What is your club doing to stay in touch with members?
Yes, an interesting Bulletin is essential, and most are adapting to the current circumstances but the online face to face is equally useful.
It is Absolutely Fantastic that so many clubs are staying in touch with members through online meetings and for those of you yet to give this a try … have a go soon.
I don't know about you, but crisis or no crisis I am always keen to learn something new that will help me do the things I am involved in or want to do whether in my personal or business life or in Rotary.
The Rotary Learning Center has short courses (eg. 15 minutes +) that are very worth your time. There are a lot you can choose from across a wide range of topics and you do get recognised for your achievements.
During a time of physical disconnection and isolation it is even more important to keep our social connections. Rotarians join Rotary to do good in their community and give back, and stay because of the connections they make. What might giving back look like in our changed world?
How can we help Rotary stay strong, and even prosper, during a time when nothing is as it was, but people are seeking purpose and an opportunity to contribute. Rotary has resources – people and financial resources. We care and have a strong reputation.
While our immediate focus is people’s health and wellbeing, as Rotarians, we have a vested interest to ensure our clubs are able to also weather the storm and emerge intact. Here are some thoughts.
Club Bulletins and Editors are the new Rotary Stars
The humble club Bulletin, some would say much maligned, is about to come into its own as one of the most important Rotary club communication tools we have after picking up the phone and talking to members.
This page has ideas for clubs and no longer is the Bulletin solely up to the Bulletin Editor to find content ... we are all in this crisis together so we are all needed to help create a club Bulletin that is interesting and helps keep our club together. Additional resources at https://www.rotaryoceania.zone/page/covid-19-(coronavirus)-information
You might remember that we did a story about Breakfast Club in our October newsletter. Since then they have been very busy and one of their events was a Christmas party for 200 families with 1,000 children. They also supplied an additional twenty families with both groceries and presents. Auckland Shoebox Christmas donated 1,260 presents that enabled Breakfast Club to also support:
South Auckland Christian Food Bank,
Te Atatu Peninsula Children, and
Rotorua charities.
This year Breakfast Club added ‘Cinnamon Donuts’, an extra candy floss machine and an extra bouncy castle.
TV One turned up at this event and ran a three minute clip at the end of their news that night which you can watch here: Breakfast Club Christmas Party.
Sunday, 3 May at St Cuthbert’s College, 122 Market Rd, Epsom for Auckland assistant governors, presidents-elect and their Rotary club leaders along with any other Rotarians. Rotaractors and Interact presidents-elect are also welcome. LETS includes motivational plenary sessions and your choice of breakout sessions, as well as project and event ideas and networking.
Advice Notice 16 March 2020: COVID – 19 and District 9920 Conference 15-17 May 2020
Due to ongoing concerns about the current outbreak of COVID -19 (Coronavirus) I have made the difficult decision to cancel our 2020 District Conference.The well-being and safety of our Rotary community is my top priority.
Furthermore, I am not prepared to enter into unacceptable levels of financial risk which may well be exacerbated by further delaying this decision.I am confident this is the right decision given the current circumstances. My conference planning team has been closely monitoring the situation and has considered advice from the World Health Organisation, the New Zealand Ministry of Health and Rotary International.
I can assure all those who have already registered that they will receive a full registration refund. My thoughts are with all those who have worked so hard to prepare for the conference and to everybody directly impacted by this decision.
I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this decision may cause, Gary Langford,District Governor 2019-20,Rotary District 9920
Important UPDATE from Rotary International President Mark Maloney (please read in its entirety)
Dear fellow Rotarians,
The health and safety of our members are our top priorities. We are closely monitoring the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) and continuously assessing its potential impact on our operations, meetings, trainings, and other events.
Apia Rotary responded to the epidemic in three stages and their full report can be viewed here or click on picture. This is a quick but very insightful read and a wonderful example of the capability of this club to respond in an appropriate and timely manner to a crisis in the community.
Total Apia Rotary Response Efforts: Cash and In-Kind $220,000 + Total Rotarian Volunteer Hours: 1,000+
Last weekend another tremendously successful South Pacific Presidents Elect Training Seminar for all club presidents-elect from throughout New Zealand and the Pacific was held. Rotary is constantly improving in an ever-changing world, so this weekend helped these incoming club leaders understand their role and what it takes to be an outstanding president, but also what is needed to make their clubs vibrant.
Twenty clubs from the New Zealand-based districts pledged the cost of providing a toilet each to villages in the interior of Vanua Levu where children, women and men currently struggle with life without this basic means of sanitation. The presentation at the South Pacific Presidents Elect Training Seminar on Sunday 1 March by President-elect John Prasad so clearly showed the need for these toilets that within minutes twenty clubs from throughout the six districts represented had pledged to support the project by Labasa Rotary to solve this pressing need. Rotary Foundation Trustee Jennifer Jones (pictured) and her husband also pledged one toilet such are the benefits that come from improving sanitation for those poor of Fiji.
Will your club be willing to email John Prasad (pictured) on skulleredge@gmail.com and also pledge the $500 cost of one toilet? Twenty-one toilets are not enough for the several villages needing these. Let's make sure no-one is with out sanitation.
The second half of the Rotary year is well underway with February and March being particularly busy with club activities and events.
Jan and I had the privilege to attend a welcome function organised by the Rotary Club of Somerville for the Indian Car rally team from District 3131 in Pune, India. The team of thirty enthusiastic Rotarians arrived in NZ on 18 February. Besides experiencing our beautiful country, the team will visit Rotary clubs and projects in all six Rotary districts, promote Rotary and the End Polio Now campaign.
This weekend the South Pacific Presents Elect training (SPPETS) will be held at Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre. Presidents-elect from all over NZ and the Pacific islands will be attending. The event will be attended by Past RI Director and current Rotary Foundation Trustee, Jennifer Jones.
Mt Eden Rotary and Epsom Rotary invite you to this private screening on 16 April. Please SHARE this invitation with anyone who you think may find it of interest. Thank you.
An equal world is an enabled world, so it is appropriate with International Women's Day on 8 March that we celebrate the talented women who made the commitment to lead District 9920 (part of Auckland and the Pacific Islands) as District Governor. Thank you and we look forward to many more women District Governors in our future.
If there is accessible, plentiful and drinkable water ...
If there are the facilities that enable good sanitation ...
If good hygiene practices are known and practiced ...
Then the community members will be fully engaged in daily life, children are able to go to school, economic development will prosper, people will gather together, and the community will thrive. Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education are basic necessities for a healthy environment and a productive life. The water, sanitation and hygiene projects our Rotary clubs engage in make an immense difference. This is not an issue just in poorer communities but all communities.
Rotary is primarily about service to our community whether local or global. Included in that are some really great things like friendships made, an active social scene, skill development and so much more. What it is not about specifically is MEETINGS. People do not go to Rotary to go to meetings but for some clubs that seems all they do and for some others they have a perception that their meetings do not contribute much in the way of value for members.
Or so it seems, and this has resulted in an apparent aversion to holding “meetings”. But are meetings getting a bad rap? Let's have a look ...
The Rotary E-Club 9920 Francophone has members are spread over the five continents meaning that to find an hour which would suit all members to meet online is a unique challenge for the club and is an example of the differences a club like this has compared to a conventional Rotary club. In overcoming these their service activity is extraordinary!
The picture shows the first meeting of the Rotary Shanghai Elysee Satellite of the Rotary E-Club 9920 Francophone
Rotary clubs are starting to get underway after the summer break. I hope you had a good break and have returned full of energy and enthusiasm for the new Rotary year.
The end of last year was dominated by bush fires in Australia, a measles epidemic in Samoa and more recently the coronavirus spread around the world. I want to thank all the Rotarians and clubs who gave so generously for the Bush Fire and Measles Appeal.
The Rotary National Science and Technology Forum has held its 31st summer camp attended by 168 Year 13 students who spent two weeks in Auckland learning and seeing the different possibilities offered for careers in science and technology. The co-operation between Auckland University, AUT and Massey University is good to see. Jan and I attended the opening ceremony, the BBQ midway through and the formal graduation dinner. This event is a credit to Rotary and reinforces our investment in youth. Well done to the hard-working trustees and organising committee.
I am writing to ask you to encourage members of your club to come to the District 9920 Conference at Auckland University campus from 15 to 17 May 2020. There is an exciting list of speakers lined up for the conference with full details on the website: www.districtconference9920.nz.
I am pleased to advise that my committee have put together a Special Group Booking offer to motivate members to register. This qualifies club members and partners to register at a discounted rate provided at least four people register as a group. We hope this will enable you to get together a group representing your club. Click the following links to download an Excel form or this for a PDF form which can be used to register your group.
Important update on RYLA 2020 with important dates to keep in mind.
February to April 2020 Candidates need to complete the online application form at www.ryla.co.nz either on their own or in collaboration with the sponsoring Rotary club.
30 April 2020 Applications close
7 May 2020 Rotary clubs advised of successful applicants names
14 May 2020 Candidates notified of their acceptance
A NEW version of Rotary's Voice and Visual Identity Guidelines is now available for Download from the Brand Center (under Guidelines) - login needed. This condenses into one document the important branding information every Rotarian needs. It is recommended you Download to your computer for easy access.
At the same time it is recommended you download any logos you need, including the 2020-2021 Theme logos, so that yuou have easy access to these.
Imagine sharing a pit toilet with eight of your neighbours like this one never having seen a flush toilet in your life! And, it is 100 metres away day or night, fine or stormy. This was the situation faced by nine families in Fiji until Suva North Rotary stepped in.
In Waidradra Village, Fiji, extreme poverty meant that 55 people from nine families shared a single pit toilet for decades. The picture shows this communal “facility” but there were problems. The location had needed to be moved because its stench was creating complaints from other villagers. Also, the new location was some distance from the family’s homes creating access difficulties, especially for women and children at night. Not only that but the wider community had started using the same toilet, even breaking the lock to access, causing capacity issues.
Rotary clubs and their members have finished their activities for the year and we hope you will have a well-deserved break after a very active first half of the Rotary year.
We have had a very busy six months and a lot has happened in Rotary and personally. Since changeover, Jan and I have visited forty-seven Rotary clubs in Auckland and seven Pacific Island countries. We still have five clubs in the northern part of Fiji to visit in the New Year. The Rotary clubs we have visited are very inspirational with their community activities and we always leave with a sense of renewed energy and enthusiasm for the good work carried out by Rotarians in the district
Rotary clubs and their members have finished their activities for the year and we hope you will have a well-deserved break after a very active first half of the Rotary year.
We have had a very busy six months and a lot has happened in Rotary and personally. Since changeover, Jan and I have visited forty-seven Rotary clubs in Auckland and seven Pacific Island countries. We still have five clubs in the northern part of Fiji to visit in the New Year. The Rotary clubs we have visited are very inspirational with their community activities and we always leave with a sense of renewed energy and enthusiasm for the good work carried out by Rotarians in the district.
In November I travelled to Kiribati with PDG Ingrid Waugh, PDG Jennie Herring, Jeanette Drysdale, Chair of District International Service and Tania Thomas, President of the Rotary Club of Otahuhu, to attend the Charter night of the district’s newest club, the Rotary Club of Tarawa. Kiribati comprises three island archipelagos and sits on the equator. It is a three hour flight north of Nadi and halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. To give you some idea of the distance, it takes three hours to fly from Tarawa to Christmas Island, the second biggest population centre of Kiribati. We had the opportunity to meet members of the Rotary Community Corps of South Tarawa. This is the first community corps in our district and provides an avenue for locals to come together and undertake community projects under the sponsorship of a Rotary club. Both the Rotary club and community corps have been sponsored by the Rotary Club of Otahuhu.
The Rotary Club of Somerville held a very successful Festival of Light dinner and auction where we were privileged to witness the Counties-Manukau Police Bhangra dance group perform in full police uniform.
We were subsequently invited by President Farida Masters of the Rotary Club of Somerville to join a group from the club to present Certificates of Appreciation to the members of the dance group at Counties-Manukau Police headquarters. We met the Police area commander and members of the Indian community who trained the group. This was a special celebration as the group has been performing for five years and undertaking community outreach programmes.
The Rotary Club of Harbourside held a very successful Diwali night to raise funds for a mobile medical clinic (MMC) and the club’s Rotary Dictionary Distribution Project in partnership with the Education First Trust for low decile schools in New Zealand and Fiji. The MMC will receive donations and be operated by the Ramakrishna Mission to provide health services to rural populations outside of Nadi. The project is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Parnell. Support will be required from other clubs in the district.
At the invitation of the Rotary Club of Pakuranga we joined Bill and Lorna Boyd and members of the club at Finlayson Park Primary School for the dictionary presentation to 280, Year Four students. It was a very uplifting experience to provide personally addressed books to students who greatly prized the dictionaries. Well done to the Rotary Club of Pakuranga and the Bill and Lorna Boyd Charitable Trust for starting this valuable programme which, with the aid of other Rotary clubs, has provided nearly 200,000 dictionaries to date.
The Polio All Trains event held on 1 November was very successful, raising over $70,000 towards the End Polio Now campaign. This was a joint event with District 9910 and End Polio Now and received excellent publicity as well as raising a significant amount of money which will be tripled with the contribution from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Whakaari White Island volcanic eruption was an unexpected deadly force of nature that has now claimed 19 lives (including those missing) and left many fighting for their lives in hospitals in New Zealand and Australia. Our condolences to the families of those killed and we give our support to the injured and their families. We also thank the people who put themselves in harm’s way to rescue the survivors and recover the victims.
The measles epidemic in Samoa has claimed the lives of 79 people, most of whom were aged four or younger. This is a tragedy and we admire the work that the health services have undertaken to prevent further loss of life. The Rotary Club of Apia has been supporting the needs of local hospitals and clinics. Rotary clubs in New Zealand have generously donated to support the appeal for funds. This appeal followed closely on the appeal for the Australian Bushfire Fund. Thank you to all the Rotary clubs and Rotarians who have supported these appeals.
It was with considerable sadness that we learned of the passing of PDG Rob Crabtree. Rob was an outstanding Rotarian and Freemason who made a difference in the world. He will be sadly missed. Our condolences go to Rob’s family and his many friends.
The District 9920 Conference is being held in Auckland from 15 to 17 May 2020. There is an impressive line-up of speakers already arranged and many requests from Rotary clubs to showcase their programmes. We are privileged to have Julia Phelps nominated as the Rotary International President’s Personal Representative (RIPPR) attending our conference. Julia is a Past Rotary International Director and current Rotary Foundation trustee. PDG Ingrid and John Waugh will be hosting both Julia and husband Steve while they are in New Zealand.
Please note that the early bird registration rate ends on 31 December 2019. If you want to take advantage of the lower rate then please register before the expiry date. You will still be able to register after 31 December.
We are also asking clubs to register and host prospective Rotarians for the Saturday sessions and to visit the Rotary showcase of club activities. This will cost $75 per person and includes lunch, morning and afternoon tea. This is made possible by the generous support of John Boscawen from the Rotary Club of Auckland Downtown.
Jan and I wish all Rotarians and their families a happy and safe holiday season. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
Rotary Clubs and their members have finished their activities for the year and we hope you will have a well deserved break after a very active first half of the Rotary year. Please read of the many activities below.
The Whakaari /White Island Volcanic eruption was an unexpected deadly force of nature that has claimed 16 lives and left many fighting for their lives in hospitals in New Zealand and Australia. Our condolences to the families of those killed and we give our support to the injured and their families. We also thank the people who put themselves in harms way to rescue the survivors and recover the victims.
Important update on RYLA 2020 with important dates to keep in mind.
February to April 2020 Candidates need to complete the online application form at www.ryla.co.nz either on their own or in collaboration with the sponsoring Rotary club
30 April 2020 Applications close
7 May 2020 Rotary clubs advised of successful applicants names
14 May 2020 Candidates notified of their acceptance
Rotary New Zealand World Community Service remains in daily communication by telephone with Rotary Samoa. Sadly the number of deaths has now past 60.
To date Rotary Samoa have had made and delivered 82 beds with vinyl covered mattresses and side tables, plus 6 cots. In addition they have supplied 8 wheelchairs, tidy containers and hospital consumables, for example kidney dishes, etc. Bereaved families will be given vouchers for food and other essential items.
RNZWCS is grateful for the donations that have been received from Rotary clubs, Rotarians and the public through its appeal but the need is urgent and great so please continue support for this appeal.
Question for you: if you are a Rotarian, which model is your club and what can your club borrow from the others to enhance your club so it is a good fit for all members? Things change in life so if your club is not longer best for you then you can transfer to one that does suit. After all, you deserve to enjoy your Rotary.
Are you interested in Rotary but cannot find a club model that suits you? The really great news is that Rotary is willing to start new clubs so why not be the driving force for a club that suits you and others like you in your community! Send an exploratory email via https://rotarydistrict9920.org/SingleEmail/ContactUs addressed to the District 9920 Membership Chair (Pam) or call 0800 4 ROTARY.
South Tawara Rotary Community Corps held one of its early literacy projects last week by giving out reading books and Rotary Usborne Pictorial Dictionaries to the International Preschool at Eita. Head Teacher Mrs Talime Moote said that these will be very helpful for the teachers and the students especially as they have very few reading books in their resource library. She thanked STRCC for their charity and hoped they could continue to work with the preschool to expand their teaching resources over time. She noted that in addition to books, they have a dire need for toys and blocks for the children to play with.
South Tawara RCC helps preschool through literacy project
DISTRICT CONFERENCE 2020 - SPECIAL OFFER FROM ONE OF OUR CONFERENCE SUPPORTERS – ‘DRIVE AN ELECTRIC CAR FOR FREE, FOR 4 DAYS!’
GVI – Genuine Vehicle Imports (LMVD) will supply one lucky conference registrant with a late model Nissan Leaf full EV to drive and use for four days. GVI will provide a fully insured, latest year model of Nissan Leaf that's available in stock at the time. They will also instruct on how to charge and operate the car and supply a charging cable. Any driver of the car must hold a current NZ driver’s licence.
The winner of this offer will be selected by a ‘lucky dip’ from all registered attendees.
INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING
Early Bird registrants get THREE automatic entries into the lucky draw (Early Bird registrations close 31 December 2019).
Registrants after 31 December 2019 automatically qualify for one lucky draw entry.
ALL THE MORE REASON FOR EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION! REGISTER HERE: DISTRICT CONFERENCE
2020 marks the beginning of a new Decade. A fresh start. A time for Revival.
In January and February there will be a series of posts, backed by some modest and targeted NZ/Auckland advertising, on the Rotary Oceania and District 9920 Facebook pages suggesting to those wanting to try something new for the good of their communities, that Rotary is the answer they are seeking.
As we know, Rotary is grassroots at the club level so these posts will refer to the good things clubs offer. However, it only all works if clubs, upon receiving an expression of interest, follow this through to a great conclusion. That conclusion may be a new member, or a project volunteer, a new project, or maybe even a new sponsor. Just if you get a phone or email inquiry, do not muff it up! Think 'amazing customer service'.
And you are very welcome to share or copy the posts to create your own for your own club Facebook. In fact, just do that!
On 13 November DG Gary Langford had the privilege to attend a presentation of 280 Usborne illustrated English dictionaries to students at Finlayson Park Primary School in Manurewa, the largest decile 1 school in the country. He witnessed joy and smiles all around and was made aware again of the great effort the Bill and Lorna Boyd Charitable Trust, the Pakuranga Rotary Club and its auxiliary, are making to improve literacy standards. Also assisting the purchase in this instance was the June Gray Charitable Trust, administered by the Newmarket Rotary Club.
In September a case of circulating vaccine-derived polio was detected in Mindanao province in the south of the Philippines. Through ongoing disease surveillance, the presence of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus has now been confirmed as far away as Manila. However, no cases of wild polio have been discovered.
How can polio derive from a vaccine?
Oral polio vaccine (OPV) contains an attenuated (weakened) vaccine-virus, activating an immune response in the body. When a child is immunized with OPV, the weakened vaccine-virus replicates in the intestine for a limited period, thereby developing immunity by building up antibodies. During this time, the vaccine-virus is also excreted. In areas of inadequate sanitation, this excreted vaccine-virus can spread in the immediate community (and this can offer protection to other children through ‘passive’ immunization) before eventually dying out.
