Rotary Club of Port Nicholson Bulletin

Wednesday 20 May, 2020

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Weekly meetings are via Zoom due to the situation with Covid-19

President
David Shackleton
 
 
On Monday, the 25th the Prime Minister will announce new rules for gatherings. All indications are we will be able to meet again at the Wellington Club as of June 3rd.
Peter has been in contact with Club and they are really looking forward to our return. However, things will be a little different.   It will be especially important that members pre-register through Club Runner.  This will avoid a lot of the administration required for the track and trace system.  Otherwise we will need individual contact details to be completed on arrival.
 
If the rules stay the same, unfortunately there will be no opportunity for milling and congregating at the beginning.  Members will need to proceed straight to the tables.  Coffee will be served at the tables. Equally no congregating at the end of the meeting however, we believe we will still be able to have coffee in the lounge.
 
All this is subject to the PM’s announcement and what, if any, new rules are announced.  We will let you know as soon as further details become available.
One of the activities we are all looking forward to is the resumption of hands on community service. Now more than ever, there are communities that need our support. If you know of a charity or community that needs a help with a hands-on project, please let me know.
 
Finally, several us attended the Rotary learning sessions on the weekend. One of the sessions was an update on Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio. Last year there were 176 new cases of polio in the two countries where polio still exists, Pakistan and Afghanistan. This year, unfortunately there are a further 59, 12 in Afghanistan and 47 in Pakistan. The good news though that despite the complications of COVID 19 Rotary continues to make progress in eradicating the crippling effect of polio. 
 
Stay safe and healthy
 
David

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This weeks speaker....Jean Sloan

 

 
What a joy it was to hear from Jean a new member of the club.  Jean is not new to Rotary however as Jean was a Rotarian in Canada and assisted with the Rotary exchange programme which involved taking 44 students for four weeks travelling across Canada.  Jean highlighted that although she gave a lot to Rotary in Canada she feels she has gotten much more out of it than she has given. 
 
Jean’s presentation was beautifully presented with a colourful history of her birth place Nova Scotia - Canada.  Fondly known as a Bluenoser named after a famous schooner, Jean’s presentation showed us the beauty of Nova Scotia and of her family/whanau and compared Nova Scotia to the South Island, so it  must be very beautiful.  Jean’s closest city was Halifax which Jean likened to Wellington.  Things she misses include the change of the seasons as Canadian seasons are much more severe than NZ.   The Halifax Explosion was a significant event and still today is supported by the annual memorial. 
 
Jean is one of five children she is a twin and Jean loves being a twin and calls her twin the better half.  Jean likes to ride her bicycle “I like to ride my bike” and to spend time with her family who travel together.   Jean sounds like an awesome Aunty having taken her nieces on a girls weekend and the boys on a nephews weekend.   
 
Jean’s career life has also been very colourful and like many of us taken a few turns perhaps even U turns.  Jean has been a bus driver and long haul truck driver, the latter for six months and during a Canadian winter which included an ice storm!  These roles were in between roles such as a fund raiser for a Medical Research House.  Jean admitted at one point that she couldn’t quite find the best fit so took a life coaching course and subsequently arrived at the role of Director of Stewardship and Philanthropy for Catholic Archidocese of Wellington.  I believe they are extremely fortunate to have you. 
 
Jean closed her presentation with some sayings which she used to illustrate who she is:   “I don’t really care about money, I live in gratitude, I walk with God, I’d rather do than have, Money comes and goes, I don’t sweat the small stuff, the only thing people have to share that I’m really interested in, is themselves, who they are and what makes them tick.   These are very apt for us all and we can take a leaf out of your book Jean. 
 
Club reporter
Reporter
Anne Hare
 
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‘Innovative Young Minds (IYM) is a project by the Hutt City Rotary Club and Hutt City Council. It targets young women in years 11 and 12, aiming to get them focusing on STEMM subjects (science, technology, engineering, maths and manufacturing). It gets young women from diverse geographic, economic and cultural backgrounds together for a week to consider STEMM careers they may not know even exist. The program has previously run in the July school holidays and students are hosted over the week by local engineering, manufacturing and technology businesses and also visits research and tertiary institutions.

