"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one"
- John Lennon
April is Maternal and Child Health Month
Thoughts from DG Ingrid
Who would have thought that just a month ago our world have been so dramatically impacted, and in Christchurch which has already suffered 2 major earthquakes and a big fire. I have been so heartened by the support that Rotarians in our district are giving to Christchurch, and that is not only our Auckland based clubs but also those in the Pacific plus our E-club Francophone. I know for example there have been donations of all levels, including $5000, $3,300, $1000. Many of our Pacific clubs have also sent donations. All donations are being handled by the Rotary Club of Riccarton. They are working with local Muslim community leaders to determine what their needs are, both short and longer term. I am sure they will keep us informed. If you would still like to donate the details are:
At the beginning of March there was a very successful South Pacific Presidents Elect Training Seminar held for all Presidents Elect. We had representatives of almost all our 18 Pacific Island clubs, which was fantastic. DGE Gary and his fellow DGEs presented and the new theme was revealed. The new RI Strategic Plan, which takes effect from 1 July 2019, was also discussed during the training. Have a look at https://my.rotary.org/en/learning-reference/about-rotary/strategic-plan.
As we head into the last quarter of this Rotary year, I would like to ask Presidents to review how they are going against the goals they set for their year. Have you entered your goals into My Rotary? How are you tracking to achieve a Presidential Citation? It may be much easier than you think.
I had the huge pleasure late March of presenting to George and Lyn Wilson the Rotary Foundation crystal and pins, to recognise their status as Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation. I was very honoured to be able to do this in front of his Papakura Rotary Club. Thank you George and Lyn for your support of our Charity of Choice – the Rotary Foundation – which enables all of us to keep doing our projects.
Late February I attended the meeting of the Auckland City Rotaract Club. What a vibrant active club they are with many projects on the go- it was exhausting to hear the list. We will have some Rotaractors attending our District conference so come along and meet them. Or better still connect with our 2 existing clubs, Auckland University and Auckland City.
We need more Rotaract clubs in our district – there are many young people in our community wanting to give service. What better way than joining a group of like minded, enthusiastic people wanting to do good in their world, in their way, and have fun doing it. Have you thought about your club starting a Rotaract club? If you are thinking about it talk with your Assistant Governor.
Interact is also alive and well in our district and I am looking forward to the Charter Event of the Epsom Girls Grammar Interact Club on 2 April.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE CANDIDATES!
If you know anyone interested or your club would like to get involved, come along to the interest evening on Thursday 28 March at Remuera Golf Club, 7.30pm.
Sneak preview: RI’s theme and logo for next year 2019-2020
Auckland Harbourside : Great idea – to be imitated!
Each week’s bulletin announces the sum donated to their Sunshine Fund. This seems like a good idea as it tells the sergeant how successful they’ve been in ‘encouraging’ members to make a donation and can give the members a sense of achievement.
It's great to see humour in the Club Bulletins:
Penrose Botany East Tamaki
Bulletins have been received from these Clubs - Thank You:
These clubs are active and wonderful! (It’s just possible that others are as well but they don’t send me their bulletins so I don’t know...)
Auckland
Auckland Downtown
Auckland East
Auckland Harbourside
Auckland South
Botany East Tamaki
Ellerslie
Howick
Mangere
Manukau Sunrise
Mt Eden
Newmarket
Pakuranga
Papakura
Parnell
Otahuhu
Penrose
Suva East
St Marylebone (YHC’s old club in London)
Special mention of upcoming event:Oxygenator Fund Raising Quiz Night Friday 12 April
The Rotary Clubs of Remuera and St Johns are combining to raise funds for the CureKids Oxygen Generator project bring rolled out across Fiji. These "Oxygenators" create 95% pure oxygen from the atmosphere and being rolled out to replace the unreliable oxygen bottle supply to Fiji hospitals.
Come & join the fun and raise funds so no child dies from a lack of oxygen
6:15 – 10:00 pm Friday 12th April Glen Taylor School, 172 West Tamaki Road, Glendowie
(PS For details, there’s a piece about this in Looking Ahead!)
And now, here are some examples of some of the inspiring events that have taken place in our communities over the last couple of months:
Papeete RotaryClub celebrated their 60th anniversary in style;
Please pass on our thanks to your club, not just from Rotary, also from the organising committee of the Show itself,your participation was very much appreciated - and by the way you might like to make a diary note for: 'Sunday the 1st of March 2020' for the 5th 'Brit-Euro Classic Car Show!
