Week 9 – Staying Close to Home This Past Week

View outside the Lowry Bay Yacht Club

On Monday we visited the Rotary Club of Western Hutt which meet in the Lowry Bay Yacht Club.  What a stunning evening – Wellington at its best as seen in the attached photos.  We were pleased to be able to present a PHF Sapphire pin to Roy Hunt for his outstanding services to rotary.  With low numbers the club is considering its future.  The club is full of spirit and Christine and I had a fun filled night.  We wish the club well with its deliberations on its future.

Club President Malcolm Bell, Christine and Graeme, AG Carol Green

Mayor of Lower Hutt Ray Wallace, Pat Prescott, DG Graeme,
Graeme Ross, President Bob Rowell

Hutt City Club is a  vibrant active lunch club and we visited them on Tuesday where we presented PHFs to Graham Ross QSM (a community PHF) and Pat Prescott, a club member.  It was great to be able to present Past President Simon Manning with a certificate recognizing the club as a Centurion Club in his year as president.  This club has a number of great projects including the Shape Shifter sculpture exhibition and the recent Fire Sculpture festival - see post below.   This club has taken on a number of new members recently with more in the wings.  It is the home club of our Assistant Governor, Carol Green for the Hutt 2 cluster.  We would like to thank Carol for all her help with our recent club visits in the area.

We also had the opportunity to have a meeting with Jean Phipps, the chair of the District Membership Committee and PDG Bob Smith to discuss how we might help support and strengthen clubs and in the process increase membership. As we have visited clubs we have been asking them what their greatest challenges are.  The majority of clubs have identified membership and the aging of clubs as their greatest challenge.  In line with one of RI President Tanaka’s themes, supporting and strengthening clubs, we will be specifically focusing on this.  We will keep you updated as we progress this.

We wish you all well for the coming week.

Graeme and Christine

Rotary Club of Hutt City Fire Sculpture Festival

On Saturday 25 August the Rotary Club of Hutt City held their Fire Sculpture Festival on the Petone foreshore.  Watched by some 40000 people, here are some stunning shots provided by the club.

Week 8 – Back out on the Road

This past week has been spent visiting the clubs of Pahiatua, Dannevirke and Foxton.

Prior to heading north to Pahiatua last Sunday I attended the first District Learning and Development Committee meeting here in Wellington.  The Committee, headed by PDG Dexter Bambery, is responsible for District training, the Club Visioning Programme, and Rotary Leadership Institute in our District.  We had a lot of good discussion on how we might support and strengthen clubs across the District, a key message I have been taking out to clubs, in line with the Rotary Interanational Strategic Plan..  We have decided that this year we will focus on the Club Visioning Programme and how we might provide follow up support to clubs that have been through this programme.  If you need any further information on this programme please contact PDG David Watt.  

Pahiatua President Richard Ellis

Early Monday morning we attended the Rotary Club of Pahiatua’s breakfast meeting which had a theme of hats.  This club has moved from an evening to a breakfast meeting with great success.  With this change and by talking with the community they have been able to attract 12 new members to the club in recent weeks.  My congratulations to the club for having the courage to Push Boundaries and Make Change Real.  We are looking forward to attending the clubs Peace Festival that is being held on 23^rd of October.  After this is was a trip down to the Rotary Club of Carterton for a social visit to their club as guest speaker where we gave a talk on experiences in Antarctica.  As we travelled through Masterton we were reminded of a great marketing campaign for Rotary when we spied the Rotary flag flying on a flag pole as you enter the northern end of Masterton.  These flag poles have been sponsored by Rotary.

PDG Alastair and AG Nicky Orsborn, Graeme and Christine,
President of Dannevirke Club Rob and Phillipa Van Abs

Tuesday saw us at the Dannevirke Club and learning about some of their interesting upcoming projects including their Spring Festival, the spud in a bucket competition, and motor bike ride.  We then visited Foxton club on Wednesday and heard about their many and varied activities in the community.  We were interested to hear of their final meeting of the month where they invite friends and guests along to the club for a fun night and have agreed to attend one of these meetings and talk about travels in Antarctica.

Rotary Flag in Masterton

On Thursday we met at the Wellington North Club to discuss with members of the Porirua Sundown Club and visiting past Wellington North Rotarian Peter Kyle and DGE for District 7620 in Washington the proposed Rheumatic Fever project in the Porirua basin.  This project seeks to obtain a Global Grant to provide educational material to increase awareness of Rheumatic Fever and reduce the incidence of it in the Porirua Basin.  It is hoped that District 7620 will become a partner in this project.