On rare occasions, if a population is seriously under-immunized, an excreted vaccine-virus can continue to circulate for an extended period of time. The longer it is allowed to survive, the more genetic changes it undergoes. In very rare instances, the vaccine-virus can genetically change into a form that can paralyze – this is what is known as a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV). Vaccination coverage in the Philippines has been steadily declining over the past few years, underscoring the importance of increasing coverage to at least 95 per cent of children to stop future spread of polio.
On 6 November 2019, the official charter event for the Rotary Club of Tarawa was held at the Lagoon Club in the middle of the island. Almost all of the 24 members of the club were present to receive their Charter certificate and for President Ruth to receive the chains of office from Tania Thomas, the President of the sponsoring Rotary club, the Rotary Club of Otahuhu in Auckland. The event was attended by Mr Taoaba Kaiea, Minster of Women, Youth and Sport, and the High Commissioners for New Zealand and Australia. Representatives of the local community were also present and we were entertained by traditional dancers from the area of Betio, in the west of the atoll. The following is a overview of the need for a new club through to their future activities:
Young Totara awardees over the years have gone on to become successful in their endeavours, with recent awardees being involved in Rotary projects. In August 2019, Ben Keimpe Hofmans is the receipient of the “Young Totara Award” for the District 9970. Ben was nominated by the Rotary Club of Christchurch Sunrise and the Rotary Club of St Johns through Ainie Kwok for his dedication, perseverance in helping with the setup of 3D printers at Aidanfield Christian School in Chrischurch. The 3D printers funding have also been kindly donated by the Chenery Memorial Trust.
Ben is now a first year University of Canterbury student studying engineering. Since receiving the Award, Ben has attended and participated at the Rotaract Oceania Conference in Auckland. He was also one of the volunteers at the Rotary Oceania Conference, held in September.
Following the DOWNTON ABBEY Movie Night Fundraiser held at the Capitol Cinema on 12 September and with the support of a $1,500 matching grant from the Rotary Foundation (District 9920), Mt Eden Rotary and Epsom Rotary were able to jointly donate $3,250 to the team from Hearts4Kids for their surgical trip for children in Fiji in mid-November. Pictured are Ana Kennedy (L), leader of the Hearts4Kids ward nursing team and Ainslie Campbell (R), President Mt Eden Rotary. Unfortunately Craig Jones, President Epsom Rotary, broke a tooth and was unable to be present for the photo.
Donation of Books to Mt Eden Corrections Facility on 12 November
Mt Eden Rotary was delighted to donate 100 copies of the Usborne Illustrated English Dictionary to the Mt Eden Corrections Facility. The dictionaries will be used by the librarian Zoe Cornelius (R) (pictured with Mt Eden President Ainslie Campbell) and Regional Volunteer Coordinator Ghissy Lee to assist their literacy programmes. This donation was made possible by the OCEAN LIGHT book launch event held last year and thanks to Nalini Singh, her fans who attended the event, Hachette NZ, Epsom Community Library, Chapter Book & Tea Shop and the June Gray Charitable Trust for their support.
Based on Zoe’s and Ghissy’s initial feedback, it certainly sounds like there will be ongoing demand for dictionaries at the Mt Eden Corrections Facility given the facility’s size, turnover and average literacy rates. However, the NZ Road Code and NZ and South Pacific atlases are also possibilities for future donations.
We are trying something new for this conference and with the generous support of John Boscawen (Rotary Club of Auckland Downtown) we are opening the Saturday session of the conference (9 am to 4 pm), to prospective members at a subsidised price of $75. Clubs can invite member prospects along for the day so they can see and hear more about Rotary, listen to the speakers such as:
Sir Richard Faull (Director of the Centre for Brain Research University of Auckland,
Stephanie Woollard (Australian Rotarian and founder of Seven Women),
Michelle Dickinson (Nanogirl), and
Julia Phelps (Director of Rotary International).
Also learn about major Rotary projects and enjoy networking with their prospective club members as well as the wider Rotarian group.
It will be up to clubs to identify and assist prospects to register, to host them on the day and follow-up with them post conference. These prospective Rotarians can be registered on the conference website District Conference. But be quick to take up this generous offer as places are limited and at the time of writing there were only 50 places left – that’s less than one per club in the district.
Mt Eden Rotary and Epsom Rotary invite you to this private screening. Please SHARE this invitation with anyone who you think may find it of interest. Thank you!
SYNOPSIS
Behind the Vatican walls, the conservative Pope Benedict and the liberal future Pope Francis must find common ground to forge a new path for the Catholic Church. A drama/comedy with Anthony Hopkins starring as Pope Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce starring as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the future Pope Francis.
SPPETS will be preceded with a full day's training for presidents-elect and incoming AGs during the day on Friday 28 February 2020 (with SPPETS itself on the Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday).
It is therefore important that SPPETS and LETS are well attended.
South Pacific Presidents-Elect Training Seminar (SPPETS)
Friday, 28 February, Saturday, 29 February and Sunday, 1 March until 1pm at Waipuna Conference Centre in Waipuna Rd, Mt Wellington, Auckland, New Zealand for all Auckland and Pacific Islands presidents-elect and assistant governors. The three full days format focuses on networking, inspiring plenary sessions and workshops on practical deliverables. All PEs and AGs to please register now via this link SPPETS.
Leaders-Elect Training Seminar (LETS)
Sunday, 3 May at St Cuthbert’s College, 122 Market Rd, Epsom for Auckland assistant governors, presidents-elect and their Rotary club leaders along with any other Rotarians. Rotaractors and Interact presidents-elect are also welcome. LETS includes motivational plenary sessions and your choice of breakout sessions, as well as project and event ideas and networking.
Oh my, what a fantastic day it was! Pohutukawa Coast Passport Rotary’s second Rotary ALLFIT Coastal Run took place this year on a beautiful spring Sunday in Beachlands. Nearly 550 runners and walkers enjoyed the magnificent Pohutukawa Coast while testing their fitness in the sunshine.
recognises the positive achievements of our young people,
promotes sound role models for our youth, and
fosters responsible attitudes towards the community.
The future of the planet will be in the hands of the youth of today.
To lead the world of tomorrow we will need young people with
strength of character,
courage of conviction,
care of the community, and
pursuit of excellence.
By singling out and recognizing young people with these qualities we can promote these ideals and encourage positive role models for the growing generations.
The Interact club of Ormiston College has concluded another very active year with Operation Christmas Child Fund. This is the ongoing collection of toys, books, stationery, etc during Term 3 to create shoe boxes for children around the world who are less fortunate to have a happy Christmas.
The Interact club service group worked with Operation Christmas Child to provide emergency relief and to develop assistance to suffering people around the world. It was decided to conduct a gift drive, collecting any donations from Ormiston Senior College students, packaging them in shoe boxes and putting them to better use.
"With our motto to have 'Serious Fun', the Pakuranga College Interact Club experienced yet another successful year filled with volunteering within our local community, raising awareness and fundraising for various charities - all while having a good time! If what an Interact clubs does is a mystery to you then read on ... you will become a fan!
Friday 1 November 2019, a day of red polio shirts throughout the Auckland train system, will be remembered for its impact. Rotarians, Rotaractors and celebrities such as Miss New Zealand, MPs Simon Bridges and David Seymour and others riding to Tag Polio Off. Here are some pictures along with an explanation below and a way for you to still donate.
The next couple of weeks will be a busy time for the Rotary Club of Apia as it gears up for its Melbourne Cup Charity Fundraiser. The annual gala event which promises a day of racing fun, is the club’s major money earner and supports many of its community projects.
With last year’s proceeds the club was able to support more than twenty foundation year students through its scholarship programme. This programme is part of the club’s wider literacy project which also comprises library book donations and the ‘a desk and chair for every student’ initiative.
From small beginnings in 2000, the annual Howick Rotary Bookarama is now a widely recognised community event of note with funds being used to support many local activities (listed below).
On the Rotary Oceania Facebook page www.facebook.com/rotaryoceania there are a series of posts during each month that clubs and Rotarians are encouraged to Share across to their own Facebook pages as a way of increasing awareness of Rotary. These structured posts have an explanation with them and are based around the theme for the RI Calendar Month. As you share, add your own comments to your post. This month it is Rotary Foundation. If at anytime a club needs help with improving their Facebook use please contact the District PR Committee (or Colin Robinson).
The family of Past District Governor Rob Crabtree has advised that that Rob passed away peacefully Wednesday afternoon, surrounded by family. Funeral arrangements to come. In lieu of flowers, Rob asked for donations to go to 'Big Brothers Big Sisters Taranaki' of which he was a trustee. Correspondence to calpr@xtra.co.nz. [dated 31 October 2019]
Rob Crabtree was District 9920 Governor 2001-2002 and a member of the Rotary Club of Howick before moving to New Plymouth where he joined the Rotary Club of New Plymouth North.
Our condolences go to all of Rob’s family. Rob will be remembered as a Great Rotarian and Past District Governor who put service above self.
By the time you read this message on 1 November, the Polio All Trains (PAT), TAG YOU ON/TAG POLIO OFF train ride will be underway.
World Polio day occurred on 24 October and Polio All Trains is the opportunity for all Rotary clubs to raise awareness and funds for the End Polio Now (EPN) campaign.
Districts 9910 and 9920 are collaborating to hold the event with the support of Auckland Transport who have authorised donations from passengers.
I hope that all the Auckland based clubs have registered and will meet the train riders at your designated station with your presentation for EPN. We are looking forward to the event and seeing so many Rotarians wearing their red End Polio Now shirts.
The Rotary Sky Jump for Cure Kids was held at the Sky Tower on Saturday, 5 October. There were two District Governors (Ian Kiernan, District 9910 and Gary Langford, District 9920) and four Rotary club presidents (Robyn Ingram (St Johns), Peter Martin (Drury), Marcus Mackenzie (Waiheke Island) and David Gock (Mangere)) who jumped and collectively raised over $20,000 for Cure Kids. What a great opportunity to create lasting change with the donation we made to Cure Kids. Well done to all the jumpers and their supporters.
I am pleased to advise that the District Nominating Committee have selected Stephen John Chaney (Steve) as District 9920, District Governor for the Rotary year 2021-2022.
The selection is subject to objection by a Rotary club with a 14-day period but only if the club has previously suggested a candidate to the nominating committee.
Steve joined Rotary in 1985 and is an Assistant Governor, Past President of the Rotary Club of Manukau City Sunrise and has organised three district conferences.
Jan and I wish Steve and Edith every success in their year as District Governor and I look forward to Steve joining the DG train as District Governor Nominee.
This year’s Taveuni Eye Project in Fiji was run very successfully from Monday, 7 October to Friday, 18 October.
One of the surgeons is Dr Jeffrey Rutgard (left), an ophthalmologist from Mililani in Hawaii. He received his medical degree from University of Illinois College of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. Since 1999 he has participated in over 170 eye missions, performed over 100,000 humanitarian eye examinations and over 11,000 humanitarian eye surgeries which have transformed the lives of those in impoverished locations worldwide. He has trained over 1,000 ophthalmologists worldwide to perform Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS). This is his fourteenth mission to Fiji and has brought untold benefits to the people of this country with cataract issues.
The primary goal of the Taveuni Eye Project is to give sight to children and adults from the more remote and rural areas of Fiji. The 14th annual Taveuni Eye Project (TEP) 2019 was successfully funded and fully approved thanks to the help of many donors from across Australia and New Zealand.
District Governor Gary’s triumph after the Sky Tower jump for Cure Kids.
You may recall that DG Gary said that at 2 pm on Saturday, 5 October, he would undertaking the Rotary Sky Jump for Cure Kids with District Governor 9910 Ian Kiernan and an assortment of Rotary club presidents. Well the good news is that he did actually jump and lived to tell the tale - along with all the others. And still on the subject of good news; the fundraising was very successful with the actual amount raised yet to be confirmed. But wait there’s more – you can still donate in support of Cure Kids via the website, Rotary Sky Jump for Cure Kids.
Hi. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Karim Rostami. I’m from Afghanistan but I am now a proud citizen of New Zealand. I love this amazing country that I now call home.
Let me share a little of my background, I am a survivor of the polio virus. I was affected by it when I was a small toddler and the doctors predicted I would not walk again. I lost all muscle control in my legs and hips leaving me paralysed but through years of intense muscle therapy I was taught how to walk again and regain my independence.
In 2014 I took up swimming and soon after a random stranger approached me at the pool asking me why I was pursuing the sport with my obvious disability (not having full use of my lower legs). I explained my circumstances to him without thinking anything about it. The following week he approached me again and with true 'kiwi' ingenuity he had designed a ‘rubber band’ (aka bike tyre) to be tied around the circumference of my lower legs. This invention has proven to be the key to the success of my swimming and fund-raising endeavours.
In a never-before event in New Zealand, Rotary in Auckland is energetically working on `Ride a Train to Enable Others to Walk Challenge’ on November 1 from 8am-6pm.
The Auckland South Rotary Club would like to invite you to our Las Vegas Night charity event to be held on Sunday, 10 November from 4 to 7 pm at Epsom Girls Grammar School Marjory Adams Hall. Tickets are $30 in exchange for $1 million of gaming chips. It will be a fun night for all ages with five games to try your luck. Food and refreshments can be purchased at the venue.
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.
October is Polio month with World Polio Day occurring on 24 October 2019. This is an opportunity for all clubs to raise awareness and funds for the End Polio programme. Districts 9920/9910 have decided to collaborate to hold an event called Polio All Trains (PAT) on the Auckland Transport Network. This is based on the All Stations event held in Sydney in 2018 when $250,000 was raised for End Polio.
It will be a blast. Did you hear about the first Rotaract and RYLA led RYPEN camp held in March 2019 this year?
Planning is underway for our next year’s RYPEN2020 Weekend to be held on 27 to 29 March 2020, Kokako Lodge, Falls Road, Hunua. We’re having our first session of RYPEN 2020 TEAM LEADERS and future RYLA 2020 team leaders.
The Dictionaries in Fiji Schools is a joint project of the Rotary Club of Auckland Harbourside and the Education First Trust. The project has now been running for five years and is an amazing hands-on project.
The 2019 distribution, which took place from 29 July to 2 August 2019, was mainly in rural schools in Ba, Tavua, Vatukoula, Nadrivatu and Ra located in the north-west of the main island of Viti Levu. Twenty-four dictionaries were also delivered to Peter Drysdale of Koroipita Community Children and a further twenty-four dictionaries were distributed by Vidya Nand to Masimasi Primary School and Sabeto Primary School in Nadi at the specific request of donors. In total, 1,079 dictionaries were distributed to forty schools.
October is Economic and Community Development Month. Rotary supports investments in people to create measurable and enduring economic improvement in their lives and communities.
The Rotary Foundation enables Rotarians to invest in people by creating sustainable, measurable and long term economic improvements in their communities and livelihoods by:
Building the capacity of entrepreneurs, community leaders, local organizations and community networks to support economic development in impoverished communities.
Developing opportunities for productive work.
Reducing poverty in under-served communities.
Supporting studies for career-minded professionals related to economic and community development.
First a little bit about the Breakfast Club. While the name would suggest it just provides cereal and toast for hungry kids, Breakfast Club has become so much more than that.
Feeding children is always the most important issue to address in a struggling school, but it’s also a very useful vehicle for conversations on what is preventing individual students from learning and ascertain what can be done to help. It might be a lack of shoes, problems in the home, no budget for sanitary products or no way to stay dry on a rainy day. The struggles some kids have are beyond what many of us could ever imagine.
Breakfast Club’s sole purpose is to find a way to assist principals and teachers to get kids what they need so they can concentrate on learning and creating a better future for themselves. Founded in 2010 by Steve Farrelly, an ex-police officer with a soft spot for cheeky, hungry kids, Breakfast Club now has an amazing team of volunteers and supporters who help every day in a million different ways.
The new look Bushy Park Tarapuruhi has launched with the opening of a new visitor information centre on 14 September. Around 200 people attended Saturday's event, including Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and trust patron and Whanganui Mayor Hamish McDouall. The new visitor centre features interactive displays, including real birds' nests and bones and includes information on what the forest area means to iwi.
Bushy Park Trust chair Kevin Ross said the event marked the conclusion of years of hard work:
"We have a historic homestead restored to its former glory. The stables have been renovated to house a visitor interpretation centre, exhibition spaces for some of our heritage items and an upgraded ablutions block."
Our club’s annual school lunch is a highlight of the year and this year’s on 10 September was no exception. With students from Kings, McAuley, Otahuhu and Pacific Advance Colleges; plus teachers, visitors and Rotarians we had approximately sixty attendees.
Our speakers were Hailley Smith and Jasmine Worthington, the two youth ambassadors for the Key to Life Charitable Trust. This trust was established by Mike King to bring attention to and support for dealing with mental health issues. Hailley is from Tauranga and Jasmine is from Reporoa (near Rotorua). They work in their local areas giving peer support to students. Both youth ambassadors are financially supported by the IDEAL Foundation and we also hosted Errejon Gonzalo (IDEAL Foundation chair) and Shane Roger. Also among our visitor group were Mike Dawes, interim chair of the Key for Life Trust and Hailley’s sister Sophie, who at 15 years old is also having some mental health issues as a result of a difficult family environment.
Photo shows from left: Hailley, IPP Malcolm Miller, Jasmine and Sophie.
There are three versions available of a new video about ending polio; Five Ways to End Polio. The short, fifty second version is available to view at FWTEP and to download at FWTEPDownload.
The ten and fifteen-minute versions are available to view and download at Resources. The material from the fifty second and ten minute videos is included in the fifteen minute version. Please feel free to share these links with your clubs and followers.
September is Basic Education and Literacy month. This is a cause that is absolutely vital in bridging the gaping divide for those less privileged, especially the children. Education is fundamental to their ability to surmount challenges in the future.
In Rotary year 2019 Basic Education and Literacy ranked as the third highest area of focus with funding of over US$12.5 million to support projects worldwide. The video Rotary Supports Education describes how grants from The Rotary Foundation help alleviate the plight of the seventeen percent of the world’s adult population who are illiterate:
“Education has the power to lift families up, make real change, modify behaviour, create healthy habits and open minds. It creates security and safety in families so that they can support, provide and make informed and empowered decisions.”
Contributions to The Rotary Foundation impact lives all around the world. For people who would otherwise have been isolated by their educational disadvantage, it provides a path to connect to the world.
A new initiative happening in our District 9920. Have you heard about Passport Club? Would you like to learn more about it?
Spring signifies a new beginning for one of our clubs. The Pohutukawa Coast Passport Club will bring the flexibility, variety of informal meeting styles and allow members to move freely and or be involved with other clubs in our Districts and beyond. Being Passport Club members encourages you to visit other clubs, bring fresh ideas and to create a positive impact locally and internationally.
Keen, interested to find out more? Come and join us on Thursday 26 Sep, 6pm for 6.30pm at PepperJacks, Pine Harbour, Beachlands. DG Gary Langford will unveil this exciting Rotary membership model. For further information, please feel free to contact Alex Garden 021676965.
This will be one of the most inspiring and convenient of recent times so ensure the dates are in your (and your club) diary and to help your planning go to the Conference website for full information including the Top Ten reasons for going:
World Class Venue
Meet the Most Inspiring People in the World
Strengthen your Club and your Passion for Rotary
Plenty of Time to Party and Socialize
Explore Auckland City – The City of Sails
Enjoy Special Conference Events and More
There is special Early Bird registration for those of you willing to plan ahead so please register and take advantage of this.
The Rotary Club of Auckland East and Dove Hospice are proud to present this year’s book fair: Friday, 13 September to Sunday, 15 September at St Heliers School, St Heliers.
From the “Rarotarian” – the Rotary Club of Rarotonga newsletter.
Earlier this year we were the major sponsors in sending a team of students from Tereora College, the National College of the Cook Islands, to Palmerston North to participate in a brave new programme where ideas have no limit and business is exciting. Their challenge was to identify a social, environmental or individual problem and solve it with a brave business idea. Members from the team will be in attendance at our meeting on the 4 September as guest speakers and report back on their experiences.
The “Brave Thinkers” at our 50th celebrations with Helen Clark.
In September, the worldwide phenomenon DOWNTON ABBEY becomes a grand motion picture event as the beloved Crawleys and their intrepid staff prepare for the most important moment of their lives. A royal visit from the King and Queen of England will unleash scandal, romance and intrigue that will leave the future of Downton Abbey hanging in the balance. Set in 1927–1929.
