The survey asking members which charities they want to club to support this year went out by email on Tuesday and about half the club responded within a day.
That’s a very pleasing response. I’ve had a peek at the results so far, but I will wait until all the votes are in before sharing the findings with members.
If you haven’t filled in the survey form, please do so. The results counter tells me the average time taken to complete the survey is six minutes, so that’s not a lot out of your day.
I didn’t set a cut off time, but with a board meeting coming up on Monday 25 September, it would be good to have the results finalised and analysed for consideration at that meeting.
So, I will set a deadline of Sunday 17 September for completion. I can see how many people have voted, but I can’t see who has done so, or how any particular person has voted. This makes the voting process private and confidential. It’d be helpful if those who haven’t voted could complete their forms this week please.
On other matters, the last board meeting discussed a paper from Tim Pankhurst who heads up the membership committee. We are making progress on this with Nick Duncan inducted last week and Tamaris and Yong Yi coming up this week, and another prospect getting ready to apply.
The board thinks it is vital that we get membership numbers heading up again. New members revitalise the club and increase our ability to do more as an organisation.
More members also mean more hands on the job and the workload can be shared around better. That’s good for everyone and makes for a stronger and more interesting club – just what we want.
The true story of the 1973 tennis match between World number one Billie Jean King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs. Together, Billie and Bobby served up a cultural spectacle that resonated far beyond the tennis courts and animated the discussions between men and women in bedrooms and boardrooms around the world.
Helping to build cyclone-proof houses for young families in Fiji
Tickets: $25
Payment online: Rotary Club of Port Nicholson Charitable Trust Account 03-0502-0407484-00 Reference your name and ‘Fiji’
Enquiries: Bev ph 021 569 249
Meal option: 2 for 1 deal $35.00. No bookings required but arrive by 5.45pm.
All proceeds go towards supporting Koroipita town following
A small but perfectly matched group of perambulators braved the southerly and met at Williams park in Eastbourne to do a two hour walk up to the ridge, via the gut buster and down the Ferry Rd track. The peaceful beech trees and bush protected us from the rain and the wind, making it a very pleasant walk. David, Rick , Sue, Sheryn, Warwick and Mark managed to keep up a good pace and talk non stop up the gutbuster- which was very impressive.
As always , the coffee, cheese scones and open fire were a very welcome finish to the walk.
Rotary was instrumental in helping to establish Heritage Inc eighty-five years ago through the endeavours of then District Governor, Sir John Ilott. He and Dr O C Mazengarb CBE QC MA LLD drew together colleagues in 1942 to assist children, initially just sons, who had lost their fathers in the war. Then Prime Minister, Peter Fraser, requested that daughters also be added to the logo and as recipients of assistance, be it counselling or financial. Heritage Inc also played a 'pastoral care' role for women left alone while their loved ones were away serving the country. There were morning and afternoon teas, which continue on a very reduced level through two of the remaining Branches.
Much of the financial assistance came at first through Sir John Ilott and Rotary. Many others followed suit, paying into the Trust fund, which subsequently received very generous donations from the JR McKenzie Trust, Auckland Savings Bank, Dominion Breweries Ltd, the T G McCarthy Trust, Mr Udy and the Wills Trust.
By invitation of the inaugural Patron, the Governor-General, His Excellency Cyril (later Lord) Newall GCB OM GCMG CBE AM, the first Dominion Conference of Heritage was held at Government House, Wellington on 19 July 1944. It was when Lieutenant-General Lord (then Sir Bernard) Freyberg, VC GCMG KCB KBE DSO DCL LLD, assumed the position of Governor-General in 1946, that he took a very personal interest in Heritage, personally visiting many of the war widows and their families and discussing ways they needed help.
In 1952, when Godfrey William Magnus died, Heritage Inc was named in his will as one of the two beneficiaries of the Trust Fund set up in his name. Magnus was very keen that "special grants" be made to "young men and ladies for higher education in medicine, science and music". This has since been expanded.
