John joined the club in January 2002 and has seen himself as a club member, not just a member of a branch always finding ways to join with other branches to help promote the club as a whole.

Some of the things John has done as an outstanding club member include:

In 2016 John instigated our club participation in the annual Ride to Remember in Ararat , setting up a stall to inform people of the Ulysses Club, providing information on how they could join the club and if possible introducing them to members of branches  near where they live. This set many on the road to membership of the club. We still do this every year.

John has been a willing worker at club AGMs. He was on the organizing committee for the 2019 Mornington Rally as information coordinator, attending many meetings and site visits even though he lived some 4 hours away.

Also in 2019 the Central Highlands Branch put out a call for help with their Toy Run. John was eager to help and ran a very successful event , after months of meetings planning routes getting council permits etc.

He did this again in 2020 but after all the planning that event was cancelled due to covid.

John volunteered as Check In coordinator for the 2020 Lismore rally which was postponed due to covid. The cancellation of these events in no way made anything easy for the organizers as the majority of work was all done by the time the events were cancelled or postponed.

In 2022 John saw an opportunity or a need for a meet and greet and ran the 1^st Mid Winter Meet and Greet at Newstead  that year we had over 50 Ulysses Club members from 7or 8 Branches. In 2023 we had well over 100 members from 11 Branches. 

John saw the need for Grampians and Central Highlands Branches to work together and 1^st ride of the year was born on the 1^st Wednesday of the year 2018. John still runs this every year between the 2 branches.

John has instigated Grampians Branch hosting many Branches form across Victoria and South Australia, leading rides through our local area, organizing  places for meals, accommodation, and making our visitors  feel welcome.

I commend John for this award, I think you would go a long way to find a harder worker for the club. I feel john is just the type of member Old number 1 had in mind back in 1983 when the club was formed.

Nominated by

                            James Bell #66796

                            President Grampians Branch

Seconded by

                            Stephen Cooper #61306

                             Committee  member, Grampians branch