HEARTS4KIDS FUNDRAISER The Hearts4Kids Trust is a volunteer medical team from New Zealand which travels to Fiji to perform life-saving congenital heart surgery on babies and children. With help these children have the opportunity to lead an active and fulfilling life.
Repairing simple congenital heart defects is one of the most lifesaving operations to be done in the field of medicine today. Unfortunately there are 350 children born each year in the Pacific Islands that do not have immediate access to this life saving surgery without travelling to New Zealand or receiving medical missions from other countries.
We are almost two months into the new Rotary year and clubs will have set their Rotary citation goals and are well underway with their programmes. I am encouraging clubs to work with neighbouring clubs to support each other. It is important that clubs report both volunteer hours and money spent on community activities as both are essential in identifying the extent of Rotary service in the community.
Jan and I have so far visited twenty Rotary clubs and one Rotaract club since the district changeover on 6 July. This includes the clubs we visited in Suva. We have been warmly welcomed and have been privileged to see clubs in action and have visited many community projects that are good examples and illustrate my theme “Create Lasting Change”.
It is important that Rotarians and clubs tell their stories. Whether personally or by way of social media, club and district websites and the district newsletter, etc. We are often asked what is Rotary? We need to have our elevator speech ready and share why we are in Rotary and the good work that Rotary does in the community. We also need to ensure that we are identified as Rotarians by displaying Rotary banners and wearing the Rotary vests and caps when we are working on projects in the community. It can lead to membership enquiries.
From Wayne Brewer, ROMAC Representative District 9920
ROMAC is a totally Rotary funded project offering life saving and dignity enhancing surgery for Pacific Island children that is not available to them in their home countries. ROMAC operates across all districts in Australia and New Zealand.
In Auckland the families are accommodated at Ronald McDonald House, mainly for surgery at Starship, and are hosted by local Rotary clubs who provide support and look after the family's day to day needs. Some clubs have a group of members sharing this most rewarding activity of caring for families in need. The ROMAC NZ committee offers full support and guidance.
Elizabeth Thomson from Downtown Rotary, whose report follows, has hosted a number of families and is currently looking after Ben Mahit and his mother Mayling from Vanuatu. Also in Ronald McDonald House at the moment is Jasminah and his mother Angelina. They are being hosted by Josie Adriaansen and the Rotary Club of Brown's Bay, District 9910.
From the Somerville Rotary Club - our Interact Club at Elim Christian College started the year in full throttle. The new team of directors is raring to go. They have organized a Daffodil Day fundraiser and have other exciting plans. Here’s an article written by Eliza Chin and Bethany Britten about the Interact changeover that is worth a read.
Cast your mind back to your high school years. Do you recall ever having a special school assembly featuring the changeover of your Interact club board, complete with flowers, banner and a YouTube mp4 of the national anthem? Oh, and was it all organised by a small team of dedicated, servant-hearted students? Because Elim Christian College did all that one Monday morning on 24 June 2019.
The 2019-2020 Interact Club Board with their teacher in charge, Mr Darron Gedge.
This years Polio Movie Event is fantastic for the whole family to enjoy together and clubs can arrange for screenings as part of raising funds for Polio Eradication.
Pictured (L-R): Wally Thomas, AT Executive General Manager Stakeholder, Communities & Communication, Phil Wratt, Customer Liaison Delivery Lead, Customer Liaison, Customer Experience and Ron Seeto
The Rotary Club of Franklin have sponsored Patumahoe School - the third in District 9920 (fifth school in the country) to have a RotaKids club. RotaKids is designed to engage children to come up with projects they want to facilitate that will can benefit individuals, their school and the local community. In doing so it teaches them leadership skills, selflessness and gives them confidence as young people. Patumahoe School picked 11 students they felt would do the programme justice.
A rousing powhiri haka performed by NZ and overseas exchange students from Argentina, Austria, Denmark, France, Germany and the Netherlands was the highlight of the Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) marae weekend attended by District Governor Gary and Jan. The marae weekend was held from 9 to 11 August.
How many Rotary club members know where the club has come from, or the journey it has taken to get where they are? This is important but why? Now is the best time to write your club's history with all the tools and help you need to achieve this.
Helen Ratapu rides on her new mobility scooter with Belfast Kaiapoi Rotary President Peter Prattley.
For fifteen years Helen Ratapu has struggled with back pain and arthritis which has stopped her from taking her grandchildren swimming and to the park. But now the 65-year old from Redwood can do all she ever wanted to - thanks to potatoes.
Trees for Survival is a Rotary environmental education programme which involves school students potting and growing-on seedlings and then planting them the following winter on erosion prone land and riparian sites.
The new Rotary year is already underway with Rotary clubs, Rotaract clubs and district changeovers behind us. New club and district leadership teams are in place and we have a new Rotary International President Mark Maloney and his wife Gay. They are from Decatur, Alabama, USA.
RI President Mark’s theme is “Rotary Connects the World”. Rotary connects the world in so many different ways; whether it is with individuals, clubs, districts, communities or with Rotary International and the United Nations. The new logo is attractive and is a representation of a modernised version of the Rotary wheel.
My wife Jan and I are originally from Wellington where we grew up, went to school and university. We have a son, daughter and a grandson.
Gary is married to Jan and lives in Auckland. They have two adult children and a grandson.
A Chartered Accountant and retired Fellow of the Institute of Secretaries, Gary has a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Victoria University of Wellington. Gary is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Programme.
Gary recently retired as CEO of Eagle Technology Group Limited and has previously held senior leadership roles in public and government organisations.
A former member of the Rotary Club of Onehunga and now a member of the Rotary Club of Auckland East. Club president of Auckland East during the 2011-12 year. A Paul Harris Fellow and member of the winning district quiz team. Gary and Jan have hosted Rotary Youth exchange students from Denmark and the USA. A member of the District 9920 leadership team, Gary is also a Rotary Leadership Institute trained facilitator.
From 5 to 19 December 2019, twenty Rotarians from Australia, New Zealand (including District 9920) and the UK will travel to Cambodia and Northern Thailand to raise funds for NGOs working in the anti-trafficking and slavery movement. The volunteers will also participate in hands-on volunteering at the Rescue Mission for Children in Mae Suai.
There is still room for volunteers to join the trip which will be a life-affirming personal journey of service above self. If you would like to be involved as a team member or if your club would like to help support our project work fundraising, please contact RAGAS Oceania Regional Co-ordinator David Black at projectstarfishnz@gmail.com.
District Changeover signifies the first ‘meeting’ of the new Rotary year. It is a celebratory event that performs a number of important functions as mentioned below.
Pictured are (from left): DG 2020-2021 Craig Horrocks and Nickola, DG 2019-2020 Gary Langford and Jan, DG 2018-2019 Ingrid Waugh and John.
The District 9920 Changeover for 2019 was held at the Remuera Golf Club with a capacity gathering of almost 200 joining in the festivities. The mix ‘n mingle gave ample opportunity for all to catch up with friends and meet others from many clubs in our Auckland area. As such this is one of the few formal chances for Rotarians to meet and chat to others from clubs that they might not normally visit (although you can) and the circulation of plentiful and delicious canapes was much appreciated by all.
Special thanks to the class of 2018/19 I have held off writing this note of thanks in the hope of having final fund raising figures to pass on to you. However, our dedicated team at Rotary International is still finalising those details. It is very important to ensure the numbers are correct. However, the end of July is closing in and I did not want to get too far down the track before expressing sincere thanks to you all for your magnificent support in the Rotary year just ended.
DG Gary (R) presented Dr Robbie Francis (L) with a Paul Harris Fellow award at the 2019 Rotary Youth Leadership Award dinner on 5 July 2019. Robbie is a truly outstanding individual who has spoken at NZ district events and spoke at this year’s D9920 RYLA.
In 2009 Robbie won the Attitude ACC Supreme Award at the age of 20. In 2010 she was awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to study Peace and Conflict resolution in Israel.
In 2013 Robbie was given the opportunity to intern for an international disability rights group in Mexico. Having witnessed first-hand the shocking conditions many people with disabilities are forced to live in, she decided to become an active part of the solution. So in 2014 Robbie and her friends founded The Lucy Foundation, an organisation empowering people with disabilities.
The Rotary Club of Otahuhu Inc invites you to an interclub event
Speaker: Hon Judith Collins, MP for Papakura
Topic: Women in leadership roles and the challenges in politics
Date: Saturday 24 August 2019
Time: 6.00 pm for 6.30 pm
Venue: Otahuhu Town Community Hall, High Street, Otahuhu
Cost: $55.00 per person (includes one complimentary drink)
Dinner: Two courses followed by tea or coffee. Cash bar
Payment in advance please to Rotary Club of Otahuhu Inc
Bank account 06-0217-0016206-03 and note your name in the reference section
Please RSVP by 18 August to otahuhurotaryclub@gmail.com with names and confirmation of payment. Also advise if any special dietary requirements when you RSVP.
For further information contact Jeanette, tel 021 939 728
The Rotary Club of Christchurch Sunrise has been instrumental, with help from St John, in arranging a much needed ambulance for Tonga. It all started from a club meeting on 2 February this year when Rotary New Zealand World Community Service (RNZWCS) chairman Stuart Batty spoke about the great projects around the Pacific that they are involved in. Stuart mentioned that the main hospital in Tonga required an ambulance.
Bill Boyd was President of Rotary International in 2006/2007, only the second New Zealander to hold that position.
On 30 June 2019 Bill finally drew closure to his stellar thirty years of international service to Rotary and returned to be 'Bill Boyd - Magazine Distribution’ and member of Pakuranga Rotary.
Always by his side during his years of service has been his much adored wife Lorna. Lorna played her part in convention break-out sessions and became a fountain of Rotary knowledge which she graciously shared with whomever and whenever the appropriate occasion rose.
The members of the Pakuranga Rotary salute Bill's work for Rotary and its many endeavours.
If you join this Group - which is extremely easy you will see, and be able to make, some fantastic tips and ideas for club publicity. Also make sure your club has 'Like'd the District Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rotarydistrict9920
Shefali Mehta, District 9920 Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship Chair, is proud to announce that the Rotary Club of Auckland will be hosting Ambassadorial Scholar Connor Lind from July 2019 to November 2020.
Connor is from Tyler, Texas, in District 5830 which covers a tri-state area of north-eastern Texas, south-eastern Oklahoma and south-western Arkansas. District 5830 refers to itself as the “Action District”. Connor was 2018-2019 District 5830 Global Scholar. Photo showsConnor Lind and Shefali Mehta.
Funded by District 9920, an Interplast team departed on 15 May and concluded on 23 May 2019. The team comprised two surgeons, two anaesthetists, two nurses and one physiotherapist. A total of sixty-four patients were examined and forty-one subsequently underwent surgery.
This week a group of Rotarians from the Pakuranga Tamaki River Auxiliary got to work labelling and numbering 400 rat, possum and stoat traps.
The working bee is a culmination of 12 months work by Pakuranga Rotary and several other organisations in the area, to increase native bird numbers across the Howick Ward.
Rotarian Sylvie Wilkinson says, “It is so encouraging to see Lions, Friends of Mangemangeroa, Howick, Half Moon Bay and Somerville Rotary Clubs joining together working towards a common goal to preserve precious wildlife for future generations.” Together they have established a trap library, the first in the area.
Despite some rather extreme weather on the Thursday when we were packing up to come home, this was another successful delivery of the program for 118 young people. Rotary Young Leaders Awards (RYLA) is one of Rotary's most successful leadership programmes with a huge impact on the lives of those who take part and the 2019 camp was no exception.
Club websites that function without fuss or drama and contribute to a smoothly functioning Rotary club are not the thing of dreams, they exist. At the beginning of a new Rotary year now is the time to seek this for your club if you wish.
Right on the cusp of the new Rotary year, on 30 June 2019, the Rotary Club of Tarawa was Chartered as the newest Rotary club in District 9920 and further boosted the Rotary presence to a large area of the Pacific. The story of their formation and how Rotary is now represented in Kiribati is compelling reading.
Pictured is RCC Chair Kairao Tune and Tawara Rotary President Ruth Cross.
After the previous two Rotary clubs in Kiribati (Bairiki and Kiritimati) closed in 2015 and 2016 respectively, there had been no Rotary presence. However the initiation of a Global Grant to Kiribati by the Rotary Club of Richfield, District 5420 in Utah USA, was the catalyst for a visit to Tarawa, Kiribati in May 2018 by DGE Ingrid Waugh and PDG Jennie Herring.
The end of the Rotary year on 30 June is a time of celebration in Rotary clubs throughout New Zealand and the Pacific.
It is a time to celebrate the successes of the year just completed and to welcome in the opportunities of the new year ahead. Clockwise above is a snapshot of what Changeover includes:
It’s not everyday you spend a Sunday morning filling 100’s of handbags with little goodies such as shampoo, soap, toothbrush & toothpaste, deo, fem pro products, hair products etc.
On 4 May, the Mt Eden Rotary Club held its inaugural free WELLBEING DAY OUT at the Mt Eden Village Centre.
The free open-access health and wellbeing initiative introduced the local community to a number of organisations and activities. The day went well and was received positively. Looking ahead, the intention is to hold a bigger event, broadening the focus to include the environment, conservation and sustainability, over a half day on an annual basis.
The club is very grateful for the Albert-Eden Local Board’s support and funding and the assistance provided by the organisations, workshop presenters, Rotarians and Rotaractors who participated.
Rotary Club of Mt Eden: Ursula Rajkumar, Aritra Ray (President), Ainslie Campbell (President-Elect), Geraldine Henderson
Papatoetoe Central Rotary's Indian Diaspora night was a great success. It was the perfect combination: guests had a wonderful night, and a significant amount of money was raised to support four charities: The Rotary Foundation, Cure Kids Fiji Oxygen Project, The Middlemore Foundation and Kids Can.
MUNA 2019 for Districts 9910 and 9920 was run over 17-18 May at Auckland Girls Grammar School by Rotary Club of Auckland East.
Nearly 300 high school pupils from 44 schools participated this year. Vigorous debate on the 5 remits submitted to the model United Nations Assembly ensued, with plenty of objections and points of order along the way. Delegates also took part in a snap Security Council debate on a pressing topic of the day. The event was ably chaired by Ross Robertson QSO former member of parliament, and the awards were announced by Bevan Iles, President of Rotary Club of Auckland.
The District 9920 RYDA team Left to rt; George Wilson, Peter Wilcock, Lisa James, John Overall; Chairman
They were recognised by the National RYDA organisation as the leading District committee for New Zealand. All based on their level of effort, commitment and focus on spreading RYDA across the District
The Rotary Youth Driver Awareness programme (RYDA) was established in NZ about 12 years ago. The take up by Clubs varies by district but they are led by 9920. This year in our district there are 11 Colleges and approximately 2,000 students participating in the exercises.
Since its inception approximately 70,000 students in 97 Schools have attended.
Feedback by both Teachers and Students remains very positive.
Ongoing efforts by George Wilson, Peter Wilcock (both Papakura Club) and Lisa James (Somerville Club) make this programme successful.
Peter Ross: Chair District 9920 Youth Committee
Rotary Youth Driver Awareness Programme - June 2019
Not just another pic of Smiling Rotarians _ GIVING to END POLIO and YOUR Foundation of choice
These Rotarians featured have much to smile about. Your District 'End Polio' coordinator PDG Ron Seeto was on hand with AG Gill Johnston, pictured here with President Tim Edney, to receive 2 cheques from the Rotary Club of Penrose at their breakfast meeting!
A cheque for Foundation Annual giving of $2,750.00 and a cheque for Polio giving of $2,500.00 which becomes $7,500.00 with the Gates Foundation 2:1 Polio contribution.
What’s more, Rotary Penrose has exceeded RI President Barry’s call for a Polio per club contribution $1,500.
President Tim observed that the funds were from individual member contributions.
Here’s hoping that this can be an example for other clubs and their members in our District to do the same – GIVE to END POLIO BEFORE 30 June!
PS As both my regular readers will know I don’t like photographs of people handing over cheques. However, as I’ve often forgotten to recognise the huge work that Ron has been putting in for Polio Plus, this is an exception!
RYLA – a district success story for clubs and awardees who attend
RYLA 2019 is on again in first week of July. This is one of the largest RYLA events in Australasia and is quite unique in many ways. Once again, we are expecting 120 candidates from a wide range of corporate and Rotary sponsors.
The support we get from all district 9920 Rotary clubs in terms of finding candidates, managing the corporate sponsors and in the overall support of the programme is greatly appreciated.
MUNA 2019 for Districts 9910 and 9920 was run over 17-18 May at Auckland Girls Grammar School by Rotary Club of Auckland East.
Nearly 300 high school pupils from 44 schools participated this year. Vigorous debate on the 5 remits submitted to the model United Nations Assembly ensued, with plenty of objections and points of order along the way. Delegates also took part in a snap Security Council debate on a pressing topic of the day. The event was ably chaired by Ross Robertson QSO former member of parliament, and the awards were announced by Bevan Iles, President of Rotary Club of Auckland.
Picking the winners was never going to be an easy task for the team of judges from Rotary Club of Auckland East. However, the following were prize winners on the day:
Best Team Overall - Westlake Girls High
Runners Up to Best Team - Glendowie College
Best Team Costume - Dilworth School
Best Knowledge of UN Charter - Lynfield College
Best Depth of Content - Dilworth School
Most Impressive Presentation - Westlake Girls High
Best Contribution to Security Council - Mount Albert Grammar
Most Engaging Speaker - Cameron McGeorge, Glendowie College
Runner up Most Engaging Speaker - Ba Phong Pham, Papatoetoe High School
These clubs have been good enough to send me your bulletins. Thanks. I’ve read some inspiring stories, seen excellent pictures and been amused by the cartoons. Parnell (my club) has been given some ideas for speakers (yes, I do copy you!) and some ideas, for example publishing the sum collected for the sunshine fund each week. I don’t know who will be the district bulletin editor from July but I hope that you give her or him the same support.
Auckland
Auckland Downtown
Auckland East
Auckland Harbourside
Botany East Tamaki
Ellerslie
Howick
Mangere
Manukau City Sunrise
Newmarket
Newmarket
Otahuhu
Pakuranga
Papakura
Parnell
Penrose
St Johns
St Marylebone (London – YHC’s old club)
Suva East
Mangere Rotary
Part of our stock of firewood ready for sale... We need to urgently find further sources to meet our target so we can fund all the needs in our community.
Contact David Gock if you can help phone 09 262 0404/0274528294
Our Club will again be holding the World Press Photography Exhibition on Level 6 at Smith & Caughey’s during July. The winners for this year’s contest were recently announced in Amsterdam and for a glimpse of what will be on offer during July go tohttp://worldpressphotoexhibitionauckland.nz/
Penrose:
'As long as everything is exactly the way I want it, I'm totally flexible.' (a Stewart Mathews Moment)
Botany East Tamaki
St Johns – It’s quite a splendid bulletin, most of the events in it are records of successful projects (the ANZAC Day breakfast especially) and they do have some good humour!
Pakuranga Rotary
(One of the reasons why Paul Harris met with three friends as the first ‘Rotary’ meeting was to establish a network of business men who could help each other. Thus ‘classifications’ were introduced to ensure that a range of occupations were represented. At a time that we’re looking for more members we need to remember the importance of ‘networking’ when talking to potential members. YHC)
When Noel Holyoake joined Rotary in 1963 he had been in business in Rongotai for 10 years. Clubs in that era were defined by a commercial area and classifications were important. Noel was in the oil heating and air conditioning business and his firm manufactured sheet metal piping. What it needed to develop was the ability to incorporate bends in that piping...
A majority of the Interact Clubs in Schools throughout our District got together to share ideas and meet other like-minded students and Rotaractors from Auckland University and Auckland City. Some of these Rotaractors were part of their school Interact Club and together, they shared their experiences and their "Rotary moment".
Papatoetoe Central Rotary’s Indian Diaspora Night and Fundraising Dinner was an incredibly successful event at which all guests had a wonderful time that achieved its main objective in making a very significant and valued contribution to the good work done by the four chosen Charites; The Rotary Foundation, Cure Kids Fiji Oxygen Project, The Middlemore Foundation and Kids Can
On Saturday 25 May when Aucklanders were outside enjoying the sunshine, the majority of the Interact Clubs in Schools throughout our District got together to share ideas and meet other like minded students and Rotaractors from Auckland University and Auckland City.
Rotary is at the beginning of a journey in Kiribati that will see the local community addressing pressing challenges in this very isolated, poor and climate affected land.
