banner
 
Club News
July 19 2025
To ensure your content is included in the next bulletin, please send it to
rcpnbulletin@gmail.com by midnight on THURSDAY
Evening meeting July 23
On Wednesday July 23rd we have our first evening meeting starting at 5.30pm. We have an inspiring young speaker Grace Curtis a mental health advocate and author, who has recently launched her new book 'The best is yet to come' at Parliament. 
 
We are trialing three evening meetings -one a month. Please come along and bring your family and friends to experience what Club Nic Rotary has to offer without having to get up at 6am. Looking forward to seeing you there.
Our Duties
 16 July
Desk- Paula McKnight
Greeter- Howard Tong
Kaikohau- Heather Lucas
Opening Thought- Hadleigh Petherick
Introduction- David Quinn
Thanking-Marc Rand
Sharing - Tony Robinson
Closing thought- Mike Selvadurai
Club report  David Shackleton
The future looks good
Meetings, speakers and events coming up
  • 23 July (Evening meeting) Grace Curtis - Mental Health advocate- The best is yet to come
  • 30 July Business Breakfast- John Allen Ombudsman
  • 6 August  Belinda Himiona CEO- Social service providers in Aotearoa
  • 13 August Tina Curtis  Hearing loss and industry
  • 27 August (Evening meeting) 
  • 24 September (Evening meeting)  Bernadette Cavanagh,  Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 1 October Emily Mason Understanding Social Investment
  • 15 October A Grand Night out 
         2026
  •  20-22 March Rotary conference Napier (Wine and food centre of NZ ) Click here to register
  • 24 March  2026 Goal Setters awards breakfast
Social events 
The Rotary Club of Port Nic has a variety of social events that you are very welcome to join. 
 
Perambulators walk Sunday July 20 Dry Creek loop Click here for details
Book Club 30 July 5.30pm level 6 Wellington Club RSVP to David Barnes
Flashback Fridays 1 August Bar 187 owned by one of our own Click here for details
Grand night out October 15th
Rotary conference March 20-22 Napier Click here to register
“A Grand Night Out”
ROTARY CLUB OF PORT NICHOLSON
INVITES YOU TO
A FUNDRAISING EVENING WITH A DIFFERENCE
A Cocktail Party, an Auction, a Mystery Dinner
 
Wednesday 15 October 2025, to begin at 5.30pm, off to dinner at 7.00pm
The Wellington Club, 88 The Terrace, Wellington
Charity – Lifting the Lid on Youth Mental Health in Wellington
 
Congratulations to the Lifting the Lid team
 The ‘Lifting the Lid’ project has made the list of finalists for this year’s Wellington Airport Community Awards which is wonderful news. Congratulations, this is a great achievement and an opportunity to share the impact this project is having on the young people of Wellington. 

This year the Rotary project has supported 176 students with 591 sessions held. Rotary Clubs in the Wellington region who have supported ‘Lifting the Lid’ on mental illness over the past three years will be receiving a certificate of appreciation for their help at a special meeting to be held with schools at St Mary’s College in Thorndon on 24 July.
Club's pantry supplies for refugees settling in Wellington
A big thank you to club members for providing all the wonderful pantry supplies shown in the photo for refugee families arriving in Wellington this July:
  • Tawa:  a couple with a 15 year old 
  • Waikanae:  a family of three, a single dad with two daughters (20 & 16).  
  • Kelburn: a family of four. This is a couple with two very young boys (1&2). 
  • Marsden:  a family of four. This is a single mum with boys aged 14 and 4, and a daughter of 6.  
  • Karori:  a family of 4.  This is a couple in their 60s with a son (23) and a daughter (19).
We will be collecting again for families arriving in September.
Click Me!
 
 
President Nicole
Planting trees
Thank you very much to the team of 12 who planted tree in Tawa this week. We look forward to hearing about your efforts.
Grand Night out with the support of Wellington restaurants
The Projects team have done a great job in organising the 'grand night out 'this year with 15 restaurants confirmed. They are working on 8 excellent auction items. A special shoutout to the restaurants who are supporting this event for a second year so Lifting the Lid can continue to support the young people of Wellington.
Lifting the Lid team
Congratulations to the Lifting the Lid team for being a finalist in the Wellington Airport Community awards and we wish you all the best. 
Another stunning speaker
The speaker programme continues to deliver high quality presenters for our weekly meetings, and this week was no exception. Jean Paul Michael gave us an excellent update on what AI is being used today, and the rapid pace of change.
Our first evening meeting
We are looking forward to having you and your family and friends at our first evening meeting next week with Grace Curtis as our speaker. 
Opening  and closing thoughts
 'We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain.'
Stephen Hawking
“One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day”
Dalai Lama
In case you missed it
 
Connecting Women from Poneke
Posted on Jul 06, 2025
Women of Poneke is a group of Wellington women with a vision to inspire, connect and uplift the voices of Wellington women - and help to contribute to the future of “our place”. Founded by eight women with shared passions, including Lou Aitken, the lead speaker. The group organises quarterly events with themes like "me, we, Poneke" (learning, collective support, and positivity).
Read more...
July – August Club Duties and Roster
If you are rostered for a duty and cannot make it, please arrange for someone to take your place and let Jo know at Joanna.douglas1954@gmail.com or 027 283 8981
Oward Tong
16 July
23 July Evening Mtg
30 July
6 August
13 August
Desk 6.45am
Paula McKnight
Ryan Donovan
Tamaris Livera
Geoff Smith
Bill Day
Greeter
Howard Tong
Victoria Triegaart
Spencer Petherick
Lindsay Chitty
Tony Robinson
Kaikohau
Heather Lucas
Joy Durrant
Brenda Lazelle
Jo Douglas
Brent Gerrard
Opening Thought
Hadleigh Petherick
Andy Ellis
Everard Aspell
Brad Weekly
Lou Bray-Burns
Introduction
David Quinn
Brent Gerrard
Linda Wellington
Darryl Ross
Richard Brodie
Thanking
Marc Rands
Tony Herring
Rob Whitney
Dawn Sanders
André Lategan
Sharing
Tony Robinson
Hadleigh Petherick
Peter Whittington
Mike Selvadurai
Steve Lawton
Parting Thought
Mike Selvadurai
Lisa King
Richard Westlake
Peter Whittington
Everard Aspell
Reporter
David Shackleton
Jo Douglas
Heather Lucas
Julian Bateson
Paula McKnight
 
 
Kaikohau (Expression of hope)
        Nau mai ngā hua
        Nau mai ngā pai
        Nau mai kia nui
        Kia hāwere ai
        Tihei mauri ora
       
         Welcome all things that have grown
         Welcome all things that are good
         May they be plentiful and abundant
Port Nicholson Rotary Board Members 2025/26
President                        Nicole Barker
Treasurer                        Nick Duncan
Community Services     Marc Rands
Club Services                 Geoff Smith
District Liaison               Brent Gerrard
Lifting the Lid                 David Shackleton
Membership                   Richard Westlake
Projects                          Paula McKnight
Youth                              Tori           
Past President               Jo Douglas
President Elect              David Barnes

If you have feedback for the Editors, or content you would like included in the club bulletin, please send it to rcpnbulletin@gmail.com by midnight on Saturday to ensure its inclusion.