March is Rotary’s Water and Sanitation Month. Clean water is essential to life and is a significant issue throughout the world.
By Paul Engleman Illustrations by Fien Jorissen
Sixty-five years ago, in 1955, I was diagnosed with polio. I was two years old, so I was unaware of what it meant to have been infected with the poliovirus, but I became more aware of it in subtle ways as I got older. And at some point, I understood what my mother meant when she said I was “one of the lucky ones.”
My mother came from Jersey City, New Jersey, and she sounded like it all her life, aided and abetted by a daily regimen of unfiltered Kool cigarettes. She drove a supply truck as a civilian during World War II and delighted in telling a tale about a GI who tried to “get fresh” with her when she gave him a lift back to the base. When she told him she was married and her husband was deployed overseas, he said, “Baby, what’re you saving it for — the worms?”
She stopped the truck and told him, “Ride in back buster!” I have no doubt that she used an expletive, although she never employed one in the retelling, Jersey accent notwithstanding. But she still thought “saving it for the worms” was the funniest line she had ever heard. She was a woman who could take things in stride, the quintessential “tough cookie.”
Latest NewsROTARY TAURANGA BOOK SALE
Harvard Way Cool Store opposite Classic Flyers
UPDATE UPDATE
DUE TO BEING IN COVID LEVEL 2
WE WILL NOT BE OPEN ON FRIDAY 5TH & SATURDAY 6TH MARCH
If we move to Level 1 on Sunday 7th March
we will open
9AM TO 5PM
ADDITIONAL DAYS
SEEKA has kindly extended our use of their Cool Store.
We will open (if still in Level 1)
SATURDAY 13TH & SUNDAY 14TH MARCH
9am to 5pm
Includes Art for sale
Art to be donated, contact Margaret Cooper 027 497 9308
On Saturday 27th February the District Advisory Council met at the Parksyde Community Centre in Rotorua. Thirteen Past District Governors joined DG Grant Spackman, DGE Ross Pinkham and DGE Kevin Forgeson to discuss current matters relating to the District. District Governor Grant said that the meeting was a wonderful opportunity to share information and receive feedback from our Past District Governors.
"There is always a lot of talk about increasing membership".
There is an underlying pressure to many it seems, to always talk about and promote membership drives. The reality is that most club presidents would be absolutely happy if their clubs experienced growth of a mere 5 to 10% over the course of their year. And in my years within the Rotary organisation, I have found that in many cases it is the same leaders who bring in the new members on a regular basis. I suggest a simple, powerful and dynamic change that could literally shake our District as well as make a powerful statement to the organization at large. I learned to follow that simple phrase “keep it simple stupid” many years ago, and while I have never considered myself stupid by any sense of the word, THIS is a most simple approach
Let’s not shoot for a five to ten per cent increase in membership over the next year. Let’s do something amazing! Let’s DOUBLE our membership in one year!
EVERYONE BRING ONE
Dear all,Helpful to let me know if attending, so I can determine how many chickens I need to catch and cook. Ideally, today, as my personal email checking ability limited at work tomorrow :)
Cheers
Maree
The Short Talk was with Waipukurau President Trevor (at his request) and he did a ‘1-2-3 About Me’ talk…..three things, that turned into four, about himself.He told us that his father was the most influential person in his life, shaping it right back from early childhood...firstly with his love of numbers gained when he worked in his parents dairy in the days before calculators and electronic cash registers and money and change all done in the head….secondly his love of running and encouragement with this from dad….thirdly with his career in local government when dad got him a job at the bottom of the ladder at the local Ashburton Borough Council and fourthly he helped him find his future wife by suggesting there was a lovely young lady working down the road who he could take to a (think it was) a school dance.
A new report highlights GPEI critical pandemic response support
Whakatane Rotary members and guests were welcomed to this eagerly anticipated annual club fun night by Whakatane President Rose, pictured here with President JP. John responds by confirming something we all knew, that we have been coming to the croquet night, playing for many years and our game has not improved. Rotary Club Business: (Minimal tonight, not necessarily in order of importance)
Raffle: Provided by Whakatane Croquet and won by Richard.
New Member Induction: New Rotarian Monique.
