Rotaract Auckland recently held three events over three days, and we wanted to share the rollercoaster that those three days were. One thing that you may notice, is that these events all were the results of collaborations with other parts of Rotary. If any D9920 clubs would be interested in doing a collaborative event with Rotaract Auckland, then please let Rotaract know.
Day 1: Emergency Response Kit Packing:
I’m not going to lie, as my alarm went off far too early on Saturday morning I thought about pretending that I couldn’t hear it. Then I remembered that our club was off to ERK Packing for our third round, and suddenly I was awake (Helped by a bit of caffeine). In the warehouse I met our newest member, who was dancing when she thought no one was watching, so I knew she was going to fit in great. We packed so many boxes that I lost count, but what I didn’t lose count of was how many pairs of gloves I managed to go through (three), or the number of Rotaractors for whom this was their first Rotary project (also three).
Highlights of the Day:
- Seeing George Wilson (Papakura) dance for us.
- Getting into things and making a difference
- Lunch at Burgerfuel afterwards where we got to learn more about what makes each other tick and why we were there
Lowlights of the Day:
- Trying to catch the box cutter. 0/10 would not recommend.
- 8:30am start.
Day 2: World of Rotaract MoveForGECAF Virtual Games:
I woke up to a series of messages of people drinking progressively larger coffees. After the 8:30am start on Saturday, we moved onto an 8am start on Sunday. Fortunately this event was located online, so Traffic was very light. This was the first event in the MoveForGECAF Series involving Rotaract clubs from around the world. We got to learn about what Rotaract was like in different parts of the world including Europe, the Pacific and Africa.
There were some amazing games online, which had us all in tears. One such game was where members had an opportunity to take memes, and add text to them, like the one below. It was a great chance to also hear about some of the different plans coming together for the MoveForGECAF Day which is being held on the 5th of November.
If you are interested in financially supporting this amazing project then please donate here: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/rotaract-and-rotary-give-every-child-a-future
Highlights of the day:
- I think that I laughed so hard that I wet myself.
- We learnt so much
Lowlights of the day:
- I think that I laughed so hard that I wet myself.
Day 3: Auckland City Mission Home Ground:
We held an event in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Auckland where we were invited to hear from Helen Robinson the CEO there. It was honestly one of the best speakers I have ever had the privilege of hearing at Rotary, as she wove storiesstor in a way which painted such richness to parts of Auckland that often remain unseen.
Unfortunately she was able to rattle off statistics which made me sick to my stomach too. 20% of Aucklanders won’t have enough food to put on the table tonight, the demand for food parcels has increased six fold in less than 10 years and 40,000 families are inadequately housed tonight. After hearing from her, we were provided with a tour of the space, and all I can say is that if you or your club ever get the opportunity to see the space, then grab it with both hands.
Highlights of the day:
- Getting to see Home Ground
Lowlights of the day:
- Some of the facts were very challenging to hear. There is a massive community need. How is Rotary going to rise to the challenge?
Service, Fun & Learning, Three Rotaract Events in Three Days
TIME FOR THE MIGHTY ‘OMARU CREEK’ REGENERATE PROJECT TO GET UNDERWAY WITH THE KEYSTONE APIRANA RESERVE GIVEN A MAJOR BOOST?
For a number of years, members of St Johns Rotary have cherished the idea of coordinating a massive effort involving Trees for Survival, local schools, parents and teachers -- especially those in the Manaiakalani Schools project and near the course of the Omaru Creek. Also included is the world-class Tāmaki Regeneration Company, now under the leadership of Shelley Katae; Maungakiekie/ Ōrākei Local Boards; local councillor Josephine Bartley; and the local environment-focussed iwi, Ngāti Pāoa to ultimately revitalise the stream which runs through Glen Innes, passed Tāmaki College, close to where it enters the Tāmaki Estuary.
In recent times, clogging, pollution and litter have dogged its reputation and that peaked with a schools’ cross-country event having to be cancelled, because of toxins detected in the water.
Since then, various initiatives have been undertaken in different sections to make it more accessible to residents, and a feature for the people who live, trade and play along its banks. Lockdowns and the shock to the economy haven’t helped. Nor have the massive wastewater pipes being installed to meet the high-density, modern and more appropriate housing development and targeted renewal of the community, necessarily taking the attention away from the “dream”.
Some two years ago—in and out of lockdowns – Dr Peter Buchanan, a leading New Zealand fungi expert, was introduced to one of those typical Kiwi, low-key enviro groups, dedicated to the revival of the Apirana Reserve. The selfless trio, Ken Samson, Roger Stamp and Nanda MacLaren, have worked away, most weekends, for years, with help from a number of groups of volunteers. St Johns Rotary volunteered on one occasion to help with clearing a section – and never left.
The land between the major Eastern Suburbs rail line and Apirana Avenue was seemingly abandoned some years ago, during a stand-off over ownership between KiwiRail and Auckland Council. Discussions about who was responsible for controlling dumping also hadn’t facilitated progress.
St Johns Rotary members became enthusiastic about working under the leadership and guidance of the trio, who had gained experience working on clearing and replanting Motutapu. Auckland Council started to get more involved, providing hardy vegetation to replace the rotting willow trees and masses of wood mulch.
But the dispute over ownership continued to hang over full commitment. A couple of calls and some emails later, up stepped Tammy Dickinson, Senior Communications and Engagement Advisor for KiwRail and Craig Barnes, a Project Manager for KiwiRail.
The soil in the reserve was tested for quality and any ‘nasties’, large half-buried debris ripped out and a bulldozer levelled a large tract of adjoining land which had previously impeded progress, and followed with masses of mulch, for good measure.
KiwiRail, in a circular to local residents, said they were “acting to support the aspirations of the trio and supporters to re-establish the area with native plants, in an ecological corridor. In addition, KiwiRail is arranging a beautification lease with Auckland Council to support the future aspirations of the local community“.
The beam on the faces of Ken, Roger and Nanda lit up the Glen Innes sky on that murky day. And St Johns Rotary realised they could now reach the source of the Omaru Creek and start to progress their and others’ dream of creating an asset for the community, over time.
In keeping with the feeling that things were finally falling into place, Ōrakei Local Board member, Margaret Voyce, joined St Johns Rotary. Trees for Survival itself was undertaking a major refocus in its role, and included in that was the appointment of Gary Key and Peter Buchanan to their board.
According to Gary Key, the next step in the process will be for Trees for Survival to approach schools in the area and introduce a project where each school is given seedlings to cultivate into viable plantings and then plant them in appropriate local areas, under supervision. The students are given an appreciation for horticulture, a valuable life-skill and a potential career-path.
Peter Buchanan indicated that affiliate Rotary clubs like Auckland East, Remuera and Ellerslie, because of their proximity and interest in assisting the local community, could be approached to participate.
The pioneering Apirana Reserve trio, St Johns Rotary, and Local Board members will be joining the Ōrakei Volunteer Expo at the Auckland Netball Centre on 17 September 10am – 2pm.
This September I encourage club presidents and district governors to vote YES toparticipating in the Zone 8 regionalisation pilot.Creating tomorrow | Rotary (creatingtomorrowrotary.org)
We need to use this opportunity to find ways to make it simpler and easier to be part ofRotary:
-Easier for clubs to ‘do’ Rotary – to connect, take action and deliver positive change -Easier for members to take on leadership roles that actually can make a difference -Easier to provide consistency and continuity in our strategy -Easier to provide a united Rotary voice -Easier for government and corporates to partner with us -Enabling us to make decisions which genuinely suit the needs and lifestyles ofpeople in our part of the world.
I am convinced we cannot ‘damage’ Rotary by participating in this pilot. There are enoughguardrails and safety nets built into the initiative to ensure we can keep Rotary’s purposeand reputation safe.
As leaders of Rotary in our region, I know each of us wants Rotary to survive and thrive andbe relevant for generations to come. Unchanged on our current trajectory, this will not occur.
I encourage all of us to take a deep breath, accept that uncertainty is uncomfortable, andgive this a go ...
Extract from August 2022 Rotary Zone 8 Director's Report
The 2022 Assembly, (for Districts 9910 and 9920), was held in Auckland at Auckland Girls Grammar School over the weekend of 29 - 30 July.
For most students MUNA is one of the greatest experiences of their schooling lives that they were able to share with their friends. What made it very exciting was the sharing of a broad range of concepts, ideologies, and in-depth intellectual discussions from all around the world that the attendees were exposed to while attending MUNA.
MUNA, (Model United Nations Assembly) simulates the working of the United Nations Assembly by students in Years 12 and 13, (Forms 6 and 7), in school teams each of two or three students representing a participating UN member country.
The teams debate current matters of world politics and social concern with the debates held over a weekend from Friday morning to mid-afternoon Saturday.
The aim of MUNA is to;
develop in students an awareness of the United Nations and the current international situations of the countries of the world,
enable students to improve their public speaking and debating skills,
encourage students to make informed comments on world problems, and
encourage students to share their opinions and develop friendships with students from other schools
The most successful and sustainable Rotary service projects tend to fall within one of the six areas of focus and MUNA is one of these. fitting into the the area of focus of “Peace promotion, and conflict prevention and resolution”. This sounds overwhelming, but the promotion of peace and tolerance can be local just as much as global. Building understanding, communication skills, and relationships within and between communities, all build the foundation for local peace and tolerance.
Every year, (Pandemic willing), Rotary holds the “Model United Nations Assembly” (MUNA) for high school students. MUNA simulates the working of the United Nations Assembly with schools teams representing a participating UN country in debates on matters of world politics and social concern.
At the end of July 2022 over 300 students from Auckland and Northland participated, representing a total of 100 countries from Asia Pacific, Africa, Latin America, Eastern and Western Europe. Teams put forth their chosen country’s beliefs and debated positions and issues with their nation’s best interests in mind. Delegates learnt how to lobby, negotiate and engage in impromptu debate.
Hot topics this year were of course the war in Ukraine, inequality, global humanitarian issues and other issues such as food shortages and human sex trafficking. One past participant commented “MUNA was amazing and changed my life. After MUNA I was so inspired that instead of following science as a career, I went on to do international politics.”
In this way students developed the skills to discover, consider, debate, compromise and build understanding. How much better equipped are they now to contribute to peace and tolerance as they move through life? Rotary, helping to develop tomorrow’s leaders.
To give a taste and feel of how teams within MUNA operate here is a description from a member assigned the country of Afghanistan: They were part of a bloc of 50 other countries of the East Asia or East Pacific and two of these countries, Saudi Arabia, the head of the bloc, and Bahrain decided to attempt a coup d’état between the two although it was unclear who was talking over whom. The Afghani delegation was asked to support the coup d’état but were not asked to participate in the process. The Afghani delegation appeared to suffer some degree of ostracization because no country wished to be associated with the Taliban government and this prevented their capacity for socialization amongst the other delegates. However, despite the isolation suffered, they were able to make two amendments to the remits presented.
The cost for MUNA in 2022 was $275 for a team of three students and this cost is usually split between the school and the sponsoring Rotary Club.
The District 9920 Co-Chair responsible for the organising and operating the Assembly is Jan Malcolm, with a support team drawn from Rotarians across a wide range of 9910, 9920 Rotary clubs. Members of Rotaract and past RYLA awardees are also sourced to help.
The preparation required for the 2023 Assembly will commence in February, with the final date for entry forms to be received by Jan and her team no later than April 7th 2023.
If your Club is not familiar with MUNA and you would like to get involved in this very worthwhile and successful event, please contact;
Rotary Club of Auckland Harbourside together with Education First Trust (EFT) of New Zealand has been distributing dictionaries in Fiji since 2015 to year five students in primary schools with the objective of literacy development.
Dictionaries were given to class five and six students since most rural primary schools have composite classes, we provide to both the classes (in addition to class five which is located in the same room) as a matter of courtesy. This year Rotary Club of Auckland Harbourside and EFT have distributed 432 dictionaries to students in 22 schools in Nadroga/Navosa province of Fiji. In 2022 we focused in this region as it was most affected by the pandemic, the tourism sector was most affected; noting that the coral coast economy is most dependent on tourism. Once we have more resources, we will cover other areas.
The dictionaries are handed over to the students directly and remains their property all the time. The schools are also presented with one or two copies of the dictionary, depending on their enrollment, for use in their libraries. Representatives of Rotary Club of Auckland Harbourside and Education First Trust were in Fiji from late June to early August 2022 to distribute the dictionaries to the schools and the students.
The criteria for the selection of school are as follows: Small, Poor, Rural and Isolated schools. Our intention is to cover other schools as and when we have access to more resources. We have been requested to provide dictionaries other students in the schools, in addition to class five students.
The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture was fully consulted, approval sought, and informed on various facets of this project. We are most grateful to the Ministry for their approval, support and cooperation in organising the logistics of this distribution. The distribution team are also thankful to Vodafone ATH Fiji Foundation for their support especially with transport and guidance in reaching outlying locations.