On Friday Christine and the outgoing VTT Team were able to meet the Rt Hon. Hekia Parata at Parliament  – see previous article.  They flew out earlier today and we wish them well on their travels.

Today we were able to have the first catch up of our AGs and have a discussion of how the year is going.  My thanks to the huge amount of work they put in and for all their efforts in working with clubs.

The coming week will be a quieter week with visits to only two clubs in the Hutt Valley.

All the best for the coming week.

Chris and Graeme

VTT/GSE Team Meets Minister Of Education, the Right Honorable Hekia Parata

Amanda Williams, Lani Evans, Rt Hon. Hekia Parata, Amanda Burgess,
Aroha Fetu Darroch, and Christine Blick

On Sunday 26^th August the VTT/GSE team heads out for a month long exchange to District 5370 in Northwestern Canada.  The team has a vocational focus on youth education.  On the Friday prior to departing the team had the opportunity to visit the Minister of Education, the Right Honorable Hekia Parata at Parliament.

The team members outside Parliament building

Hekia showed a keen interest in what the team will be doing in Canada and is interested to hear about their learning’s when they return.  They had a good discussion on various aspects of New Zealand education and issues of the day.

We wish the team well for their travels and look forward to hearing of their experiences when they return.

You can see the programme for the team in Canada by clicking on the following link

https://www.dropbox.com/s/s5842rd7d3nxcpe/D9940%20Itinerary%202012.pdf

And you can follow the team on 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130951850378965/

http://nzrotaryexchange.tumblr.com/

One Day in South Wellington

The Rotary of Wellington South have been involved in producing the following book.  

Thanks to the Mayor of Wellington, Celia Wade-Brown they have successfully launched "One Day in South Wellington" a book of great photos all taken in a 24 hour period on 25 February this year to celebrate and illustrate what a fantastic community we live in.  Books cost just $20 each and will be great gifts.  There's also a companion DVD on sale.  Full details about where these books and DVDs can be bought is found on there website:

http://www.wellington-south-rotary.wellington.net.nz/index.html

All the profits from sales goes to charity with the principal beneficiary being the Wellington Childrens Hospital. 

Vocational Training Team Farewell

GSE/VTT FAREWELL

On Thursday 16 August we farewelled the Vocational Training Team (VTT) that will be heading away to District 5370 in central Canada.  The VTT is similar to the old GSE program with a greater vocational focus.  This visit will focus on Youth Education.  The event was hosted by the Rotary Club of Takaro and was an opportunity to farewell the team before they head away later this month on the 26^th August.

Jan and the team

The team is under the leadership of Dr Jan Lockett-Kay, from the Pukekura Breakfast Rotary Club where she is head of the Humanities Facility at the Western Institute of Technology in Taranaki.  Team members Aroha Fetu Darroch and Amanda Williams are both Primary School teachers in the Porirua Basin.  Amanda Burgess is a Senior Policy Analyst at the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and Lani Evans runs a charity organisation focusing on supporting young people.  Their background and bios are provided in an earlier BLOG.  Before the team heads away they will be meeting with the Minister of Education, Hekia Parata at Parliament to talk about the visit and their vocational interests.  This is an impressive team and we had the pleasure of seeing the team’s presentation that they will be giving to clubs in Canada. 

VTT Team, DG Graeme, Chair Andy Watson,
and Mitchell Brown

Our thanks to Mitchell Brown and the Rotary Club of Takaro for organising and hosting the event.  Our thanks also to Andy Watson and the VTT Committee for the hard work that they have done in organising such a great team that will do  Rotary District 9940 proud when they visit Canada.  The Canadian team will be in New Zealand in April 2013 when their visit will coincide with our District Conference in Rotorua.

We wish the team well and look forward to hearing about their experiences and learnings and how they intend to implement them when they return.

Follow the team onpage.   

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130951850378965/

http://nzrotaryexchange.tumblr.com/

Week 7. Visits in the Hutt Valley and Wellington

With President Paul Giles, Eastern Hutt

This week was spent closer to home.  On Monday evening we visited Eastern Hutt.  A old friend and past work colleague had managed to find some old incriminating photos from the past which were used to good effect in my introduction, which may have lasted longer than my speech to the club.  It was a pleasure to induct 2 new members into the club.  It was a fun night with much laughter and reminiscing of the past.

