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Our Duties May 20 (evening event) Please note that these may differ from previous notifications
Desk 6.45 -
Greeter -
Set up/Pack up -
Kaikohau -
Opening Thought -
Introduction - Rod Badcock
Thanking - Nick Duncan
Parting thought-
Reporter - David Quinn Photographer - Bill Day
Guardian Angel -
Remember - NO MORNING MEETING May 20
Instead we have an evening visit to Open Star Technologies Ltd
20 Glover Street Ngauranga Wednesday 20 May 6.00 - 7.00pm
Includes Drinks and Nibbles
(Please park on the street and wear closed toe shoes)
OpenStar is a fusion energy startup. Fusion is the same process that powers our sun and all the stars in the universe. It's an extremely powerful source of energy that produces no long-term waste and has no risk of meltdown. The catch: it's notoriously difficult to facilitate on Earth.
OpenStar is one of around 50 private companies globally developing machines that are capable of facilitating fusion reactions to yield base-load electricity. Of these 50 or so companies, OpenStar is the only company developing the levitated dipole concept. When visiting our facility, you'll see our fully commissioned prototype device, Junior, that has shown the world our unique and unmatched capabilities.
It's totally okay to have minimal knowledge of their work - that's what they are going to show us! Any and all questions are welcomed on the visit, and they will do their best to answer them.
President Nicole
Club forum
Thank you for participating in the club forum last week. Your questions and feedback were invaluable and we will use it to process the Radar Awards, the change in payments, and breakfast and duties. If you were away please see Charles's excellent report below on the meeting. Hearing from our new young membeers about their impressions of the club was the highlight.
Mary Potter Hospice collection
Thank you to David Shackleton and the team of doing the collection for Mary Potter Hospice on Thursday. It was much appreciated by the club as well as the Hospice.
Casino night
The casino night was a great success and the best one yet. Having it in Hadleigh's bar created a great atmosphere. Thank you to the organisers and the participants. I understand approximately $1600 was raised which is a great effort, and will go towards the costs of the work on the ambulance and getting it to Tauranga.
Have a good week.
The future looks good
Meetings, speakers and events coming up
20 May - EVENING Trip to OpenStar
27 May Andrew Little Mayor of Wellington
3 June - New member presentation Rod Badcock
3 June - Cans for a Cause. See deets below
7 June- Gardening at Brent's place
10 June - Flis Paske - Acupuncture to reduce the ravages of aging
24 JuneClub Changeover
27 June District Changeover Boulcott Farm Golf Course
12 July - Tawa Tree Planting 1-3.30pm - (see notice above).
21 October (Wednesday evening) 2026 Grand Night Out
IRANZ on behalf of Port Nicholson Rotary Club provides $5,000 sponsorship to Innovative Young Minds (IYM). The IYM Residential Programmeheld at Silverstream each year, leads the way in inspiring young women into STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and high-tech manufacturing). It offers an immersive, hands‑on week that builds confidence, capability, and long‑term connection. This is complemented by the IYM Online Programme which this year engaged 100 students nationwide in four days of high‑energy STEMM exploration. directly advancing Rotary’s mission to empower youth, expand opportunity, and strengthen the pipeline of future innovators who will shape New Zealand’s scientific and economic future. It has been great to welcome IYM Alumnae Sophie Miller to Port Nicholson Rotary Club. Sophie is on the IYM Alumnae Council.
IRANZ represents New Zealand’s Independent Research Organisations, including world‑class institutes such as the Malaghan Institute, Building Research (BRANZ) and the Cawthron Institute. By supporting Rotary’s IYM, we help to ensure the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators can see themselves contributing to institutes like Malaghan and the wider research sector that underpin New Zealand’s future health and prosperity.
Our thanks to Rob Whitney for his leadership on this programme.
Cans for a Cause
All Rotary districts in New Zealand will be collecting Cans for a Cause during the first week of June in support of local community food banks. Our collective target is to gather one million cans nationwide.
It is acknowledged that a number of clubs are already involved in food bank collections or are preparing to begin their own initiatives. Nonetheless, this coordinated national effort provides an opportunity to amplify our impact, strengthen community partnerships, and showcase Rotary’s commitment to addressing food insecurity across Aotearoa.
David Barnes has kindly offered to deliver cans donated by our Club to Whakamara
The Ambulance is on its way to Samoa
Shortly after 7am on Monday, Darryl and colleagues, left Wellington on the delivery trip in the Mercedes emergency ambulance for Samoa to the shipping agents in Tauranga. After a comfortable easy drive arrived in Tauranga 3pm. Unfortunately, we suffered stone chip from a logging truck just north of Taupo but this was taken care of by the very friendly Rotarian shipping agent at Swire Shipping on arrival. The vehicle was loaded into a container ready for shipping leaving Tauranga on Thursday.
It will be on the water now due to arrive in Samoa in the coming days! Thank you Darryl for driving this important project.
We were treated today to a presentation from our very own Jo Douglas’s son, Mark, who works for Starboard Maritime Intelligence. Mark provided an entertaining and topical outline of his company’s business and of particular interest, an update on maritime difficulties arising from the current Straits Hormuz situation.
If you are going to be away, please record you absence here Many thanks
May 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 Nicole know at Nicolebarker883@gmail.com or 027 5866666
Attached is the trapping roster to take us from May - August 2026
Please Text Fraser Ebbett (WCC) 021 765 694 when you arrive and leave the site
9-May
Jo Douglas & Steve Lawton
23-May
Noel Winsloe & Ross Buxton
6-Jun
Jeff Lee & David Shackleton
20-Jun
Marc Rands
4-Jul
Paula McKnight & Dennis Small
18-Jul
Jenny Flannigan-Tong & Howard Tong
1-Aug
Brent Gerrard & Rick Hughes
15-Aug
Dawn Sanders & Peter Whittington
As always please swap if your allocated date doesn't suit.
Many thanks to all for helping out with this important club project.
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
Secretary Jo Douglas Membership Richard Westlake Projects Paula McKnight
Youth Tori Triegaardt
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 9am on Sunday to ensure its inclusion.
