In the 1973-1974 Rotary year James (Jim) Keenan of the Rotary Club of Hokitika was District Governor for the then District 998. At that time, the District covered the whole of the South Island of New Zealand. He was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship by his District in 1975. Jim also received his Sapphire Pin. Now aged 91, Jim is the oldest living Past District Governor for the current South Island Districts 9970 and 9980.
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| Jim and Aileen Keenan, John Keenan and Ray Brosnahan |
In 1988 the Rotary Club of Timaru South awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship to Jim’s brother-in-law, Ray Brosnahan, and in the following year 1989, the Rotary Club of Timaru awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship to his other brother-in-law, Verdon Brosnahan (deceased 2010).
In 2008 the Rotary Club of Timaru South awarded Ray Brosnahan his Sapphire Pin.
In July 2013 to honour Jim Keenan’s sixty years in Rotary, the Hokitika Rotary Club awarded him a second Sapphire pin. This year, the Hokitika Rotary Club also awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship to Jim’s wife Aileen Keenan (nee Brosnahan) to recognize her 60 years of support to her husband in his Rotary work.
Also in July 2013 Jim and Aileen’s eldest son John Keenan and his wife Shirley were both inducted as members of the Rotary Club of Timaru South.
This history over sixty years of Jim Keenan, his two brothers-in-law and his wife (their sister) all being awarded Paul Harris Fellowships, and now with the next generation joining Rotary, may be unique in the Rotary world.
