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One Big Happy Family

By David Pine

MaikeDeparting Rotary Youth Exchange student Maike Schrickel of Germany gave an impassioned presentation at Plimmerton Rotary on 10th June.

During her 12 months in NZ, sixteen year old Maike had stayed with several host families, attended Aotea College, travelled the length and breadth of the country, and gained first hand experience of Kiwi culture, as well as regularly attending meetings of Plimmerton Rotary.

“Everyone has been so amazingly friendly and helpful to me. The other kids at Aotea College, you people from Plimmerton Rotary, and all of the other people I’ve met. Even people I don’t know at all have been friendly towards me. It has just been amazing.”

Highlights for Maike included her South Island trip in the company of about 20 other Rotary international exchange students from all over the world. Also, while at Aotea College she loved rehearsing and taking part in the major drama production which included students from other schools as well as Aotea.

Like other exchange students before her, Maike had developed a particularly close bond with her host families: John and Maureen Barber, Mike and Emma Scott, and Keith Michael and Helen Costello.  As well, she had regular contact with her mentors Susie Hunt and Michelle Barber.

“What I will remember most about New Zealand will be the natural beauty of your country, but more importantly the beauty of you New Zealanders.

“I have missed my family while I have been here, and also I missed not having a winter Christmas like we have at home. In Germany we don’t have a barbeque at the beach at Christmas time !”

Maike, Anna & Janet“But now I know that I will most of all miss the people and especially you people at Plimmerton Rotary. It will be very hard to leave you.”

 Maike with friends from Aotea College - Anna from Germany and Janet from Finland.

 

 
Snippets

Changeover on Sunday 22 June 2014 at 12 noon at The Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club (downstairs) Oriental Parade. Please RSVP by Friday 13 June to Philip Whearty 233 9955 or paremata@dwre.co.nz

Another Reminder:  There is NO club meeting on Tuesday 17 June but there will be a meeting on Tuesday 24 June.

Mana Island Trip

 

Brian Paget informed the members there is another trip to Mana Island on Friday 13 June with spaces on the boat. The boat leaves the Cruising Club wharf at 1.30pm and returns at 4pm. Please contact Brian on 233 8411 or brian@scorpios.co.nz

Wendy reported on progress with the new Club Intranet which is working well and even though the members section is still being improved, all members are now entered.  You have been emailed your log in details. Click on Member Directory to find a member and search using just ONE word. All newsletters from 2013 – 14 have been archived and the link to them is in the right hand column on the newsletter page. There are several members in the club who have attended training and several others who have contributed Blogs, Articles and photos.  There is a new Blog by Terrie Turner about Grant A Wish, one by Leonie James about the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb and another by Phillip Reidy about the pathway video. Velma Knight has written an article about Jessica Manning’s wedding in New Orleans.  Please keep contributing because that is how we maintain a dynamic website.

The Pathway Video has gone viral!  It features on several websites now including Pauatahanui Residents Assn and Porirua City Council where it is No 5 on the Pathways list -  Click here .  As an added bonus the Pathway video will screen before movies at the Lighthouse Cinema which is huge promotion both for Te Ara Piko and for Rotary  - many thanks to Phillip Reidy. 

Ron & Jenny in SydneyThe four couples who attended Rotary World Convention in Sydney last week enjoyed Australian and Rotary hospitality with all that World Conventions offer.  18,000 attendees with free use of Sydney’s transport systems meant not all plenary sessions were attended and time was spent enjoying lovely weather in Sydney’s shops and beaches. Our group was hosted at a meeting of the Galston Rotary Club, where Kaye Fitzpatrick is a member. They were very impressed with the video and slide show of Te Ara Piko and there is a possibility of future funding from their club.

 

Tomorrow  Inner Wheel is hosting a movie at the Light House Cinema Pauatahanui called “Two Faces of January” .This is a thriller which most should enjoy so contact Adrienne Murray quickly if you want to attend as there are not many seats left. There is a chance to socialise as it starts at 7.30pm with the movie at 8.30pm.  Tuesday 17 June is Inner Wheel Changeover.

 

Farewell to Maike

 
 
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