skip to main content

 

 

 

 

 

The Speaker said ...

Read what Mike has written about Maisy Bentley's visit on 30 April. Maisy has worked with charities, NGOs, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the YWCA and has experience far beyond her years.

Visitors

There were so many guests for President Donna to welcome. Dame Beverley Wakem, not only a Porirua City Councillor but also one of the first women Rotarians and a mentor to Maisy after her own experience at the United Nations. Allan Nichols brought four guests who will be mentioned later in the Update. Fraser Carson came as Wendy's guest to hear what Maisy had to say. And there were fourteen members from Plimmerton Inner Wheel.

Donna invited Allan Nichols to report on the Book Fair. He mentioned many of the people who had helped. Despite issuing pressing invitations to all of them attend the meeting, Allan lamented the fact that some of those the club would have liked to have thanked personally had not been able to come. For those who were there, he thanked the following for the help they provided:

  • Brian Kell from the Kennel Club
  • Bob Shennan from Johnsonville Rotary Club (who helps with ours as Johnsonville club don't run a book fair any longer)
  • Kevin Temperton, a former member of Porirua Club
  • Marsha Chiet from Life Education Trust, with Little Harold
  • Phillip Whearty of Professionals at Whitby for receiving books, printing leaflets and road and station signs
  • Euon Murrell of Tommy's at Mana for receiving books
  • Ian Turner for the use of his truck

In their absence, he thanked:

  • Sue Barr from the Kennel Club, who does the accounts
  • Peter Possiter from P & Z Decorating for receiving books
  • Mike Wilde from Woodswaste NZ for supplying the 'big bins'
  • Ted Nation for the storage facilities and his two trucks
  • Students from HIBS
  • Helpers from the PD Centre

Allan mentioned the importance of the work done by Life Education Trust which affects the lives of 250,000 children in the country every year. He presented a cheque for $7,000 (half of the net profit of $14,000) to Marsha Chiet which was gratefully (if not gracefully) received by Little Harold. The gross profit had been $17,500 which represented an income of $30 per person-hour, a good return on the 600 voluntary person-hours that had been given. 

This week's happenings

We've received news from Deb Mair that she has secured USD10,000 of funding from the Borneo Conservation Trust Japan and is now organising for another ton of Fonterra milk powder to be shipped out to Sepilok in Borneo with the help of Fonterra and the Sabah Wildlife Department for the orphan elephants. This shipment means that she has organised four shipments to keep these endangered species alive in the hope that they will be rehabilitated back into a semi-wild sanctuary. She thanks us for our continued support and we thank her for her continued dedication to this worthy cause. It's quite a coincidence that we received this news from Deb this week. The last time Deb spoke to the club, a very young Maisy from Aotea College was visiting us. She was so motivated by Deb's project that she tried to establish an Interact Club at Aotea, even though her final exams were looking the following week. 

Anneke Wolterbeek from Masterton Rotary is Chair of the District 9940 Rotary International Friendship Exchange programme which she is running single-handedly. She would really appreciate some help. If you would like to become involved with this very worthwhile District programme, please let her know. 

Rotary’s next five-year Strategic Plan, calls on all of us to 'Expand our Reach' by creating new channels to Rotary. The suggestion contained in this article is for clubs is to replace the 'Public Image Coordinator' with an 'Integrated Communications Coordinator'. Having a coordinator promoting image and brand is not going to expand our reach. Having a coordinator who knows the old and new channels and how to integrate and maximise their use is what we need.

Wendy will be presenting another (3-minute) Communications team topic next week entitled 'What are the benefits of Our Porirua to the club' which speaks to Plimmerton Club's commitment to integration with the community.

Snippets

Rhondda Sweetman continued with the Communications Team's information sharing, following the feedback from the survey that Phillip conducted earlier in the year. She talked about 'How to use Facebook and Neighbourly' and urged more members to 'like' the pages she puts up on Facebook, or even to 'comment'. Here is a copy of her presentation.  Facebook_and_Neighbourly 

President-elect Euon says that the bus to Parliament for the Changeover is now full. Sixty-five people have said that they are attending. If you want to go but haven't replied yet, please let Euon know as he has to give in our names in advance for security reasons.

Allan Nicholls and Graeme Blick announced that they were celebrating the results of four and a half years of hard work to find a Men's Shed. One had now been found on the Kenepuru Hospital site, and not just a shed but also two houses. Graeme said that there will be a lot of work to be done around Health & Safety, drafting a Constitution, setting up Bank accounts and registration. He hoped that a first meeting would take place in about a month and would be calling for expressions of interest for members to join a committee to run the project.

A reminder that President Donna is still hoping to receive an offer from two host parents for the 16-year-old Chilean student

The Almoner said ...

It was good to see Ian Turner at Rotary. Rhondda had visited Terrie the previous day and brought us news of her progress. She is a bit lonely and would welcome more visitors as she will have to stay in hospital until she can manage to walk more steadily, particularly up and down stairs. 

What's coming up in May and beyond?

Next week, 7 May,  is committee night and members will be evaluating the progress they made during the year. Successes and achievements will be celebrated and finishing touches to the year can be put in place. President-elect Euon is meeting with his new Board on Wednesday 8 May and the Boards will have a combined handover in June.

On 14 May, Lloyd Martin from Praxis New Zealand will lead us in an interactive, research-based, workshop, talking about supporting the wellbeing and development of young people in our families and community.

We've been invited to put forward two teams for the quiz night at Porirua Club on Wednesday 22 May (5.45 pm fellowship, 6.15 pm dinner then straight into the quiz). You may remember that the team we put forward last year won and took home the trophy. Please let President Donna know if you'd like to be part of one of the teams this year. If you do want to go along, you will need to choose from the menu by 5.00 pm on Tuesday 21 May. If you order steak, please indicate whether your preference is rare/medium rare/well done and whether you want it with mushrooms or garlic butter. If you are ordering fish, please indicate whether you want it battered or grilled. Please pay on the night, directly to Jeanette.  Porirua_Rotary_Menu_2019 

For all future events, check out our Events page.

Parting thought

Bill McAulay's parting thought was to have been, 'Eat now ... pay waiter' but unfortunately, we ran out of time! (Bill says it actually works better when hearing it rather than reading it).

Who’s on duty for the next month?

Unable to do your duty? Please find a replacement and inform Philip Mottram.
If you're a late 'no show' please tell President Donna.
Please arrive at 5.45 pm if you're on Door duty or on Introduction duty to greet the Guest Speaker and be his/her host for the evening.
Need to apologise or bring additional guests?
Advise the Receptionist at Professionals before 10.00 am on the Monday before the meeting on 233 9955 or email paremata@dwre.co.nz if you prefer.
Please provide the name (and spelling if necessary). The same applies if you're going to be late.

Weekly Update - Maisy goes to New York - 30 April 2019

 
 
 
Guests are welcome to our Dinner Meetings. 
For apologies or additional guests, please phone or email Phillip Whearty before 10.00 am on Mondays (or before 10.00 am on Tuesdays if Monday is a statutory holiday) on 027 448 9094 or email philip.whearty@harcourts.co.nz

 

Rotary 2013 logo

 
The RI theme for 2018-2019
Be the Inspiration

 
+ Text Size -