Other individuals also helped with local transportation. Two of the furthest schools our distribution teams covered this year were Bainimarama Vatutoka Primary School and Natutale Primary School in the interior of Viti Levu. These schools may be the most isolated schools in Viti Levu in terms of accessibility from urban area (about 80 km from Sigatoka town).
It made the Rotary-EFT groups much easier to travel to these schools with four wheel drive vehicles while crossing the rivers and driving through the gravel roads. Many students in these areas have been fortunate to receive the gift of Rotary Dictionary to share with their siblings and family members in their village homes. The Head teacher of the schools were grateful and delighted with this gift of literacy development.
The Rotary Club of Tavenui is looking for support from other D9920 Clubs to help raise the last few dollars that are required to complete the fund raising to rebuild the school in Dreketi Village, Oamea Island Fiji.
• Six years ago - February 2016 - Cyclone Winston ripped through FIJI. It caused some damage to the village school but over the next few months the school was repaired, repainted and all was good.
• Nine months later the wet season with extremely heavy rain caused 15 landslides around the island of Qamea. The most likely cause of the landslips was that Cyclone Winston had stripped most of the trees off the steep hill side. The outcome of the landslips was a number of houses destroyed and the school almost tipped on its face and destroyed.
• Timing can often be everything in this case it was really bad. All of the aid from Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Japan etc to help rebuild schools & public buildings post cyclone Winston had been allocated or spent. The Education Department had nothing left and the school board were told it would take three years for their school to be rebuilt.
• Three years roll by and the 50 students are being taught in a temporary building more suited as a chook shed. They also have access to an old church. The new school building still not started, due to a host of reasons beyond the Villages control.
This is where .
2020 begins with the Covid pandemic which instantly kills Fiji‘s economy through tourism and the start of the school build.
In December 2020 Fiji had a 2nd category five cyclone. Yasa roars through the north of Fiji and destroys more schools, public buildings, houses etc. This was followed in January with a category four cyclone again with massive amounts of rain and extensive flooding and more damage
When the Dreketi school board approached the Education Department towards the end of cyclone season 2021 to ask when the new school would be started, they were informed “there was no start date, there was NO money!” Dreketi would not be getting a new school. They had dropped off the list. • The question put to us was: “CAN ROTARY HELP US? We have nowhere else to go. There’s no one we can turn to please!”
I was handed a set of plans for a light weight and timber construction temporary school which after careful assessment was dispatched to the bin.
As a professional builder I was able to fire endless questions at the two board members and determine what would be the absolute minimum size building classrooms etc. Why would I insist on minimum size building? Because of cost. There is no point in having a grand plan that is not affordable. ROTARY is not a bank where we could just write a million dollar cheque. Currently the children need a school. All the children from years 1 through to 6 have no memory of the old school.
Stage two would be a second building containing three classrooms. We then planned a trip across to Dreketi and in the meantime I worked on a set of sketch plans for the school board and headteacher’s approval. • Since that meeting in 2021 when I postponed my retirement as a builder again, we have:
1) visited Dreketi village,
2) met with of the school board and head teacher. We discussed and revised the proposed sketch plan, we determined a suitable and safe 3 site well clear of landslides for a new cyclone rated school and pegged it out.
Sketch plans were presented to the education infrastructure department and the Northern Division Town Planning and Building Department. The Ministry of Education was suitably impressed and extremely happy that a school was going to be built. The Building Dept needed a full set of working drawings professionally done.
Project Cost & Fundraising I have completed a comprehensive bill of quantities covering all of the materials for the project. We have sent out lists to suppliers for quotations and thereby determine total cost of the project. Including labour and a 5% contingency, the total cost of the project is $225,000 FJD The Laucala School Board (Dreketi School) has set up a Trust Fund with $100,000 FJD from the Laucala Resort (owned by Red Bull) where many of the villagers work. The Rotary Club of Taveuni has committed $40,000 FJD. With almost $100,000 AUD already in the bank, we feel very confident of raising the last $50,000 AUD back in our old District. See update on fundraising below. Would your club be able to assist us get this project over the line?
Construction: A local Fijian builder Yava is ready to start. He came across to site with Helene and I and helped determine the new site. Yava has just completed a new three classroom block at our local village (Naselesele) - (photo herewith) ahead of schedule and under budget. So Yava and his team will build the school, I will manage the project, supervise the build and authorise payments from the school trust.
My background: I have spent the past 59 years in the building industry and most of it as a professional builder. I have been a member of the Housing Industry Association and still am. My company Brownlowe won two Victorian and one national HIA building awards. I think I am reasonably qualified for this project albeit a bit old. This building would also used as a safe haven during cyclones, a village meeting hall, and of course the verandah is the perfect covered grandstand for the local island rugby matches. Please note Rob Edwards OAM an all round great bloke, is assisting with the fundraising through a Fiji holiday raffle. Check out https://sustainablesocial.org/rc-taveuniisland Rob is a member of Rotary Club in Sydney. He runs a foundation It’s Time Foundation https://iitime.org and they provide solar power to off grid schools across Fiji. Rob has raised sufficient money through his Fiji solar raffle to purchase and ship all the solar gear to Dreketi Village for the new school. We would be happy to discuss further this great project. Cheers Peter Brown Rotary Club of Taveuni Island. Melbourne 0408 366 68
Their school was destroyed nearly 6 years ago. The heartbreaking issue is that this small village with over 50 students have not had a school and the education department has forgotten them. Our Rotary club wants to help them rebuild their school.
I have attached the information sheet we have been circulating and that gives you a good background on the project.
The cost of the rebuild is FJD $225,000. So far we have raised FJD $202,000 We are chasing our last FJD $23,000 or say NZD $17,000
We feel it’s a great achievement spread over many clubs. Currently there are 16 Rotary Clubs that have donated and those clubs are spread across 5 Rotary Districts (9810,9820, 9920, 9930 and 9685)
Trees for Survival is an environmental education programme that involves young people growing and planting native trees to restore natural habitats and helping landowners revegetate erosion prone land, improve stream flow and water quality and increase biodiversity.
The organisation was founded by Rotary over 30 years ago and enjoys their continued support. Trees for Survival has planted well over 2.0 million trees and is growing rapidly. While being strongest in the Auckland region it has a presence in many parts of New Zealand.
We are seeking to employ an experienced Manager who will have the ability to work with Central and Local Governments, be competent in raising funds from the business community and continue to grow the organisation while overseeing the running of the enterprise.
This position will suit a disciplined and capable person with vision and foresight, who can join a small team making a significant difference to our environment. A background in education, environment or horticulture could be an advantage, but a clear thinking businessperson, with the ability to manage the organisation and to sell the benefits to potential sponsors is most likely to be successful.
This is an Auckland based, full-time, work from home position, with flexible working hours.
Please respond in the first instance to the Board Chairman, Trees for Survival. chair@tfsnz.org.nz
Trees for Survival looking for new National Manager
Looking to start a new club? Or simply looking for new ways to reinvent your club?
In mid-August, Rotarians and some of our fellow Rotaractors from District 9920 got the opportunity to hear from Andy Rajapakse, Past District Governor of D9640, our current Zone 8 Assistant Rotary Coordinator (ARC) and Zone 8’s new style club specialist, and Barbara Mifsud, Regional Membership Officer of Rotary International. During a 14-day Rotary Membership Roadshow, they travelled over 1400 kms conducting 12 workshops in 10 cities across all 5 Rotary Districts in New Zealand, engaging with over 300 Rotary Club and District leaders. This Roadshow was an initiative of our District Governor Allan Smith who invited ARC Andy way back in February to visit our district.
In their interactive and exciting workshops, Andy led us through some reinvented club models and new style Rotary club models like the Satellite, Passport, Corporate and Cause Based Rotary Clubs, revealing how they attracted and increased membership in existing clubs and grow Rotary. Since 2018, Andy has personally formed 8 new style Rotary clubs in District 9640. During Andy's District Governor year in 2020-2021 in Gold Coast, Australia, he led District 9640 to attract 384 new members to their clubs in 365 days and record a net increase of over 170 members with an all-time high 14.4% growth, making them the 25th largest growth Rotary District in the world. He and his team achieved this milestone during the Covid-19 Pandemic year by starting 5 new Rotary Clubs, 2 Satellite Rotary Clubs, 3 Rotaract Clubs, one Interact Club and a Rotex Club for YEP Alumni. All in one Rotary year. And helped grow 31 of the 53 existing clubs too.
The workshop started off with one simple question, are we relevant?
Change is always a tricky pill to swallow but to move forward, change is necessary. One way to measure if our current club methods are still helping the community’s needs is to question whether the needs of our community have changed within the past couple of years. Not only will this help us better help our community, but this will also re-ignite existing member drive to remain with the club and attract new members.
Andy highlighted that Rotary’s purpose is the club, not club meetings. Not our dinners and lunches, it is our service in the community that tells the public who we are. He said, “to attract and retain members we need to first make our clubs attractive and exciting to our members and visitors”. Barbara shared with us the vast array of resources Rotary International has to support clubs reinvent and to start new clubs. This information was new to many of us and most informative.
During their brief visit to District 9920, Andy and Barbara conducted 2 face-to-face workshops and one on Zoom for the Pacific Islands. They were able to help us identify few suburbs where new clubs can be started or reinvent some of our traditional Rotary clubs. During the workshop sessions our D9920 club leaders identified the possibilities of starting new clubs in co-working spaces, corporate buildings and universities, where the interest to help members of the community may be present but the group doesn’t have the means to connect the people in the spaces or buildings. And a Rotary club would be the ideal platform to connect people. This is where we can step in to help create new styles of clubs and aid them in making an impact. Andy’s advice is; “The secret to change is to focus our energy on building something new, not fighting the old.” Let’s Grow Rotary a new way!
Interested in advice to take the concept of new clubs further? Call Ashwini Sadhu, District 9920 New Clubs Committee Chair
To find the material from the workshop you can go to a page on Rotary Oceania website of resources from the NZ Roadshow
WHERE: On the Auckland Train network/On the ferries - Auckland Harbour/In the skies over Auckland
After our two year Covid break, the Polio All Transit event is back in 2022.
A few things to remember:
The Clubs should arrange their Polio fundraising event for October 2022, so that they can pass the funds over on/or before 11 November 2022. Each club needs to register their participation (form attached), so that they can be allocated a train station/ferry terminal when they can meet the train/ferry and either join or present their pseudo presentation cheque to those on the ride. Of course, photos are a must. All riders must also register - using the same form.
So come and join us. To ride free on the trains, you just need to wear a red end polio now tee shirt. If you do not have one and wish to purchase I have a small supply available, along with End Polio masks and hats.
It is a great day of fun, fellowship and the meeting of like minded people on the train plus the opportunity to spread the word on the End Polio Now Campaign
For any further information please contact the D9920 Polio Chair
To those Pacific Island Rotarians who would like to participate but for obvious reasons cannot, pleased think about organising a
WALK FOR POLIO on the 11 or 12 November 2022. If you would like to discuss this further please contact our DGE Vinetta or DGN Vidya Nand
Thank you for your support for the End Polio Now Campaign 2022.
Together we can change lives Despite the challenges we face, there is still much to celebrate. Please find herewith how much Interplast achieved in the past year – so much of it made possible with your support, interest, and ongoing advocacy for our work.
Through the generosity of supporters across Australia and New Zealand, during the past 12 months Interplast was able to:
Provide virtual consultations and surgical services to 75 individuals who would otherwise not be able to access life-changing care
Deliver hand therapy products and specialist cleft feeding bottles to children and adults in countries from Bhutan in Asia to Fiji in the Pacific
Support over 300 clinicians to learn more about burns care and prevention
Deliver exceptional clinical education to approximately 1,000 medical professionals via our 26 webinars, delivered to individuals in 35 countries across the globe
Run regular group and individual mentoring sessions for surgeons, anaesthetists, and nurses in developing communities throughout the region Support 10+ hospitals to implement improvement plans designed to enhance medical services offered to patients
Undertake extensive research on the high rates of diabetic foot disease in Pacific Islands nations, together with a baseline research project examining the state of surgery in the region.
As we celebrate our 39th year of providing life-changing care to those in need, we obviously reflect on what has changed, but also consider what has remained unchanged during that time. Much has changed yet the one common element of Interplast, as strong today as it was on the day we formed, is the belief amongst our supporters that every girl and boy, woman and man should be able to access essential surgery when it is needed.
We are thrilled that Interplast team are actively planning for the return of our dedicated surgical and medical volunteers to our partner countries where they will once again provide life-changing treatment to patients in need. Our first international programs will be delivered ahead of the new calendar year.
The need to return is great – 5 billion people around the world don’t have access to safe affordable surgical and anaesthetic care when needed. 143 million additional surgical procedures are needed in low-to-middle income countries each year to save lives and prevent disability.
The numbers are overwhelming but with your support we can make an enormous difference. In fact, it just takes one person to have an active interest in our work to change lives. I encourage you to be that person.