Mt Eden Rotary Club’s inaugural free WELLBEING DAY OUT at the Mt Eden Village Centre introduced the local community to a number of organisations and activities as part of a free and open-access general health and wellbeing initiative as well as boosting the profile of Rotary within the local community. Shown here are the Rotaractors.
April’s theme of Maternal and Child Health really resonated recently as District Governor Ingrid and PDG Jennie Herring visited Kiribati to revitalise Rotary’s presence there through the charter of a new Rotary Community Corps and the start of a Global Grant developing a substantial hydroponics venture.
From the left: DG Ingrid, PDG Tony Castley (Sydney), PDG Simon Manning (9940) and PDG Jennie Herring.
Increasing Rotary’s ability to deliver on projects
Is it time we rethought how we campaign to get new members? Many of us are involved in the private sector where we see employees not only as an asset to the organisation but also as a cost thus within reason we want to keep their numbers to a minimum. So we only take on new recruits when we know that their contribution to the enterprise will be more than their cost.
So, what do we do, often because we’ve got HR breathing down our necks, but also because it makes logical sense?
We define what tasks we need completed, the job description;
Then the attributes that the successful applicant needs, the person specification;
Then we advertise, hire head hunters, etc. and eventually
Recruit a new employee who’s going to carry out a specific job to contribute to the organisation’s success.
Could we apply that methodology to new membership in Rotary?
Firstly what tasks need to be completed? Notice it’s not ‘we need new members, let’s have a membership campaign’ it’s what tasks need to be completed.
It might be some skills required for ‘Internal’ reasons
for example a new treasurer or a
person to arrange the speaker’s programme,
we have too many/too few female members
a local ethnic minority or age group is not represented .
or an External reason,
we are running a project and we need more people to carry out the work
It might also be that we want to be more representative/relevant - Rotary was originally founded to enable business men to trade with other professional men they knew and trusted. I know, it’s now men and women and it’s not only professionals who are members but the thought’s the same, we need members who represent our whole community. That is the shop keepers, the restaurateurs, the plumbers, the medical and legal professionals, and so on but also members of immigrant communities.
A person who knows everybody, a good connector who can arrange interesting speakers and events. Or relatives, friends and neighbours who are prepared to help take action, not become members in name only but do the task as a Saturday morning stint to help a friend. Plus targeting local business people; telling them of the networking opportunities that are represented in the club. As an aside I can tell you that my lawyer, doctor, insurance broker and travel agent were all engaged as I got to know them through Rotary.
So:
1 identify the task, then;
2 the person who can fill it, then;
3 approach that person
Give them a chance to make a real contribution to society by being involved in the community via Rotary.
Then not only will we have success in increasing numbers but also the effectiveness of our projects.
Is your Club contributing to the Centennial History of Rotary 1921-2021 in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands?
“Mana Tangata: People of Action” is the working title of a coffee table publication being crafted by professional historian Dr Stephen Clarke. The achievements of your Club and Rotarians cannot be considered by Dr Clarke if he is not aware of them. Many Clubs have already sent information to Dr Clarke. Research and writing is already under way.
The manuscript is due in July 2020 for publication in 2021, so Clubs need to get their information to the historian as soon as possible. More details and an outline of what the publication will cover are set out later in this article.
Over 260 enjoyed a uniquely different Cultural Night hosted by Auckland South Rotary with a stunning outcome for the children of Fiji in need of Oxygen for healthy outcomes.
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.
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.
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.
100 Years of Rotary in New Zealand - calling Club historians
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.
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.
“For the Love of Bees” is a collaboration that aims to improve the city’s ecosystem through community-led actions including bee conservation. Mt Eden Rotary have supported this initiative by building and providing a garden storage shed and associated flooring materials
Mangere Rotary have collected over 120 handbags thanks to the effort of member Roy Thomas. This equals 10 handbags per member. Well done.
These will go to Manukau City Sunrise Rotary who will fill them with toiletries and similar for the women in need at the Women's Refuge. Further information about this great project from Leanne Jaggs.
460 guests dressed to the nines to mark the Chinese New Year’s Year of the Pig, enjoyed an evening of high-spirited entertainment and excellent Asian cuisine at an exciting Chinese New Year Gala Ball hosted by Auckland Harbourside Rotary.
South Pacific Presidents Elect Training is a annual event that well equips the Presidents Elect with the skills, knowledge and connections to guide their clubs to another successful year in Rotary. Thank you to all involved. Under the 'Read More' there is more about the event but thanks go to the District 9920 Trainers Joyti and Beryl who spent countless hours preparing to deliver a seamless training ably assisted by District Governor Elect Gary. Above the Trainers are hard at work and Gary is also (very) hard at work ...
Papeete-Tahiti’s 60th celebration was a Gala Night in the prestigious setting of the ARANUI 5 at the Port of Papeete. It was a great to catch up and reminisce with friends from their first 60 years and even make some new ones.
It is really fascinating to receive a number of club bulletins. They illustrate similar themes: how quiet it was over Christmas and the holidays, planning for the second half of the Rotary year and the many imaginative projects that the clubs sponsor.
Bulletins were received from the Rotary Clubs of:
Auckland
Auckland Downtown
Auckland East
Auckland Harbourside
Botany East Tamaki
Ellerslie
Howick
Mangere
Manukau Sunrise
Newmarket
Otahuhu
Pakuranga
Papakura
Parnell
Penrose
St Johns
Suva East
From the Mangere bulletin – too good to delete!
Auckland City Mission (ACM) is one of the 7 social causes Auckland Downtown members voted to support. Here's a link to their Clubrunner article: City Mission - Cooking for the Homeless
St John’s Rotary has a great lineup for 2019. Good luck, people. You will really make a difference with all these projects.
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
Club Trivia Nite – 2nd Raising funds for Oxygenator project / Club activities – May
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
Ed: As a spot of trivia, other than not being able to spell ‘night’, this looks totally brilliant!
Downtown are proposing a new logo – neat, eh?
And, here's an idea from Otahuhu Club’s bulletin - neat, eh?
The Rotary Club of Parnell expects to be able to donate $140,000 to Dementia Auckland as a result of the 2019 Golf Day. This sum will add to the $2.2 million already donated over the last fifteen years. These donations have been raised at golf tournaments held in conjunction with Countdown and its suppliers.
<<< DG Ingrid and Avis signing players in.
Before dawn on Friday 15th , 45 Parnell Rotarians and friends set up at the Titirangi Golf Club course with sponsors’ stands, sun tan lotion (it was a very sunny day!), refreshments (it was a very hot day!) and big smiles to welcome the 36 teams for each of the morning and afternoon rounds.
The 78 teams, some of whom took the competition very seriously, represented many of Countdown’s suppliers. The players welcomed the opportunity of catching up with old friends and renewing business relationships.
Sponsor Sistema’s stand, with Rotarians encouraging players to bet on how close they could land the ball to the hole >>>
The bulletin editor is sent lots of stuff, some exciting, some boring but most of it interesting. Recently, Interplast sent me their regular newsletter. This is a brief description of what it does, see the link below for more details. It is important work, as it is professional Rotarians using their skills to the direct benefit of members of our community in the Pacific.
Interplast is a small charitable organisation started by Rotary in 1983 through a partnership with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Rotary continues to be crucial in both governance and support from clubs and Districts throughout Australia and New Zealand.
The Constitution designates Rotary members of the Company, the Board of Directors and the Rotarian Committee of 9 Past District Governors.
Interplast sends fully qualified Australian and New Zealand volunteer plastic and reconstructive surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and allied health professionals to the Asia Pacific region to provide free surgical treatment for patients who would otherwise not be able to afford access to such services.
Thank you club bulletin editors who have sent me your bulletins. I’ve included some good stuff from them!
Actually, while I'm thinking about it, I will be at the Conference as it's a great opportunity to catch up with old friends, meet some new ones, learn some interesting ideas and (because it's in Hawkes Bay) drink too much. I hope that you'll make yourselves known to me so I can thank you personally for sending me your bulletins and providing me with a whole lot of good ideas and quite some amusement!
Club bulletins were received from:
Auckland
Auckland East
Botany East Tamaki
Downtown Auckland
Ellerslie Sunrise
Howick
Mangere
Manukau City Sunrise
Newmarket
Otāhuhu
Pakuranga
Papakura
Parnell
Penrose
Suva East
Auckland: Chartering a new Interact Club
On Tuesday our Club sponsored the chartering of a new Interact Club at Epsom Girls’ Grammar. Rotary Interact Clubs are for young people aged 12 to 18, who want to join together to tackle the issues in their community that they most care about. Our Club has already chartered one Interact Club at Auckland Grammar School and this Club continues to grow each year – with a current membership of about 130.
Auckland East : St. Heliers School Fair
A very big thank you to all members and partners who volunteered to be part of the St Heliers Primary School Fair on Sunday. It was a great opportunity for our club to be seen doing great work in the community thus raising our profile, as well as giving back to the School who have supported our book fair in the past years.
We really stood out in our Rotary uniforms and those who had the high vis vests with the Rotary emblem even better. The Rotary auction wheel we have is really a great asset both for fundraising and also raising our profile and it made me realise we should try and use it more often. President Bevan
Anon (i.e. I can’t remember which club’s bulletin this came from!)
So John says to Joan, “how did you get on at the faith healing session last night?” Joan replies, “It was rubbish. Even the guy in a wheel chair got up and walked out”.
Downtown Auckland Club: notifications in advance
While we encourage all members and guests to attend our informative and fun meetings, it's important to register your attendance in advance. The Northern Club normally charge members who fail to register in advance a $5 late fee as it causes challenges with catering. Starting in May, we will begin charging members/guests who don't register the $5 fee. The Northern Club have graciously agreed to donate any late registrations fees to our Sunshine Fund. So please make sure to click your meeting invitation to register yourself or your guests by the 12noon deadline on Monday before our meeting.
The club is working on getting an online payment system in place, in the interim you may register online at the club website https://rotarydowntownauckland.club/ and pay on the day at reception with either in cash or credit card for the $25 breakfast fee. If you have any issues with online registration, please txt Graham Hendry at 021 997 934 or email President Lucy at changlorinczi@icloud.com.
Mangere:
Auckland Harbourside
“Work for a cause
not for applause,
Live life to express
Not to impress"
Three Ideas for meetings:
These are some venues and activities that clubs that sent me their bulletins had during April:
Auckland – Spirit of Adventure evening sail
Newmarket – Petanque at Epsom Bowling Club
Pakuranga - Sachies Kitchen Chinese Cooking Social Night, St Georges Bay Rd. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn some basics of Chinese cooking and at the same time taste your cooking
Global Grant Hydroponics project, Kiribati
Jennie Herring visited South Tarawa. During her visit she presented the charter certificate to Kairao Tune, chairperson of the RCC, and a pull up banner to the South Tarawa Rotary Community Corps (STRCC).
Remuera and St Johns, and Mt Eden
There were two ‘quiz’ nights managed by these clubs recently. Remmers and St Johns was in aid of the medical-oxygen project in Fiji and Mt Eden’s for Allergy NZ. These are great fun, add to the branch’s social engagement and raise money for good causes. What’s not to love? Your Humble Correspondent and the Ever Loving went to the St John’s and Remuera competition, we were unable to repeat last year’s winning performance but had a great time in a well presented and profitable evening.
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;
Rotary Youth Exchange - Applications close 30 April 2019
Let 2020 be the year you take the leap to a new country.
Experience the culture first hand with several host families. Meet new friends, learn a new language, grow and develop – all with the support of Rotary. This is a life changing opportunity, so come and see what it’s all about!
At our information evenings in March you will have heard from the organising committee, past exchange students and from overseas students currently here on exchange.
Applications close on 30 April 2019 for departure in January 2020.
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;
Taravao Tahiti-iti club put on a Magic show for about 500 children from their local community;
DG Ingrid's own club of Parnell organised supermarket chain Countdown’s annual golf tournament for suppliers and raised over $140,000 for Dementia Auckland;
Waiheke ran a very successful Onetangi Beach Races for the 21st year. See here for their great write-up in the Island magazine;
Auckland South showed us how to 'Shoot for Oxygen' and have a load of fun while also raising money for the Oxygen project in Fiji and raising Rotary’s profile;
Highbrook organised a Fun Run in their local community that got over 600 people out and moving.
And these are only the larger events – I am sure there are many more happening that superbly demonstrate who we are as Rotarians – People of Action.
RYPEN – 29, 30 & 31st March 2019. Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment has a fantastic impact on young people’s lives. This is a weekend long camp for Year 12 and 13 students, aged between 14 - 17 years old, designed at developing young people’s potential through a mixture of lecture style sessions and adventure-based learning. I trust your club is supporting this.
RYLA 2019 – This year’s 9920 RYLA will run 29 June – 6 July 2019 at Willow Park in Eastern Beach. I am sure there is a young person in every community our clubs serve who would love the opportunity to join with 120 other young people for a life changing week. I would like to see 80% of our clubs sending someone along. It is a modest investment for a wonderful leadership programme.
Many youngsters have benefited hugely from the overseas experience as outbound students. And many clubs have benefited from having an inbound exchange student staying with them. Here are the latest group of outbound students.
Rotary Exchange Students leaving ; Madita Pleiss (sponsored by RC Howick), Katrine Lundo-Nielsen (Pukekohe), John Fothergill (District 9920 Outbound Student Co-ordinator ), Jake Le Sueur (Half Moon Bay), Mia Kidston (Pakuranga), Madeleine Kennedy-Jarman (Waiuku).
Harbourside Rotary Chinese New Year Gala Ball, Sat 23 Feb - always a huge event and they have the Mayor of Auckland and local MPs attending.
Pakuranga Rotary Community River Carnival – Sun 24 Feb, 11am – 3pm – Bramley Drive Reserve, Pakuranga
South Pacific Presidents Elect Training at Waipuna 2-3 March, with President Elect Training for our Pacific Island Presidents on 1 March. There will be a casual pay-your-own-way District Dinner on Friday 1 March at Wellingtons (Mt Wellington). Please let DG Ingrid know if you would like to attend - $27.50 per person.
St Johns Golf tournament for Kids Can - 18 March
30 Years of Women in Rotary – Keep this date free - Saturday 6 April - a special event is to be organised for all women Rotarians in Districts 9910 and 9920, and their friends.
Auckland South Charity Event - Saturday 6 April in the evening
Please let us know about your events so we can include them in next month's newsletter!!!
Our 9920 Conference 10-12 May 2019
Don’t forget to register and join your fellow Rotarians for a great weekend in Napier.
There are a few special events coming up this year:
Papeete Club is celebrating its 60th anniversary on 9 February 2019
Rarotonga will celebrate their 50th anniversary on 23 April although their charter date was 05 February 1969
Nadi will also reach the 50 year milestone on 29 May 2019
This is a wonderful achievement to all these clubs.
30 Years of Women in Rotary
This is a special milestone for Rotary. It was a hard fought fight to have women admitted to Rotary in the US in 1988/89. We will be celebrating the many women in NZ and our district who have made a big contribution to Rotary. Through the District Facebook page and website (in addition to the Rotary Oceania Facebook and website) over the next few months we would like to recognize the work that Rotary women throughout NZ and the Pacific do publicly and behind the scenes. This is a great opportunity to highlight women in your Clubs and Districts who have gone above and beyond the call of Service above Self. We are wanting to know those really special women and to thank them for being part of our Rotary family. Please send your suggestions to Leanne Jaggs, District 9920 Publicity Committee Chair.
We will be celebrating right across New Zealand on Saturday 6 April. Watch this space for a special event in Auckland for Districts 9910 and 9920.
Club Events
Check out the District website for the special events many clubs have planned, and don’t forget to advertise your club events there. Highbrook’s Fun Run, St Johns golf tournament for Cure Kids, and there are more. Please let us know!!
Chinese New Year is coming up and Auckland Harbourside always host an amazing gala ball, or having a ball, anyway there will be a celebration of Chinese New Year on February 23rd. See the flyer for details. Get your Glad Rags on and enjoy.
Our 9920 Conference 10-12 May 2019
Don’t forget to register and join your fellow Rotarians for a great weekend in Napier.
In December your humble correspondent wrote to all club presidents; individual emails, none of this unlabelled stuff, asking to have club bulletins sent to his email address, nick@quint.co.nz . These clubs replied:
Auckland Downtown
Auckland East
Auckland Harbourside
Botany
Ellerslie
Howick
Mt Eden
Mangere
Manukau Sunrise
Otahuhu
Pakuranga
Papakura
Parnell
Penrose
Remuera
Suva East
Waiuku
So, if your club’s not here sorry, YHC doesn’t know what you’re doing. If your club is never mentioned, tell your bulletin editor!
(And in the last district bulletin of the Rotary year, when the DG can’t fire YHC, an opinion of the best will be published!)
From the Mangere bulletin
“I was drinking at a bar so I took a bus home. This may not be a big deal to you but I’ve never driven a bus before”
Ed: fake news?
Rotary Club of Otahuhu - neat Birthday cake, eh?
Pakuranga - Another one bites the dust!
Pakuranga Rotary now has 16 Council registered rat catchers! Don, Sylvie and Ron have all had good results and between them, have eradicated 5 rats.
Please remember to log your catches on the CatchIt database (you all have your access codes). Even if you do not yet have a trap, you can still visit www.catchit.co.nz and see what has been caught in your street.
Congratulations to Pakuranga Rotary and special thanks to President Duncan for this new and very worthwhile environmental community service!
Our heartfelt thanks : To Trees for Survival teachers who put in many hours growing students and plants alike! To Trees for Survival Landowners who provide a place for these plants to live and amazing outdoor experiences and lunches for tree planters. To every volunteer that helps and every sponsor whose funds supply the resources needed to continue to inspire young environmentalists. Thank you! Your contributions make for a better greener cleaner New Zealand!
But it’s important. As many people die of water related diseases as die of many other more prominent causes. Over forty members of our district 9920 will be going to the conference, so even if you can’t go, one of them would make a good speaker at the club meetings.
From Otahuhu’s bulletin: Books for Children in Tonga — Project report by Pat Taylor and Jeanette Drysdale
For some years Nuku’alofa Rotary has been assisting with books for Tongan schools. These books have come from Rotary Clubs and other sources. The assistance of US Peace Corps Tonga and their volunteers was sought to help sort books and distribute them to schools. While this has added to school libraries the exercise identified the need for more books using local themes and focused at a level relevant to the reading skills of Tongan primary students. Many books sorted as ‘primary’ from Australia and NZ were better suited for Tongan secondary schools. Over the years, these have been distributed to secondary schools, where good use has been made of them.
From this partnership, the idea of using local authors and artists was developed. This resulted in the Sight Word Book Program as a joint partnership between the Peace Corps in Tonga and Tupou Tertiary Institute in Tonga. The programme is now well established ...
RYPEN – 29, 30 & 31st March 2019. Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment has a fantastic impact on young people’s lives. This is a weekend long camp for Year 12 and 13 students, aged between 14 - 17 years old, designed at developing young people’s potential through a mixture of lecture style sessions and adventure-based learning. I trust your club is supporting this.
RYLA 2019 – This year’s 9920 RYLA will run 29 June – 6 July 2019 at Willow Park in Eastern Beach. I am sure there is a young person in every community our clubs serve who would love the opportunity to join with 120 other young people for a life changing week. I would like to see 80% of our clubs sending someone along. It is a modest investment for a wonderful leadership programme.
The big event for Rotary Youth in January was the departure of our Rotary Youth Exchange students for their year of life changing experiences.
The other big event was the 2019 Science and Technology Forum – Over the two middle weeks of January, 168 Year 13 students from all over NZ, came together to learn all about the many varied avenues of science. DG Ingrid attended their BBQ evening and the formal dinner. What a credit they are to their schools and the many Rotary clubs who sponsor them. This is Rotary in NZ’s biggest youth programme, and the only one that the three universities in Auckland collaborate on. If you have sponsored students to attend I am sure you will be equally inspired when you have them come and speak to your club.
Remuera Club members donned hi-Vis jackets and got ready the eight activities: "Pluck a Duck" (Cindy), "Ping Pong Duck" (David & Cher), "Floating Islands" (Etienne), "Shooting Gallery" (Graeme & Wayne), "Ladder Toss" (Niel), "Bean Bag Toss" (Karen), "Guess the Ducks" (Patricia),"Pin the Beak" (Norman & Davina). "Rotary Gazebo – ticket sales" (Annabelle & Catherine), Support crew: (Jim, David McA, Ross, Iain). Set-up assistance the day before (John and Ashok):19 Volunteers in all.
