Welcome back everyone and I hope we have a wonderful year as a club. We hold our first formal meeting of the year on Wednesday 24 January at the hotel.

We have the Goalsetters Breakfast coming up on Friday March 16. At the moment we can’t confirm whether the Prime Minister is attending.  She hasn’t said either yes or no yet. PM or not, we are proceeding on that date, as the hotel is full every morning that week and the next week.

On Friday 4 May we have the charity auction with proceeds going mainly to the Malaghan Institute and Wellington Free Ambulance. The club will take 10% for use in our own projects, a figure which is in line with what has happened previously.

In the survey conducted last year members strongly backed 15% as an appropriate share, and many supported 20% or higher. Your board has settled on 10% as we do not wish to deter donors and supporters who give generously to back our primary causes.

Our other regular activities will continue: supporting performers at the markets, helping out at Kahurangi School, volunteering at various street appeals, supporting RYLA, the Rotaract and Interact clubs, and the youth leaders at our two schools – Wellington College and Wellington Girls’ College.

Then there’s the perambulators, the Friday Frolics, selling the Dining Out books, the occasional film evening and casino night, and later in the year (hopefully) we will be operating the car park at Waitangi Park again.

While we have a lot to offer people who want to meet people and help others in the community, we also have our challenges. I think the main one is getting and keeping members. Dallas Welch, who has been on leave from the club for the last six months, has now resigned. She cites pressure of work – she is commuting weekly from Christchurch and Mondays don’t suit. There may well be others similarly affected.

The Robertsons will also be on leave this next half year: Christopher from February for about six months and Gillian for two months when they take to the seas on a cruise together. We wish them well.

David Shackleton will take over liaison duties with the hotel, and we are looking for someone to help out with the banking of the weekly money and paying the hotel.

2018 has to become the year of membership. Although moving to Monday as the day for our meetings is the right decision, it is not a decision free of consequences. It puts the challenge of satisfying our existing members and recruiting new ones at the forefront of our minds.

 

John Bishop – President.