P.S. Have you gone behind the mask with Interplast? Click here to learn more about the interview series that shines light on the dedicated volunteers and partners who make Interplast’s service possible across the Asia Pacific region.
Donations to this project can be made via RNZWCS, which will issue NZ tax receipts. RNZWCS Limited (Rotary New Zealand)
by internet banking: Westpac RNZWCS Limited
Acct: 03 1702 0192208 01
Reference 404
For more information contact your Interplast District Chair Shefali Mehta
TRIBUTE TO PAST DISTRICT GOVERNOR MIKE JADURAM FROM THE ROTARY CLUB OF AUCKLAND HARBOURSIDE
Mike would sometimes say of himself, ‘I’m a man of passion’ and there is no doubt that Mike felt passionate about Rotary – the international service organisation with over 1.2m members and nearly 37,000 Rotary Clubs in 220 countries around the world.
Mike lived Rotary’s motto of ‘Service above Self’. Already a prominent Rotarian in Fiji and New Zealand, in the early nineties Mike promoted the formation of a new Rotary Club in Auckland that would be demonstrably multi-ethnic. He shared this vision with a fellow Rotarian, Dr Gam Lee. As a result The Rotary Club of Auckland Harbourside was chartered in 1994 with more than 50 members of whom approximately a third were of Asian descent, a third of Indian descent and a third of European descent. Mike was its Charter President and our club still reflects that same multi-ethnic mix.
On Wednesday evening, at our first meeting for the new Rotary year, as we remembered Mike we acknowledged that were it not for Mike, our club would not exist and we would not have had the opportunities to serve others or to form the deep, long-lasting friendships that we all enjoy.
In the Rotary year 1998-1999, Mike served as District Governor of District 9920 – a Rotary District that currently has 50 clubs and is one of the largest in the world with clubs in New Zealand, Fiji, American and Western Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti and the Cook Islands. Our club supported Mike in his role of District Governor and it was not only an honour to do so, but a source of immense pride and satisfaction for our members.
Some of the highlights of Mike’s year as District Governor included important changes he made to the District leadership structure which have remained in place ever since, the formation of five new clubs (including one in Fiji and a record that has never been surpassed) and the holding of the annual District Conference in Fiji which is still talked about as possibly the best District Conference there has ever been.
PLEASE NOTE: A Memorial Service to celebrate Mikes life will be held in Auckland on Sunday August 21st.
Venue: Lyell Creek Lounge Alexandra Park 233 Greenland Rd East
Time: 2.30pm
To assist the family with arrangements, could any Rotarian intending to attend the service, please RSVP to chrisbooth@orcon.net.nz
Those who join the EVOLUTION show us that participation and the exercising an important choice to vote, provides a clear level of support to allow Rotarians to engage and learn what the direction Zone 8 will take to modernise and equip its members to deliver to communities we all support.
The zoom, face 2 face, personal and club meetings started in July and those discussions will continue up to the September vote. I encourage you all to be well informed so that a vote is made with confidence by all those who participate. May I be as bold to suggest that a non-vote is a lack of confidence in the dreams and aspirations of our founder Paul Harris over 100 years ago.
Our Regional District Representative, Craig Horrocks, well supported by the Area Governor team to ensure that clubs and its members are well informed. To learn more please explore the following site, https://creatingtomorrowrotary.org/, to learn more. this site is updated very often as more questions are asked.
As members you have been given the opportunity to take the step to influence the direction of Rotary going forward for the next 100 years. By participating in the Pilot programme, we make a choice for the future of Rotary.
RI Zone Director Jessie Harman has also had zone wide webinars that allow you to gain once again a more informed understanding of the purpose of both the vote and the Pilot going forward.
Rotary International Zone 8 Regionalisation Webinars
Six webinars are being held in July/Aug to brief any Rotarians or Rotaractors in Zone 8 who:
Are not able to attend a club briefing on Regionalisation
Are not able to attend District organised briefings on Regionalisation
Have additional questions or clarifications they are seeking
The host for the webinars will be Rotary International Director Jessie Harman. Presenters will be Co-Chairs PDG Ingrid Waugh and PDG Peter Frueh. Questions will be asked through the Chat function and will be moderated by Rotary International South Pacific and Philippines Office staff. Duration will be one hour with approximately twenty minutes of introduction and presentation, with the remainder answering questions.
These webinars will be recorded and made available afterwards. Questions asked will be incorporated into the Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ) and answers section of the website:
If you haven’t thought of attending our District’s annual Conference, my advice is ‘plunge in and register’ next time! These events are for ALL Members to enjoy and from my personal experience of now four conferences, there are always inspirational speakers and other unexpected pluses that come with attending.
A huge bonus is the ‘team togetherness’ attendance as a Club group creates; and a lovely by-product is the ‘fun and friendship’ is fostered within that group as they relax into the weekend and spent more time together. In total 120 Rotarians, Partners and Friends registered for the Conference with many Clubs represented.
The stimulation of diverse and inspirational guests’ speakers to talk about together later; the unexpected challenge to embrace and enjoy Te Reo; the ‘idea-sparks’ kindled from mixing and sharing with other Rotarians, Rotaracters and non-Rotary guests. Altogether a super weekend, worthy of the time invested to be there.
On Friday we were totally blown away by the Keynote speakers. Some of whom weren’t known to all, but wow delegates were left impressed!
Valarie Wafer’s (RI Vice President & DEI Chair) presentation was pre-recorded but set the tone for the Conference theme which was: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI). We were all challenged to be aware of our unconscious bias, to consider what ‘belonging’ means and what we must consider changing if we want to Rotary to thrive.
Ola Ioane from Diversity Works NZ (formerly known as Equal Employment Opportunity Trust) spoke about the changing face of what we (in NZ) are, and the different dimensions and different lived experiences of diversity. Ola’s presentation was cleverly jammed packed with info; and he delivered with a vibrance that was infectious.
Robert Oliver, Celebrity Chef from Pacific Food Revolution presented about how he is using a cooking show (getting coverage on TV, Radio and Social Media) to change Pacific people’s eating behaviour. The statistics he told us about are alarming; and his TV show to promote and reveal indigenous food and cooking as the answer to good health was really exciting.
Sir Ian Taylor, Animation Research Limited (ARL) was the final speaker for the day. We may not realise it – but we have all seen the work of ARL. This is the man and company responsible for bringing the public those amazing graphics/animations for the America’s Cup; Golf; Grand Prix; etc. Sir Ian’s presentation was mainly focused on embracing the Pacifica story and the development of Matauranga.co.nz an online learning platform developed to help tamariki learn about the past to navigate to the future. Sprinkled with fun details on where ARL grew from and personal stories – we were all left feeling tremendously fortunate to have the opportunity to listen to such a wonderful speaker.
I can honestly share that we rolled out of the door on Friday feeling like we had already experienced a jam-packed; value-added weekend. But wait – there was more! Drinks and nibbles, a quick and sumptuous local Thai meal; and then navigating our way through Beehive security to enjoy an evening function of the pre-recorded Rotary Talent Show and then ‘live’ Cheese Wheel tasting. Some of us were also lucky enough to spy Wellington’s Matariki Fireworks display from Parliament’s windows. WOW so much for one day!
We wondered if Saturday’s line-up could possibly measure up to the day before, and well yes, it did. Starting with Keynote Speaker Peter Boshier (Chief Ombudsman for NZ) and Honorary Member of the Rotary Club of St. Johns, he fittingly talked about ‘fairness for all’ and how (if embraced) different viewpoints and experience enriches us all. And who knew Peter was so proficient in Te Reo?
Followed by Jessie Harman (Rotary International Director) over from Australia who shared Rotary’s focus for the next year which included: increase of DEI; increase of new types of clubs; greater collaboration with Rotaract; emphasis on partnerships and emphasis on raising Rotary’s profile.
Jessie’s talk segued nicely into a Rotaract Led Panel Discussion led by Shaun Peacock who is fully immersed in a number of Rotaract leadership roles. The discussion was provocative again challenging us to consider Diversity within our communities and membership; Equity and how to overcome obstacles; Inclusion and unconscious bias and the effort it might take to change. Ingrid Waugh (Call to Action Facilitator) then led a breakout workshop on DEI which generated useful discussion at our tables, a selected sample of which was then shared.
And in among these serious presentations and discussions, the professional MC’s (Rachel Petero & Simon Wi Rutene) ensured we kept to time as we also enjoyed DG Steve’s presentation of District Awards and DG Elect Allan’s info and invite regarding next year’s District conference at Karaka (March 30 – April 1) planned deliberately early to actively encourage members to consider attending the next Rotary International Convention to be hosted in Melbourne on 27-31 May 2023. And should I mention our increasingly uninhibited dancing to the iconic song Poi E, cleverly used to keep us alert and laughing between sessions.
The close of the conference was celebrated with the ‘Shining Stars Gala Dinner’ where guests were able to celebrate Matariki stars by incorporating sparkle into their attire, which actually energised us all. A great meal; great company; and even some dancing ensued before we glittered our way out the door.
Kudos to DG Steve and Edith Chaney and their team for hosting a superb conference in Wellington and to their Conference Chair (Leanne Jaggs) for the massive organisation that went into the weekend. Our contingent had a wonderful time.
Many thanks to St. Johns PP Robyn Ingram, our roving reporter!
Gaining new members is an activity, so with August being Membership Month, plan now to use this as a special time to celebrate your Rotary club, your members, and the good you do in your local community and globally.
There are many ways to celebrate just how great your club is, but here are a few activities to get you started:
Say it loud, say it proud! Encourage you members to tell everyone in their social network know that they are a proud member by circulating this graphic and asking them to change their Twitter and Facebook profile to include it:
Watch and share. There are several quite inspirational videos that you can watch at a meeting or club event to highlight the vital role membership plays in maintaining a strong and active club. Either go to the Brand Center and / or search via Google – good example: https://tinyurl.com/wearerotary2020
We Are Rotary. Using the hashtag #WeAreRotary, post photos to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram of your club members at work in your community or abroad to show how your club makes a positive impact in the world.
It’s Now or Never. Place into your club calendar the date for the very special Membership Seminar in Auckland on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 August 2022 on growing your membership, especially through new clubs. Special Keynote Speakers/Facilitators will be PDG Andy Rajapakse who has started several new clubs in recent years and Barbara Mifsud, RI Regional Membership Officer. Registration and full details will be sent to clubs soon.
Making a difference. Rotary clubs are known for the high-impact service projects they undertake locally and globally. Share stories about your service projects and how they improve lives via your own club media, community media options such as local community newspapers and local residents Facebook groups plus the District Newsletter/District Monthly Update.
What does Rotary mean to you? Get your members to tell their personal stories of how they have enjoyed Rotary including through fellowship and projects and share these at your meetings but also
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Last year was last year. Now is the time to look forward to refresh successful activities of the past as appropriate and to initiate new ideas to ensure future successes.
The energy of Rotary comes from the collective energy of its members. In large and small ways, how we support one another and work cooperatively on projects is how we ‘do good in the world’.
However, we all have our ups and downs, and Rotary clubs are no different. Sometimes there is harmony, good humour, fun and effective projects in which we all take pride, and sometimes there are disengagement issues that affect everyone and may prevent progress. There are also some clubs that depend on a few people to do too much, which can result in volunteer burnout. It is important therefore that we focus on the wellbeing of our existing members, as well as those we look to bring in to the club. After all, new members provide energy, enthusiasm, skills and passion, which drive Rotary clubs forward.
Membership in Rotary worldwide is a vital focus and is the reasons August’s theme is Membership Month.
Across Australia and New Zealand, Clubs recruit 12% new members every year, but lose 15% of members every year. This is not a path to the future, added to which our club membership is ageing. We simply must change our model to be relevant in a world which has changed dramatically. Another alarming statistic is that 40% of new members leave within their first two years. Why?
During the current health crisis, every corner of society is rethinking its priorities, core values and future directions. It is not a matter of just bunkering down and coming out to the same world we had before. It is essential that each Rotary club reassesses and reimagines what it should be like in the future. Here are some suggestions on how to revitalise your club:
Discuss your club plan in a club forum. Use Zoom breakouts to allow smaller group discussions, as well as whole club discussions. Perhaps use a Start/Stop/Continue format (see breakout box)
Modernise your meeting format and schedule in variety:
Face-to-face/hybrid with some in person, some online, projects, events and vocational visits. Mix it up.
Reduce costs involved in meals, travel and time expectations.
Do Rotary business online for efficiency, but have social events for members and families.
Update your club Constitution and Bylaws. These have been made available free to clubs by lawyer and Rotarian David Whiting and include some flexibility:
Consider a Satellite club option for 8 or more new members in a different format to the main club, but which is still part of the main club.
Investigate new membership categories of Corporate (for businesses wishing to support Rotary and provide development for their younger leaders), Associate members and Family members (clubs can use these as a volunteer resource as supporters, and as a transitional role into active membership) and retention of members facing major challenges.