Just after the start the misty rain relented, and none fell for the rest of the morning. The race for the decorated School Ducks race was followed by the Business Duck Race – over 30 entrants beautifully decorated. The winning Business Duck was “Cure Kids” – best looking & first over line. The 3rd race at 11.30am was the “Everybody $5 ducks” race with all 5,000 little yellow ducks – our very own Catherine winning 2nd prize with her duck (raffle ticket). Our whole Club’s effort in selling these tickets over the last 10 weeks raised $8,600 from public sales during weekends, and $4,500 from member’s sales.
Overall the day and the effort was a great Club achievement being out there in the Community - raising our profile, and attracting leads for over 5 prospective new members.
More funding = greater impact for your projects (even the local ones!)
We all know that large Global Grants from the Foundation make it possible to undertake high impact international projects – but did you know they can be used for local projects too?
A great example is the Kerikeri Club in Northland. They identified an issue with young students from poor families in the area who were performing well below average. With a club investment of US$12,516, they were able to undertake a US$102,000 project that delivered ‘digital classrooms’ to help address the issue.
If your club has a vision to create a major project that will have a significant impact on people’s lives, consider Rotary Foundation grants – for international and local projects.
Foundation funding would not be possible without the wonderful generosity of Rotarians and clubs!
Progress has stalled in ridding the world of polio. An emergency committee of the World Health Organization unanimously agreed to continue to designate the paralyzing disease a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.”
This year, W.H.O. has recorded 27 cases of wild poliovirus worldwide compared with 22 total cases last year. Though the small number of cases may appear insignificant, the committee said the trend is noteworthy because it shows stagnation. This is the first increase year-over-year since W.H.O. began its efforts to eradicate the disease worldwide in 1988.
Chris Ward reported on Jan 07, 2019 that a Rotary team consisting of three members of the Pakuranga Rotary, Peter Armstrong, Don Lawry, Chris Ward, and his ex-classmate Howard Scott and Dennis Kavanagh (Don’s friend), has just returned from 12 days in Fiji on the island of Taveuni.
The team had a very successful time there assisting a group of local builders, by helping to construct a 2-classroom block in the village of Bouma. While the local builders laid the concrete slab and started laying the blockwork forming the walls of the classroom, the Rotary members built the roof trusses. They then painted these with two coats of undercoat and continued by painting the 75 sheets of ceiling panels. In total, Don worked out that we painted 810 square meters, the equivalent of 4 full sized tennis courts.
Rotarian Geoffrey Amos and his team of locals looked after the Rotary builders wonderfully We were proud to help support the Rotary Club of Taveuni Island.
This project is a great example of Rotary In Action, and we all felt privileged to represent Pakuranga Rotary in assisting this international project.
Women have always had an influence in Rotary right from the contribution of Jean Thompson, Rotary's Founder Paul Harris's wife, who is often stated as being "the power behind the Rotary 'throne' ".
2019 marks 30 years since Rotary International formerly enabled women to join Rotary as Rotarians. Since then the direct contribution of women in Rotary has soared and is today pronounced.
Through the District Facebook page and website (in addition top the Rotary Oceania Facebook and website) over the next few months we would like to recognize the work that Rotary women throughout NZ and the Pacific do publicly and behind the scenes. This is a great opportunity to highlight women in your Clubs and Districts who have gone above and beyond the call of Service above Self. We are wanting to know those really special women and to thank them for being part of our Rotary family.
While we could come up with names this would be more meaningful if suggestions came from Rotarians or those involved with Rotary. Our district has so many great women doing wonderful things this should be easy - send your suggestions to Leanne Jaggs, District 9920 Publicity Committee Chair.
The best part of Christmas is when families can get together and enjoy each other's company. Unfortunately for too many it is a time of hardship. Recognising that some in their community were facing hardship, Papatoetoe Central Rotary worked with Rawiri Community House Manukau to identify fifty needy families to whom they could provide a food hamper each and the presentation is depicted here (note the reusable shopping bags with the Rotary emblem on).
Christmas Food hamper donation by Rotary Papatoetoe Central
Rotary Club of Auckland East determined that the existing 15-year-old driver training vehicle used by Tamaki College was well past its use by date so did something about.
Ellerslie Rotary changed up their entry into the Ellerslie Santa Parade a bit this year - everyone wore Rotary Super-Hero T-shirts with the theme that Rotarians are super-heroes too - and aren't we all! Their involvement in their local community is seen front and centre and that's very important, especially for super-heroes!
Where has 2018 gone? At the beginning of the year I was looking forward to my training to take on the District Governor role and now I have finished almost all my official club visits. What wonderful people John and I have met, inspiring projects we have heard about and visited, and we have seen a number of new ideas for meetings and club engagement being tried – “Be the Inspiration” is in action in 9920.
Some Highlights from our visits - there have been too many to mention all.
A new swimming pool in American Samoa – a hidden gem in the Pacific. I was able to officially present them with PDG Malini’s award for 2017-18 Best Project for their swimming pool. What a commitment that club made, raising over USD1 million and creating a community facility that everyone can use.
I also had the privilege of officially chartering a new Interact Club at Leone High School – 29 members and only 1 boy. And there is another club planned at another high school.
Fundraising for scholarships in Samoa – Apia Rotary has been running a Melbourne Cup event for many years and the funds raised are used every year to fund at least 20 scholarships for students at secondary school – what an impact that is having on many lives.
Noel pour Tous in Tahiti – can you believe that Papeete Rotary, supported by other clubs, has been running a free day of food and entertainment for children for 42 years? Every club member is involved in the planning and on the day – around 3000 children this year and over 5000 sandwiches made. Long standing member M. Rene Malmazac donated a number of bicycles as prizes – were those children excited! And the community contributed hundreds of toys and clothes to be distributed in all the French Polynesia islands through Catholic Relief.
Disease Prevention and Treatment – the theme for December
This is a massive part of Rotary International’s work, but we have our own closer to home:
In French Polynesia testing for diabetes is now part of every event Rotary runs, thanks largely to initial work by Dr Jean-Louis Boissin. A mobile van serves Tahiti main island and a tent is set up with volunteers to do basic screening. Anyone needing more is referred to a doctor.
Similar screening is done in Fiji.
Our own very special project is GECAF – Give Every Child a Future – to celebrate Rotary’s 100 years in New Zealand and Australia. Have a look at the website - https://everychildafuture.com/ and think about how you might contribute. Or contact Auckland Rotary for someone to speak to your club.
The Fiji Oxygen Project – No child should die for a lack of oxygen.
Yet too many do die from otherwise treatable illnesses because of variable access to good quality oxygen in Fiji. The Rotary Club of Remuera Inc, working in partnership with other charities and trusts, is working to raise $650,000 in order to provide reliable oxygen supplies to Health Clinics throughout Fiji. This is a project worthy of wide support and I fully endorse it and would like to see it come to fruition as soon as possible. I would appreciate Rotarians giving their full support to this project.
The Fiji Oxygen Project is designed to save the lives of children, in hospitals and clinics, who are currently dying due to the lack of a reliable supply of oxygen ...
The Rotary Peace Summit that will be held on Friday, February 15, 2019 at the Melbourne Exhibition and Conference Centre, Victoria, Australia.
The Summit will be a curtain-raiser to the first ever Multi-District Rotary Conference in Victoria, with representatives from more than 200 Rotary clubs. It will be modelled on the six Peacebuilding Conferences convened by Past RI President Ian Riseley OAM in cities around the globe last year. Ian is one of several outstanding speakers who have agreed to speak at the Melbourne Conference. (See attached brochure)
The theme of our summit is Peace Through Service – Rotary’s Road to Harmony. Our objective will be to demonstrate how Rotary’s Six Areas of Focus converge to positively impact on peace and conflict resolution.
Apart from Rotarians from Australia and New Zealand, we expect to have a strong contingent of Rotary Peace Fellows, peace academics, police officers and community representatives who have a passion for this subject.
I am sending you this in my role as the District 9920 representative to the 2019 COL.
The attached information is being introduced to Auckland based President Elects and incoming Assistant Governors when they meet for training tomorrow, Sunday 19 November.
This is an opportunity to have input into decisions that shape various aspects of Rotary’s future.
On page three of the attached I have listed section headings relating to the proposed 119 resolutions, and bolded sections thought to be of most interest to individual members and clubs. I have also shown two areas that I expect will have further discussion within the District. One relates to the inclusion of environmental matters in the Objects. The other impacts the future of Rotary magazines.
Please share this information as you see appropriate within your club. Feedback is encouraged. If there is interest relating to particular topics I will convene a forum for discussion early 2019.
We are planning to give 50 food hampers to needy families on the 20th Dec as part of our everyday on-going project. Each Hamper is of $50 value.
In this Food Hamper we also incorporate Christmas cake and some gifts for the children.
Otahuhu Rotary
There is a collection of non-perishable food items. This is in conjunction with Otahuhu Business Association donating food to people in need as identified by the Otahuhu budgeting services.
There have been several preliminary conversations about a change in districts for 9910 and 9920 as well as a working group looking at the future structure for Rotary in New Zealand. Progress so far:
The Governor trains (for the three of you, including me, who don’t understand the jargon a 'train' is incoming, present and past officials who’ve held the same position, not things that belch out steam) for 9910 and 9920, plus 2 Past District Governors (Bruce Rasmussen from 9910 and Willard Martin from 9920), have now met twice. They’ve developed a plan to prepare for the creation of a proposed new district covering both the current districts. The attached document outlines at a high level where the project, named 'Tangata Moana - People of the Oceans', has got to.
There are some key points I would like to add:
This is not a merger but the creation of a new district
The discussions about the whole of NZ will be continuing but we felt we needed to look with some more urgency at our two districts, given the current membership numbers. The national modernisation project team will be meeting again before the end of the year.
We will progress with the nominations for District Governor for the 2021-22 Rotary year in both districts.
The Governance group for Tangata Moana will be co-chaired by PDGs Bruce Rasmussen and Willard Martin.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me, or DGE Gary or DGN Craig.
Attached is a letter from the Prime Minister of Fiji (he was re-elected a couple of weeks ago).
It is nice to get this official recognition as not only does it reflect well on the contributions made by Rotarians but it is all part of that we, as Rotarians, are being recognised as having made a difference in the community.
We recently received this message from Father McVerry, who is in charge of the Tutu Regional Training Centre on Taveuni, Fiji thanking the club for the recent delivery of tools and equipment to the Centre.
Hi Geoffrey, Delighted with the extra tools. You can tell whoever is sending them that we deeply appreciate and are lifted beyond with encouragement by this down to earth practical worthwhile assistance and want to thank whoever it is that has this spirit of sharing that makes the world a better place. More power to them. And to you who enable it all to happen. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. Gratefully yours, Fr M.T.McVerry
Meanwhile the next container is about to be loaded and will include donations from North and South: 3 large boxes of tools from the Whangarei shed and a wood lathe from Menzshed Manawatu; thank you Mike and David. David is promising even more equipment as the Mens Shed at Howick is replacing all its tools and machinery with new stuff.
Ellerslie Rotary - Tutu Regional Training Centre on Taveuni, Fiji
Rotary clubs and their members are deservedly proud of the projects they held during a Rotary year that have achieved so much. The stories of these individual projects describe the depth of activity and the benefits achieved but there is interest in the full picture to show the scale of all these individual projects together. Often, these are expressed as funds distributed. Other measures are volunteer hours and Donations in Kind and outcomes. How is your club showing the community, and members, what was achieved? Pictorially such as here? In the club bulletin and as advertisments in the local community newspaper? Telling this particular story acknowledges the contributions of members, sponsors and supporters and builds the club social creds that will in turn bring in additional support. The excellent example below is from Papakura Rotary.
Save Our Sisters: A joint project for RC Mumbai Queen’s Necklace (District 3141) and RC Auckland Harbourside
Mumbai, India, has a large number of girls trafficked from various Indian states, and neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bangladesh. Women and girls rescued during police raids are lodged at Navjeevan Mahila Vasatigruha – a government-run care and protection home for trafficking survivors.
The local Rotary Club of Mumbai Queen’s Necklace (District 3141) were inspired to do what they could do help. They approached the Rotary Club of Auckland Harbourside, NZ, (District 9920) to be International Club and District Partners in order to receive a Rotary Foundation Global Grant to fund their efforts.
Rotary project Save Our Sisters is directed at training women at the shelter with the skills they need to become gainfully employed, and live a life of dignity and self-respect.
368 cataract and pterygium surgeries were carried out free of charge to patients, including 5 children. In the photo, see in use one of the oxygen machines donated to Waiyevo (Taveuni) Hospital as part of the Fiji Oxygen Project – 2 Global Grants in action at once.
Several members of the medical team who have been working on this project for several years, including lead surgeon Dr Jeff Rutgard (13 years on the project) and nurse Jan Beamish (12 years), were recognised by Taveuni Rotary with PHFs. A huge thank you to Geoffrey Amos and his team, and especially to his wife Joey who does so much that most people don’t see.
We were advised last month that 9 clubs in our district achieved the Presidential Citation for 2017-18 by achieving all the goals they set for their club and entering them into My Rotary – a big shout out and congratulations to………
Auckland South
Somerville
Highbrook
Remuera
Ellerslie Sunrise
Pakuranga
E-club Francophone
Drury
Manukau City Sunrise
RI awards and recognition were also made to the following clubs for: Membership Incentive, and for Giving to the Rotary Foundation ...
The above shows the shape of the final cropped picture. Whether from a recent project or a project soon to come send these in with a brief description about the picture.
The faces say it all. What-a-Day! Pukekohe Rotary's massive Counties Cycle Classic was a true family event attracting the under 10's to have a go right through to your experienced seriously competitive cyclist.
The long-term goal is that no child in Fiji dies from lack of oxygen. If you, your friends and family or maybe your business would like to support such an immensely important health project in the Pacific while also rewarding yourself or your employees/suppliers/customers then please email rotaryremuera@gmail.com
The Rotary Club of Mumbai Queens Necklace (District 3141) partnered with the Rotary Club of Auckland Harbourside to gain a Global Grant for Project Rotary Save Our Sisters to train women at the shelter for human trafficking survivors with the skills they need to become gainfully employed, and live a life of dignity and self-respect.
Daily we can share in the experiences of others such as the delicious smell of cooking sausages and onions on the club BBQ along with the sound of the sizzle and the clink of coins into the bucket. The buzz and tinkle of glasses and cutlery of a room full of people enjoying fine food and camaraderie at the Gala Night. The shouts and cheers, maybe even jeers, in friendly competition at the Quiz Night. The feeling of the wind whipping through our hair as we cheer on the school team we have sponsored sport equipment for.
The District International Service Information evening, 18th September 2018, was an opportunity for a progress update on the many projects happening and to look at future possibilities. International Service covers many projects; small to large global grants, from small Club projects to many Clubs working collaboratively to help others who are less fortunate than ourselves.
As with all Rotary projects considerable thought and care is given to all aspects of these projects including sustainability, down-stream effects and possible unintended consequences so these can be properly managed.
The Sir Paul Callaghan Eureka Awards finals were held early September in Wellington at Massey University, with an especially strong showing from our Auckland participants, three of whom were selected out of the four national winners. See also https://www.eureka.org.nz/news-latest
This recently approved Global Grant project will contribute directly to a significant reduction of locally transmitted cases of dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika virus in Fiji.
Getting their hands dirty, learning new kitchen tricks from the Masterchef finalist, Vanessa Baxter, for a great cause thanks to Auckland City Rotaract.
Rotary New Zealand World Community Service in partnership with Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation require the services of a Volunteer Plumber Trainer in Fiji. This is a very unique opportunity - download the full details in PDF from: portal.clubrunner.ca/…/9a4cf4d5-0a6f-4704-9fab-a2a7d7906…/1/ or contact Stuart Batty via www.rnzwcs.org
Interplast Australia & New Zealand is actively supported by Rotarians in Clubs and Districts throughout Australia and New Zealand. Many clubs support Interplast because of the massive transformation of lives thie surgery offers children. Read on to find out how.
Using the Rotary months, programme organisers and bulletin editors can focus speakers and topics to support Rotary International's programme. The next four months are:
Awarded for the most significant achievement by a Rotarian or Rotary Club with regard to the furtherance of Rotaract within the Rotary Year
Griffon Emose
BILL & LORNA BOYD TROPHY
Awarded for the most significant achievement by a Rotarian or Rotary Club with regard to the furtherance of Rotaract within the Rotary Year
RC Mangere
COLTY CUP
Awarded to the club with the best attendance at District Conference based on a formula which recognises Club sizes and their distance from the conference venue
RC Apia
GRATTAN O'CONNELL TROPHY
Awarded to the Club with the best per Capita Polio Plus giving for he current year
RC Ellerslie Sunrise
CHANGEMAKER TROPHY
Awarded to the club that makes the most effort to reactivate, have a makeover, or to freshen up or whatsoever
RC Highbrook
JACK SMALLFIELD BULLETIN AWARD
Presented by Jack Smallfield and awarded for the Best Club Bulletins, produced annually, based on specific criteria which has changed this year.
(refer to www.9920bulletinawardrotarysouthpacific.org)/ rotarydistrict9920.org
RC Ellerslie Sunrise
New Zealand Clubs
CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE SHIELD
For the best attendance at Conference by the Clubs within New Zealand. This is on the same basis as the Colty Cup, excluding the Host Club. Donated by PDG Graham and Merle Bishop.
RC Papatoetoe Central
PROJECT EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Awarded for a District Club Project impact on non-rotarians, relative to the size and resources of the club.
RC Pagopago
PUBLICITY IN ACTION AWARD
Awarded for the best public relations initiative that a Rotary Club in the District undertakes within the Rotary Year.
Criteria has changed, refer to www.9920clubpublicity.rotarysouthpacific.org/ rotarydistrict9920.org
RC St John's
RANGITOTO TROPHY
Awarded to the Rotary Club in the District that is involved in the most significant Environmental Project undertaken within the Rotary Year.
RC Suva
THE DR CATHERINE HAMELIN AWARD
Presented to a Rotarian in District 9920 who has shown outstanding Rotary Service to the Community
John Boscawen
TWINNING TROPHY
Awarded to Rotary Clubs in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands to encourage them to work together for the greater good of their communities, with priority given to Sister Clubs Working together.
Naulette sits Onja’s exam which tests computer programming aptitude. A Rotary Global Grant Application, led by District 9920 and the Rotary Club of St Johns, with the support of five of six Rotary Districts in New Zealand was approved by Rotary International in mid-July, securing the first-year funding for the Onja project, which will “utilise Madagascar’s untapped human talent” for a unique computer programming venture.
On Wednesday 23rd May 2018, The Rotary Club of Franklin held a special screening of Agatha Christie’s ‘Crooked House’ at Pukekohe’s Cinema Three. This event raised $1000 to help Tuakau’s Puehunui Master Women’s Waka Ama team get to the World Championships in Tahiti departing 18 July 2018
Ellerslie Sunrise Rotary member David Broadhead continues to do wonderful work co-ordinating the club's participation in this programme of collecting tools, equipment and machinery that is no longer being used here, and donating them to the schools and institutions in Fiji and elsewhere to help them educate and train young people to have productive lives.
Brought to Auckland by the Rotary Club of Auckland, the World Press Photo Exhibition now on shows the good, the bad and the ugly sides of humanity. It is an exhibition that will invoke a range of emotions ... it is that good, it is worth visiting.
Pakuranga Tamaki River Rotary Auxiliary, the new Satellite club of Pakuranga Rotary, was formerly welcomed into the Rotary world this month. The formation and the future of this club is an example of new ways of designing the ideal Rotary club for the community it will serve and of the aspirations of its members for a vibrant club the will serve a segment of their community well. This is the start of their story and covers the journey from inception to the celebration of Monday 11 June 2018.
Pascal has become an inspiration to through his determination and courage in the face of adversity. It is because of this that all facing similar challenges will be helped in their recovery because of a significant project by Papeete-Tahiti Rotary.
Helping to put an everlasting smile on a truly deserving young girl who lives with incredibly challenging circumstances was the achievement of the Fundraising Quiz Night for India-Rose Clay organised by Highbrook Rotary.
