Changeover Meeting Report
President John, in his outgoing address looked back on year that was. He described the year as both difficult and challenging with some notable successes. He referred to the outstanding successes of so many to the activities undertaken throughout the year highlighting the Charity Auction and the Goal Setters Award Breakfast. But he made special mention of the growth of Rotaract and Interact with the wonderful support of many but Lisa and David and Gillian and Christopher in particular.
The Rotary year wouldn’t be complete without mention of our contribution to RYLA; the National Science Schools; supporting refugee families, Peramulators; funds raised for Emergency Kits in the Pacific, the Cassino evening to raise funds for the purchase of a new truck for a Fijian village, plus assisting in raising funds for equipping a new Wellington Free Ambulance; supporting the blood pressure monitoring at New World and a great tree planting effort in Tawa to contribute to Rotary’s tree planting targets.
However, shifting the meeting to Monday impacted on the Club, with some members finding it more difficult to attend. As a result we have lost some really great members but we have also gained some excellent new members.
John’s parting words as our President for 2017/18 were “Our people individually and collectively have made a difference to a range of people and communities. The Club works well because of the strength, the commitment, the enthusiasm and the contribution each member makes”.
District Governor Elect John Mohi then assisted John to present Ian Paterson with a Paul Harris Fellow ruby pin in recognition of his enormous contribution to Club. Ian’s tireless generosity and contribution to Rotary and the community is an inspiration to us all.
David Shackleton was awarded a sapphire pin for his exemplary service to the Club. David’s personal commitment and on-going support of the Club, its service goals and community projects is outstanding.
President Bev Wells – RCPN 2018/19
In Bev’s words after all the anticipation – it’s finally here. She is excited about the opportunity to lead the Club. Rotary International Elect Barry Rassin’s vision is to be the inspiration towards a sustainable future for Rotary and for the Community. Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change across the globe in our communities and in ourselves. Bev’s vision for Port Nicholson is to incorporate this theme into her year and for us to inspire others to provide leadership in our community - to be visible and connected.
So where is our community? Bev has chosen the waterfront as our community – so relevant because of its vibrancy and diversity. The 3 priority areas of focus for the year will be: being connected with our community; engagement with youth; membership and engagement. These areas of focus will see us lead some initiatives along the waterfront with the cornerstone project to establish an active group that will aim to achieve a predator-free waterfront. The project aligns with the vision of our city’s leaders, who have embraced the concept of Wellington being the first capital city in the world to become predator-free.
Engaging with youth will be important and a joint community based project with Rotaract and Interact is a priority. Current initiatives will of course continue.
Bev introduced her Board and key leadership roles and all members are invited to put their hands up to contribute in areas of interest to them.
Bev aims to be an inspiration to the Club and to see Port Nicholson’s visibility increase as leaders in our community, making a strong contribution towards a sustainable future for our Club. We wish you a great year.
Brenda Lazelle
President's Message
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