As we lead into this New Year we often try to look at the finish line before we get the job actually done. As a group we have an exciting programme for the next 6 months and it is important that we focus on each stage to get each element completed successfully. At our recent Board meeting the Directors were engaged to work with their teams to make the difference and inspire others to be involved.
Membership this year has not expanded as it has in the past. We have seen a number of members fall by the wayside and now we need to introduce those from our communities to join us. This is not a 1 person responsibility but that of all of us to raise to the challenge and introduce new members to the club.
Our 1st big event is our Golf Tournament on March 18th. Please see copy of Brochure with full details in the the story below titled "Important Dates - Read More".
We need your support to get attendees and be involved. KidsCan is a great charity to support that is allowing children to have quality education in their early years. Will you be involved??
Small actions with a strong mindset can change lives.
NOTE: Committees meeting, March 14th Breakfast session.
We are off to a great start with a good meeting on February 14th. 31 members and 17 guests, (including Hon Member Alex McKenzie and our new International Exchange Student, Gonzalo), enjoyed a fun and info filled evening setting the foundation for the next 6 months.
President Allan reminded all of the range of activities / commitments planned and there are even more to be added to this list;
Golf Tournament March 2019 – Supporting KidsCan
Freshwater Project – Interact Team alongside NIWA
Visit to Little Barrier Island
Have a Go Sailing – 20 schools
Discovery Training for year 8 students
RYDA Training for student drivers
ANZAC Breakfast – April 25
Club Trivia Nite – April 5 - Raising funds for Oxygenator project
Taveuni Project Team Trip – May
RYPEN planning for attendees
RYLA planning for attendees
Alongside attending the District conference in May
Interact Club looking at establishing a pop-up library in Glen Innes
Our first speaker, Shaun Peacock President of Auckland Rotaract updated the meeting on the Fiji Rakiraki Library rebuild project. The Rotaract Club of Auckland City, together with the Rotaract Clubs of Suva and Nadi New Horizons, have committed themselves to building a new library for St Francis School in Rakiraki, which was destroyed by Cyclone Winston. To complete the project as planned will require a budget of $30,000. Shaun will remain in touch and keep us appraised as to how the fund raising is progressing, but if any members would like to assist now, please contact Shaun who will be happy to discuss options with you.
PE Robyn and her husband Tony then shared some of the highlights of their recent European Tour. Robyn did tease us with a hint that there were 500 slides in the presentation but she was exaggerating, there were only 456! - their trip started in Bern Switzerland which is where Robyn and Tony met at a Youth Trade Exchange 30 years ago!!! Apart from some wonderful skiing experiences they filled in their trip with great shopping and eating experiences as well as catching up with old friends and a highlight was spending a weekend with past International Youth Exchange Student, Henning who the Ingram's hosted when Henning was in NZL.
Their travels finished in the UK and another significant highlight was a visit to the McLaren factory where they experienced a magical tour and were made most welcome, being New Zealanders and of course the very close link that McLaren has with NZL.
Restoration of Motutapu Island. The Motutapu project started in 1993 in consultation with other interested groups. Together with Rangitoto, Motutapu represented an unrivalled opportunity for ecological restoration close to a metropolitan centre which could contribute significantly to threatened species’ survival in New Zealand.
The island was declared mammalian pest-free in 2011, although possums and wallabies were removed during the nineties. Under the Motutapu Restoration Plan, over 500,000 trees have been planted on the island, a forest that is almost canopy level. Rare and endangered species, as well as unthreatened endemic species, are thriving in the pest-free habitat. The island is now a safe home for a small breeding population of translocated Kiwi and Takahe – some of New Zealand’s rarest, flightless birds.
The Motutapu Restoration Trust’s work provides opportunities for people of all ages to engage in and be actively involved in conservation and to better understand and appreciate heritage values through the restoration of Motutapu.