Le Rotary E-Club 9920 Francophone recently completed a project to help a community of 30,000 people with a new reservoir that will provide a constant water supply for agriculture, and most importantly, clean drinking water for their own needs.
There was a huge turn out to an excellent Leaders Elect Training Seminar last Sunday. The presenters were fantastic and special thanks to those who travelled from Australia and the South Island to provide insights in best practice.
Craig Horrocks of RC Auckland has been confirmed as DG for 2020/2021. Members of nominating committee were present when the Chair PDG Willard Martin made this announcement to the members of the RC Auckland at the Clubs Monday meeting on 26 March 2018.
Imagine this: a huge room with hundreds of excited people dressed for a blacktie gala dinner to celebrate the Year of the Dog and confronted by lions and exotic dancers. Wow!
Rotary Club of Somerville hosted a 'Women in Rotary High Tea' on Saturday, with a Hats and Handbags theme. A glass of bubbles at the door set the tone (served by the only men at the event) as women arrived decked out in a huge variety of hats.
For the 5th consecutive year, the Waipuna Conference Suites Highbrook Fun Run Walk hosted by Rotary Club of Highbrook, put on a substantial community event that brought people together socially for a great sense of accomplishment while also raising funds to help several deserving causes.
The BYO (bring your own) concept is hardly new. How often do you go out for dinner and BYO! It makes you feel as though you are investing even if in a small way into the meal and evening beyond simply being there.
But here we are talking something considerably more rewarding. Projects! Bring Your Own Project (BYOP).
How often have we seen a need or opportunity in our community and said, “I wish someone would do something about that”. Now that you are a Rotarian you can say “I will do something about that”.
Cyclone Gita has caused extensive damage in the Pacific. The Rotary response is though Rotary New Zealand World Community Service - information on how to support the relief effort is here and below will be media releases detailsing the evolving circumstance by date.
The Rotaract Clubs of District 9920 (Auckland Region) are organizing a Rotary-Rotaract Networking Night on Tuesday the 6th of March 2018 and would love you to attend! This is being held at the Alex Bar and Eatery at Alexandra Park, close to the intersection between Greenlane East and Manukau Road and commences at 6.15pm for a 6.30pm start.
Rotary New Zealand World Community Service Registered Charity CC26860
SUPPORT needed URGENTLY. Join with us to Make a Difference
13 February 2018
Rotary New Zealand in collaboration with Rotary Tonga, and other trusted partners in the region has launched an appeal for cash donations to provide practical support for families affected by Cyclone Gita. Catastrophic damage from the cyclone and resulting flooding are of major concern throughout the impacted region, including schools, health and community centres. Many are providing emergency shelter to vulnerable people, whose homes have been severely damaged due to violent winds, falling trees and flooding.
Cyclone Gita is currently causing havoc in the Pacific and may indeed head down to New Zealand in the coming days. Rotary in New Zealand is in touch with Rotary in the Pacific: at present in communication with Rotary Clubs in Samoa and Tonga. UPDATE: You can help - for more information go to http://www.rotaryoceania.zone/Stories/cyclone-gita-devastates-tonga-how-you-can-help
Imagine being pregnant and having to ride with family in tow on a bus for miles if not hours to get to the only available hospital and then do the return journey again that night only to have to repeat this all the next day and possibly for many days all just to get the necessary treatment you need. Then imagine your joy at hearing that Rotarians from another country want to help by supporting the refurbishment of an available, but burnt out, building on hospital grounds so that there was a place you could stay in while you receive your medical care. YOU and clubs can easily help ...
Each year there is the ROTA Pacific programme over three weeks that combines both vocational and leadership training for young adults from the Pacific. Here the programme is being explained to Fiji Rotaractors.
Rotary is making a difference in Tonga … a big difference. When Rotary acts together with the community the difference is even bigger and the community love it especially when it is an event where the whole family can have such fun.
SavuaSavu Rotary have a long-term safe water project for the villages throughout this Fijian Island. As seen by the picture some determination is needed to deliver and install these!
Founded in 1946 to serve the villages of Tamusua and Nabukeru on the southern end of Yasawa Island in Fiji, the Shri Ram Govind Memorial School has some classrooms recently renovated thanks to a project of Lautoka Rotary club.
It is a primary school that caters for children of 2 villages namely Tamusua and Nabukeru. In front of the school is the beautiful Buasali Bay and directly opposite of the school is the famous island of Sawailau where the Sawilau caves are.
RC Otahuhu presented the first Rotakids Club in D9920 and also the NI with their certificates and pledge card (some could not make the presentation because of sports day). This is the third Rotakids in NZ with two in D9980. The school is Panama Road School which has numerous Rotary projects in the school
They are 8 –10 years old and have a pledge to make a difference in their school and the community and the world. On receiving their certificates they responded with a kapa haka presentation. The pictures shows some of them with them in their colourful T Shirts and with their mascot made by a Otahuhu Rotary member.
On Saturday 25th November, under the grand supervision of the ERK’s Production Manager Don Bendall from the Rotary Club of Auckland, 8 willing members of Ellerslie Sunrise packed Emergency Response Kit boxes into 2 containers at the old University Site in Glen Innes in 1.5 hours. A total weight of 13,708 kilograms
Full of energy and enthusiasm the team of Ian, David, Grant, Ross, Chris, Roger, Don & Gabrielle worked together to fill the containers with no space left to spare! Except for the small gap in Container #2 where we could have placed Jenners Freightways truck driver Kevin Bailey’s daughter into the tiny space and sent her away for a holiday to Fiji.
All those present had given up their Saturday for a load of fun and good fellowship knowing that we would be “Making a Difference” to someone, somewhere in the Pacific at a time of (future) dire need.
Ainie Kwok of St Johns Rotary was approached by Taupaki School Fundraising Committee to assist them with some branding for the apron and cookbook “GATHER” that the school has undertaken.
She encouraged Nicola Topping, the food stylist, photographer and coordinator of the project to approach their local Rotary Club, Waiuku, to see if the Club can assist in anyway with the project. Much to the delight of fundraising committee, Rotary Club of Waiuku, through member Craig Walker, gave them seed money to get the project underway.
The Rotary E-Club 9920 Francophone continues to be extremely active on a global basis and as a participant within the Rotary Foundation Global Grant structure.
Here Past President Dr. Jean-Louis Nguyen (on the right) attended the opening of a newly equipped laboratory for malarial research at the Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) in Lisbon. The Grant for the “Eradicate Malaria” project from The Rotary Foundation was for USD161,000 with the Host Club being the Rotary Club of Oeiras and the International Partner club being the Rotary E-Club 9920 Francophone.
Adopting an initiative that has proven highly successful in other New Zealand-based districts the following is an new opportunity for clubs in growing their member base so that we can all do more in our communities.
Family. We want our children to enjoy happy, productive lives. As parents and family members we want to be able to enjoy getting out with our children and family to play and learn, to take part in what our community has to offer and to be able to contribute back in some way. For some this is unfortunately a challenge.
Kidney failure is not just a personal tragedy, it affects everyone associated with the affected person and is a disease that can affect people of all ages, including children.
"Waiheke Island". The name conjures up so much that is great; Waiheke Island is a diverse community with so many cultures represented and is a destination for all of Auckland and beyond.
On Sunday evening 22 October, at The Batch Winery, the Waiheke Rotary club celebrated its 20th anniversary. With past and present members and guests attending, along with District Governor Malini Raghwan, a very enjoyable night of comparisons of eras was had to the jazz tunes by Paul TT.
Picture this…Thousands of rubber ducks racing through the rapids at Vector Wero Whitewater Park. Race divisions include: Schools, Businesses and General public. Get your duck (or ducks) now for this quacky and fun event!
Quack, quack - The Great Auckland Duck Race is Sunday November 12, 2017, 8am to 12pm; a family-friendly festival and fundraiser. Partnering with Rotary Club of Manurewa-Takinini, Rotary Remuera will raise money for the Life Education Trust and other great charities. This is a great opportunity to come together to support the important work of the Life Education Trust – educating and empowering children to make healthy choices for full and healthy lives.
There will be FOUR Races
1) Business Duck Race
2) School Race: local schools are offered free ducks to decorate and race
3) Ray White Race: 65 Ray White offices are competing each with their own decorated duck
4) Everybody Race: 5,000 little yellow numbered ducks will be released into the rapids at the same time.
Who knew that having a sumptuous lunch accompanied by matched wines could do so much good!
Otahuhu Rotary know the secret which is why for the last ten years their Winemakers Lunch has been an absolute must-attend in the calendar of some many … 230 guests this year. Held on Sunday 23 September they reached their 3,000th guest who have experienced the luxury of their Degustation menu.
Newmarket Rotary Kick-Start Winners Training Immigrants And Creating Jobs
Cottonseed, a New Zealand based clothing label that supports immigrant women to resettle and integrate into their new society, is the winner of this year’s Rotary Newmarket $10,000 Kick-Start Award, run in conjunction with the Ākina Foundation.
Early September we completed the 9th new teachers house since we started building mid 2016 after TC WINSTON in February and materials arrived. We build two types, a 4 bedroom for 4 single teachers and a 2 bedroom for married couples with children.
We have refined the design and the way to build. All the framing is cut, ass emblem,pre nailed off sight and then transported by truck to the school building sight where the concrete pad is ready, the hole for the Septic tank dug, the plywood for walls and ceilings pre under coated. All exterior walling is screwed to the frame , not nailed, the perlins and roofing iron all screwed. Trusses and porch ceiling all bolted.
In August 2017, Rotary International President Ian Riseley visited Fiji and was shown a number of Rotary projects by District Governor Mailini who was also accompanied by a number of others including Rotary Public Image Cooredinatorfor Zone 7b, Liz Courtney who wrote about the following visit.
The Squatters Camp Pre school was begun by Annelise, a Montessori teacher in Suva. She saw a huge need for the young children who were living in poverty having moved to Suva with their families from outer Island communities. These families are desperate and have come to live in the Suva in the hope of finding jobs and some education for their children.
Starting in 2012 and running through 2016 Rotary has been working with Taveuni community leaders in an apprenticeship training program on providing village clean water infrastructure.
This “learning by doing” program brought leaders together to build infrastructure in each other’s communities. Ninety projects were completed, over 100 leaders participated and clean water was made available to 7,000 Taveuni villagers. A wide variety of solutions were put in place including contained spring catchment systems, new water storage units, rain water catchment that cleaned the roof before putting water in storage, improved river catchment, toilet blocks / septic systems, grey water disposal, solar pump elevation of roof catchment and 40 Fiji sand based community water filters. This work was done in partnership with the Taveuni Rotary, under Rotary Matching Grant 79234 and Rotary Global Grant 1526390
Today there are Rotarians, their family and friends out in their communities taking part in projects that do transform the lives of others. They may be building a house so that teachers are able to stay in the area and teach the children. They may be selling sausages to raise funds so that students in low decile schools get their own dictionaries to support their education ... quite possibly the first book these children have ever personally owned. They may be helping to run a camp or course teaching leadership skills to the next generation of community leaders. Or they are out today planting hundreds of trees for a better environments, quite possibly alongside that cycle/pathway they build a little earlier. Rotarians really are people of action ... join us.
Rotary Newmarket and Akina $10,000 Social Enterprise Kickstarter Challenge Judging Evening
When: Tuesday 5th September 6-30pm
Where: Remuera Golf Club, 120 Abbots Way, Remuera
Cost : $25/head incl Dinner (Cash Bar in Operation)
You have the opportunity to decide who wins the $10,000 Social Enterprise Challenge that Newmarket Rotary will award in partnership with Akina who have led the rapidly growing social enterprise sector in NZ.
Saturday 29th July was a beautiful calm sunny day in the middle of our winter when the Rotary Clubs of Ellerslie Sunrise supported by Highbrook and Auckland South Rotary clubs worked together to plant 1,100 trees for the environment.
Fiji with its forests, mountains and coral reefs, spread across 300 islands, contain a wealth of biodiversity. It is also on the front line of climate change that brings increasingly unpredictable weather and over time slowly rising sea levels, both of which will degrade coast lines, place natural resources and threaten communities.
Mangrove forests stabilize the coastline, reducing erosion from storm surges, currents, waves, and tides. They also improve the health of inshore fisheries through providing a safe environment for fish and other organisms to thrive. Unfortunately, mangrove forests and also shoreline vegetation have suffered over decades through removal and pollution.
On Saturday 29 July 2017 Suva Rotarians, including District Governor Malini and Assistant Governor Griffon, Rotaractors, Year 12 students from the Yat Sen school and corporate and conservation staffs joined together to plant over 340 trees and to clear away rubbish along the shore of Suva Park which is part of the Fiji National Park network.
“This is nuts but I am going to do it anyway!” said one swimmer … shivering in the cold winter air. “This is a chance to brave the elements and celebrate the season” said another.
For the 11th year, the Rotary Mid-Winter Plunge event was organised for this seaside community by the Rotary Club of Pohutukawa Coast, this year in aid of the Maraetai Coastguard which is there year round to help make boating and other water activities safer.
Started by Rotary, Road Safety Education (or Rotary Youth Driver Awareness) is a education programme wide-spread in secondary schools throughout New Zealand and Australia. The programme in many schools are sponsored by the local Rotary club, but not exclusively as many businesses also see the value in supporting the education of our youth so they are safe on the roads whether as passengers or drivers.
For more information, and maybe to even sponsor a school's participation, visit: http://www.rse.org.nz/
A group of 7 Rotary Youth Exchange students from Argentina, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France and Germany and the local ROTEX (Returned exchange students) group have combined to raise more than $8,500 for Emergency Response Kits.
Rotary in our district is one of diversity, something that we are proud of. In an evening of fellowship and dance, Papatoetoe Central Rotary recently raised about $15,000 for Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation (NZ surgeons volunteer to do heart surgery in Fiji), Ronald McDonald House and St John Ambulance.
They did this by way of a successful dinner commemorating Girmit, an important day in the Fiji Indian calendar recognising the history of indentured Indians from 1879.
At the Rotary Convention in Atlanta we were advised that it would cost $1.2 billion to continue giving polio vaccines for the 3 years after the last case -which is required to be able to declare Polio Eradicated.
At Convention is was announced that Rotary would contribute $50 million a year for 3 years. Then Bill Gates committed $300 million in matching Rotary. Canada pledged $100 million, Pakistan $70 million, then Country by Country additional pledges were made - to bring a total of $1.2 million - to see the end of Polio.
It was very impressive to have Rotary organise such a huge commitment from so many.
In what seems a testing time in global history, MUNA (Model United Nations Assembly) once again welcomed vigorous debate focused on the most pressing issues of our day. Organised by Rotary Auckland East with Auckland Girls Gramar School, this event saw high school students sacrificing personal viewpoints and instead adopting those of their delegated country, with alliances comprised and looks exchanged in only minutes of an early start on Friday. Delegates represented their countries not only through speech but through costume; in a crowd of abundant colour, one could spot an Abba inspired Sweden, latex and all, and even a human size Kiwi amongst his Lord of the Rings companions.
The Facebook Campaign to grow public curiosity and awareness in Rotary and from that hopefully some new member’s inquiries continues to be fantastic. What is lacking is participation from enough clubs. Those clubs who are sharing the posts from the Rotary New Zealand Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rotarynewzealand are reporting massive increases in interest.
Our District 9920 Training and Development team includes: The District Governor Elect; District Trainer & Rotary Leadership Institute Chair DGN Ingrid Waugh; plus District Training & Development Chair PDG Beryl Robinson. Each comprehensive annual Rotary training cycle includes:
While for most of us woodworking is a relaxing hobbie, in the Pacific it has a serious purpose in repairing homes, schools, community buildings and other structures. However, little construction is possible without suitable tools for the job.
Tools for Schools repurposes second-hand tools from NZ for use in secondary schools in Fiji so that students can acquire the necessary skills and experiences to construct cyclone proof buildings and maintain simple engines etc. Naturally these skills will then stay with the students for life. This is a joint project between Ellerslie Sunrise and Taveuni Island Rotary clubs and Mens Sheds.
This is a chance for anyone with tools they no longer use to donate them to a fantastic cause as a much more practical option compared to them continuing to gather dust or even get thrown out. Keep reading … or call David Broadhead dbroadheadhe@xtra.co.nz or 021 324 762 for questions, queries or suggestions.
“The message is simple: show the world what your club is achieving, and how much fun you have … because then you won’t have to ask people to join your club – you’ll be asking them to form an orderly queue while they sign the membership form” – Andrew Best (Club & District Support RISPPO).
This booklet outlines a wide range of highly beneficial and hugely successful programmes Rotary runs for school students and young adults: click here
In 2017-2018 there are: Rotary Youth Programme of Enrichment, Australia and New Zealand Student Exchange, Rotary Youth Driver Awareness, Rotary International Youth Exchange, Challenge Camp, Rotary National Science and Technology Forum, Rotary Eureka Science Competition, Model United National Assembly, Interact, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, ROTAPacific, Rotaract.
Note that the requirements for each are well defined, including who to approach - sometime it is the school and sometimes it is your local Rotary club. There is a separate information booklet for Rotary clubs (requires login) - go to Documents.
Just amazing the extent of Rotary programmes in schools!
Kate Kelly is our Ambassadorial Scholar in Oxford sponsored by Ellerslie Sunrise Rotary (Auckland) and hosted by Bicester Rotary (Oxford). After a very active and highly interesting term of academic, Rotary, sporting and extracurricular activity she will in her final term be conducting research into the genes involved in endometriosis working with world leaders in this area; this is a debilitating disease affecting 12% of women of reproductive age. Exciting stuff so her full report for you to read: click here
Our Ambassadorial Scholar in Oxford excels - read her story
PAYAL Kumar was lost for words yesterday when she received her first wheelchair.
The Rotary Club of Labasa and the Wheelchairs Fiji Association presented her with the wheelchair after the 19-year old's plight was highlighted by this newspaper earlier this week.
She has suffered from juvenile rheumatoid since the age of five and she cannot walk. But she is now looking forward to going back to school. "I can't wait to go to school now as I have waited for this moment for a very long time," she said. Payal said her prayers had finally been answered.
Students from Rutherford College hosted a short ceremony to recognise National Road Safety Week earlier in May to celebrate the half a million young people across Australia and New Zealand who have gone onto our roads as safer young drivers and passengers after participating in the RYDA Programme. The programme is supported by many Rotary clubs in District 9920 involving their local schools. More clubs can become involved! Contact John Overall.
Each year Rotary Club of Remuera brings together visually impaired youngsters (9-16 year olds) supported by the Blind Foundation with a group of senior student buddies from Diocesan, Kings and Dilworth Schools, for a mutually beneficial & stimulating weekend of outdoor activity.
A professionally developed, edgy and exciting publicity campaign started 1 May for three months that is designed to attract the interest of the public to inquire to clubs about Rotary involvement. Now two weeks in it is attracting thousands of views and quite a few direct membership enquiries that have been sent to the most appropriate clubs. Your club can participate very easily and if Facebook is not yet a strong pint for your club ... now is the time! All is revealed at http://www.rotaryoceania.zone/Page/2017-facebook-publicity-campaign-for-all-clubs
Join the Publicity revolution that started 1 May 2017
Papatoetoe Central Rotary extends a very special invitation to all Rotarians and their partners to their first annual charity dinner event honouring Girmit.
Indo-Fijians are Fiji citizens who are fully or partially of Indian descent, which includes descendants who trace their heritage from various parts of the Indian subcontinent. They are mostly descended from indentured labourers, girmitiyas or girmit, from northern part of India brought to the islands by Fiji's British colonial rulers between 1879 and 1916 to work on Fiji's sugar cane plantations. The first indentured labour ship that brought Indians to Fiji was the Leonidas in 1879. The importance of Girmit Day is to celebrate the heritage and provide an idea of the difficulties their ancestors went through.
Proceeds from the event are going to Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation, Ronald Macdonald House Charity and St John Ambulance.
Girmit Day is an interesting cultural experience you can join in with - great fun!
Year/Class 5 Teacher is thanking Auckland Harbourside Rotary for the dictionaries distributed to his class students by Joyti and Sursen Singh on Wednesday 5th April 2017 and how it much it meant to them. The students were gathered in the School Library. Ratu Sauvoli Memorial School is a public school in Nabudrau, Noco, Rewa, Fiji. With nine teachers and over 250 children attending from 13 local villages, the school is desperately in need of extra funding and supplies such as books, desks, and chairs etc.