 With Christine giles, Eastern Hutt

Tuesday was an opportunity to visit my old home town of Petone and a visit to the Rotary Club of Petone.  Here we saw one of the projects that they are supporting – Te Huinga O Te Whanau “the gathering of the people”.  This is a group of members of resident tenants who dream, plan and contribute to improving their community and family lives through community involvement.  Petone Rotary is helping maintain and develop a meeting place for this group.  It was a time to talk to my old Head master from Wilford School, reminisce on the past, and tell a few tales.

Presentation of PHY to Judith Clark

Wednesday started early with a visit to the breakfast club of Hutt Valley.  We were privileged to present a community PHF to Judith Clarke for her work in organizing the reader helpers for local schools.  It was fantastic to see her family there for the presentation.  Thanks are also due to Joanna Newlove for her efforts in  organizing the promotion of Rotary at the recent Women’s Expo in Wellington.  In the evening we attended Wellington Harbour City where we had a great fun filled evening.  It was particularly pleasing to present the club with a Club Centurion Award for 2011/12, and then Centurion awards and pins to all club members, the first club in our District where all members have qualified to become Centurion members.  My congratulations and thanks to the club and all members for their support of the Rotary Foundation.

Thursday saw us in Palmerston North for the VTT farewell – see separate BLOG.

The coming week sees us visiting the Rotary Clubs of Pahiatua, Dannevirke and Foxton.

Rotary Club of Carterton now on Facebook

You can now on-line go to the Rotary Club of Carterton's Facebook page.  To see more https://www.facebook.com/CartertonRotaryClub and please if you are a facebook user/member please like the page by clicking on the  at the top of the page.

Well done!

GLOBAL WALK FOR WATER

Week 6. 5-9 August, New Plymouth Club Visits

Before Christine and I headed away to New Plymouth for our club visits we had the opportunity to spend several hours with the District GST/VTT team preparing for their exchange to District 5370 in Central Canada (see article below).  They were putting the finishing touches to their presentations before heading out to Canada on the 26 August.

World Community Service Committee

On our way to New Plymouth we called in on the World Community Service committee, chaired by Dot McKinnon, meeting in Feilding.   The committee is active in promoting International projects in District and one of their tasks is to document International Projects currently being undertaken across District.

Our first visit in New Plymouth was to the New Plymouth club where we presented a community PHF to a local CIB officer who had been very active in the community.  It always inspires us to see the work and caring that is going on in the community and illustrated by this award.  One of the interesting fundraising projects of this club is their running of monthly community based entertaining talks.

Trees for Survival Project

Presentation of the Taupiripiri Speakers Cane.
DG Graeme with Rev. Albie Martin

The following day we had the opportunity to visit Moturoa School and their Trees For Survival project.  This was a very impressive project and shows the value to the school and the wider community.  They are working closely with DOC propagating rare native plants for transplanting out into the community.  We were impressed at the knowledge shown by our 4 young hosts aged 9 and 10 who knew all of the botanical names of the plants they were showing us.  In the evening we attended New Plymouth West club and were privileged to be presented with the Taupiripiri Speakers Cane.  This is a tradition of this club to present the Speakers Cane to the DG of the day for the term of their office.

New Plymouth West with President Michael Archer and Ngaire

On Wednesday we saw an intriguing project with Rotary involvement, a replica lighthouse on the coast which housed a display on Ernest Rutherford’s connection with the area.  This project has been 10 years in the making and is due to be opened to the public later in the year.  The evening saw us at Fitzroy Club presenting PHFs to two club members and another  well deserved community PHF.

Sir Ernest Rutherford Display.  DG Graeme with
George Beatson and AG Robin Aitken

Lighthouse Project

Before heading back to Wellington we visited New Plymouth North club and heard about several of their projects including the ‘Run-a-Muck race through mud.  This has only been held once but proved very successful and looks to become an annual event.

Our thanks to AG Robin Aitken and Julie for their help and support during the week.  Next week we visit 4 clubs close to home in the Hutt Valley and Wellington.  We will also be attending the GSE/VTT Team farewell in Palmerston North.

District 9940 GSE/VTT Team Prepares to Head Away.