Develop a wider view of Rotary participation that includes regular and ad hoc volunteer activities, making them part of the broader Rotary family.
Reach out to support or start Rotaract, Interact or Earlyact clubs in your community, secondary or primary schools.
Investigate event-based, hands-on projects to engage potential volunteers and members. An example is Rotary is adding ‘Supporting the Environment’ as a new Area of Focus. Get started with something local and build on it over time, with local government, other clubs, and stakeholders in your community.
Investigate project partnerships with organisations where the club is under-represented, e.g. local Indian, Chinese or other ethnic groups.
Investigate personal and club opportunities to engage in the internationality of Rotary through Rotary Action Groups, Fellowships, sister-club relationships, etc. Find a speaker to present to your members on these aspects.
Finally, take care of your current members. Many are at risk of anxiety, financial stress and social isolation. Stay in touch, as a friendly phone call is welcomed by everyone.
REFRESHING AND REVITALISING YOUR CLUB PAYS HUGE DIVIDENDS
The masks from Lanaco are proving to be incredibly popular with Rotary and there have been several projects as a prelude to the start of the Rotary One Million Masks campaign – Rotary Fiji, Auckland foodbanks and now the below:
On Friday 29 October 1600 Lanaco 'Brezy' masks, funded jointly between the Chenery Memorial Trust and the Rotary Club of Papakura, were delivered to the Papakura and Manurewa Marae in South Auckland for the protection of their front-line staff. Both operate testing, food banks and vaccinations from their Marae including running outreach vaccination programs that are vaccinating thousands. The Papakura Marae alone has vaccinated over 10,000 people as well as supplied thousands of Foodboxes and Community Meals and this is also happening at scale in the Manurewa Marae with Testing for Covid an added activity that needs to be supported.
The picture above(left to right) Peter Ross as chair of the Chennery Trust and of the District 9920 Youth and Development Committee,Tony Kake Chief Executive of the Papakura Marae and George Wilson Papakura Youth committee. Standing (left to right) Ariana Andrews RYPEN Leadership Committee and Hinei Joyce Papakura Marae Foodbank and Vaxination Center Manager all wearing these Rotary-branded masks.
A group of 10 runners is running the 12 volcanoes in Auckland on Sunday 24 October for rising the awareness of End Polio Now. It is on the World Polio Day and the runners will wear the EPN T-shirts when running. There is a support vehicle providing supplies along the way. Schedule with times is below
“Because of the efforts of Rotary and its partners, almost 19 million people are walking today who would have otherwise been paralysed.”
John Germ Past President, Rotary International
The eradication of polio is Rotary International’s longest, toughest and most significant project. Since its launch of PolioPlus in 1985, 1.2 million Rotarians have contributed more than $3 billion to help vaccinate 2.5 billion children across 122 countries. We have reduced polio cases by 99.9% and we will not stop until our goal of polio eradication is achieved.
“24 October is World Polio Day when we celebrate the achievements of polio eradication and focus on the tasks ahead,” says District Governor Ross Pinkham. “Rotary is committed to raising NZ$70 million each year for three years for polio eradication and has agreement from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to match that figure 2:1, contributing over NZ$210 million toward fulfilling Rotary’s promise to the children of the world: That no child will ever again suffer the devastating effects of polio.”
Poliomyelitis, mainly affects children under the age of five. There is no cure, but it is preventable with safe and effective vaccines. The virus is spread person-to-person, and through contaminated water. It can attack the nervous system, and lead to paralysis, however, many people can be infected and not have any symptoms. Intensive global surveillance, particularly of water and sewerage, help track the virus.
In 1988, Rotary formed the Global Polio Eradication Initiative with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Gates Foundation and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, joined later.
You can continue to make a significant contribution towards the elimination of the dreadful disease of Polio ... easily:
THE CONCEPT:
EVERY member of EVERY Rotary Club can donate just $10 to Rotary’s Polio fund in honour of these two great leaders Bill Boyd in NZ and Clem Renouf in Australia to mark World Polio Day in 2021/22.
If the large majority of the 33,000 Rotarians in Zone 8 (New Zealand/Australian Districts) contributed to this modest campaign, we have the ability to raise more than $250,000
Sokopeti – a Midwife from the isolated island of Ha’apai, 8 hrs by boat from the mainland of Tonga spoke of basic needs for mothers and their baby's and from this Rotary stepped up to provide packs that helped address these needs. But the story is much bigger than that as described below ...
RYLA (Rotary Young-person Leadership Awards) 2021 finally took place after the previous year’s event had to be cancelled due to the Covid 19 pandemic. With two years for planning, we took the opportunity to introduce several changes to the program. The outcome was an amazingly successful RYLA with 115 participants and a vastly expanded number of volunteers helping.
You only need to read the headlines to see the frightening effects Covid19 is having on Fiji at present! With new positive cases and the death toll rising rapidly they desperately need our help to support the already strained health and community resources.
Rotary Clubs of 9920, please help us to help our Pacific neighbours fight against Covid19.
We’re looking to provide further funding assistance to the Rotary Clubs of Fiji so they can continue their incredible work on the ground. The goal is to raise over $40,000 to assist with the initiatives the Fiji Rotary Clubs have in place - under the management of DGN Vineeta Nand and PDG Malini Raghwan.
How can you help? We’re asking clubs to provide urgent support by donating $1000 towards the “Fiji fight against Covid19” fund.
If this is something your club can do, please process via the following:
Deposit payment:
Bank account: 06-0193-0905286-030 (please ensure people enter -030 in the suffix field and NOT 03)
Code/Type: club name (short name - ignore "rotary club of")
RLI (Rotary Leadership Institute) is back! This learning programme is designed to educate and enthuse any Rotarians and Rotaractors who would like to learn more about Rotary, develop an understanding of the leadership and other opportunities Rotary offers, and build connections with other Rotarians from across Auckland and north (Districts 9910 and 9920).
We have redeveloped the RLI programme to enable different styles of learning and reduce the face to face time commitment while still delivering informative and engaging interactive sessions. Whether you are new to Rotary or Rotaract, new to your current club role or just want to get up to date, there is something for you. Go to HERE for more details.
To register please complete the Registration Form and send it to Ingrid Waugh at d9920rli@gmail.com Or feel free to call Ingrid on 0274298507 if you would like to know more.
The situation in Fiji arising from the current Covid-19 restricts and Lockdowns is terrible with significant impacts on the poorer families throughout the Islands. Throughout, Rotary Fiji has been organised and a significant contributor of assistance to these families. The Rotary Club of Suva Peninsula Sunset reached out to Botany Down Rotary with a proposal for a joint project that this relatively new Rotary club accepted with enthusiasm with outstanding results that will make a real difference to Fijian families.
On 2 June Suva Rotaract kickstarted their ongoing COVID Lockdown project with all safety protocols considered to help families struggling to have even basic food and necessities available.
Due to ongoing restrictions, helping the community has been quite a task with Rotaractors put their heads together and coordinated groceries to be delivered to families within the Waila Isolation Zone.
The response from the community has been enormous and illustrated by this c=Comment from their Facebook page: We are very very thankful for your support to the people of Waila housing nausori n giving them food rations which they have food on they table I'm very pleased with your help and support I'm so blessed with your help and everyone in this organization a big vinaka God bless everyone n thnx so much...
Usually a thriving town dependent on tourism, Nadi has almost come to a standstill since Fiji closed its borders over a year ago. Some people have managed to adapt and find ways to replace some of their income however many are still struggling to get by and unemployment remains high. When Nadi entered a lockdown period on 19th April 2021 due to COVID restrictions, families already struggling were pushed to the brink of survival. The Rotary Club of Nadi has been receiving a steady flow of pleas for assistance from community members.
One of the beautification and coastal preservation projects of the Rotary Club of Pago Pago is to plant mangrove seedlings and clean up in the coastal area of Lions Park. The Lions Park and Pala Lagoon areas is a diverse ecosystem that provides a habitat and sanctuary for many marine wildlife especially turtles. It is also a family recreational and picnic area and enjoyed by the local community. Over a dozen Rotarians have joined in the planting of these mangrove areas and cleaning up the lagoon area on a monthly basis to ensure a healthy and thriving coastal environment.
Photos: Rotarians plant mangrove seedlings to aid in coastal preservation | Rotarian Leni helping with clean up | Numerous bags of trash are filled up from garbage collection and removed from site.!
MANGROVE PLANTING & LAGOON CLEANUP PROJECT IN PAGO PAGO
Circus Quirkus is Rotary Newmarket’s major fun and fundraising event every year. It’s a blend of great world circus acts including acrobats, clowns and contortionists, whimsical juggling and more, and is brought to the arena by IEL, an events company.
Tickets are sponsored by local businesses and then these complimentary tickets are distributed to charities supporting less fortunate, disadvantaged and disabled children & their families, allowing them to have a great day out together. Over 10,000 tickets are distributed to attend one of the three shows throughout the day.
The noise was incredible. Just so loud and so frightening. We were sheltering under a table wondering if the roof would come off … and it did. “The kids were terrified. We could only tell them to hold on to whatever they could”.
Tropical Cyclone Yasa in December 2020 was the most severe cyclone in the Pacific in decades devastating large parts of Fiji and was promptly followed the very next month by a second severe Cyclone Ana. Cyclone Yasa was particularly devastating to Fiji’s northern islands including Vanua Levu with wide-spread destruction of buildings and the crops on which so many livelihoods depended.
It was into this situation that the Rotary Club of Labasa mobilised, initially to support their own member families, but quickly into distributing Emergency Response Kits. After the initial response, a visit to cyclone hit areas by Labasa Rotary members they realised that there was a need to provide people with roofs as soon as possible especially in cases where there were many family members and taking into consideration children and people with disabilities.
The act of sinking your hands in freshly tilled soil to plant new life creates a sense of incredible achievement. Trees for Survival is a Rotary founded programme inspiring young environmentalists - Kia tupu ai enei kakano hei rakau nui - that St Johns Rotary has supported since 2009 as part of the Environment and Science Committee. This is a programme widely supported by Rotary clubs across many schools.
Sometimes we are so connected to our screens and work that we can forget to connect to those around us which is why Rotary activities such as planting days like those held at Waitarua Reserve by Ellerslie Sunrise Rotary are so important.
Gabrielle Gimblett-Martin of Ellerslie Sunrise Rotary was key to finding and organising the volunteers for the packing of Emergency Repose Kits and here is her recounting of the 2020 ERK packing:
In 2020 five members of the Ellerslie Sunrise Rotary Club took on the project of organising the packing of Emergency Response Kits (ERKs) by District 9920 for use in the Pacific in times of disaster. This packing happens once a year after the Pacific cyclone season and produces enough ERKs in enough time to preposition throughout the Pacific and restock ready for the next disaster.
The Rotary Club of Auckland East was introduced to the Breakfast Club in 2015 and has been supporting it with donations of $9,000 - $10,000 each year since then as the Breakfast Club has extended its’ range of services into schools in the Glen Innes, Point England and Panmure areas. About 600 children directly, plus their family members benefit from this project with 10 Rotarians involved in support activities including collection of surplus bakery products and delivering them to local schools on 2 days each week.
To mark the Club’s 75th Anniversary, Rotary Newmarket has partnered with The University of Auckland to fund a post graduate research project -The Hauraki Gulf Environment Scholarship with Sophie Roberts as the inaugural winner. Sophie is pictured with Club President Scott Burridge (right), Professor Andrew Jeffs and Community/Environment Chair Boyne Drummond (left).
The full story of the club's environmental achievements is below.
Peter Ross reports on the weekly Rotary packing of food parcels for the Salvation Army that a collective of Rotary clubs does on a regular basis, and describes how this valuable initiative came about:
This all started back in lockdown in April 2020 when the Chenery Memorial Trust made the decision to donate $50,000 to the Salvation Army and in doing so get the matching dollars from the Mowbray family which was on offer at that time. Having convinced my Trustees to make this advance I thought I should follow it up and see where the funds were going. So, at the end of the first lock-down when we went to Level 3, I volunteered to assist with food pack deliveries to the community out of Manukau.
Lets get the Disclaimer out of the way first: This story is NOT an official Rotary viewpoint. What is written below is the presentation made by one member of a debating team at a Rotary meeting where the Moot was "Should Covid-19 vaccinations be compulsory for 18 year olds and older?". The debate argument by Mile Cain drew very wittingly on a Four Way Test analogy to make their point. The middle picture is the rather serious St Johns Rotary debating team and the last the very entertaining team from Auckland East Rotary. Go to the St Johns website for their 10 May Bulletin write up of the evening or their Facebook page.
Rotary does support Covid-10 vaccination - in fact Rotary clubs around the world are mobilizing in their communities to support the introduction and delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations and more on this is here.
So, click on "Read more" and enjoy one of the debate "arguments".