NEXT DINNER MEETING THURSDAY MARCH 7th - ALEXIA HILERTIDOU:
Our next Dinner Meeting will be on March 7th. Please RSVP to Brian and diary this event now - we are expecting a big turn-out! Alexia recieved the "Young Leader Award" from Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace late last year.
ST JOHNS ROTARY GOLF TOURNAMENT :
Monday 18th March - Remuera Golf Club.
This is our major fundraiser of the year. David Hartstone is very keen to hear from all who can assist in securing sponsors, prizes, teams and club members available to assist in the organisation leading up to the day, and of course on the day itself. Click "Read More" for copy of Golf Brochure.
COMBINED COMMITTEE MEETING:
Our first Combined Committee Meeting for 2019 will take place as part of our morning meet on March 14. Please diary to be there and if you can't, please email your committee director to let them know. If you are not sure what committee you are in, please contact Secretary Alex Gatt email: gatt@xtra.co.nz
DISTRICT 9920 - 2018 / 2019 ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
Napier May 10 - 12, 2019.
See story below for registration details.
ST. ANDREWS HOSPICE (DOVE HOUSE), GARAGE SALE:
1st and 3rd Saturdays every month at 8 am.
Corner Elizabeth Knox Place and Thomas Peacock Place, (off Morrin Road). Go along and assist with the sale or just go along and shop - some great bargain's. More details from Murray H.
Gonzalo Pratto, (Gonza for short), is Rotary St. Johns new International Exchange Student. Gonzalo is 17 years old and comes from Rio Cuarto, Cordoba (Argentina). At home he attends a technical college specialising in Avionics and Aeronautics. He was President of Interact Rio Cuarto Sur and is passionate about helping people in need. He hopes to become a Paediatric Doctor.
He has started at Glendowie College (Year 13) and will be with us for one year. He is looking forward to “Presenting” to our club when he has had a little more time to practise his English.
His first Host family are Hugh and Jackie Scott-Russell and he has already settled in very happily. Please "Read More", for Gonzalo's letter of introduction to our club. The following picture is of Gonzalo's first visit to our Club last Thursday with his Counsellor Rosemary Hutch and 3 of the Host Families, the Scott-Russell's, Ingram's and the Leylands.
At around 0500 last Monday, a team of 19 Club Members and some partners, were on their way to DOC Headquarters in Warkworth to be cleared by DOC Bio-security formalities. Quite an exercise to say the least, but once you have experience the beauty of Hauturu first hand - it's very easy to see why so much effort in this regard is undertaken.
After arriving at the Island around 1030, our first challenge was to land - no warf, no jetty, no soft sandy beach - but a steep boulder shoreline, a-la-natural. With small waves constantly rolling in and shifting the boulders around. We disembarked the "Norma Jean", in small groups along with a dozen sealed bins containing our personal belongings. No one was actually lost overboard, but many wet bodies scrambled up the boulders quite relieved to be on terra firma!
The weather on our arrival was overcast with a slight drizzle, but very soon it was nothing but blue skies and bright sunshine. The "bird song" in play on our arrival was nothing short of spectacular. We first heard it as we approached the Island and it just got better and louder as we landed and began our excursion. Our visit included quite a steep 3 - 4 hour hike up to 300 meters and down a different ridge, back along the flat to the Rangers house where we had the pleasure of meeting Ranger Richard Walle, his wife Leigh Joyce. The couple,who have been on the island for eight years, have two very charming children, Mahina (16) and Liam (14) who have been home schooled. They were very happy to show us their breeding Tuatara and their bedroom Museums, which have been created over many years, and contain a large range of exhibits collected from the island.
We were very fortunate to have as our guide on the Island, Hauturu Chair, Lyn Wade. Lyn has had a long association with the Island and last year was awarded a Queens Service Medal in the Queens Birthday Honours for service to conservation - in large part due to her work for the Trust.