Previously, our club supported the programme by sponsoring attendees students to attend. Because of Covid-19, the 2020 program is going on-line with 142 attendees and our Youth Committee has donated $1,000 to sponsor a virtual workshop for them
DISTRICT GOVERNOR 2022/23
 
 
Marilyn Stevens of the Rotary Club of
Kapiti has been selected by the District Nominating Committee as the
District Governor for the 2022-23 Rotary
year.

Marilyn is an outstanding nominee and is looking forward to the opportunity and the role. She will join the District Governance Train along with Gillian Jones (DGE), Mark Wheeler (DGN) and John Mohi.

As a Rotarian, Marilyn has held several District offices, has experience as a local body representative and, with various roles she has held in the workforce, makes her ideally suited to the position. Marilyn and Wayne, her husband, have a long-standing commitment of service to their communities.

Marilyn has been a Rotarian since 1983 and was a charter member of the Hutt Valley Breakfast Club. She is a Past Assistant Governor and has led a District 9940 Group Study Exchange to Sweden. Currently, Marilyn is Chair of the District Interact Committee and District Youth
Service Chair. She has also held club offices, including President of the Rotary Club of Otaki.

Marilyn’s working life has included management in the early childhood sector and also a local electrical company. She has been in joint ownership with her husband of a compressed  air and construction equipment company, motel owner and lastly Field Officer for the NZ Cancer Society. She is in the third trimester on the Otaki Community Board, two of those as Deputy Chair. Her portfolios are Strategy and Policy, and
Health.

Discussion Group 12/5/2020

Richard Brodie arranged the first of these, and the topic was “Memorable Travel”. There were four participants with wide-ranging travel experiences.
Ross Buxton spoke of his experience visiting and working in Saudi Arabia. He was associated with building projects - constructing Palaces and Embassies to name a few. He mentioned the cultural differences that they were expose to. Officially the temperature was never above 50°C, because at that temperature workers were permitted to down tools. The social event to look forward to was the Sunday afternoon Harriers. He is in no rush to go back.
 
Lindsay Chitty spoke on a trip to the Galapagos Islands October 2007 for 10 days. In the Galapagos we were totally surrounded by huge numbers of wildlife – birds, fish, reptiles, mammals and crustaceans. Geologically the Galapagos are very interesting – the islands are in very deep water and what we see are the tops of active volcanos. So we walked across recent lava flows, not unlike being on White Island. One item of advice – take a small boat – ours was 20 passengers, spending more time ashore and seeing things. Passengers on the bigger vessels spent all day disembarking and embarking.
 
Keith Hales talked about London. Keith is from the South East of London. So he is very familiar with places like Greenwich, the Thames, Dartford and the Arsenal Football Club. The things he sees whenever he returns are the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Favourite restaurant is “Rules”. It is the oldest restaurant in London, being established in 1798 specialising in traditional British food. “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”.
John Bishop spoke on Montgomery Alabama. Four things that left lasting impressions with him:
  • Martin Luther King’s first church 150 yards from the State Capitol, statue of Jefferson Davis, Confederate memorial to a confederate soldier (like tomb of unknown warrior).
  • National memorial of Peace and Justice.
  • Museum to the Freedom Writers 1961-3
  • Oldest restaurant which was Greek where he observed a (friendly) meeting between a Policeman and an elderly black person.
Lindsay Chitty

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Speakers
Jun 03, 2020 7:00 AM
Good Bitches Baking Company
Jun 10, 2020 7:30 AM
Senior Economist BERL
Jun 17, 2020 7:00 AM
Jun 24, 2020 7:00 AM
Author The Wakefields
View entire list
Club Duties and Roster:         
NB: If you are rostered for duty and cannot make it, then please arrange for someone else to take your place and let Brent know at brent.gerrard@outlook.com or 021 725060 Txts are fine too!
Upcoming Events
Rotary Weekly Meeting "Face to Face"
Wellington Club
Jun 03, 2020
7:00 AM – 8:30 AM
 
