We are now three months into the Rotary year and September was a busy month with many district and club activities underway.
On a personal note, my mother died in Tauranga Hospital last week after a brief illness. She had reached a good age and had a good life, but there is always a sense of loss when you lose a parent.
On 4 September there was a very successful combined District World Community Service and Rotary District Foundation event held at the Kolmar Centre in Papatoetoe. It was attended by approximately fifty Rotarians who heard about the many wonderful projects undertaken by our clubs in the Pacific Islands and beyond with the support of District Foundation and Global grants.
During the weekend of the 7 and 8 September, the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) was held at Selwyn College. This is always a well-run event and recommended for Rotarians and Rotaractors for leadership training. The next RLI will be run on 4 and 5 April 2020.
The ANZ Regeneration conference (previously called the Rotary Institute) was held in Christchurch on 20-22 September. This is primarily for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Island past and current district governors, district governors-elect and nominee and all Rotarians are welcome. The conference was well attended with 470 registered. The Rotary International President Mark Maloney and wife Gay attended and had the opportunity to meet many Rotarians from our part of the world.
The Rotaract Oceania Conference was held in Auckland 6 to 8 September and had representatives from NZ and Pacific Island Rotaract clubs. The event was very well organised. Thanks go to the Rotary clubs and sponsors that supported the event and to the conference convenor Becky Giblin and the conference committee for organising a successful event.
On 23 September the Interact Club of St Cuthbert’s College received their charter under the sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Newmarket. Interact is a fast-growing area of Rotary and the district now has seventeen Interact clubs in colleges in Auckland and the Pacific Islands.
At 2 pm on Saturday, 5 October, I will undertaking The Rotary Sky Jump for Cure Kids with the District Governor of District 9910 Ian Kiernan and the Rotary club presidents of Mangere (David Gock), St Johns (Robyn Ingram), Drury (Peter Martin), Waiheke (Marcus Mackenzie) and Mt Eden (Ainsley Campbell). If you feel that you would like to contribute in support of Cure Kids then please visit the website via the following link, Rotary Sky Jump for Cure Kids or the link on the district web site.
On 1 November a combined District 9910 and District 9920 Polio All Trains event has been organised to raise awareness and funds for the Rotary End Polio now campaign. This event has the support of Auckland Transport and will involve a team of Rotarians wearing End Polio now T-shirts riding the trains and buses of the Auckland Transport network and visiting all stations. The trains and buses will be met at each station by the adjacent Rotary club representatives to receive funds raised for the End Polio Now campaign and provide an opportunity for the public to contribute by way of on train and platform collections.
On 15-17 May 2020 the District 9920 conference will be held at the Auckland University Business School in the Sir Owen Glen Building. This event offers the opportunity to hear topical, high quality speakers, to learn about and show case Rotary projects and to have fun meeting new and old friends at the many conference events. Registration is now open and to register and qualify for early bird conference rates please visit the link in the district newsletter article.