GSE/VTT team with Chair Andy Watson and DG Graeme Blick

The District 9940 GSE/VTT heads away to district 5370 in Canada on the 26th of August.  They have set up a Facebook page and a blog to document their visit to Canada. To view the Facebook page, just click on or copy the link below into a web browser and hit enter, it'll ask you to login and then take you straight to the page.   

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130951850378965/

http://nzrotaryexchange.tumblr.com/

District 9920-9940 Conference - Speaker Profile

Save Blong Yu - update from the Rotary Club of Hutt Valley

Save Blong Yu

knowledge about you

'Save Blong Yu' is a Health and Education Programme for young people aged 8-18+ on the Island of Tanna In Vanuatu. The programme was initiated by two Midwives Chris Likeman and Liz Harding, working with Estelle and Evelyn two Midwives on Tanna.

Estelle and Evelyn  travel to the outer villages on the Island to spread the word on basic health care, clean water,  a healthy diet, sexual health and planned pregnancies.  The programme started in February 2012 and will continuer until 2014. 

If you would like to know more about this project, you can view  the Rotary  Club of Hutt Valley web site or  please contact Sandra Bartlam the Rotary Club of Hutt Valley on 04 902 1934. 

Young children on Tana - note what is different about the young
girl in purple in the middle

DISTRICT PROJECT DAY - 23-24 FEBRUARY 2013

Following the successful District wide Project Days over the last few years it is envisaged to put this firmly on your club calendars for 23-24 February 2013.

All District Clubs are encouraged to show their community leadership for local projects and combine them with a public relations effort to promote those projects on the weekend of 23-24 February 2013.

THE PROJECT DAY: CONCEPT & APPLICATION

We originally conceived the idea of a Rotary District Community Project day where each club had an opportunity to connect with its community at a level that was both informal but news worthy - all at the same time. This was to assist in raising the profile of Rotary.

We know that the pressure on clubs and Rotarians throughout the year is huge, therefore:

THERE ARE THREE RULES:

- Keep it Simple

- Have Fun

- Involve local Community

So please now begin to give some thought to choosing a project. It could be one you are doing already; it could be as small as a walkway clean-up or as large as a local hall restoration. It might take only a couple of hours or a whole day. It is your choice but it should ideally occur sometime during that weekend 23-24 February 2013.    

I will be in touch on a regular basis to assist with planning or with ideas.

If you would like some assistance just email me at:

warwick.johnston@clear.net.nz

For further information, support and encouragement contact:

District Project Coordinator

Warwick Johnston

Rotary Club of Petone

021 253 8873

warwick.johnston@clear.net.nz

What a Difference a Teatowel Can Make!

As Chris and I have been making our visits to clubs we have been sharing the story of Ruby Seeto and her fundraising for Starship hospital using teatowels.  Below is a short update on her project.  It shows what can be achieved if you have the will!

Graeme

Rotary’s Prestigious Award to Stan Brooker

The following is a press release from the Rotary Club of Heretaunga.

Rotary’s Prestigious Award to Stan Brooker

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Recently The Rotary Club of Heretaunga hosted a visit by Graeme Blick the Governor for Rotary District 9940 representing Rotarians in the lower North Island or simplistically the same area as the Hurricanes franchise.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation by Graeme Blick of Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellowship Award to Stan Brooker in recognition of 20 years active service to Upper Hutt Victim Support. Stan has the respect and trust not only of his co-workers but also of the Police, external agencies and especially the victims. Stan was left speechless but let it be known later that he was very grateful for the award.

Graeme Blick also discussed Rotary International’s President Sakuji Tanaka theme for 2012/13 being “Peace through Service” and with that a more peaceful world. Peace Graeme said means different things to different people and gave examples of his experiences of “peace” and asked “what does it mean for you?” Rotary has various programmes intended to encourage peace that build understanding through international scholarships, exchange programmes and humanitarian grants.

Graeme Blick commented the heart of the Rotary organisation was a world wide network of inspired individuals who translate their passions into relevant social causes to change lives in communities i.e. Rotary Internationals ongoing worldwide project to eradicate polio. A young shop keeper when asked what Rotary was said “good people doing good things.’

The challenge facing all service and sports clubs is to retain and increase membership to support their ongoing activities and needs in today’s changing society. Graeme Blick concluded by urging members to recognise the strength and potential of Rotary and to push boundaries and make changes happen. There were he said many people who were willing to support selected activities or projects without necessarily having to join a club. Such support is always very welcomed by Rotary.

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