A great fun event organised last Sunday by Rotary Auckland East with several local schools (including St Kentigerns, Orakei, and Meadowbank) participating in the Soap Box Derby. All the young 'Lewis Hamilton's' enjoyed racing down Stonefields Avenue...saving their braking to the last minute! Good to see District Governor-9920 Roger Harvey acting as the Formula 1 marshal.
The Otahuhu Health Expo was a free family event put on by Otahuhu Rotary for all in the local community. Regular health checks are important in finding problems before they start or for the patient to become aware of the actual status of any health issues they face and their options for managing these. In a community where many find access to health practitioners difficult, often due to cost, this annual Expo holds a special significance for the Otahuhu community. With 50 health providers present it is hoped that those attending have either the knowledge they need to guide them to better health or / or the assurance they are already managing their health well.
There are so many people out there who can help and support your club or even join you!
So it is great there is now an excellent structure you can simply tap into to reach these people with your exciting messages and stories of achievement.
For the first time ever we have a professionally created Facebook campaign available for you to use … this is soon to start and all clubs will receive all the resource including guides and access to help.
There is also a central place you can send your club stories – even a picture and some simple bullet points will give you access to a vast audience. Send to stories2inspire@rotaryoceania.zone in addition to using your own club media
Reaching all those people ‘out there’ has never been easier !
Starting mid-March, immediately after the national membership seminar, there is a national Facebook membership campaign that will run for three months and more via the national Facebook site at www.facebook.com/rotarynz . The campaign themes are: young professionals, business leaders, recently retired, alumni, current Rotarians (general) with specific messages and resources aligned to each group.
It is all designed to be transferable to club level where the basic content can easily be edited to be specifically relevant for the club and its target market using text and pictures that reflect what the club actually does and is proud of.
For Jazz and easy listening music lovers, as well as those of you who’d like to see more automated external defibrillators (AEDs) out in the community, Rotary Mt Eden invites you to enjoy LIVE JAZZ With Award-Winning Jazz Pianist LEON HATTORI. Tickets $20pp. Nett proceeds to Rotary’s HEART SAVER project & other Rotary community causes. Bring your family and friends and colleagues along to enjoy Leon's music and please SHARE this invitation with anyone who you think may find it of interest.
Knowing what Rotary has to offer you is incredibly liberating. Rotary has a tremendous amount to offer you as an individual Rotarian and you have a lot to offer Rotary and the community through your club if you know what is available. As said, knowledge is power ... the power to choose how you will be involved, the power to achieve amazing outcomes.
"Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun."
The year of the Rooster is upon us, 2017 is about embracing opportunities and navigating challenges that steer on our direction.
Which brings us to ... our new membership campaign that is looming. With a team of people creating and executing a strategy for Districts and clubs to implement in the coming months, we want YOU to start thinking about how you and your club/district can begin appealing to the wider community to get new members to join Rotary. There are many types of people who know would love Rotary as much as it’s current members. So let’s start getting creative with our thinking!
We are starting a new Rotary club in the Auckland Airport area to serve the Auckland Airport environs and its community, and hope that if you know someone who might be interested in this new club you will encourage them to RSVP to this talk. If it helps accompany them to their first Rotary experience.
When: Wednesday 15th February 2017, 7:15am for 7:30am
Where: Butterfly Creek, 10 Tom Pearce Drive, Auckland Airport
Guest Speaker: Rotary International Past President Bill Boyd (a member of Pakuranga Rotary)
In these very uncertain times, within Rotary we have a set of Guiding Principles that provide certainty and ensure stability:
Object of Rotary
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
The Four-Way Test
The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships: Of the things we think, say or do
The theme for the 2017-2018 Rotary year, Rotary Making a Difference, was recently announced by RI President Elect Ian Riseley. Ian is a member of the Rotary Club of Sandringham, Victoria, Australia.
Rotary.org, our public-facing website, has a fresh, contemporary look that clearly answers the often-asked question: “What is Rotary?” It’s the first step in a two-part update to our entire website: first Rotary.org, and then My Rotary. See what's changed.
Rotary Auckland Airport will be the newest Rotary Club to land in the Auckland region and the exciting part is that YOU could be a part of this!
It is going to be exciting we can guarantee you that!
We will be taking off with the first interest meeting of 2017 on Wednesday 18 January 2017 at Butterfly Creek, 10 Tom Pearce Drive. To find out more and RSVP your attendance please email Jennie at jennie.herring@clear.net.nz or phone her on o27 293 2095 today. Note that asking for more information or coming to the interest meeting is at no obligation to become further involved so why not explore if this is for you.
The Club will have a strong aviation theme serving the airport and wider community. The opportunities available to the club will be as varied and far reaching as the destinations connected to through the airport.
Members of the Rotary clubs of St Johns, Franklin and Manukau City Sunrise (some pictured here) have recently participated in ‘Walking Stars’ for cancer research. As Alex McKenzie said, "Just over 4 hours half marathon walk thru inner city Auckland - night life we don't normally see!!!"
In weekly walks preparing for the event, not only have the participants improved their own health and fitness, but they have welcomed any others including family and friends to join in even if not actually taking part in the event itself. This is yet another illustration of the camaraderie that Rotarians build together that motivates them to become involved in a wide range of activity that benefits those in need. The fellowship that resulted was amazing and the publicity for the clubs and for Rotary was huge ... getting the Rotary brand out into as many events as possible does us all good.
Rarely has there been a story as unique and moving as this. It is 'still being written' and Rotary is a core contributor.
In 2002 Gemma Sisia started the School of St Jude in Arusha, Tanzania with 3 pupils and staffed by volunteers. 14 years later the school has a primary and a secondary campus, two boarding establishments, educates around 1,800 students and employs more than 250 full-time local staff including teachers, cleaners, cooks, security guards, bus drivers and maintenance personnel. This is a truly inspirational story and one that would not have happened with the support of many Rotarians and Rotary clubs.
Picture shows presentation of certificates at weekly primary assembly
‘"NOEL POUR TOUS" (CHRISTMAS FOR ALL) is a project carried out by the Rotary Club of PAPEETE - TAHITI, with support from Rotary Moorea, Taravao and Rotaract.
This year it was held on 19 November. Their 40th year! The aim of the event is to provide seasonal joy for the children of disadvantaged families in need. Over 5000 attended. New bikes were given to winners of the singing competition. Thousands of Baguettes were given freely ( a hundred prepared by DG Roger).
All rides were free. The Army ran a popular mini Outdoor Challenge, then there was a Car Braking Simulator, Diabetes Test unit, Many Rides, Face Painting, Drawing competition, . Container loads of gifts were distributed to nearby villages.Rotary had prominent TV and Newspaper Coverage. Major Patron Rene Malmezak was awarded a PHF (+1). Well Done Rotary Papeete
Summer is here! The outdoors and many great things to do with the family. Time to relax and catch up on your reading ... so the December-January issue of the Rotary Down Under magazine will be there for you. The Cover story this issue is from District 9920 and is one in inspiration and achievement.
Rotary Down Under wishes you and your family the very best wishes of the season. Thank you for your support in 2016 and together 2017 is going to be another amazing year.
Christmas ... holidays ..these have a special and unique meaning to each person but underlying it all is a deep feeling of goodwill to all.
Throughout the land Rotary clubs and Rotarians are gearing up for Christmas and Family projects in the community whether a Christmas Parade or a collection of goods or money to help those needing some cheer at this time of year.
If you were to send cs.bg.robinson@xtra.co.nz as soon as possible a picture or graphic relating to a Christmas period oriented Rotary / Rotary supported event or project and a brief description Colin will place this on the District Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/rotarydistrict9920 ) as a mini campaign over the next few weeks. The picture could be representative or from the last time you did this. The more the merrier as this gives Rotary deserved publicity and Rotary traction in the community!
At the Friday 18 November dinner for Cure Kids ‘Celebrating 45 years of breakthroughs in child health research’, Cure Kids member representing Rotary, Past District Governor Beryl Robinson accepted on behalf of Rotary in New Zealand and the Pacific a Cure Kids Founder Award as recognition by Cure Kids for Rotary’s role as founder in 1971 (to celebrate 50 years of Rotary in NZ) and as an on-going partner of Cure Kids.
Beryl received this special plaque for Rotary, and replied that Rotary continues to have a close relationship with Cure Kids, as Rotarians are on the board, researchers and staff, plus of course all of the fundraising and event participation support that comes year after year from Rotary clubs and individual Rotarians. Rotary is extremely proud ofCure Kids’ achievements, so we will continue supporting Cure Kids.
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's most prestigious annual Thoroughbred horse race and the annual Melbourne Cup Fundraiser is the same for the Samoan community. A real Extravaganza, now in its 26th year.
When we hear of a fundraiser some just think ... 'ho hum'. Not so Howick Rotary who really know how to put on an event but also the true value of fundraisers. Here is their 'Twelve Winners" description of why their book fair was invaluable for the community and the club. You will rethink after reading this.
The Rotary Club Papeete-Tahiti was one of the privileged partners for the 80 year anniversary celebrations of the Papeete Navy base. On 1 October it was possible for the public to visit the naval workshops, military vessels and helicopters, activities, shows, exhibitions and more.
3,500 visitors attended this day dedicated to the maritime jobs and to the sea lovers. This project was implemented by CDR Joffrey Guerry a new Rotarian who is the commanding officer of the Papeete navy base.
The Papeete Tahiti Rotary club was strongly involved at different levels in this project including holding a stall in order to promote Rotary and the club activities, organizing and selling raffle tickets (that raised close to NZ$ 8,000 net profit for the club).
Most importantly, the Rotary club took part in the project “Choose Your Cape” working with education minister, private companies, French navy, with the support of maritime industry in Papeete. The goal of this project is to support young students (years 10-12) of the technical high school through to their first professional experience.
The Papeete-Tahiti Rotary club will financially support a deserving student from lower social class who is part of the project through their schooling and to help him/her get a first position. This support by the club of our Polynesian youth was widely covered by the media (TV, radio newspaper, websites, Facebook and more).
The twenty three who completed Rotary Leadership Institute last weekend commented that the two days have set them up for making the most of their future in Rotary. "I had no idea at all that Rotary offered so much and was so big" said one. Another said 'I've never attended anything like it in my life. It is really different".
The two-day complete RLI has been a huge hit. If needed participants can come one day at a time but most do both days together. RLI's are twice a year open to all Rotarians with the next on 8 & 9 April (+ Graduate programme on 9 April) and 30 September &1 October 2017. Contact Ingrid Waugh for more details.
This seminar on Sat 18 March 2017 is intended to bring together in one place the best proven membership practices and resources that Rotarians from clubs across all six New Zealand-based districts can take away back to their clubs to put into actual practice. The day is a mix of presentations, discussion and workshops.
Last winter (southern hemisphere season)The Rotary Club of Raiatea-Tahaa sponsored an international event : The Tahiti Free Ride Cup.
It was a windsurf competition with very high standards. We received world champions who were amazed with the quality of our waters and surroundings. Needless to say that when someone discovers the beauty of our lagoon they just dream to come back the soonest possible. We were very honoured to welcome champions from New Zealand, Turkey, Japan, Spain and of course Polynesian ones. The competition lasted a whole week and gave us the chance to be known abroad. Supporting sports is one of our aims towards the young generation.
On the picture we have from left to right : LC Carey (NZ), Aylin Erdil ( Turk), Ayako Suzuki ( Jap), Mio Anayama (Jap), Moeata Boosie ( FP), Maria Andres (SP)
At Cure Kids, the vision is a healthy childhood for everyone. Every single day, they’re driven to find cures and better treatments for serious illnesses and diseases that affect thousands of children in New Zealand.
Rotary created Cure Kids and continues to support them.
This 'Red Nose Day' - the campaign spans all of November, the aim is to raise more than $1 million for high-impact medical research to find the cures our kids need. All clubs can help for Red Nose Day on 18 November (or close to) which helps Cure Kids but is also an incredible opportunity for publicity by your club … not to be missed. This campaign is nationwide with many Rotary clubs already signed up for a fun day. … don the red wigs, dye your hair and beards red, put on the red nose and get selling and promoting. There will be a national social media campaign just before RND promoting the Rotary connection. Leanne Jaggs is the primary Rotary-Cure Kids contact for the Red Nose campaign.
Oh YES! I am so looking forward to the Rotary training the district is providing for me as an incoming club officer. Great for the club, fantastic for me.
The dynamic framework that has evolved over recent times means that I will not be bored by simple repeats of what I have heard in the past. Don’t get me wrong, I do need reminding of what is routine and essential as these are easily overlooked yet so necessary for Rotary as a whole to work effectively but learning the new and better ways of doing things excites me. And I like the fact that I will learn things I can use outside of Rotary as well.
Those scary words ... ‘social media” are not really that scary, just a better way of doing things and getting better results. Take Facebook for instance … many say “I don’t have Facebook! I don’t want a Facebook account”. No problem as did you know you can view a Facebook page just like any other web page without needing a Facebook account?
Now that we have cleared that up your club can and should start using Facebook to inform and communicate with the public and its members .
Rotary is a global organisation held in very high regard on the ‘international stage’. One example is Rotary Day at UN headquarters where the theme this year is “Responsible Business, Resilient Societies”, recognizing Rotary’s role at the intersection of commerce and cause. As leaders in their professions and communities, Rotary members often use their professional skills and networks to advance social causes, particularly economic development.
There will be six Rotary Responsible Business honourees and two business partners recognised including Stephanie Woollard, Rotary Club of Melbourne: After meeting seven illiterate craftspeople during a visit to Nepal, Woollard founded Seven Women to help Nepalese women make products to sell abroad. The program, which has trained and employed more than 1,000 women in the last decade, also teaches basic bookkeeping and computer skills.
Read more in the November Rotary Down Under magazine.
Rotary members in New Zealand will be among thousands worldwide reaching out during the week commencing on World Polio Day, 24th October 2016, to raise awareness, funds and support to end polio – a vaccine preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today.
Since Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) nearly 30 years ago, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent, from about 350,000 cases a year to 26 confirmed as of 19th September 2016.
We have two major events planned for our Rotary Centennial – celebrating 100 years of Rotary.
The first is our Family Fun Day, Sunday 19 February 2017 at Ellerslie Racecourse from 1pm-5.30pm, open to the public and an opportunity for Clubs to have a stall to “sell” themselves and show their local community what they are actually doing, as many really “out there” don’t know that it is Rotary doing these wonderful projects.
The car fair will be there in the morning, but will give everyone the chance to set up before the fun begins. To get families coming along to this event, we will have bouncy castles, face painting, Koffee Karts, hot food vendors etc. Then some fun activities like an Army Confidence Course, plus the kiwi family favourite games like Egg & Spoon races, 3-Legged race, and the Sack Race to name a few.
Start thinking of what your Club or neighbouring Clubs could do to promote your Club in its specific area, in one of the Rotary stalls that we will have available. These will be in an area of the racecourse where people can wonder around and have a chat. This is a HUGE membership opportunity, so start thinking about how to maximise this for your Club.
This is a huge membership opportunity so maximise it for your Club.
Probus is Rotary's only programme for active retirees. Probus provides those over 55yo with the opportunity to join together in clubs and to progress healthy minds and active bodies through social interaction and activities with retirees in their community opening the door to new experiences and friendships and enabling people to stay active by participating in a wide range of activities and explore their community,
Here the Half Moon Bay Ladies Probus club have an annual stand at Pakuranga Plaza in support of the Breast Cancer Pink Ribbon Appeal. The other service project they do is an annual Hospice 'Christmas Tree' fundraiser also at Pakuranga Plaza. Well done ladies.
This is a story of sheer tragedy in an instant followed by long perseverance and ultimately success, all in the name of helping those who had suffered tragedy in different circumstances. This will make you sit up and wonder at the generosity of some and the vagaries of life.
This is just one of the stories told in the October Rotary Down Under magazine you can read here . Contributions accepted from your projects via berylrobinson@rotarydownunder.co.nz
Ellerslie Sunrise Rotary Club members attended the Bailey Road Schools Cultural Festival in Mt Wellington where all the pupils participated in an outstanding presentation of cultural dances from all around the world. Brilliant costumes, well organized staging and four wonderful senior students who introduced each act with skill and humour.
Rotary does well with providing training for its members. This enables those starting a new role to get a head start in learning the ‘mechanics’ of their new role and to draw on the experience of those who have been in the role a while and everyone gets the latest and greatest in news, techniques and resources to do their job well. And so it was with the recent Rotary Foundation information evening entitled “What does The Rotary Foundation Do?”
We thought you’d like to know about six girls from Auckland Girls Grammar School who are successfully selling a coffee body scrub – with NO MICROBEADS!!
Called ‘No Scrub’, the sustainable product is made from used coffee beans and coconut oil, and flavoured with vanilla essence. Developed through trial and error in a home kitchen, we now make it in batches our school teaching kitchen.
What a stunning start! There is nothing timid about the new Otahuhu Rotaract Club of Ota-Ract 276. In their first major project they have teamed up with Otahuhu Main Street, the local business association, to hold a hugely successful careers day for local youth and the wider community, schools and education and employment services.
For the 19 members (many pictured) this was an incredibly inspirational experience where they learned a wide range of new organisational and networking skills as they planned the whole day.
One of the difficulties clubs face every year is the weekly Club Bulletin. Firstly, someone needs to gather all the information each week and then have the skills to enter the reports, speakers, duties and upcoming events into the Bulletin itself. The more creative the Bulletin the greater the need for technical knowledge … and once done it needs to be sent out meaning another skill set to manage the email system. THERE IS AN EASIER WAY.
Choo, Choo...How many Rotary clubs meet in a railway station?
Rotary Manukau City Sunrise does, in the magnificent Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) building at Manukau which doubles as the train station for the newest Auckland rail link from Britomart out to Manukau.
You could also connect via the Britomart to Pukekohe line.
The Club meets in the MIT building, Tuesdays 7am for 7:15am, MIT room 432, Manukau Station Road and Davies Avenue, Manukau City.
There will be a great many Rotarians who have never experienced the Auckland rail network. So why not get a group together in place of a meeting one week and go to MIT Manukau instead?
If, for example, you parked in the plentiful spaces for the Panmure Station you could catch the 6.27am and arrive at 6.49am, Manukau City Sunrise. Be sure to let the Club know ahead of time for breakfasts. Secretary, Neil Green, nrgreen2015@gmail.com.
You could be back at Panmure by 8.59am having enjoyed a great breakfast, great company and seen how a dynamic small club works.
80 excited Interactors from seven Auckland secondary schools competed for the “Serious Fun” trophy at the hotly contested Trivia Night competition held annually among clubs in District 9920. Topics change from year to year but are centred around young people being encouraged to know something of their past and what is going on around them outside of their cell-phone centred social media worlds! There was a strong turn-out from the District’s newest club – Otahuhu – the first to be based, not in a secondary school, but in a Community Centre.
Important UPDATE from Rotary International President Mark Maloney (please read in its entirety)
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A NEW version of Rotary's Voice and Visual Identity Guidelines is now available for Download from the Brand Center (under Guidelines) - login needed. This condenses into one document the important branding information every Rotarian needs. It is recommended you Download to your computer for easy access.
Imagine sharing a pit toilet with eight of your neighbours like this one never having seen a flush toilet in your life! And, it is 100 metres away day or night, fine or stormy. This was the situation faced by nine families in Fiji until Suva North Rotary stepped in. .jpg)
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that there are EIGHT different club models?
DISTRICT CONFERENCE 2020 - SPECIAL OFFER FROM ONE OF OUR CONFERENCE SUPPORTERS – ‘DRIVE AN ELECTRIC CAR FOR FREE, FOR 4 DAYS!’
2020 marks the beginning of a new Decade. A fresh start. A time for Revival.
On 13 November DG Gary Langford had the privilege to attend a presentation of 280 Usborne illustrated English dictionaries to students at Finlayson Park Primary School in Manurewa, the largest decile 1 school in the country. He witnessed joy and smiles all around and was made aware again of the great effort the Bill and Lorna Boyd Charitable Trust, the Pakuranga Rotary Club and its auxiliary, are making to improve literacy standards. Also assisting the purchase in this instance was the June Gray Charitable Trust, administered by the Newmarket Rotary Club.
