A new adventure for Plimmerton Rotary

President Euon thanked those who have worked so hard to help members to keep in contact. This virtual meeting on Zoom was our first and it would be good to know how it worked for everyone who joined in. Please let Kay or Peter know if you have any suggestions for ways to improve it. Thirty-seven members joined in and the meeting ran smoothly for the most part. Peter Sinke is available to help any member who has not been able to connect, so that they are included in our next meeting. To avoid background noises, like barking dogs, passing traffic, chinking glasses, or even the odd murmur, etc., coming from different places, members are asked to turn off their microphones unless they want to speak. (For any member who didn't make the meeting, can you guess which of our members has no intention of letting Covid-19  enter any of his apertures!) 

In addition to thanking those who had organised the virtual meeting, Euon also thanked Kay for all the time she has spent organising the telephone contact list which has been a particular boon for those members living on their own without family support.

The meeting started with Ann and Kay recounting amusing anecdotes about their lockdown experiences before President Euon introduced our speaker.

The Speaker said ...

Mike Doig has captured what Mayor Anita Baker had to tell us about the plans for the City, derailed as they are at present by the pandemic and lockdown. You can read his report here.

Viewpoint

Philip Mottram gave us the Viewpoint this evening, which was that we have debased the value of education by treating it as a commodity. It's a well-thought-out opinion which is well worth a read here. 

This week's happenings

Alison Cox, the Local Coordinator for the Red Puppy Appeal 2020, reports that collection totals are in. Our members collected $1,052.50 (the highest total over the two days) at New World, Porirua on the Saturday before lockdown. The total collection in Porirua was $7,402.80 which is $1,700 higher than in 2019. Members have also previously supported Blind Week appeal which will be held on Saturday, 17 October 2020, and Alison will be in touch to let us know if contact is permitted by then.

Here is the Plimmerton Inner Wheel Newsletter for April. It contains some delightful information, a great poem and lovely photos of what members enjoyed before the lockdown. 

Tania gave us some brief details about Theo's somewhat adventurous return from The Netherlands. We hope we will hear more about this at a future meeting.

Snippets

Bill McAulay reported that he has submitted further planning to the Rotary 100 Forests Trust (RC of Wellington) with input from Richard Sherwin and Barry McEwen. These plantings will be called Rotary Forests of Peace and Remembrance. The Rotary 100 Forests Trust is in negotiation with Forestry NZ (part of MPI) to start with funding 15 forests in 2020, then scaling up in 2021 and 2022. Assuming that the Rotary scheme is approved, then Plimmerton Rotary's contribution will be an extension of Taupo Swamp onto the Plimmerton Domain. We plan to plant 15,000 wetland trees and plants between 2020 and 2022. The planting area is very easy - flat land that is currently an unused sports field. The project plan calls for $130,000 of funding from the Billion Trees Fund and approximately $60,000 of volunteers' time. The plan is to plant 600 plants this year.

In Allan's absence, Euon reported that the current plan is for the 2020 Book Fair to be rearranged around October/November. A possibility for future storage of books might be in the Menz Shed to relieve the current storage that has been so generously provided by Ted Nation for many years. 

What's coming up in April and beyond?

Keith Harrison is working hard towards organising some virtual speakers and these will appeal on the roster as soon as they're known. Please read the information above the roster as the instructions have (obviously) changed from what they normally say.

Parting thought 

Sue Adams gave us the parting thought from C S Lewis. ' If you think of the world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you will find it quite intolerable: However, if you think of it as a place of training and correction you will find it much more pleasurable'.

Who’s on duty for the next month?

The Board has decided that our Zoom meetings will occur weekly for the time being. This is the roster for 28 April and beyond. It is anticipated that 5 May will be a committee night, but this has still to be confirmed.
If you are unable to do your duty, please find a replacement and inform Philip Mottram in the usual way.
If you're a late 'no show' please tell President Euon so that he can make a late change in the programme.
Please join the meeting at 6.30 pm.
As a courtesy, please notify President Euon if you would like to invite additional guests.