New Zealand is a wonderful country packed full of amazing scenery, exciting activities and wonderful people, much of which even the most energetic travellers bypass, overlook or often have never heard of. This year 18 ‘Bangers’ braved these wonders over 12 days starting on Tuesday 6 April from Bucklands Beach, Auckland to Bluff in this very unusual event created and run by Half Moon Bay Rotary since 2015.
One of the teams was Rotarians Gaye Harford and Hilary Prior who cast themselves as the “Wicked Witches” (the East Witch and the West Witch) and are pictured here with 'The Blue Broomstick', their car, fully decked out with their personal theme and sponsor logos.
Otahuhu Rotary member Richette Rodger commented that “Otahuhu Rotary has a lot of awesome projects, but a new one for us that was by far most rewarding both for Otahuhu Rotary and more importantly the wider Otahuhu community, was the Otahuhu Giving Trailer.”
The club tried this for the first time leading up to the Christmas period of 2020, a time when after a year of Covid disruption and heartbreak, there were many families finding Christmas a tough time.
We have the unique opportunity to sponsor one of our 12 Booths at the R100 celebrations on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th June2021.
This is only available to Rotary charities and Rotarians.
It is a wonderful opportunity for you to reconnect with our favourite charities, please review the list and assist in contacting charities where you can. Please confirm with Ruby Langstoneruby-langstone@rotaryoceania.zone as to who has been contacted already.
On Saturday 10 April, the Rotary Club of Suva Peninsula participated in their Environmental Project again cleaning the beach at the Suva Civic Center. Although only 1 month since the last cleaning there was again plenty to do, and again the Rotarians, First Circlers, and Next Generation Rotarians took on the challenge with smiles and good cheer. They will continue to make this a monthly event in order to keep this part of downtown Suva (which we are considering naming "Sunset Peninsula Beach") looking nice, and will be posting details on future clean-up dates and times so that anyone can join in!
56 students, 21 schools & 15 team leaders from Rotaract clubs Auckland & past Rotary Young Leaders Awardees at RYPEN2021, 26 to 28 March 2021, Kokako Lodge, Hunua. Awesome and inspiring weekend for all! After 72 hours these students went from strangers to each other to best of friends.
There are numerous ways you can assist (making calls to sponsors or being part of the Guest Experience team). We welcome you on board in ensuring we create a memorable celebration.
We are also looking to connect with Rotary founded organisations during our 100th year.
Please review the list below and if you have any contacts in any of those organisations, please send details to: Ruby Langstone ruby-langstone@rotaryoceania.zone who will ensure all contacts are added to our email marketing.
Every Rotary Club in New Zealand can trace its origins back to the founding of the Wellington and Auckland clubs in June 1921. Rotary activities in these tumultuous 100 years give us much to celebrate.
We hope you will be part of these celebrations and we are thrilled to confirm that the Rotary Centenary function will be on Friday, 25 June and the District Conference and Changeover on Saturday, 26 June and will be held in the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre at the recently refurbished Aotea Centre.
Once registration details are available on the District website, we will advise you so that you can book.
Brian Aitken and Steve Corbett are co-ordinating sponsorship of the events - booth $3,000; premium $5,000 or platinum $7,500 (includes premium + booth); for more information, please contact either brian@peddlethorp.co.nz or sdg.corbett@gmail.com
Rotary Centennial Celebration and District 9920 Conference and Changeover
Rotary Club of Labasa has assisted close to 100 houses with over 500 family members through its "Gift A Roof Project" initiative in Vanualevu and work continues to double this number. The urgent need to restore roofs was realized by the members upon visitation in after math of TC Yasa hence this project mainly focuses on the 4500 homes that had lost their roofs completely during TC Yasa.
Would you like an activity that is interesting and enjoyable, that you can do and grow into learning new skills at your own pace from anywhere, that brings out your creativity, is scalable to suit your available time and enables you to engage with Rotarians from all across Rotary?
If this sounds like you give Allan Smith a call on 021 959 397 with any questions you might have for a chat about the District Publicity Team.
Is the Ultimate enjoyable role in Rotary? Probably.
On the 14 March the members with partners of the Auckland and Bay of Islands Fleets of the International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians chartered the historic steam tug, William C Daldy, to spend an afternoon on the water in the hope of seeing some Americas Cup racing. This is one example of what this Fellowship gets up to with the Fellowship open to any Rotarian with an interest in boating (so why wouldn't you join!).
Here is a Hot Tip for your club and project success now and in the year ahead.
Promote your club and its projects. Easy! And, any Rotarian or Rotaractor can join in.
Yes, easy for two reasons:
You can ask for help from the District Public Image Committee (including myself) to ensure your website and Facebook pages are doing well.
You can harvest ideas from this specialised and very practically oriented Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/491985354562435 that any Rotarian can join and use all the ideas there. You can also post your projects there so they can be shared to a wider audience plus any publicity tips of your own.
The more keen Rotary and Rotaract members we have in the Group the better so please invite your Rotary-Rotaract colleagues and friends.
Each one of us has our own thoughts and great ideas about great PR in Rotary/Rotaract so please share these with the Group over time by posting to the page.
The only small request of all Group members is to mention in their Facebook profile that they are a member of their Rotary/Rotaract club and include a link to your club website or Facebook page. But that should be standard for all Rotarians/Rotaractors J
My name is Rosie, and I am from Baldock in the UK. I am currently living in Auckland, doing a Master of Arts in Sociology at the University of Auckland, as part of a Rotary Global Grant Scholarship. My background has always been in the humanities - I did my undergraduate degree in History at the University of Cambridge, UK, before going to Canada to do a Master of Arts in History - both looking at historical Indigenous settler relations.
Kevin was a normal healthy active child growing up in a rural area in the New Britain Province on the island if Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. Life was simple until he was diagnosed with a juvenile angiofibroma a relatively rare condition which only occurs in teenage boys, a growth develops between the eyes and spreads within the skull. This is his story of a life saved thanks to Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children.
Year 13 Baradene College student, Veronica Booth spoke to Ellerslie Sunrise Rotary (her sponsoring club) of her experience at the latest Rotary National Science and Technology Forum held at The University of Auckland in January.
The Forum is a programme aimed at high achieving, well-rounded science, maths and technology students in Year 12 who are returning to Year 13 and who are planning to study science or technology subjects at tertiary level.
This year, there were 174 students from all over New Zealand who gathered for two weeks of intensively programmed, live-in learning and experience.
Pohutukawa Coast Rotary are running the extremely popular Beachlands Maraetai Trolley Derby on Sunday 21 March 2021.
The event is popular with the public with lots of food and entertainment for the children, with prizes T shirts, caps and medals for participants. Run in one of Auckland Council’s parks the course winds through paddocks with breath-taking views of the Hauraki Gulf, Waiheke Island and Rangitoto
The Trolley Derby is an awesome community event that has a long history on the Pohutukawa Coast of Auckland. If you want to be involved as a volunteer (Rotary volunteers from any club are welcome), sponsor or a competitor please contact rotarytrolleyderby@gmail.com.
At Christmas category 5 Cyclone Yasa devastated Fiji and was followed early February by category 2 Cyclone Ana. Rotary in Fiji instantly became involved in providing relief to the many families suffering devastating loss and damage to property, possessions and in some cases, their livelihoods. This relief included the distribution of Emergency Response Kits and club care packages along with the identification and planning of building repair projects, mainly for replacing roofs. These pictures show examples of these relief efforts with Labasa Rotary supplying care packages and the before and after of a roof replacement. The last picture is from Savusavu Rotary distributing care packages.
These themes serve at least two purposes. First they can get you thinking about project possibilities and secondly the ideas on these topics in the magazine can provide direct project ideas (remember you can contact the featured clubs ad collaborate and / or ask for the project templates so you can do similar projects). Second you are invited to send in for consideration for inclusion your own project articles that match the monthly topic but need to do so at least 4 weeks ahead of publication. That way you get very wide (even global) publicity.
The devastation of Cyclone Yasa is illustrated in the pictures below. The local Rotarians are still very active in supporting their communities as we start 2021 so please make the decision to support their Appeal at https://rotarydistrict9920.org/page/cyclone-yasa-appeal-and-communiques/ From 31 December 2020 to 1 January 2021 Rotaract held a global Zoom-a-thon to raise funds for Cyclone Yasa relief ( https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/kick-out-2020 ) so if despite the summer break they can mobilise, so can the rest of us!
Your help for Cyclone Yasa is still very much needed
Donations to this fund are for support of Rotarians and therefore are
not charitable.
NB: the RNZWCS appeal for ERKs is not an immediate priority but clubs are encouraged to contribute towards the replenishment of ERK stocks distributed for Cyclone YASA as 2021 progresses. However, the RNZWCS Appeal is at https://www.rnzwcs.org/
I am the District Bulletin Editor and invite you to send stories and event notices for inclusion in forthcoming bulletins.
The monthly District Bulletin provides your club with invaluable publicity for your future events and to showcase your recent project successes. Please send your inclusions to editor@rotarydistrict9920.organd open up the opportunities for your club.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Debbie Klintworth
District 9920 Newsletter Editor 2020-2021
Warm regards
Debbie
Send your stories and notices for the next District Bulletin
Best wishes to all our wonderful Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, RotaKids and Alumni for a peaceful and happy end to 2020 and a bright and joyous welcome to 2021.
2020 has truly been a year full of shocks, sadness, and some growing relief.
For our District, the extra sadness of watching Cyclone YASA tear through the jewels, that are the Fijian islands, has only been softened by seeing our Rotary Fiji Leadership team be truly "People of Action".
A remarkable job already done and grit and determination to help on the ground now.
We have set up an appeal. If you are in a position to help that will be effective and appreciated.
Cyclone Yasa was the strongest cyclone for many years and has caused wide-spread devastation. The Rotary clubs of Fiji have determined the most effective way they can support their most affected communities and District 9920 has set up an urgent Appeal so that this vital support can be delivered through the Rotary clubs of Fiji. All details are at https://rotarydistrict9920.org/page/cyclone-yasa-appeal-and-communiques/.
While clubs have started their summer breaks the need for Rotary clubs to support this Appeal is urgent for the immediate benefit of Fijian communities. The Appeal is also open for general donations.
The hundreds of Rotarians from our many clubs in Auckland and the Pacific Islands thank you all for your amazing support over the last year and wish you all a relaxing summer break with your loved ones. Rotary clubs take a few weeks break over Christmas, but keep an eye on the Facebook page for your local club and take the opportunity of a new year full of renewed hope and enthusiasm to see what they have to offer you in 2021.
Super Heroes from Rotary Clubs of South East Auckland pulled a "Banger" all around the Howick Santa Parade on Sunday 13 December 2020. A great turnout from the Rotary Clubs of Auckland South, Half Moon Bay and Somerville. Lots of Polio Super Heroes in the walking group. Special thanks to Polio Batman and Polio Wonder Woman. This is but one Christmas event our Rotary clubs have been involved in throughout our communities; these range from being part of Christmas Parade to helping collect for food banks and much more.
Post Covid-19 food distributions by Lautoka Rotary continue. In the West of Fiji the loss of jobs that came about through large layoffs of employees in the tourism industry has had adverse effects. To families that live in city areas, children still attend school amidst sacrifices and to some point going without. Even in the West as the Rotary Clubs in both Nadi and Lautoka continue with assistance they are also assisted by our other Clubs in Suva. Recent assistance with thanks to Westpac Bank and Rotary Suva North the club was able to assist two school kitchens with 42 and 95 children respectively.
In Fiji, Covid-19 related impacts on families continue to be serious
Invitation to District 9920 President Elect Development (PED)
November 22, 2020, 1.00-4.30pm (New Zealand Time)
Kia ora, Hello, Kia Orana, Bula, Namaste, Bonjour, Tālofa lava, Mālō e lelei, and Mauri Rotarians and Rotaractors.
As we begin the lead up to Christmas and reflect upon an unprecedented year across Aotearoa/New Zealand and the world, we recognise how grateful we are for our dedicated response to COVID19 to date, allowing us to re-imagine a new normal, for our families, businesses, country and Rotary.
DGE Stephen Chaney together with the Leadership Elect Development Team (LED), are privileged and excited to build upon the District on-line delivery and in-person sessions over the next few months for Rotarian and Rotaract Leadership Elect Development 2021-2022.
As part of the new ways of working and to assist with building collective capacity and capability in our clubs, we are extending the invitation to the President Leadership Development (PED) session to other members of your club. You are welcome but not limited to, inviting your current President or board members and new members in your year.
The first of these opportunities is President Elect Development (PED) to be presented on-line on Sunday November 22, 1-4.30 pm New Zealand time.
To ensure we keep relevant and responsive to Rotarian and Rotaractors expectations of President Leadership Development could you and or others please complete the short survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3CFVQKG by Monday 16 November 5.00pm. This will be used to inform the final programme content.
