Golf has been lucky to have her involvement in administration. She was the Wagga Country Club ladies Secretary and Captain from 2006 to 2014 and a Board director for 5 years.  She has been secretary of the Riverina Ladies Golf Association for 4 years and treasurer from 2014 to current times. She manages all IT and computer sites for them. Yes, she does have time to play off a very acceptable handicap and enjoys driving the ball metres past any males that play with her!
One would think that sport would fill her days up but not so. We move onto the other side of life that being the music and performing arts fields. On the school side:
  • She has organised school groups to compete at eisteddfods for 35 years and has been the music director of the Combined Wagga Schools Senior Primary Choir for 8 years. She attends the School Spectacular in Sydney with the Riverina Central Choir as musical director for the past 12 years
Turning to choral singing;
  • Judy has been assistant musical director for the past 23 years with the Murrumbidgee Magic, an acapella group of fine singers whom I am sure most would be acquainted with. She has been instrumental in the success of this very talented group who have been 6 times national small group winners and are currently National Champions. As of last week, she has stepped up to be the musical Director.
  • She has also been Musical Director of the Wagga City Rugby Male choir since 2010. Anyone who can tolerate this 70 voice choir deserves a Paul Harris Fellowship on this alone. But Judy has them eating out of her hand whenever she wishes. She is the inspirational leader of this “musical Men’s shed” taking on any who wish to join this unauditioned choir.  Our overseas choral trips to Nordlingen, the United Kingdom, Tonga and soon to be New Zealand in February 2017 would not take place without Judy in a lead role.
  • Judy assists in the musical organisation of the Bi-annual Australian Male Choirs Concert getting her boys up to scratch for this massed choir of many hundreds. Both choirs sing monthly at Australian Citizenship ceremonies and perform at a host of community events. She is also a gifted seamstress and wardrobe designer for the Murrumbidgee Magic.
 
Judy,  you lead a wonderful, fulfilling lifestyle always looking to help others and yet gaining obvious enjoyment in your achievements. I wonder how you have time to be Head Gardener at 17 Clare avenue. Oh, by the way, I believe you have now found time to do volunteering for the Cancer Council.
President Geoff, I invite you to induct Judy Ferguson with Rotary’s highest honour, a Paul Harris Fellowship.