The organisers of the Tony McGrane Memorial Scholarship Dinner next Monday 15 September are honoured to announce that Mrs Ruth Shanks, AM, is the official guest speaker. Mrs Shanks was elected to the position of World President of the Associated Country Women of the World at the 27th Triennial Conference in Chennai, India, in 2013. Mr Geoff Wise, chair of the local organising committee for the Tony McGrane Memorial Foundation Scholarship for students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo, said, "Mrs Shanks is a long-term resident of the Dubbo district, and perhaps sets a precedent as the first Dubbo and Orana region resident to hold such a distinguished international role and responsibility. Mrs Shanks has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to her local, national and international interests. She has been a member of the Country Women's Association of New South Wales for 45 years, serving at both state and local levels, and has been a member of the Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) for 23 years. From 1995 to 2001 she was Assistant to the President of ACWW for the South Pacific, and from 2007 to 2013 was Area President for the South Pacific." Mr Wise said the Tony McGrane Memorial Scholarship Dinner aims to raise funds to support perpetual scholarships for full-time students from the Orana region who attend CSU in Dubbo. "Since the inception of the Scholarship Foundation, eight scholarships have been awarded to students from across the region," Mr Wise said. "Having a local person as our guest speaker who has demonstrated what can be achieved from both a personal and influential perspective is totally consistent with the vision of the late Tony McGrane and the aspirations of the Memorial Foundation Scholarships for local students." The Tony McGrane Memorial Scholarship Dinner at CSU in Dubbo is fully booked.