As part of your preparation for the PED session we would also like everyone to log on to the MyRotary - Learning Center https://learn.rotary.org/members/learn/catalog to access the Learning Module: Club President Basics.
Workshop 1: Planning for Success, will refer to a.Getting Started: With the Learning Center, b.Get Ready: Club President modules only for the breakout room discussion. Please go through these two modules prior to the 22 November session at:https://learn.rotary.org/members/learn/lp/2/club-president-basics.
We would also encourage you and your club members to check out other Learning Center modules that you would find beneficial to increase your Rotary knowledge of roles in your Club and District and as part of succession planning.
District ICT Chair John Fothergill has created a web page link (below) for Rotarian's and Rotaractors to register for the PED session on Sunday 22 November. You will need to be logged in to Clubrunner to register – if you don’t have your Clubrunner login – click here (https://www.clubrunnersupport.com/article/104-how-do-i-log-in-district) to find out how to get it and log in.
The REGISTRATION TABS will OPEN from Tuesday 10 November and close on Friday 20 November.
Reminder, that the online PED session process has two parts: Part 1. Register via the link tab(above). Once you have registered you will receive an email confirming your registration. Part 2 The link for the PED session will be sent on Saturday 21 November to attend the PED session on Sunday 22 November.
Should you have any issues booking in for the PED session, please contact myself edithchaney@xtra.co.nz or John Fothergill john.fothergill@xtra.co.nz
The PED session will be recorded and made available on our District website in the Learning and Development page.
Note the Pacific Island dates and times (below) to align with New Zealand.
We look forward to seeing you all on-line as part of District 9920 President Elect Development (PED) session on Sunday 22 November, 1-4.30pm
Ngā mihinui / Yours in Rotary,
Edith Chaney, Ursula Bach, Beryl Robinson, Becky Giblin, Malini Raghwan, Shaun Peacock (District Leadership Elect Development Team 2020-21)
Invitation to District 9920 President Elect Development (PED)
Members of the ROTARY CLUB OF SUVA PENINSULA SUNSET distributed Diwali hampers to various HART homes (explained below) between Suva & Nausori. Diwali being the season of light and love and sharing, our members and families and friends pooled their resources and decided to share our hampers with .... families.
This Diwali hamper distribution has been part of our Club’s community service for about 20 years.
Mt Eden Rotary was delighted to donate 80 copies of the New Zealand Road Code and 65 Māori language books (“Raupo Pocket Dictionary of Modern Maori” , “Maori Made Easy”, and “A Maori Word a Day”) to the Mt Eden Corrections Facility
According to the industry, 72% of New Zealanders traveled for leisure purposes in 2019 and of course most of this travel is now within our borders (“holidaying at home”). So, people are looking for options and new experiences and it seems to naturally follow that Rotarians can use their Rotary network to help them in this and there is an existing structure to help you with BOTH domestic and (one day in the future) international travel - the International Travel and Hosting Fellowship – ITHF
Rotaract Club (Auckland City) ran 11 kms of the Auckland Marathon on Sunday 1 November to support and raise awareness of their Rotary project of choice, Rotary Give Every Child A Future (GECAF). The $3000 (plus) raised will be matched $1 for $1 to $3000 by The Vodafone Foundation - what an amazing achievement. They were supported by Rotaractors from across the global such as illustrated in this inspiring POST from Uganda
Five years ago Papatoetoe Central Rotary were Chartered to much fanfare and promise. That potential has been well achieved with the members of this exceptionally vibrant club ever-present in their community and strong supporters of Rotary activity in the District and internationally. The Celebration of the their five years of service was a colourful and vibrant evening well attended by Rotarians, partners and community. Congratulations!
On 30 October 2020 the 27 Charter members of the Rotary Club of Botany Downs were welcomed to the family of Rotary. Under the leadership of President Gagan Dhillon the club is already active including the raising of funds for Polio Eradication and Interplast.
A Friday morning in October saw the learning garden project fully realised with the joyful opening event at Stanhope Road School. The Junior School students sat beneath the magnificent 60-year old tree 'Oma' which was planted at the foundation of the school. The historical link built right beneath this new development was most fitting.
Friday 23 October saw dozens of Rotarians, Rotaractors and supporters on the Auckland Transport Network all day. A sea of red for Polio you could not miss. You can still support the global cause for Polio Eradication HERE
A huge Thank You to our sponsors and all who took part.
A sea of red is set to engulf Auckland commuters tomorrow (23 October 2020) as hundreds of campaigners take to trains and ferries in a campaign to raise awareness about ending polio.
Watch out for a sea of red at the Britomart Station on Friday, October 23rd. It is the second year in succession that Rotary in Auckland is organising a `Ride a train to enable others to walk’ event.
Just when the world is fighting a deadly battle against Coronavirus, the Rotary initiative of eradicating wild poliovirus from Africa recently made international headlines.
Immunizing more than 2.4 billion children in 122 countries since the last 30 years is an unimaginable feat, though sadly, the wild poliovirus still paralyses children in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As long as polio exists anywhere, it remains a threat everywhere.
It’s the reason why Rotary in New Zealand has been going hard, to wipe out the virus from the face of this earth.
The Rotary Club of Tawara have announced that their first major aid project, the Kiribati Sanitation Project, has been successful in its Rotary Global Grant (US$100,000+) with partnering clubs of Rotary Club of Richfield and the Rotary Club of Otahuhu.
Thanks to this project the following three Betio communities will be recipients of a high standard sanitation build, each comprising of 5 toilets and 2 shower facilities:
Ueen te Uri Community.
Ueen te Tangira Community.
Uaan Kunkun Community.
The success of this application is due to the joint efforts of a wide range of individuals and organisations whose commitment to combating open defecation by helping families in communities with a dignified solution. Over 110 households and over 500 individuals will directly benefit from this sanitation project to provide happier and healthier solutions for the people of the three communities.
Thuis is an excellent example of a partnership project that funded a medical bus providing an ability to provide free healthcare to communities that otherwise would miss out.
Nadi Medical Bus provides free healthcare to outlying communities
Rotaract Club (Auckland City) will be running part of the Auckland Marathon on Sunday 1 November to support and raise awareness of our Rotary project of choice, Rotary Give Every Child A Future (GECAF).
GECAF has partnered with UNICEF and aims to vaccinate and protect 100,000 children from rotavirus, pneumococcal disease, and cervical cancer, across nine Pacific Island Countries.
A Give-a-Little page has been created to accept your support – note that every $50 you donate vaccinates one child. Also, please help us by sharing the great news of this project among your friends and contacts as the Pacific community is an integral part of our New Zealand community and a project like GECAF is something that enables everyone to help in a very worthwhile way. GoHERE to donate. Click on the header to open the story and use the social media bar to share this good-news story among your friends.
Support Rotaract as they run the Auckland Marathon for GECAF
Join the team of Rotarians riding Auckland's transport promoting polio - anyone can make a donation to the polio team (in red polio shirts) to support polio eradication as you travel about Auckland.
We are on a countdown to history and with your help we can end polio for good. Let's all Tag Polio Off.
In October 2020 there are two special events both of which you can support whether as a Rotary club and / or as an individual (click on images for webpages):
17-24 October:
A selection of wonderful art to grace your home or office - anyone can bid and support polio eradication.
Join the team of Rotarians riding Auckland's transport promoting polio - anyone can make a donation to the polio team (in red polio shirts) to support polio eradication as you travel about Auckland.
Since the beginning of June four Rotary Clubs have been assisting the Salvation Army in Manukau with Packing Food Parcels.The clubs involved are Newmarket, Papakura, St Johns and Remuera with input from other club members from time to time. Since June we have packed over 3000 food parcels, can boxes and Hygiene packs and this has been of considerable help to the Salvation Army food distribution program,
The World Health Organization (WHO) on 25 August announced that transmission of the wild poliovirus has officially been stopped in all 47 countries of its African region. This is a historic and vital step toward global eradication of polio, which is Rotary’s top priority.
After decades of hard won gains in the region, Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) — WHO, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the vaccine alliance — are proclaiming the milestone an achievement in public health. They offer it as proof that strong commitment, coordination, and perseverance can rid the world of polio.
Rotarians from all our clubs have and continue to support through their volunteer hours and donations the commitment of Rotary to eradicate polio. With World Polio Day coming up on 23 October there are many activities focused on supporting this cause including the Tag You On- Tag yPolio Off initiative on the Auckland train network.
Friday 7 August saw people streaming into the Glen Taylor School Hall full of anticipation for an entertaining evening, a time to relax and escape the worries of these times. And they did. It was a Full House with every seat taken by Rotarians and Rotaractors, their partners, friends and family. The team from St Johns Rotary had totally succeeded in their dual objectives to put on an evening that would be entertaining and to enable people to support the club's projects in the community, especially those supporting youth, as in addition to the modest ticket price there were raffles, silent auctions and other ways to contribute.
Rotary National Science and Technology Forum will next be held 10-23 Jan. 2021. This Forum is a programme aimed at high achieving, well-rounded science, maths and technology students in Year 12 at New Zealand Secondary Schools who will be returning to Year 13 and who are planning to study science or technology subjects at tertiary level in New Zealand. Details have been emailed to all Auckland clubs of the District and more information is at https://rotarysciencetechforum.wordpress.com/about/event-details/ or by contacting Peter Buchanan Action required as 31 August 2020 is the final date for fully completed Student applications to be submitted to their local Rotary Clubs
The work of Rotary begins in the community, and every community has its own unique needs and concerns. While we serve in countless ways, we focus our efforts and resources in (now) seven key areas to maximize our impact. Across the previous six areas of focus Rotarians have included a strong emphasis on caring for the environment and sustainability and indeed some of the criteria for these in applying for grants supports these concepts.
Now this concern for the environment has been taken a logical step further through the addition of the seventh area of focus; supporting the environment. The very strong support for a wide range of environmental projects by Rotary clubs in Auckland and the Pacific means this is welcome news as it opens an avenue of support for larger projects of greater impact. Rotary projects generally offer the opportunity for casual volunteering – just contact your local Rotary club.
With this month being Plastics-free July, our Science and Environment Director (Peter B) would like to bring this 3.5 minute video to our attention. It has been produced by the Royal Society of NZ and the Sustainable Business Network (Foodstuffs / New World Supermarkets are members) and can be viewed by clicking onto the following link: https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/major-issues-and-projects/plastics/video-turning-around-our-plastics-problem/
The video highlights both the quantity of plastics that we use, but also their value to us: "Plastic isn't the problem. It's what we do with it. And that means the onus is on us to be far smarter in how we use this miracle material." Globally, there is urgent need to minimise waste plastic getting into the environment. It fits well with this months worldwide Environmental focus to reduce/eliminate single-use plastics.
The “Bangers to Bluff” Rally is an annual charity event organised by the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay (Inc). It is an opportunity to travel from Auckland to Bluff with a small group of likeminded adventurers, on a carefully crafted route through spectacular Aotearoa. A unique and rich experience, the start of lifelong friendships and participation in greatly appreciated support for widely loved and respected NZ charities. 12 days from 6 to 17 April 2021. All details at http://www.bangerstobluff.co.nz/
Great News - we are delighted to be able to advise you, our funders and supporters, that The Rotary Foundation has approved our Fiji Oxygen Global Grant. The funds available total US$404,767. Of that amount 45 per cent has been provided by you and by our clubs. Rotary districts around the world have provided a further 15 per cent and The Rotary Foundation grant amounts to 40 per cent (approximately) and is paid in two instalments.
The delivery of the project is in the joint hands of our cooperating partners, Cure Kids, Fiji Ministry of Health & Medical Services (Fiji MoHMS) and an expert team from the University of Auckland, ably led by Associate Professor Stephen Howie.
Cure Kids Fiji was launched in 2006 in partnership with Accor Hotels. Since then, Cure Kids has partnered with Fiji MoHMS to deliver more than FJ$7 million of initiatives in child health. In recent years, Cure Kids Fiji has focused on preventing and improving outcomes for children living with rheumatic heart disease. Also on improving oxygen supplies in health facilities to prevent death and illness from severe respiratory conditions.
Cure Kids has already demonstrated proof of concept with the installation of oxygen concentrators at six sites in Fiji. The photos show the concentrators being unpacked at Taveuni Hospital and the solar power unit at Nausori Health Centre, two of the existing established sites.
I write this message with only a few days left as District Governor. On 1 July I will join an illustrious group of Past District Governors who have contributed so much to Rotary and the community in our district and beyond.
The year as District Governor has been amazing and eventful. My wife Jan and I have many warm memories as Rotarians have welcomed us into club meetings and we have been privileged to see Rotarians supporting projects and having fun. While all the time living our motto of “Service Above Self” and doing good in the community and around the world.
It’s great to see clubs collaborating and supporting our Pacific Island clubs. The measles epidemic claimed over eighty young lives in Samoa and tropical cyclone Harold caused significant devastation in Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga. The emergency response kits (ERKs) were prepositioned and immediately available to help those in need. The ERKs programme is well supported by clubs in our district and other districts and we will soon be volunteering to replace the stock of ERKs used during the recent disaster.
