Anne Chirnside and Belinda Green at the Rochester Lions recycling depot.
Photo by
Daniel Harvey
Rochester Lions have made history ― welcoming their first all-female executive committee. But members say it is very much business as usual for this well-established community organisation.
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The lionesses of this executive are Lauren Coghill as president, along with Anne Chirnside as secretary and Belinda Green as treasurer.
This was not a deliberate push for change, but rather a natural outcome of the club's long-standing culture of shared responsibility.
Lauren Coghill at the recent Echuca Lions annual changeover, with Moama’s Fran Woolnough.
The new committee was formed through the club’s leadership succession, when senior members take turns filling roles ― with Lauren moving into the presidency after a term as vice-president.
The Rochester branch of Lions has a history of being ahead of the pack ― with the club having been among the first to welcome women as members. Although the committee milestone having been more than 20 years in the making.
Anne said having women in leadership brought fresh ideas and helped make the club more inclusive.
She said the change had also contributed to an increase in female membership — yet the club continued to operate much as it always had.
The Rochy Lions barbie on wheels is a regular at community events.
“We all do the same work, and we all contribute to the same fundraising events,” Anne said.
The club remains heavily involved in supporting the Rochester community, from youth programs and sporting opportunities, to local events and health initiatives.
The club is currently running its recycling depot, working to bring eye health checks back to Rochester primary schools, and has applied to have a skin health check bus visit the town next year — practical initiatives which make a real difference to local lives.
Anne said the Lions' long history in Rochester had helped weave the club into the fabric of the community.
“I think we're really important to the community,” she said.
“I think people in the community regard Lions highly, and are well aware of the fundraising which we do and how we give back.”
For Rochester Lions, the all-female executive is less about gender and more about carrying on the meaningful work that has made the club a cornerstone of the community for decades.