Young Totara awardees over the years have gone on to become successful in their endeavours, with recent awardees being involved in Rotary projects. In August 2019, Ben Keimpe Hofmans is the receipient of the “Young Totara Award” for the District 9970. Ben was nominated by the Rotary Club of Christchurch Sunrise and the Rotary Club of St Johns through Ainie Kwok for his dedication, perseverance in helping with the setup of 3D printers at Aidanfield Christian School in Chrischurch. The 3D printers funding have also been kindly donated by the Chenery Memorial Trust..jpg)
Following the DOWNTON ABBEY Movie Night Fundraiser held at the Capitol Cinema on 12 September and with the support of a $1,500 matching grant from the Rotary Foundation (District 9920), Mt Eden Rotary and Epsom Rotary were able to jointly donate $3,250 to the team from Hearts4Kids for their surgical trip for children in Fiji in mid-November. Pictured are Ana Kennedy (L), leader of the Hearts4Kids ward nursing team and Ainslie Campbell (R), President Mt Eden Rotary. Unfortunately Craig Jones, President Epsom Rotary, broke a tooth and was unable to be present for the photo.
Mt Eden Rotary was delighted to donate 100 copies of the Usborne Illustrated English Dictionary to the Mt Eden Corrections Facility. The dictionaries will be used by the librarian Zoe Cornelius (R) (pictured with Mt Eden President Ainslie Campbell) and Regional Volunteer Coordinator Ghissy Lee to assist their literacy programmes. This donation was made possible by the OCEAN LIGHT book launch event held last year and thanks to Nalini Singh, her fans who attended the event, Hachette NZ, Epsom Community Library, Chapter Book & Tea Shop and the June Gray Charitable Trust for their support.
Mt Eden Rotary and Epsom Rotary invite you to this private screening. Please SHARE this invitation with anyone who you think may find it of interest. Thank you!.jpg)
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The Interact club of Ormiston College has concluded another very active year with Operation Christmas Child Fund. This is the ongoing collection of toys, books, stationery, etc during Term 3 to create shoe boxes for children around the world who are less fortunate to have a happy Christmas. 
The next couple of weeks will be a busy time for the Rotary Club of Apia as it gears up for its Melbourne Cup Charity Fundraiser. The annual gala event which promises a day of racing fun, is the club’s major money earner and supports many of its community projects.
From small beginnings in 2000, the annual Howick Rotary Bookarama is now a widely recognised community event of note with funds being used to support many local activities (listed below).
On the Rotary Oceania Facebook page www.facebook.com/rotaryoceania there are a series of posts during each month that clubs and Rotarians are encouraged to Share across to their own Facebook pages as a way of increasing awareness of Rotary. These structured posts have an explanation with them and are based around the theme for the RI Calendar Month. As you share, add your own comments to your post. This month it is Rotary Foundation. If at anytime a club needs help with improving their Facebook use please contact the District PR Committee (or Colin Robinson)..jpg)
The family of Past District Governor Rob Crabtree has advised that that Rob passed away peacefully Wednesday afternoon, surrounded by family. Funeral arrangements to come. In lieu of flowers, Rob asked for donations to go to 'Big Brothers Big Sisters Taranaki' of which he was a trustee. Correspondence to calpr@xtra.co.nz. [dated 31 October 2019]
Hi. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Karim Rostami. I’m from Afghanistan but I am now a proud citizen of New Zealand. I love this amazing country that I now call home.
The Auckland South Rotary Club would like to invite you to our Las Vegas Night charity event to be held on Sunday, 10 November from 4 to 7 pm at Epsom Girls Grammar School Marjory Adams Hall. Tickets are $30 in exchange for $1 million of gaming chips. It will be a fun night for all ages with five games to try your luck. Food and refreshments can be purchased at the venue.
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First a little bit about the Breakfast Club. While the name would suggest it just provides cereal and toast for hungry kids, Breakfast Club has become so much more than that..jpg)
Our speakers were Hailley Smith and Jasmine Worthington, the two youth ambassadors for the Key to Life Charitable Trust. This trust was established by Mike King to bring attention to and support for dealing with mental health issues. Hailley is from Tauranga and Jasmine is from Reporoa (near Rotorua). They work in their local areas giving peer support to students. Both youth ambassadors are financially supported by the IDEAL Foundation and we also hosted Errejon Gonzalo (IDEAL Foundation chair) and Shane Roger. Also among our visitor group were Mike Dawes, interim chair of the Key for Life Trust and Hailley’s sister Sophie, who at 15 years old is also having some mental health issues as a result of a difficult family environment.
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September is Basic Education and Literacy month. This is a cause that is absolutely vital in bridging the gaping divide for those less privileged, especially the children. Education is fundamental to their ability to surmount challenges in the future.
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This will be one of the most inspiring and convenient of recent times so ensure the dates are in your (and your club) diary and to help your planning go to the Conference website for full information including the Top Ten reasons for going:
Earlier this year we were the major sponsors in sending a team of students from Tereora College, the National College of the Cook Islands, to Palmerston North to participate in a brave new programme where ideas have no limit and business is exciting. Their challenge was to identify a social, environmental or individual problem and solve it with a brave business idea. Members from the team will be in attendance at our meeting on the 4 September as guest speakers and report back on their experiences.
In September, the worldwide phenomenon DOWNTON ABBEY becomes a grand motion picture event as the beloved Crawleys and their intrepid staff prepare for the most important moment of their lives. A royal visit from the King and Queen of England will unleash scandal, romance and intrigue that will leave the future of Downton Abbey hanging in the balance. Set in 1927–1929.
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The Rotary Club of Franklin have sponsored Patumahoe School - the third in District 9920 (fifth school in the country) to have a RotaKids club. RotaKids is designed to engage children to come up with projects they want to facilitate that will can benefit individuals, their school and the local community. In doing so it teaches them leadership skills, selflessness and gives them confidence as young people. Patumahoe School picked 11 students they felt would do the programme justice. 
How many Rotary club members know where the club has come from, or the journey it has taken to get where they are? This is important but why? Now is the best time to write your club's history with all the tools and help you need to achieve this.
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From 5 to 19 December 2019, twenty Rotarians from Australia, New Zealand (including District 9920) and the UK will travel to Cambodia and Northern Thailand to raise funds for NGOs working in the anti-trafficking and slavery movement. The volunteers will also participate in hands-on volunteering at the Rescue Mission for Children in Mae Suai..jpg)
District Changeover signifies the first ‘meeting’ of the new Rotary year. It is a celebratory event that performs a number of important functions as mentioned below..png)
Special thanks to the class of 2018/19
DG Gary (R) presented Dr Robbie Francis (L) with a Paul Harris Fellow award at the 2019 Rotary Youth Leadership Award dinner on 5 July 2019. Robbie is a truly outstanding individual who has spoken at NZ district events and spoke at this year’s D9920 RYLA.
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The Rotary Club of Christchurch Sunrise has been instrumental, with help from St John, in arranging a much needed ambulance for Tonga. It all started from a club meeting on 2 February this year when Rotary New Zealand World Community Service (RNZWCS) chairman Stuart Batty spoke about the great projects around the Pacific that they are involved in. Stuart mentioned that the main hospital in Tonga required an ambulance.
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Shefali Mehta, District 9920 Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship Chair, is proud to announce that the Rotary Club of Auckland will be hosting Ambassadorial Scholar Connor Lind from July 2019 to November 2020. 
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This week a group of Rotarians from the Pakuranga Tamaki River Auxiliary got to work labelling and numbering 400 rat, possum and stoat traps..jpg)
Club websites that function without fuss or drama and contribute to a smoothly functioning Rotary club are not the thing of dreams, they exist. At the beginning of a new Rotary year now is the time to seek this for your club if you wish.
Right on the cusp of the new Rotary year, on 30 June 2019, the Rotary Club of Tarawa was Chartered as the newest Rotary club in District 9920 and further boosted the Rotary presence to a large area of the Pacific. The story of their formation and how Rotary is now represented in Kiribati is compelling reading.
On 4 May, the Mt Eden Rotary Club held its inaugural free WELLBEING DAY OUT at the Mt Eden Village Centre.
MUNA 2019 for Districts 9910 and 9920 was run over 17-18 May at Auckland Girls Grammar School by Rotary Club of Auckland East.
These Rotarians featured have much to smile about. Your District 'End Polio' coordinator PDG Ron Seeto was on hand with AG Gill Johnston, pictured here with President Tim Edney, to receive 2 cheques from the Rotary Club of Penrose at their breakfast meeting!
Mangere Rotary
The Interact Forum was held on 25 May 2019
April’s theme of Maternal and Child Health really resonated recently as District Governor Ingrid and PDG Jennie Herring visited Kiribati to revitalise Rotary’s presence there through the charter of a new Rotary Community Corps and the start of a Global Grant developing a substantial hydroponics venture..jpg)
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<<< DG Ingrid and Avis signing players in.
Sponsor Sistema’s stand, with Rotarians encouraging players to bet on how close they could land the ball to the hole >>>
A very big thank you to all members and partners who volunteered to be part of the St Heliers Primary School Fair on Sunday. It was a great opportunity for our club to be seen doing great work in the community thus raising our profile, as well as giving back to the School who have supported our book fair in the past years.
RYPEN – 29, 30 & 31st March 2019. Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment has a fantastic impact on young people’s lives. This is a weekend long camp for Year 12 and 13 students, aged between 14 - 17 years old, designed at developing young people’s potential through a mixture of lecture style sessions and adventure-based learning. I trust your club is supporting this.
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Pakuranga Rotary now has 16 Council registered rat catchers! Don, Sylvie and Ron have all had good results and between them, have eradicated 5 rats.
Our heartfelt thanks : To Trees for Survival teachers who put in many hours growing students and plants alike! To Trees for Survival Landowners who provide a place for these plants to live and amazing outdoor experiences and lunches for tree planters. To every volunteer that helps and every sponsor whose funds supply the resources needed to continue to inspire young environmentalists. Thank you! Your contributions make for a better greener cleaner New Zealand!.png)
For some years Nuku’alofa Rotary has been assisting with books for Tongan schools. These books have come from Rotary Clubs and other sources. The assistance of US Peace Corps Tonga and their volunteers was sought to help sort books and distribute them to schools. While this has added to school libraries the exercise identified the need for more books using local themes and focused at a level relevant to the reading skills of Tongan primary students. Many books sorted as ‘primary’ from Australia and NZ were better suited for Tongan secondary schools. Over the years, these have been distributed to secondary schools, where good use has been made of them.
RYPEN – 29, 30 & 31st March 2019. Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment has a fantastic impact on young people’s lives. This is a weekend long camp for Year 12 and 13 students, aged between 14 - 17 years old, designed at developing young people’s potential through a mixture of lecture style sessions and adventure-based learning. I trust your club is supporting this.
We all know that large Global Grants from the Foundation make it possible to undertake high impact international projects – but did you know they can be used for local projects too?
Chris Ward reported on Jan 07, 2019 that a Rotary team consisting of three members of the Pakuranga Rotary, Peter Armstrong, Don Lawry, Chris Ward, and his ex-classmate Howard Scott and Dennis Kavanagh (Don’s friend), has just returned from 12 days in Fiji on the island of Taveuni.
The best part of Christmas is when families can get together and enjoy each other's company. Unfortunately for too many it is a time of hardship. Recognising that some in their community were facing hardship, Papatoetoe Central Rotary worked with Rawiri Community House Manukau to identify fifty needy families to whom they could provide a food hamper each and the presentation is depicted here (note the reusable shopping bags with the Rotary emblem on).
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By popular request a Facebook Group has been created for anyone in a club open to new ideas for better publicity. Its is easy - just go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/491985354562435/
Save Our Sisters: A joint project for RC Mumbai Queen’s Necklace (District 3141) and RC Auckland Harbourside
"Darn it! If I had known about that I would have really liked to have taken part!" Well, there is a way.
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Rotary New Zealand World Community Service in partnership with Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation require the services of a Volunteer Plumber Trainer in Fiji. This is a very unique opportunity - download the full details in PDF from: portal.clubrunner.ca/…/9a4cf4d5-0a6f-4704-9fab-a2a7d7906…/1/ or contact Stuart Batty via www.rnzwcs.org
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Le Rotary E-Club 9920 Francophone recently completed a project to help a community of 30,000 people with a new reservoir that will provide a constant water supply for agriculture, and most importantly, clean drinking water for their own needs.
Craig Horrocks of RC Auckland has been confirmed as DG for 2020/2021. Members of nominating committee were present when the Chair PDG Willard Martin made this announcement to the members of the RC Auckland at the Clubs Monday meeting on 26 March 2018.
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Rotary is making a difference in Tonga … a big difference. When Rotary acts together with the community the difference is even bigger and the community love it especially when it is an event where the whole family can have such fun..jpg)
The Rotary E-Club 9920 Francophone continues to be extremely active on a global basis and as a participant within the Rotary Foundation Global Grant structure. 
Exciting news. 
Family. We want our children to enjoy happy, productive lives. As parents and family members we want to be able to enjoy getting out with our children and family to play and learn, to take part in what our community has to offer and to be able to contribute back in some way. For some this is unfortunately a challenge.
"Waiheke Island". The name conjures up so much that is great; Waiheke Island is a diverse community with so many cultures represented and is a destination for all of Auckland and beyond. 
Picture this…Thousands of rubber ducks racing through the rapids at Vector Wero Whitewater Park. Race divisions include: Schools, Businesses and General public. Get your duck (or ducks) now for this quacky and fun event!
Early September we completed the 9th new teachers house since we started building mid 2016 after TC WINSTON in February and materials arrived. We build two types, a 4 bedroom for 4 single teachers and a 2 bedroom for married couples with children..jpg)
In August 2017, Rotary International President Ian Riseley visited Fiji and was shown a number of Rotary projects by District Governor Mailini who was also accompanied by a number of others including Rotary Public Image Cooredinatorfor Zone 7b, Liz Courtney who wrote about the following visit. 
Starting in 2012 and running through 2016 Rotary has been working with Taveuni community leaders in an apprenticeship training program on providing village clean water infrastructure.
Today there are Rotarians, their family and friends out in their communities taking part in projects that do transform the lives of others. They may be building a house so that teachers are able to stay in the area and teach the children. They may be selling sausages to raise funds so that students in low decile schools get their own dictionaries to support their education ... quite possibly the first book these children have ever personally owned. They may be helping to run a camp or course teaching leadership skills to the next generation of community leaders. Or they are out today planting hundreds of trees for a better environments, quite possibly alongside that cycle/pathway they build a little earlier. Rotarians really are people of action ... join us.
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A group of 7 Rotary Youth Exchange students from Argentina, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France and Germany and the local ROTEX (Returned exchange students) group have combined to raise more than $8,500 for Emergency Response Kits.
Rotary in our district is one of diversity, something that we are proud of. In an evening of fellowship and dance, Papatoetoe Central Rotary recently raised about $15,000 for Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation (NZ surgeons volunteer to do heart surgery in Fiji), Ronald McDonald House and St John Ambulance. 
In what seems a testing time in global history, MUNA (Model United Nations Assembly) once again welcomed vigorous debate focused on the most pressing issues of our day. Organised by Rotary Auckland East with Auckland Girls Gramar School, this event saw high school students sacrificing personal viewpoints and instead adopting those of their delegated country, with alliances comprised and looks exchanged in only minutes of an early start on Friday. Delegates represented their countries not only through speech but through costume; in a crowd of abundant colour, one could spot an Abba inspired Sweden, latex and all, and even a human size Kiwi amongst his Lord of the Rings companions.
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Our District 9920 Training and Development team includes: The District Governor Elect; District Trainer & Rotary Leadership Institute Chair DGN Ingrid Waugh; plus District Training & Development Chair PDG Beryl Robinson. Each comprehensive annual Rotary training cycle includes:
“The message is simple: show the world what your club is achieving, and how much fun you have … because then you won’t have to ask people to join your club – you’ll be asking them to form an orderly queue while they sign the membership form” – Andrew Best (Club & District Support RISPPO).
This booklet outlines a wide range of highly beneficial and hugely successful programmes Rotary runs for school students and young adults: click here 
Kate Kelly is our Ambassadorial Scholar in Oxford sponsored by Ellerslie Sunrise Rotary (Auckland) and hosted by Bicester Rotary (Oxford). After a very active and highly interesting term of academic, Rotary, sporting and extracurricular activity she will in her final term be conducting research into the genes involved in endometriosis working with world leaders in this area; this is a debilitating disease affecting 12% of women of reproductive age. Exciting stuff so her full report for you to read: click here
A professionally developed, edgy and exciting publicity campaign started 1 May for three months that is designed to attract the interest of the public to inquire to clubs about Rotary involvement. Now two weeks in it is attracting thousands of views and quite a few direct membership enquiries that have been sent to the most appropriate clubs. Your club can participate very easily and if Facebook is not yet a strong pint for your club ... now is the time! All is revealed at http://www.rotaryoceania.zone/Page/2017-facebook-publicity-campaign-for-all-clubs 
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For Jazz and easy listening music lovers, as well as those of you who’d like to see more automated external defibrillators (AEDs) out in the community, Rotary Mt Eden invites you to enjoy LIVE JAZZ With Award-Winning Jazz Pianist LEON HATTORI. Tickets $20pp. Nett proceeds to Rotary’s HEART SAVER project & other Rotary community causes. Bring your family and friends and colleagues along to enjoy Leon's music and please SHARE this invitation with anyone who you think may find it of interest.
Knowing what Rotary has to offer you is incredibly liberating. Rotary has a tremendous amount to offer you as an individual Rotarian and you have a lot to offer Rotary and the community through your club if you know what is available. As said, knowledge is power ... the power to choose how you will be involved, the power to achieve amazing outcomes.
Rarely has there been a story as unique and moving as this. It is 'still being written' and Rotary is a core contributor.
Summer is here! The outdoors and many great things to do with the family. Time to relax and catch up on your reading ... so the December-January issue of the Rotary Down Under magazine will be there for you. The Cover story this issue is from District 9920 and is one in inspiration and achievement.
When we hear of a fundraiser some just think ... 'ho hum'. Not so Howick Rotary who really know how to put on an event but also the true value of fundraisers. Here is their 'Twelve Winners" description of why their book fair was invaluable for the community and the club. You will rethink after reading this.
The twenty three who completed Rotary Leadership Institute last weekend commented that the two days have set them up for making the most of their future in Rotary. "I had no idea at all that Rotary offered so much and was so big" said one. Another said 'I've never attended anything like it in my life. It is really different"..jpg)
This seminar on Sat 18 March 2017 is intended to bring together in one place the best proven membership practices and resources that Rotarians from clubs across all six New Zealand-based districts can take away back to their clubs to put into actual practice. The day is a mix of presentations, discussion and workshops.
Rotary members in New Zealand will be among thousands worldwide reaching out during the week commencing on World Polio Day, 24th October 2016, to raise awareness, funds and support to end polio – a vaccine preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today.
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Probus is Rotary's only programme for active retirees. Probus provides those over 55yo with the opportunity to join together in clubs and to progress healthy minds and active bodies through social interaction and activities with retirees in their community opening the door to new experiences and friendships and enabling people to stay active by participating in a wide range of activities and explore their community,
This is a story of sheer tragedy in an instant followed by long perseverance and ultimately success, all in the name of helping those who had suffered tragedy in different circumstances. This will make you sit up and wonder at the generosity of some and the vagaries of life. 
Ellerslie Sunrise Rotary Club members attended the Bailey Road Schools Cultural Festival in Mt Wellington where all the pupils participated in an outstanding presentation of cultural dances from all around the world. Brilliant costumes, well organized staging and four wonderful senior students who introduced each act with skill and humour.
Rotary does well with providing training for its members. This enables those starting a new role to get a head start in learning the ‘mechanics’ of their new role and to draw on the experience of those who have been in the role a while and everyone gets the latest and greatest in news, techniques and resources to do their job well. And so it was with the recent Rotary Foundation information evening entitled “What does The Rotary Foundation Do?”
No Scrub Coffee Body Scrub
80 excited Interactors from seven Auckland secondary schools competed for the “Serious Fun” trophy at the hotly contested Trivia Night competition held annually among clubs in District 9920. Topics change from year to year but are centred around young people being encouraged to know something of their past and what is going on around them outside of their cell-phone centred social media worlds! There was a strong turn-out from the District’s newest club – Otahuhu – the first to be based, not in a secondary school, but in a Community Centre.
While our immediate focus is people’s health and wellbeing, as Rotarians, we have a vested interest to ensure our clubs are able to also weather the storm and emerge intact. Here are some thoughts..jpg)
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