Ron Cook Memorial Scholarship
Recently the Rotary Club of Sunbury presented to the Dux of the four Secondary Colleges in Sunbury to Ron Cook Memorial Scholarship.
Each recipient receives a $1000 to assist in their start at University or otherwise.
BACKGROUND FOR THE RON COOK MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AND THE SPORTS, EDUCATION AND RECREATION FOUNDATION
Ron Cook Joined the Rotary Club of Sunbury in 1984 and was an active member until his resignation in 2001.
Although he never served as president of the club he left a lasting legacy with the formation of the Sports and Recreation Foundation, which in recent years has had a name change to include Education and is now known a the Sports, Recreation and Education Foundation.
During his time in the club Ron suggested that a Foundation be set up to assist young people in their sporting and recreation endeavours
In the Rotary Year 1986/87 the Sports and Recreation Foundation was inaugurated with the aim to raise $100,000 to be invested and the interest to be available for sporting and recreational grants. The Foundation has succeeded in doing this and over the years it has numerous young people attain their goals or has been instrumental in giving them a start towards achieving their goals.
Ron saw the need for such a scheme and history shows that his foresight was well founded as the scheme has lived on into the 21st Century, although I can say that the interest, we receive is not so grand anymore.
Luckily Ron had many connections and to kick-start the foundation Ron used his racing connections to run a fundraiser at the yearling sales at Oaklands Junction where a donated horse float was auctioned, and the takings were deposited in the Foundation Fund. In turn the Rotary Club donated their time by selling tickets and cleaning out the stables.
In his professional and sporting life Ron had a long association with the Hawthorn Football Club as a player, committee member, Secretary and later as President. He was the Secretary of the Hawthorn Football Club from 1961-1967 and President from 1980-1987 during that time hawthorn won numerous premierships in 1961, 1971, 1976, 1978 and 1983. In 1996 Ron played an important part in preventing Hawthorn merging with the Melbourne football club. Ron was made a Life Member of Hawthorn and was inducted into their Hall of Fame.
The Ron Cook Memorial Scholarship was named in his honour to acknowledge his great contribution to the Club and his vision for young people he was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow in 1996 to acknowledge his contribution not only to this scholarship but also his tireless work as a fellow Rotarian.
Sadly Ron passed away in 2004 at the age of 74 after a short illness however his legacy lives on with the scholarships that we are presenting today.