The 2019-2020 year has been a year of change. In many ways it has been pivotal with the advent of COVID-19 and with the forced lockdowns we have all needed to adapt. Rotarians and clubs learnt to use Zoom and other methods to communicate and engage their members. It was pleasing to see so many helping those isolated or needing help during lockdown. Now that we are in Level 1 we are returning to meetings. Many clubs have adopted Zoom or other technologies, either as part of their meeting or have replaced some meetings with a Zoom meeting. Many of the district committees and board meetings, the Leaders-elect Development, District AGM and the Rotary International Convention have been held virtually. This is part of the new normal and one of the benefits is that the Pacific Islands, eClub and travelling Rotarians can participate.
Like many of you, I attended the Rotary International virtual convention with the general sessions starting at 1.00 am and finishing at 2.30 am NZST. Many others have been able to watch the sessions on demand.
L-R: Isa (Chile), Luise (Austria), Eva (Germany), DG Gary & wife Jan, Elise (France), Tijn (Netherlands), Clara (Denmark)
Front L-R: Robyn Inbound Coordinator & Tracey Faber RYE Chair
The District 9920 Rotary Youth Exchange Committee recently held a very special function for the departing RYE students, their host families, Counsellors and other Rotarian’s connected with the RYE programme. The gratitude of the students for the extraordinary and life changing experience of their exchange in New Zealand (their words) was evident as was the positive impact the students also made with their host families who commented that these students were an endorsement of their countries and the RYE programme.
Most people have heard of the Rotary Youth Exchange, the world's biggest and best-known student cultural exchange program. It is said that the programme provides students with a ‘year that defines a lifetime’ and the students about to depart after a year in New Zealand and Alumni who later in life reflect on their participation would endorse this as almost an understatement. The following is a distillation of the presentations from the departing students, their host families and Counsellors.
Rotary Oceania covers New Zealand and most of the Pacific Countries. Indigenous peoples, both within New Zealand and in the Pacific, have little presence on the Video logs (Vlogs) and yet this is the most accessible format for direct communication by the marginalised and the disadvantaged. The barrier is access to the equipment and training to use it. ROZOPS has developed a studio-in-a-box that can be delivered into communities, along with the Podcast competition providing a focal point for learning.
Rotary’s club network can take on the task of helping schools confirm need, raising funds and delivering this technology into the schools with set-up and learning support from the ROZOPS ICT team.
To find out more about what this initiative is about and how you can participate CLICK HERE
The annual District Walk in the Park was again a chance for Rotarians and family to mix 'n mingle. Cornwall Park is lovely any time of the year and the sun broke out as all gathered at the Band Rotunda for the start of an easy 5km through the meadows and trees. The walk ended at the cafe for the needed morning tea and some more chat 'n laughter.
Service opportunities and fellowship. That is why we joined Rotary and that is why we stay … if we get enough of these. Among us we will have different preferences – some of us thrive if we are engaged in service projects. While others like the projects, although tend to enjoy the fellowship more. But if we do not get enough of what we want, our support of Rotary will slowly dwindle away.
Imagine if as a Rotarian, you were able to pick and choose what interested you from a wide range of options at any time of the year. Whether a service project or social activity, whether created by your club or others. Think of the people you would meet and the experiences and satisfaction you would enjoy. Isn’t that the sort of vibrancy that drew you to Rotary?
Christchurch South Rotary certainly know how to present their substantial achievements in a timely and visually useful way (dated 24 June 2020 at their Changeover). Their website and Facebook pages are similarly great with current and useful information that clearly showcases their club. This is an example to all clubs. You do not and should not wait until your AGM sometime in the future to do this as the relevance is lost on those outside Rotary and many members. If you do - get this good news out to your members, your community, your sponsors and supporters and those you have helped ASAP.
If you missed the Virtual Rotary International Convention General Sessions or possibly more importantly, the Featured Breakouts, they are available on-line via www.riconvention.org ... go to the section to want and click on the topic you want to watch (the Featured Breakouts cover many very useful topics and can take 2 days to be put up after the actual session).
The link to the first Featured Breakout, Using Virtual Tools to Engage Members, is https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cY10rhCS16 The PowerPoint slides used are available via the Learning Center.
View the recorded Virtual RI Convention General Sessions and Breakouts
Firstly, many thanks to all our District 9920 club members who checked into the first leadership-elect development (LED) sessions over June 7 and 14 Sunday afternoons. It was so special to have our Pacific Islands members present and learning alongside of our Tamaki/Auckland club members for the first time! Also great to have other district members join us as well as global whanau – Jean Louis- Bonjour!
This was the first time this programme (previously LETS) has been delivered via the Zoom platform which has been a gift of COVID-19. It has enabled Rotary clubs across Aotearoa and the world to keep connected.
Secondly, a big thank you to our facilitators who prepared and presented their unique sessions which were informative, participatory and engaging. Again, a new space for many of our facilitators who perfectly managed the challenge.
All video recording of all sessions is accessible on the YouTube Rotary Oceania website just click here.
Thinking back to last year; magazines flew of the shelves. The suddenly that all changed and supplies of printed magazines went unsold. End dates for these posed a problem for those with these stocks who then set about seeking a creative solution that would at least see these put to good use. A North Shore, Auckland Rotarian was contacted by a magazine publisher who had 1,600 copies of the Boy-Zone and Total Girl magazines they wanted to donate to Auckland schools. In the District 9920 area, Auckland South Rotary took up the challenge to arrange the distribution of 800 magazines to six Decile-1 schools as depicted in the photo. This was a big task but the club team excelled resulting in so many smiling faces. A similar distribution occurred in District 9910.
Rotary has the network, the 'can-do' attitude and the integrity to inspire confidence that we can take donations and other opportunities make do good with them. As clubs we need to spread the word in this regard.
The first recipient in District 9920 of the Young Totara Award was Molly Hillman for her school-based charity enterprise ‘Second Step”. The Young Totara Award recognises the positive achievements of our young people, promotes sound role models for our youth and fosters responsible attitudes towards the community. By singling out and recognizing young people with these qualities, we can promote these ideals and encourage positive role models for the growing generations. This new initiative for District 9920 is recommended for all clubs to use at anytime of the Rotary year.
I wanted to take this opportunity to pass on my details. It has been great to meet so many who want to make a difference to their Rotary club teams.
We need team members who are familiar with many aspects of social media and marketing event management and want to expand their talents in building video and podcast material. The ideal person is a Rotarian or Rotaract member but this may not always be the case. You may be a university student who wants to expand their experience and knowledge. This could be you or someone you know.
I would be very happy to discuss further so please contact me to explore this opportunity.
The Centenary of Rotary International was held in the 2004-2005 Rotary year. Rotary was founded on 23 February 1905.
The Centennial Governors were charges with Celebrating Rotary and this was done by encouraging and supporting all clubs to create a lasting Centennial project in their community, something over 80% of clubs did. In addition, there were District special celebration events cumulating in the massive Rotary Convention in Chicago. A Centennial book was produced: A Century of Service – the story of Rotary International
The Rotary Foundation celebrated its centennial in the 2016-2017 Rotary year. The Rotary Foundation was formed in 1917 with the first donation then and the Foundation was (re)named The Rotary Foundation in 1928. Throughout the year the global and local contribution of The Rotary Foundation was celebrated in District and international events. A Centennial book was produced: The Rotary Foundation - Doing Good in the World
The 100 years of Rotary in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania is being held in the 2020-2021 Rotary year. The Rotary Club of Melbourne was founded on 1 May 1921, the Rotary Club of Auckland on 13 June 1921 and the first Pacific club was the Rotary Club of Suva, founded 26 March 1936.
The District Governors for this Centennial of Rotary in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania are supporting two projects that celebrate this milestone being the regional ‘Rotary Give Every Child a Future’ Pacific immunisation project and in New Zealand the ‘Mana Tangata’ History project. In addition, there will be special celebratory events through the year.
Message from District 9920 Rotary Foundation Chair, PDG Jennie Herring:
Rotary is no exception to the stresses that the COVID-19 public health and economic crises have brought to many businesses and individuals.
We have shown however that we can respond quickly. In the past few months Disaster Response Grants totalling US$4.25million have been made by The Rotary Foundation to address needs in 172 Rotary Districts in areas as diverse as Central Africa, Italy and Ohio. From personal protective equipment, to ventilators, to foodbanks – Rotarians, through our Foundation, have been helping support communities around the world.
After last year’s successful inaugural event when $76K was raised by combined Districts 9910 & 9920, we promised with your support to bring together a Bigger, Better, Bolder repeat this year. This years event is being planned for World Polio Day, Friday 23 October (TBC). Standby!
As things return to some normality, what needs to be done to create a 'new normal'? That place, where as a club, we can actually build on past successes, overcome some of the past bottlenecks to progress and embed that vibrancy we all crave.
It is time to get some fresh air! Our last weekend of the Rotary year, so why not come together & talk about what has been going on in your clubs, your lives & how we are all coping.
The Rotary Club of Savusavu has been working with the leading women’s advocacy group,
iSoqosoqo Vakamarama iTaukei Cakaudrove, to establish a bottle re-use programme in Savusavu.
It’s a simple and very useful project; people bring their used bottles to a table in the Savusavu market and anyone can collect them and take them away. Women from the local villages use the bottles for coconut oil, homemade chutneys and jams and even carrying water. Having a stand at the market makes it easy for women to collect them and then get on the bus to go home. It’s also easy for locals to drop off their used bottles for the project.
Elenoa Kaisau of iSoqosoqo Vakamarama says, “The local women from the villages are very pleased. They say that water tastes better when it’s kept in a glass bottle and a lot of them prefer them for keeping coconut oil, especially when it’s a gift. When the rules on social gatherings are lifted there will be a surge of weddings and coconut oil is often a popular gift.”
Professor Robert Elliott, CNZM Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Sir Robert Elliott, who prefers to go by Bob, says imagination is the key to having a successful career in medical research. He should know, having spent about sixty years of his life dedicated to trying to better the quality of life for people - especially children. Bob is a long-standing member of the Rotary Club of Remuera.
In 1971, Bob co-founded the Child Health Research Foundation, now known as Cure Kids. The foundation struggled during the 1990s and Bob thought it might have tipped over. However, he made a valuable discovery. He found that milk from different sorts of cows had effects on human health but, at the time, Bob wasn't all that bothered by it. In an interview with the NZ Herald Bob said, "I didn't think much of it at the time and took a patent out that caught the eye of commerce and thus was born the A2 Milk Corporation. The corporation was prepared to pay handsomely for that patent and Cure Kids took off from there - it brought in a small fortune."
Looking back on his career, it was Cure Kids which pleased him as it would continue to fund top-grade research for children's health long after he was ‘pushing up daisies’. His career might not have been possible without his older sister though, who taught him the importance of using imagination which he thought was ‘extremely important’. "You have to imagine how a problem could be resolved and let your imagination go wild," Bob said. "People need to think as widely as they can and not be restricted by can't attitudes. If you've got a good imagination, you'll come up with solutions for all sorts of things." While he had failed hundreds of times, there were half a dozen or so successes which were adopted internationally for the treatment of children with diseases of which Bob is immensely proud.
June is Fellowship month in the Rotary calendar. It is a time to celebrate the many achievements that Rotarians and clubs have achieved in District 9920 and beyond. It is also time to get ready for club and district changeovers.
Now that the government has extended maximum meeting numbers to 100, some clubs are starting the journey to return to physical meetings. While good progress has been made to crush COVID-19, precautions still need to be taken to prevent a resurgence of the virus. The question for many clubs is to meet or not to meet. I have been asked for advice and my response is that it is a decision that each club needs to make based on their unique circumstances. The government guidelines on meeting numbers and physical distancing need to be factored into each decision. Each club must assess the ability of the meeting venue to meet these requirements and they also need to consider the membership age profile of the club. The other consideration is whether the members are ready to return. Several clubs are trying out a hybrid meeting with a smaller group meeting and the speaker and members able to join by Zoom.
Over the last month I have visited twenty-four clubs who have been holding online Zoom meetings. It has been wonderful to revisit clubs that Jan and I had the opportunity to visit before COVID-19. It’s been great to see clubs actively engaging with members, hosting visitors and speakers and finding ways to assist those in need in the community. The use of technology will be part of the new normal when we emerge from COVID-19.
With the advent of Level 2 restrictions, do we start meeting physically or keep up our current practices e.g. holding meetings via Zoom? The decision is something that each club President and their team will need to make for themselves as we are all different in our makeup and the locations where we meet give us all different challenges.
Do you want more members, or just to make sure your current members are happy? Then tell them about the 100 or more Rotary recreational Fellowships they can join (including the displayed ones). Rotary is more than service and club activities as among these Fellowships there is something for every taste. For more go to https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/more-fellowships
As the 2020-2021 Rotary year starts it is imperative that the correct Theme logo is used on club websites, Facebook pages, documents and more because nothing makes your club look out of touch than outdated collateral.
