The Jack Olssen Story
Henk A Aalders PHF Kumeu Rotary Club New Zealand
Jack C. Olsson — re-established Rotary in Poland, had a significant role in the formative years of the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund, served on RI Committees and with Ted Watch enhanced the standing of Australian Rotary in Russia and the Ukraine. He also was the first Rotary Club of Canberra member to receive Rotary’s highest honour, the Service Above Self award.
The Wall was open . Erich Honeker, who a week before had presided over the 40 years celebrations of the East German State had been taken into custody by his own people and on the 9th November 1989 the East German Government on its very last legs permitted East Berliners to pass through the Wall and visit the West .A few weeks on by the turn of the decade the Wall was a memory ….
Meanwhile on the 9 November 1989 over 500 Rotary dignatories from all over the world presented their admission tickets at Warsaws former royal palace to celebrate a momentous celebration in that city, and in all of Eastern Europe ..
That was the rechartering of WARZAWSKI KLUB ROTARIANSKI, the Rotary Club of Warsaw .
Amidst the glittering lights of chandeliers, Polish statesmen of the day mixed with Ambassadors and Rotary dignatories as Rotary Past President Ernst Breitholtz, reprenting the World President Hugh Archer, presented the young Warsaw Rotary president with the clubs charter . This was not just another charter . This was a great occasion and all present knew it . This was seen as the re-entry of Rotary into the then Communist block. So momentous was the occasion that PP Ernst immediately invested Charter President Marijk and the Polish Prime Minister with Paul Harris fellowships .
For Jack and Mrs Olssen this was their night ! Jack, a member of the Canberra Rotary club had been on business and was travelling between the cities of Cracow to Warsaw on a Polish train . It was 1984 and Jack was doing business in Poland .. As it so happened he met lawyer Marijk on that train and wearing his Rotary badge the conversation turned onto the significance of that badge .
Jack told Marijk that Warsaw indeed had had a flourishing Rotary club set up in 1931, which was visited by Paul Harris himself, but which through events of history was doomed to extinction when in 1939 Poland was invaded and was subjected first to German and later to Russian occupation .
By the time that the train pulled into Warzawa station, Jack had had plenty of time to tell Marijk all about Rotary and his Canberra Rotary club .. Marijk was interested and thus Jack invited Marijk to come and visit Australia and to witness Australian Rotary in action ….
One thing led to another . the Australians realised that if Marijk were to succeed in reestablishing Rotary in Poland, he would need all the assistance which he could get and they simply were too far away to be effective .,and thus Swedish Rotary then District 239 was charged to nurse the Polish group of potential Rotarians along . On 9 Nov 1989 the Warsaw Rotary club was rechartered under the supervision of the Swedish "Gubernator".. But Jack was not forgotten.. On him was bestowed the title Godfather of Polish Rotary …As history would have it this plucky Aussie in fact became Godfather of all East European Rotary .
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