Auckland East Club President Bevan Iles with Tamaki College Principal Soana Pamaka at the recent handover of a car to Tamaki College's Driver Training Scheme
Rotary Club of Auckland East has a long term relationship with its local school, the co-educational secondary school in Glen Innes, Tamaki College. Tamaki College has a well-run Driver Training Scheme to prepare students for work.
In 2017, the college’s existing vehicle was reaching the end of its useful life. The school asked the Club if they could have a new car to reduce on going running and maintenance costs. The Club sprang into action.
As a result of this major effort to raise money for a replacement, students at Tamaki College can now learn to drive in a safe, modern vehicle.
A different type of project! ELEPHANT PAINTING - Posted by Les Parlane
Our club was approached to paint a concrete elephant, for a Pre School located in Otara. It so turned out he/she was fibreglass. We understand it was donated to the pre-school by the Otara shopping centre. So Jill, Elaine and myself excepted the challenge.
I approached Wattyl paints to see if they would provide free paint and they obliged by providing 4 ltrs of the grey coloured paint.
We arrived at the site on a Saturday morning all decked out in painting clothes and armed with paint brushes, rags and paint pot and proceed to paint. We completed the first coat by mid-day. On completion the pre-school provided us with an exceptional lunch as the island community do.
Willard and Gabrielle Martin made a visit to ASB Showgrounds on Saturday 2 February to the Chinese New Year Event. A huge turnout of people, there was not much room to move!! Auckland South Rotary Club had a stall promoting the Fiji Oxygen Project which is being organised by Remuera Rotary Club. They did a wonderful job of marketing and promoting it. Photos show President Janet (Ak South) Catherine (PE Remuera) with some of their members staffing the stall. Lots of fun all round.
For those who don't know about it, the Oxygen Project replaces oxygen cylinders – which are expensive, logistically difficult and often result in unreliable oxygen supplies – in health centres in Fiji with bedside oxygen concentrators, which produce oxygen from the ambient air. For health centres with unreliable power supplies, a custom-designed solar power system is installed to ensure that a 24/7 supply of oxygen is available for patients who need it.
The goal is that no child in Fiji dies for lack of oxygen.
From the Membership Development Team at Rotary HO in Evanston... Join us for the webinar Courageous Leadership on Wednesday, 27 March, 14:00-15:00 Chicago time (UTC-6), ( Thursday 8.00 am in Auckland) if you want to gain powerful insight into making changes in your club and: • Inspire your club or district to think in new ways about growth. • Understand how transformation can happen. • Take action to implement new approaches to lead your club or district. Using stories of transformation from Rotary and in their professional careers, trainers Louisa Horne and Doug Logan outline one strategy for making necessary changes to the club experience while including members in the process. Register and see the webinar in your time zone. Everyone who registers will receive access to the recording and slides. Sincerely, Membership Development team
To celebrate 30 years of “Woman in Rotary”, D9910 & D9920 invite you to a “Fun 5km Walk” around Wynyard Quarter & Westhaven area on Saturday 6th April. (Rain, hail or shine, we are doing this……)
We will gather from 9am for a 9.30am start, at Wynyard Quarter Playground (Jellicoe Rd). Please note we will start & finish at the same spot for ease of parking. Gold coin donation for all attending, going to Polio Plus campaign.
As we want to promote Rotary, please wear Rotary branded t-shirts and/or caps. We have a limited quantity of new, bright lime green “Woman in Rotary” t-shirts for a $10 donation (Polio Plus for D9920). First in, first served for the current allocation, so pre order via e-mail to Leanne. Note t-shirt sizing on the small side, so it is recommended to go up one from your usual size (S,M,L,XL,2XL available).
Afterwards, head home to continue your day, or stop for a well-deserved coffee or something stronger. Lots of great cafes & restaurants around the immediate area.
Register interest via e-mail to Leanne leanne@searlegroup.co.nz On registration, we will send you a map of the walk with additional information for the event.
For those that wish, we have for sale the new “Woman in Rotary” t-shirts for $10.00. All proceeds going to Polio Plus. All others, we are asking to:
Wear club/Rotary branded t-shirts
Dress up in green. Colour goes with our new t-shirts but also stands for growth, fresh ideas & our environment.
For those that might forget the “Green” theme, we will have a limited quantity of fun green tutu’s, green lei’s, & headgear for a small donation on the morning. All hopefully to add to our great story & will look amazing in our photos.
To celebrate 100 years of Rotary in New Zealand in 2021, Dr Stephen Clarke, a professional historian, has been commissioned to research and write a landmark publication on Rotary in New Zealand 1921–2021. Dr Clarke started work on the book in last year. The book will be part of a suite of activities under what the Mana Tangata Programme to celebrate the Centennial. The programme’s formal launch is later in the year.
