24 Feb 2014
Emily Ramsay is the recipient of the Wagga Wagga Sunrise Charles Houen Memorial scholarship. Emily displayed an aptitude for law and achieved outstanding results during the Preliminary course in 2013. The award of $500 is given to support Emily during her HSC year and to encourage her in the area of Legal Studies. A further award of $1000 will be made by the club if Emily successfully completes the first year of a university course in the study of law.
Charles Houen was a well-known and respected lawyer in Wagga and District for many years.
Mr Houen won a Commonwealth Scholarship in 1956 and gained a double degree in Arts/Law at the University of Sydney.
Ten years later he became a new solicitor at Creaghe Lisle in Wagga and was a senior partner at the time of his death in 2008. He was appointed to and was the only country member of the Professional Standards Board of NSW, and received the prestigious award of Lawyer of the Year in NSW in 1988.
Mr Houen also served with a wide range of educational and charitable community organisations usually as honorary solicitor, director or trustee. These included the Anglican Diocesan Synod for 24 years, chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of the Riverina for 20 years, St John's Parish Council for 17 years and the Salvation Army consultative committee.
He lectured in law at the Wagga Campus of TAFE, and served on a number of local school boards including Sacred Heart, Trinity High and the Riverina Anglican College.
He was a Wagga City Council alderman from 1974 to 1977, and was awarded Rotary's highest honour, a Paul Harris Fellowship in 2003.
In recognition of the service which Charles Houen gave to the community, the Rotary Club of Wagga Wagga Sunrise award a scholarship to a student from Kooringal High School who has completed Year 11 Legal Studies and is intending to continue studies in law.
Congratulations Emily.