A huge thank you to Lyn, Ranger Richard and his family, Hautura Trust, Peter Buchanan and David Stone who made the visit a reality. Our group was the only non-scientific group of visitors allowed on the Island in the past 12 months - hence it was a unique and rare experience.
Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please remember to RSVP your attendance to our Evening meetings!
Catering is ordered and seating set-up based on RSVP numbers and we want to avoid any embarrassment by under-catering and squeezing unexpected guests in. Please ensure you RSVP promptly as each month's evening meet comes around.
Our 2020/2021 President Elect, was announced at our final meeting of 2018. If you missed that meeting, we are delighted to advise that this will be Hugh Scott-Russell.
Hugh joined our club in September 2017 and is currently one of our Youth Services Directors. He, wife Jackie and two sons are the lucky first host-family of our Argentinian Exchange Student (Gonzalo).
Hugh’s key interests outside Rotary are; Remote controlled aircraft, walking the dog and keeping Jackie happy!
Club Services Director (Brian Fergus) is looking for Guest Speaker ideas. If you have recently heard (or heard of) a guest speaker who you think would appeal to our membership - please let Brian know. Email: b.fergus@xtra.co.nz
Limited places available with a firm cap on the number of attendees and partners due to venue constraints. If you are planning on coming, get in quick!!"
Including the Conference, other activities to join in on are:
District Governor’s Golf Tournament
Art Deco Walking Tour
An Art Deco vintage car driving tour
Hawkes Bay Farmers Market in Hastings on Sunday morning
Bike winery tour
Wine tastings at the Conference venue
You can find more information about the conference here.
You can register for the conference by clicking here.
If you are interested in attending, please also advise Michelle Forman - Email: mertie.forman@gmail.com
Did you join Rotary to do good things in the community?
You can help or join in all projects (whatever the committee), just contact the committee director and/or project team leader. In most cases, you can include family and friends.
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Small actions with a strong mindset can change lives.
Actions of Choice Inspires Communities
We are off to a great start with a good meeting on February 14th. 31 members and 17 guests, (including Hon Member Alex McKenzie and our new International Exchange Student, Gonzalo), enjoyed a fun and info filled evening setting the foundation for the next 6 months.
Our first speaker, Shaun Peacock President of Auckland Rotaract updated the meeting on the Fiji Rakiraki Library rebuild project. The Rotaract Club of Auckland City, together with the Rotaract Clubs of Suva and Nadi New Horizons, have committed themselves to building a new library for St Francis School in Rakiraki, which was destroyed by Cyclone Winston. To complete the project as planned will require a budget of $30,000. Shaun will remain in touch and keep us appraised as to how the fund raising is progressing, but if any members would like to assist now, please contact Shaun who will be happy to discuss options with you.
Gonzalo Pratto, (Gonza for short), is Rotary St. Johns new International Exchange Student. Gonzalo is 17 years old and comes from Rio Cuarto, Cordoba (Argentina). At home he attends a technical college specialising in Avionics and Aeronautics. He was President of Interact Rio Cuarto Sur and is passionate about helping people in need. He hopes to become a Paediatric Doctor..JPG)
His first Host family are Hugh and Jackie Scott-Russell and he has already settled in very happily. Please "Read More", for Gonzalo's letter of introduction to our club. The following picture is of Gonzalo's first visit to our Club last Thursday with his Counsellor Rosemary Hutch and 3 of the Host Families, the Scott-Russell's, Ingram's and the Leylands. 
Monday 18th February 2019.
Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please remember to RSVP your attendance to our Evening meetings!
Our 2020/2021 President Elect, was announced at our final meeting of 2018. If you missed that meeting, we are delighted to advise that this will be Hugh Scott-Russell.
Club Services Director (Brian Fergus) is looking for Guest Speaker ideas. If you have recently heard (or heard of) a guest speaker who you think would appeal to our membership - please let Brian know. Email: b.fergus@xtra.co.nz