Hamish Dick, a student at Victoria University, is working with Dr Clarke over the university holidays as a research assistant.
Hamish would like to make contact with each of the Rotary Clubs in our Rotary District and, at this stage, is looking initially for the following information:
Who is your Club Historian or the person responsible for your history and records?
Briefly, what is the range of your Club’s historical records, photographs and special memorabilia?
Does your Club have previous history publications (e.g. 50th, 75th anniversary)?
Could you please email this information to Hamish at the following email address:
If possible, Hamish would be grateful to have these details as soon as possible, so he can provide Dr Clarke with this information.
Clubs in District 9920 have made very significant contributions to local and global communities so for these achievements to be recorded please give this request your urgent attention.
We are now only 2 months out from the District 9920 conference in Napier, Friday May 10 - Sunday May 12 2019
Already more than 200 have registered for the conference, but there is still plenty of time for those who have not. To register click here
The conference boasts a fantastic location and venue, some excellent pre- and during-conference activities, as well as a line up of speakers that you won't want to miss including:
Dr Tom Mulholland - Dr Tom is an Emergency Department Doctor and GP with over 25 years’ experience in New Zealand. He has worked in Kaitaia Hospital in the North to Southland Hospital and the Sub Antarctic Islands as a doctor. He has worked in Tologa Bay, Chatham Islands, Papamoa in the east to Raglan, Taranaki and Greymouth in the west. He has hosted his own TV and Radio shows, written two internationally best-selling books and been a professional speaker to the likes of Google, Microsoft and Hilton for the last 10 years.
Dr Harold Hilman -After working in his early years as a clinical psychologist, Dr Hilman developed a passion for leadership development while teaching at the United States Air Force Academy. His professional journey since then has led him down the path where he is actively exploring the domain of authentic leadership. His two books have focused on what it means to lead others through authentic connections.
Mike Williams - Mike is a former president of the Labour party and regularly appears on current affairs television in New Zealand. Mike is chief executive of the Howard League whose programmes and objectives are aimed at reducing the prison population, reducing recidivism rates and helping reintegration of former prisoners into communities.
Nigel Latta - Nigel trained as a Clinical Psychologist and worked for over two decades in the areas of forensic psychology and family therapy. In 2010, as a result of his passion for science and science education, Nigel was invited to become an associate of the world leading Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study at the University of Otago. In 2012 he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to psychology. He’s written eight books which have now been published in 19 countries and 10 languages. His television career has spanned almost a decade and he’s presented a number of series including Beyond the Darklands, The Politically Incorrect Parenting Show, On Thin Ice: Nigel Latta in Antarctica, and The Hard Stuff. In 2016, along with Arwen O’Connor and Mitchell Hawkes he co-founded a production company, Ruckus, and the team have since made numerous primetime television series including Mind Over Money, What Next, and The Curious Mind. In 2018 Ruckus was named New Zealand’s Hottest Production Company in the StopPress awards.
District Conference Friday 10th May – Sunday 12th. The dinner (and most importantly - the Dress!)
On Saturday night there will be the traditional Gala Dinner with a theme of Art Deco (no surprises there!!). Well, slightly less traditional this time as it will be an opportunity for everybody to dress up – and let their hair down! Entertainment will be provided by Stolen Records – dancing is not obligatory, unless the ladies insist!
Right – so everybody has to get their Glad Rags on and have a great time. Glad Rags – think Great Gatsby, the roaring 20s, flappers, etc. For ideas go to https://vintagedancer.com/1920s/ Stuff can be hired of course, there are two or three costume hire places in Napier that specialise in Art Deco gear. (Book them now!)
YHC’s Ever Loving is already plotting and scheming about what we’re going to wear! I understand that brightly coloured socks are obligatory!
At other times in the conference ‘smart casual’ is the formal attire.
I had the huge pleasure late March of presenting to George and Lyn Wilson the Rotary Foundation crystal and pins, to recognise their status as Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation. I was very honoured to be able to do this in front of his Papakura Rotary Club. Thank you George and Lyn for your support of our Charity of Choice – the Rotary Foundation – which enables all of us to keep doing our projects.
Late February I attended the meeting of the Auckland City Rotaract Club. What a vibrant active club they are with many projects on the go- it was exhausting to hear the list. We will have some Rotaractors attending our District conference so come along and meet them. Or better still connect with our 2 existing clubs, Auckland University and Auckland City.
To celebrate 30 years of “Woman in Rotary”, D9910 & D9920 invite you to a “Fun 5km Walk” around Wynyard Quarter & Westhaven area on Saturday 6th April. (Rain, hail or shine, we are doing this……)