Photo of restored grandstand in Herries Park.The concrete was thoroughly cleaned by a water blaster,
The seating boards have been replaced and painted, with the work done by a small group of Te Aroha Rotarians, and the materials provided by the Te Aroha Athletics Club.
Thanks are extended to adjoining businesses for the use of power/water facilities and to those who provided equipment.
Well done.- a real quality job.
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On Sunday 21 February 63 past and present members, dignitaries and guests gathered at the R.S.A to celebrate 50 years of Rotary in Katikati.
As they entered they were invited to view the club's history, displayed in decades, collated by the Steering Committee. Peter MacKay (who was also present at the Charter Dinner of the club!) stated during the opening of the formalities “I trust the short history as published, compiled by John Dallimore, has left an adequate record of our first 50 years”.
Guest speaker, Past RI President Bill Boyd spoke about some Rotary concepts, including reflection, core values, diversity, fellowship, integrity, and service.
Millions of people all over the world are currently displaced by armed conflict or persecution.
In fact, 90% of casualties in armed conflicts are civilians, half of which are children.
OK Clubs, listen up. This is the dead set easiest way to increase club membership. 100% guarantee. Just click on the picture on the right.In May, Rotary sent all 2021-22 club presidents and membership chairs an email with a link to the Club Planning Assistant,
which asks them what their most pressing challenges are.
Based on their responses, they’ll be given a customized report with Rotary resources that can help them address those challenges.
Order this wonderful book through your own club. Contact your President or Secretary.
'Mana Tangata: People of Action' is the working title of a coffee table publication being crafted by professional historian Dr Stephen Clarke.
The Project
Begun in Chicago in 1905, Rotary was established in New Zealand in 1921 when clubs were set up in both Wellington and Auckland.
The idea was that people from a range of vocations would meet together on a non-political and non-religious basis to enjoy fellowship and work for the betterment of their community. The abiding principle was ‘Service Above Self’.
Over the subsequent century, Rotary in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands has expanded to over 265 clubs and 8000 members.
It has made a huge contribution to the improvement of New Zealand and Pacific Islands society through grants and direct assistance in many fields of social enterprise – the welfare of children, education, public health, the environment, encouraging the local economy. Many voluntary institutions, furthermore, were kick-started by Rotary.
History will tell this important story.
It will describe the development of Rotary as an institution – its changing composition, its geographical spread, its ways of working – against the wider context of New Zealand and the Pacific Islands’ society and culture. Its flax roots story of clubs and members will feature large.
This book will not only tell the Rotary story, of its service in the community and place in New Zealand and Pacific Island society for 100 years, but it will also inform future actions for the next 100 years.
Rotary members encourage conversations to foster understanding within and across cultures.
These important conversations support one of our areas of focus, peacebuilding and conflict prevention.
During Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month in February, you can get involved in these efforts:
During Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month in February, you can get involved in these efforts:
D9930’s Rotary Youth Exchange Programme (RYE) held our annual Debrief Day on 14 February 2021 at Rotorua.
It was a great opportunity for our 2020 Outbound students, their parents and our committee to all meet in person. Our students presented to the group about their experiences while on exchange in light of the very challenging pandemic. Although there was a theme of COVID-19 implications, it is a credit to our students as to how positive they were while facing one of the world’s biggest challenges of this century.
ARTICLE BY RI DIRECTOR-ELECT JESSIE HARMAN — DEC 30, 2020
As the number of volunteer organisations rises and competition for volunteer resources increases steadily, organisations which rely on volunteers are turning their attention to the matter of engagement, asking themselves the question ‘how do we keep our current and future volunteers active, involved and satisfied?
Our situation in Rotary is identical.
Faced with increasing competition and rising expectations, we must ensure our members are engaged and receiving value from their Rotary membership. Fortunately, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel; the literature on volunteer management provides a host of tips and hints on ways to increase volunteer engagement. I’ve identified seven of the most common ones and applied them to Rotary:
You will recall during their Club visits Past District Governor Peter Maxwell and Mary, initiated a project for Clubs in District 9930 to collaborate with their local Rural Support Trusts with “pop up BBQs” as part of their support for the farming community.
The Trusts provide free and confidential assistance to farmers and growers facing challenges; climate, financial or personal. They are well-placed to point people in the right direction for further advice and help. Mental wellbeing is an area where the Trust gives invaluable support to Farmers and Growers.
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