District People - the late John Carrick

PRID John Carrick OAM 1934-2013

Rotary’s “go to” man

John Carrick, one of the leaders of Rotary not only in our area but also in the whole of Australia, passed away after a short lllness on 9 November.
 
John, 79, was a member of the Rotary Club of Lindfield.  Rotary loves initials, and John was a PRID – Past Rotary International Director.  He was a Rotarian for 52 years, and was a member of the Board of Rotary International from 1994 to 1996.  The Board has 19 members drawn from Rotary clubs and Rotary districts all around the world.
 
He joined the Rotary Club of Hunters Hill in 1961 aged 26, and was President in 1970. He was still a member there in 1977-78 when he served as District Governor of District 968.  In 1980 he moved his pharmacy to Normanhurst, and joined the Rotary Club of Lindfield.  In 1986-88 he had a big hand in launching PolioPlus.
 
John was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2006.
 
Past District Givernor Bob Burnett  said John was chairman of the Organising Committee of the 2003 World Convention in Brisbane, and was a member of the Organising Committee for the 2014 Sydney Convention.  He represented the World President at 17 different District Conferences around the world – he was, in Bob Burnett’s words “the man most wanted for jobs by Rotary International”.
 
Adapted from the Rotary Club of Wahroonga Bulletin 20 Novermber 1913
 
When John opened his first pharmacy in Gladesville it did not take the Rotary Club of Hunters Hill long to make him a member in 1958.
 
John was a big man and had a presence amongst a group of men.  He spoke in measured tones - never needing to raise his voice to make a point.  The John Carrick natural charm was soon to become legendary!!
 
Then there was his prodigious memory.  We were so often entertained by those endless Australian poems.  This memory enabled him to address many deep subjects - often in distinguished company - without any need for notes.
 
It all started in earnest from when he was President of his Club in 1970.
 
Then came the District jobs.  After being advisor to the District Governor in International Service in 1975-76, he was elected Governor of this Northern Sydney District in 1977.  With 47 clubs to manage he gained a close rapport with his Presidents - without the aid of computers or emails, it was pretty hands on in those days.
 
Remember, he and Jill were bringing up a family during this time ... and very successfully as you know!
 
I was to follow him as District Governor and we saw the need to formally train the Presidents … we concocted the first Presidents’ Elect Training Seminar which Rotary International was to take up the next year as a permanent institution.
 
John also brought all the Past District Governors together for the first time foreshadowing the College of Governors as an institution in this District.
 
John then led a team of the other Sydney Governors in developing a training course for Rotaract.  This significant achievement no doubt gave him confidence to tackle bigger challenges in the future.
 
In 1980, John moved his Pharmacy business to Normanhurst resulting in his Rotary membership transferring from Hunters Hill to Lindfield.
 
In the 80's, John's interest in International Service was furthered by his involvement in Rotary Australia's World Community Service arm.  As Deputy Chairman it included three years on the Board of International House at Sydney University.  For good measure, he was Deputy Chair of the Red Shield Appeal for the Sydney Region.
 
Then in 1986-88 came another mighty challenge that we in Rotary knew must not fail - the PolioPlus program.  John was on the National Committee and was co-ordinator for all five NSW Districts.  They raised 31% of the Australian total and more than doubled their target.
 
He was then appointed the NSW director on the board of Rotary's National Medical Research Fund.  He was the Organising Secretary of an International Symposium for Adolescent Health in Canberra which was attended by medical and youth specialists from around the world.  Another Carrick triumph!
 
But this sort of success only invites conscription into heavier international challenges.
 
At the end of the 70's, it was Rotary lnternational's Advisory Committee for International projects ... then late in the 80's, their International Task Force for Youth.  Most of us did not know that such Committees existed but their titles indicate their significance in directing the future governance of this great organisation.
 
But in the 90's it was really on!
 
It started with him being on the International Vocational Service Committee, but from 1994-96 John was elected to the Board of Rotary International, a two year appointment.  He was the only Rotarian in this District in 30-40 years to have ever reached this position.  John wasn't ambitious, he had simply earned this appointment.
 
In 1995-96 he was on the Executive Committee of the RI board and a member of the International Assembly Committee which directs the training of incoming District Governors from around the world.
 
After that he was an ex-officio member of the International Conventions Committee, travelling the world to choose suitable cities to hold them in.
 
By 1997, John was off the RI Board, but by then he had been scooped up as aide to the next Australian RI President, Glen Kinross.  John (and often Jill) were on the road the year prior to, as well as in Glen's year.  So now you boys and girls know why you were shy of partners for golf, bowls and bridge for so long in those four years.
 
After a four week stint away, he pulled on his white coat again in the Pharmacy and a customer walked in and said "Oh hello! Are you the new owner?"
 
But, you say, it was longer than those four years?
 
Well, John has attended three Councils on Legislation - the body that reviews the Constitution and Bylaws of our organisation every three years.
 
As a pinnacle achievement to the constant challenges presented to him, he was appointed Chairman of the Organising Committee of the International Convention in Brisbane in May-June 2003.  15,000 delegates attended from 113 countries.
 
It was adjudged an outstanding success but it had required regular monthly meetings in Brisbane and many side trips over a two year period.
 
But Rotary International had not finished with John Carrick.  This time they found an exclusive committee that went for six years.  The very powerful Audit Committee that oversees the performance of The Secretariat and how well they are handling all of Rotary's programs.  It required three trips for a week to HQ in Evanston, Illinois each year.
 
The degree of standing in the Rotary International firmament that John had acquired naturally required he (and Jill) to represent the current International Presidents at District Conferences year after year.
 
They fulfilled that request at six Australian Conferences and in 17 other countries from the UK to Malaysia, from India to Luxembourg.
 
John is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and in 2006 he received the OAM from the Governor.
 
Having been on next year's Sydney Convention Committee since its inception, John registered his final appearance in Lisbon only last June to help promote this event.
 
With all this work overseas he was still a working Rotarian in Lindfield club.  As a source of Rotary knowledge and know-how ‘though, he was their most valuable member.
 
Edited eulogy delivered by Past District Governor, Bob Burnett