The 2020-2021 Theme logo materials are available from > Brand Center > Logos > Theme logos (login required).
This includes the Theme Color Chart to download - picture of this is below. It is suggested you download a full set to your PC for future easy access.
Throughout the Covid-19 crisis most clubs have found their own special ways to support their members and where practical, their community. This is a small part of the Lautoka Rotary story as told from their Facebook page:
These are four out of a series encouraging Alumni to Reconnect with Rotary. You may have seen these on the District Facebook page www.facebook.com/rotarydistrict9920 and a similar series will also soon run on the Rotary Oceania Facebook page www.facebook.com/rotaryoceania
Past participants of our programmes know who we are and are 'prequalified' to engage with us whether as members, sponsors, volunteers or more but often are waiting to be asked by you. So go though your lists - who has your club sponsored to Rotary Foundation or District programmes that you can reconnect with? Give it a go and ASK them.
Want more members at the beginning of the Rotary year ... one word - ALUMNI
If you are a Rotary club wanting to reach and engage with your community what is the easiest and most time and cost-effective means of achieving this?
That is easy. Social media and in particular and familiar to most clubs, Facebook. Facebook has become a mainstream method for Rotary clubs to increase engagement (potential members, sponsors, volunteers, project participants), to boost brand visibility and further reach than is otherwise easy to achieve. It is effective simply because so many people use it.
So, your club has a Facebook page but are you really, honestly, using it well enough to get decent results? Maybe not but have a look below for some ideas to ensure that you are fully opening the Rotary opportunities of this.
Some new information about the upcoming Rotary Virtual Convention. Not at the best time for us in the South Pacific, but very exciting to be a part of. Put your alarms on, share in a very different experience & see what Rotary in the world are up too.
Would you like to see “fame” come to one of your photos? Well, there are high quality video(s) made about Rotary in NZ and the Pacific Islands to be produced to go onto our Oceania website, Facebook, YouTube Channel and possibly a TV channel.
So, what is wanted is good quality (hi-res) photos about Rotary projects that you think are interesting. These can be environmental, health related, mentoring and youth associated photos. For example, science and technology, RYE, RYLA, walkways, planting, ROMAC, etcetera, to build up an extensive picture of the many faces of Rotary.
Sunday 3 May a global live stream Telethon was held by Rotary International for a global audience to hear stories of hope, inspiration and gratitude from Rotarians, Rotaractors and friends of Rotary from across the globe as they share what they are doing to help their communities.
Pictured are the RYPEN Leadership Team – Gabriel, Claire, Grace & Henry.
Due to Covid-19, all District Youth Programmes were cancelled including the 2020 Rotary Youth Programme of Enrichment (RYPEN) Camp, which was to be held from 27-29 March 2020 at Kokako Lodge.
While it was no possible for the camp to go ahead as originally planned, the organisers still wanted to provide the students with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills as for many it would not be possible to reapply in 2021 as their schooling progressed. With Alert Level 4 requiring students to isolate in their 'bubbles' the obvious solution was to make use of readily available technology to deliver the RYPEN leadership curriculum online. This initiative is borne out of discussion over SKYPE on the night the Team cancelled the Camp on 9 March and the first video was out during the first week of lockdown.
Now that we have left Level 4 for Level 3 and the uncertainties this represents include just how long this will go on for, we can reflect on progress to date in the response by Rotary.
The first and most obvious is that clubs have had to meet on-line and most seem to be doing this OK. Members, even the “technophobes” have quickly adopted regular attendance to these electronic meetings as a way of staying in touch and beating the isolation blues. Often clubs are reporting that these meetings are gaining more attendance that their normal meetings, but it has been acknowledged that the preference for the usual face-to-face meetings remains.
Auckland East Rotary has answered the call by the Salvation Army for drivers to deliver food parcels to families facing serious difficulties putting food on their tables at this time of crisis. Unfortunately, the need is rapidly growing right across Auckland and even though the club has had a good response from members and Friends of Auckland East Rotary more drivers are needed – if you can assist call sam.m.mukhtar@gmail.com for more information.
I am pleased to advise that the District 9920 Nominating committee have selected Allan K Smith as District Governor for the Rotary year 2022-2023. 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.
Allan is a past president of the Rotary Club of St Johns, District 9920 Area Governor 2020-2021 and a panel member of the Rotary Governance Working Group. Sue is the NZ Operations Manager for ROMAC - Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children and works as a volunteer for many organisations such as the Cancer Society.
Jan and I wish Allan and Sue every success in their year as District Governor and I look forward to Allan joining the DG train as District Governor Nominee.
Gary Langford District Governor 2019-20 Rotary District 9920
Rotary Give Every Child A Future is Rotary Australasia’s centennial project to introduce three vaccines into nine Pacific Island countries. It has just reached a significant milestone with the approval of nine Global Grants by The Rotary Foundation. These grants, one for each country for the first year of the project, have a combined value of US$1.3 million.
Global grants are made up of Rotary club fundraising and Rotary District Designated Funds which are then matched by The Rotary Foundation’s World Fund.
RGECAF can now move to the implementation phase of this major public health initiative in the Pacific. Through our collaboration with UNICEF, 100,000 women and children will benefit individually, saving lives and saving families. In addition, the project will significantly strengthen health systems in each of the nine countries, providing a sustainable legacy of improved healthcare.
The free version of Zoom has a 40 minute meeting limit and other restriction although good for first-time users to try out. If your club is looking longer=tern to use Zoom for on-line club, Board or Committee meetings then a paid account is an option to consider.
It may not be radical or wildly Instagram worthy compared to pictures of Rotary volunteers delivering food parcels to grateful elderly or the myriad of other roles that are in the public eye, but Rotarians throughout New Zealand and the Pacific have been connecting with others fills a very essential function during this crisis.
Thank you to all who have and continue to willingly and brightly performed the role of cheer squad with your members and others who need perking up and to ensure people are not feeling isolated as they stay at home to keep all safe.
Early on in Alert Level 4 Manukau City Sunrise Rotary was aware that some families in their community were likely to be finding things tough during the current crisis where lockdown had restricted movement and, in many cases, suspended jobs affecting income. What the club wanted was to find a way to relieve some of the stresses those families were facing in outing food on the table.
The club’s solution came through one of their members, Pelu Leaupepetele who is the Principal of Kedgley Intermediate.
Cyclone Harold cause significant devastation in the Pacific including remote areas of Fiji. Rotary Clubs in Fiji 15 April handed over F$280,000 worth of assistance for the people of Fiji residing in the Western and Central Divisions who had their houses destroyed during Tropical Cyclone Harold. The provision of the ERKs on Monday and todays handover bring Rotary’s assistance towards TC Harold to over F$0.5 million.
Going into a four-week lock-down due to a world pandemic is not something any of us would ever have imagined doing, least of all our group of seven Inbound RYE students. But heck are we proud of the way these young ambassadors have conducted themselves during this challenging time.
D9920 is currently hosting seven delightful young ambassadors, two from France and one each from the Netherlands, Denmark, Chile, Austria and Germany. Weighting up the pros and cons of “should I stay, or should I do?” and in constant consultation with their families and Rotary advisors here and at home, our Awesome Inbounds have all elected (for now) to stay here.
There have been some reports that some club Bulletins have included Covid-19 medical-oriented advice with best intentions that has later been found to be incorrect. While this is rare, please exercise caution and include only information on this topic that has come from, or can be found in, official sources. There is some advice on managing information to prevent misinformation by MSN - view HERE
A lot has happened in the last month since our last district newsletter. At the end of February we had the first confirmed case of Covid-19 and since then everything has changed. We are now in Day 6 of the Level 4 Alert (for four weeks) and the State of Emergency (which has just been extended until at least 8 April) and getting used to being confined to home and our local area.
This provides challenges for everyone and it is important to keep up communication with friends and family and reach out to avoid social isolation of those who may be living alone. It is also important for Rotary clubs to communicate with their members and supporters to keep members engaged with Rotary. Also to consider ways to assist those in need in your community within the guidelines of your country’s Covid-19 response plan.
Auckland East Rotary Club has been organising bike rides (for both old fashioned and E-bikes) around New Zealand for the past 3 to 4 years. It is part of a push to get more Rotarians out in the open, to enjoy the fresh air, the beauty of NZ cycle routes and participate in fellowship evenings.
Due to the Covid-19 situation, all Interplast programmes have been indefinitely postponed.
It is still intended for the planned programmes, such as District 9920 to Kiribati, to go ahead. But that won't be possible until all international travel restrictions have been lifted and our in-country partners are willing and able to receive the programme teams again.
Keep promoting your club! Although you are restricted in the projects you can engage in at present (apart from forward planning) you are strongly encouraged to use an idea similar to this from District 9970 and keep the positivity of your club in front of your members and your local community by showcasing recent or in-progress projects. In doing so you are positioning your club ready to kick off when restrictions are eased.
The early morning was crisp, invigorating with a promise of a fine and sunny day with a light breeze. If you are thinking that this was excellent golfing weather, you are right because this was the day of the annual St Johns Rotary Annual Golf Tournament. Under the team led by member David Hartstone, the Tournament not only squeaked in ahead of the restrictions by the thinnest of margins but made more than previous tournaments. Not only was it a financial success, but players, sponsors, volunteers and others commented on how great a day it was and their satisfaction with being a part of such a great event.
The picture shows golfers greeting each other with the approved elbow bump (good Covid-19 practices being observed) and DG Gary demonstrating the perfect golf swing.
Ruth Cross is President Elect of the newly chartered Rotary Club of Tawera in Kiribati and had attended the South Pacific Presidents Elect Training Seminar in Auckland early March.
Following that was flying high on the buzz of the event but world events were about to send her return trip to Kiribati into a real tailspin leaving her stranded 2200kms from home. This is her story.
Rotary makes high-quality health care available to vulnerable mothers and children so they can live longer and grow stronger.
Rotary expands access to quality care, so mothers and children everywhere can have the same opportunities for a healthy future. An estimated 5.9 million children under the age of five die each year because of malnutrition, inadequate health care, and poor sanitation — all of which can be prevented.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This was scheduled for 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. However, under the current circumstances it has been decided to cancel the physical meeting and to change the format to a virtual meeting which will be known as District Assembly. More details to follow later.
Participation in Rotary Leadership Institute is also very strongly encouraged and with the cancellation of the April course, the next course is scheduled for the weekend of 31 October/1 November. Click here for more information: https://www.rotarydistrict9920.org/page/rotary-leadership-institute-(rli)
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.
We have just come out of thirty-three days in Level 4 lock down and have two more weeks (subject to review) at the slightly less restrictive Level 3. All Kiwis can be very proud of achieving a huge reduction in infection rates of COVID-19. Many of our Pacific Island countries have also had stringent lock downs and have been either able to remain COVID-19 free or flatten the curve of infection.
This success has come at a huge economic cost and disruption of normal social interaction. Rotarians across the district have played their part by meeting virtually, finding other ways to stay connected and keep members engaged. It is also encouraging that many clubs have been able to reach out to those in need in the community and donate money and time while observing the lock down requirements.
Over half of our clubs are meeting by way of Zoom or Skype and others are in contact via telephone trees, emails and newsletters. It’s wonderful to be able to use technology and many of us have been on a steep learning curve. As an example of the use of technology, my club will have its annual debate with the Rotary Club of St Johns by way of Zoom next Monday. I have attended many club meetings by Zoom and if you send me your club meeting link I will do my best to attend as a guest.
Now with growing confidence there will be a new normal post COVID-19. More board and committee meetings will be held using Zoom and as an example, Rotary International is organising a virtual convention in June which we will all be able to attend from the comfort of our homes (see separate story on the website and in the newsletter for the website link – operative from 1 May US CDT). It is also interesting to see some clubs attracting new members who prefer this type of meeting to the more traditional meetings. Rotary has established new club operating models over recent years and these provide new opportunities to attract members.
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.
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.
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.
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.
ts of the day:
Interested in advice to take the concept of new clubs further? Call Ashwini Sadhu, District 9920 New Clubs Committee Chair
A huge Thank You to our sponsors and all who took part.
With this month being Plastics-free July, our Science and Environment Director (Peter B) would like to bring this 3.5 minute video to our attention. It has been produced by the Royal Society of NZ and the Sustainable Business Network (Foodstuffs / New World Supermarkets are members) and can be viewed by clicking onto the following link: 
Pictured are the RYPEN Leadership Team – Gabriel, Claire, Grace & Henry.
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.
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.
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DISTRICT CONFERENCE 2020 - SPECIAL OFFER FROM ONE OF OUR CONFERENCE SUPPORTERS – ‘DRIVE AN ELECTRIC CAR FOR FREE, FOR 4 DAYS!’
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.
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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.
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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 
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..jpg)
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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)
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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.