Applications are welcome from children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Servicemen and women who have served or are serving New Zealand in any of the forces.
Applications may be made for:
Education purposes, especially tertiary studies
Support for any modern apprentice scheme
Qualifying people of any age in a training programme related to work
Assistance in relation to some chronic health conditions
Advancement in life
The Heritage National Council meets annually at the end of November to consider applications, which will be paid at the beginning of February the next year.
Thanks to some additional funding from a Branch closure, increased interest on the Trust Fund investments of the fund through the Public Trust, plus an unexpected grant from the Royal Military Tattoo this year, the brief has been widened further and a few grants can be made out-of-time. However these may be a lesser amount than those made at our regular allocation time.
Further details, criteria and application forms for a grant for 2018 are available by contacting: Dawn Sanders, General Secretary, E: Action-Sanders@xtra.co.nz M: 027 283 6016 Heritage Inc, PO Box 17 215, Wellington 6147
I am a member of the Aro Valley Community Council, as one of the committee members. There is a fundraising evening coming up (Details below) and they are seeking donations for items to auction. I wondered if anyone in the club might have the generosity to donate, but also if members are interested to attend :) - Hayley Burns
The Aro Valley Community Centre ESOL classes have run for many years. The Wellington City Council have supported these classes since 2013 with a $5000 grant. The grant covers the cost of the ESOL teacher for two terms.
Over Term 1 and 2 we have had 3 x 2 hour classes each week, catering to Elementary, Intermediate and Upper Intermediate English. All classes regularly get between 18-24 students.
The ESOL classes that are offered at AVCC are free and anyone can participate. We are unique as we do not require those who attend to have a permanent residency visa. The significant majority of students attending the classes are on a visitor or working visa.
The students are incredibly grateful for the service we offer them, as the Aro Valley English classes are the only affordable language classes available to non-residents in the Wellington region.
As well as assisting with participants English it’s also wonderful watching relationships grow between students. A significant number of students are here in Wellington with partners who have full-time work. Many have expressed a deep sense of loneliness or isolation from being in a foreign country, without work or meaningful daily routines and without the language ability to form strong connections within their community. In the classroom, friendships are formed and encouragement gained from being with others having the same experiences. These connections built inside the classroom often flow out into after-class socialising. Students study, go shopping and eat together
The AVCC Committee realise the value of the ESOL classes and this event is to raise the money so we can keep offering these popular, high quality ESOL classes in Term 3 & 4 as well. Any additional funds raised will go towards the Community Centre.
Every year, each Rotary International Director convenes a meeting of senior leaders in their Zone. This event, known as an Institute, provides an opportunity for past, present and incoming Rotary officers to share information, ideas and resources, build new connections and reacquaint with old friends, and exchange ideas about Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.
A more recently added event, the Future Leaders Seminar, open to any Rotarian wanting to learn more about Rotary from a leadership perspective, also takes place in conjunction with Institute.
The combined New Zealand event in 2017 will be known as the Rotary Symposium and this year it’s doors will open to all Rotarians.”
There is a Leader’s Symposium as well.
Open to all to attend.
RI General Secretary John Hewko will be attending.
At our recent session John Bishop, our incoming President, encouraged us as member of Port Nicholson to be proud of our association with Rotary. We have a strong Club but can always improve by attracting new members and with that they comes new ideas and new commitment. ‘Rotary on the Move’ is circulated widely amongst Australian and New Zealand Rotarians. It is a monthly circular that has excellent articles.
One article states:
Clubs who are well organised attract members
Clubs who communicate well attract members
Clubs who develop strategic partnerships attract members
Clubs who understand that their 'clients' are their community attract members
Clubs who know their demographics attract members
Clubs who listen to their members and respond to their interests attract members
Clubs who have a great Public Relations /Marketing team attract members
Clubs who have effective programs attract members.
New ideas increase our desire to do more for our community through the time we give to serving others.
Please click HERE to view - download the ‘Rotary On The Move’ Newsletter for June 2017.
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