View entire list

House of Grace Donation

A good friend and neighbour of Rick and Bridget Hughes, Libby Carson, recently gave Rick a large quantity of sample toiletries, soaps, cosmetics. Libby is supporter of Rotary (and has been to many of our auctions)  and is aware of many of the good things the Rotary Club of Port Nicholson does for the community.  Libby knew Rick would find a good home for these very useful items. 

Rick contacted the House of Grace who the Club has supported for many years to see if they could use the toiletries. The House of Grace were delighted  to take them. Rick then delivered the items on Friday knowing they will help in some little way. 

This was a great act of random kindness by Libby and Rick and is a great example of how our friends and contacts can help the community. If anyone has any similar suggestions or ideas, please let us know. 

 
 ......................................
Rotary Wellington Bulletin 22 May 2020
Click here for link
 

Rotary District 9930 May 2020 Newsletter, from District Governor, Peter Maxwell
Please click here.

Rotary Oceania Covid-19 information
Click here for link  

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Rotary in Review -
A roundup of Rotary News Click here
Rotary South Pacific & Philippines Office - 
Newsletter: Click here
 
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Rotary  - 4 Ways to engage members online:
Click here
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FUNNIES!
 
 
Things I will NOT do before I get old!!!! 
 
Cliff camping.  
 
Skywalking in the Alps .

 

   Climbing Redwoods. 

   
   Sitting on the Trolltunga rock in Norway. 

 

Jumping on the Trolltunga rock in Norway. 

 

   
   Rock climbing in South Africa. 

Ice climbing a frozen waterfall. 

Extreme picnicking. 

 Extreme skiing in Wyoming. 

  Fortunately, I am ALREADY old.
 
I didn't get this way by being stupid.

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Kiriwhakapapa news

Miss Piggy’s diary – Episode 8

Miss Piggy’s Diary - Episode 9
I have been a bit worried this week. I developed a cough and a sore throat. If you have never heard a chicken cough, it is not a happy sound. Julian heard me and said it is probably just bird flu, and laughed. He can be very unsympathetic sometimes.
 
Julian has again been doing things which are not on his ‘must do’ list. He has what he calls a clever, cunning and well-designed system to get stored rainwater to the washing machine. I call it a heath robinson contraption. He decided to make part of it less liable to being blown down in a strong wind. We get lots of strong wind here, but the part he has been playing with, I mean working on, has survived perfectly well for the last six years of wind and rain.
 
On the topic of rain, Sue and Julian have been enjoying the many calm dry days, and frosty mornings, very unlike the normal weather here, waiting for a downpour. I heard Julian saying that the 400 mm of rain so far this year is a far cry from the 1000 mm to 1500 mm we would normally have and if it does not rain soon, it will be a real problem. I am not looking forward to nights with the rain hammering on the roof of my shed. I like these calm frosty nights.
 
As you know, I have beautiful plumage, with a hint of Norwegian blue in the right light. Julian, on the other hand, has been letting himself go. Apart from his ever-lengthening hair and untrimmed beard, he now is proud to wear trousers with more patches than trouser. He says it is part of sustainable living. Sue, who keeps putting on the patches, uses material which does not match to discourage him wearing them, but it does not seem to work.
This week Julian joined in the Friday zoom Rotary social meeting for the first time. In spite of the usual very poor internet he did manage to be part of the merry crowd. He said he had missed the cut and thrust of wit and repartee, but I reckon it was the excuse to have a drink with others he really missed.  I understand that his microphone did not work so he had to hear all the insults without the opportunity to reply. But I reckon he enjoyed it.
 
 

Alias

Julian Bateson
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