Warrnambool's Felicity Melican thought she was just attending a Rotary luncheon to talk about the work of a local charity but members instead surprised her with a rare honour.
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Ms Melican was given Rotary's highest recognition - a Paul Harris Fellow award - and she is not even a member of any club.
To be given the award as a non-member is "quite rare", Rotary Club of Warrnambool Central's service director Bob McMillan said.
But he said she was so worthy that she deserved to have 20 of them.
Mr McMillan has known about the award since last year but there were delays in handing it out because it had been misplaced for a few months. "But we found it," Mr McMillan said.
Rotary members organised for Ms Melican to attend their luncheon on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 as a guest speaker to seemingly talk about local organisation Loved & Shared.
A humble Ms Melican she had no idea what she was really there for. "I'm actually blown away," she said.
"I know that there's a lot of people that go unsung all their lives so I'm very honoured."
Ms Melican said if you were lucky enough to have some success in life, it's always important to give back.
"Any bit that I've been able to do over the years to contribute back has been repaid many fold over," she said.
Rotary chairman Matt Northeast, who announced the award, said despite being on numerous boards, Ms Melican also used to cook casseroles and deliver them to the former Shamrock House at Crossley for those in need.
"You are simply, in my mind, a wonderful human," he said.
"I know you like to fly under the radar but we think you are awesome.
"This is so well deserved. Felicity probably should have been awarded one of these 20 years ago given the amount she has helped and contributed to the Warrnambool and south-west region."
Mr Northeast said the Paul Harris award - which recognised service above self - was one of the highest honours someone could receive from Rotary and were not given out lightly.
Ms Melican grew up on a dairy farm at Wangoom and did a bachelor of business at Deakin University in Warrnambool before moving to Melbourne to work.
When she returned to Warrnambool in the 1990s, she decided she wanted to get into corporate training but, after going back to do her graduate diploma in secondary teaching, she was tempted back into accounting.
She went to work for Sinclair Wilson in 1993 and became a partner in 2001.
Since moving back to Warrnambool, she has been been involved in a lot of boards - from aged care, to education, health and charitable organisations.
Mr Northeast said she had been the "go to" person for hundreds of charity organisations, had been on several boards and philanthropic trusts including Heatherlie Homes, South West Healthcare, Emmanuel College and was a trustee for the AL Lane Foundation and O'Toole Foundation.
When she is not working and volunteering, Ms Melican loves to get away in the caravan with her husband on weekends.
"I took up knitting in COVID. I've made about seven quilts and I've been able to give them away," she said.
Taking up woodwork is on her list of goals for the future. "That's my dream," she said. Down the track she wants to do a course so she can design her own tiny home, or caravan.
Katrina Lovell
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
