We need your candidates for RYLA (18-24 year olds) details below.
Contributions to our bulletin are welcome and if you have anything please send to Richard at nabbo_123@hotmail.com
And if you have any comments on the layout, content and information provided, let us know, because the Newsletter is yours.
Rotary Hutt City breakfast meetings
Meetings are held 7am to 8.30 am on the first and third Wednesday of the month at Boulcott's Farm Heritage Golf Club, Military Road, Lower Hutt.
For those of you who have not pre-paid, breakfast continues to cost $25 per person, payable on arrival to this coming week, to Michael Markham.
Members, don't forget to check the Duties Roster (Meeting Responsibilities) below for your nominated duty for our next meeting on 21 October. A reminder that in the first instance it is your responsibility to find an alternate, if you cannot make the date.
Meeting Responsibilities
Greeter
Nabarro, Richard
Payment Taker
Markham, Michael
Reception Desk
Braniff, Judy
Opening thought
Colville, Sue
Intro to Speaker
Harding, Katrina
Thanks to Speaker
Brockelsby, Sandy
Quizlett (6 questions about your industry)
Brown, Allan
Closing thought
Gough, Bruce
President's Word
Hi Everyone
Jan Meyer talks crackers and craftsmanship
It was great to have Jan Meyer from Rutherford and Meyer speak to us at our last meeting. Very informative stuff about this local Hutt business: they have spent 25 years making gourmet crackers and fruit pastes for cheeseboards and get-togethers right here in Gracefield, with world-class manufacturing facilities and product that makes its way onto tables well beyond New Zealand. Great to see a local business doing things properly and punching well above its weight.
IYM Quiz Night raises over $10,000
A great night out at the Innovative Young Minds (IYM) Quiz Night, held at Boulcott Farm Golf Club. I took on Quiz Master duties for the evening, and with 19 teams putting their general knowledge to the test, the night raised over $10,000 in profit for the cause. Our club’s share, 25% of the net proceeds, comes to $2,885, a great result for a great cause.
Mark your calendars — Christmas dinner 9 December Our Christmas celebration dinner is locked in for 9 December, upstairs in the private room at Speight’s Ale House, Petone. Get it in the diary now: more details to follow closer to the date.
Your voice needed — Hutt City Club Survey
You should have already received my email this week with a link to our club survey. It is around a dozen questions and only takes a few minutes to complete. The results will form the basis of discussion at our club meeting on 18 November. It is important that we hear from you: what you enjoy about the club, where we could do better, and any ideas you have, particularly around our new member drive. Please take a few minutes to have your say.
Submissions by 4 November please.
World Polio Day — our Club’s contribution
World Polio Day falls on 24 October, and our Club will be marking it in a practical way; proceeds from the quizlet and fines session at our meeting on 21 October will be donated towards the cause. This ties into one of Rotary’s longest running and most significant global projects.
Since 1985, Rotary has led the fight to eradicate polio worldwide, partnering with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Gates Foundation. Together, these efforts have reduced polio cases by over 99% worldwide, but the job isn’t finished yet, and every dollar helps us get over the line. You can find out more about Rotary’s work in this area at rotary.org.
A word from District Governor Brent Gerrard
Key points from this fortnight’s District update:
RYPEN (Rotary Youth Enrichment Programme) was held at the Kauwhatau Outdoor Education Centre near Mangaweka — a great confidence-building weekend for our secondary school rangatahi.
RC Hutt City’s IYM Quiz Night drew a packed house of close to 200 and raised over $10,000 through the auction and raffles.
Brent visited the Wellington North and Levin clubs, both strong contributors to their communities through projects like the Khandallah Fair, the Birdwood Reserve bush track, and support for Palmerston North Hospital, local foodbanks and Levin’s Hope Hub Free Store.
A reminder to clubs looking to grow: have a plan — know your target demographic, make your approach, and don’t forget to simply ask people if they’d like to become a Rotarian.
World Polio Day events — register now, details in this bulletin.
Don’t forget to register for the dinner with Rotary Foundation Chair-Elect and Past RI President Gordon McInally, where our district will launch the “Say NO to Domestic and Family Violence” campaign.
Brent Gerrard
District Governor
A football pilgrimage, with a side of language lessons
As some of you will know, I am heading off on Monday for a four-week football-related holiday through Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Rio. A bit of Spanish and Portuguese is in order, so I’ve been brushing up on the essentials: “¿Dónde está el bar más cercano?” (where’s the nearest pub) and “Dos cervezas, por favor” (two beers, please) for Argentina and Uruguay, and “Onde fica o bar mais próximo?” and “Duas cervejas, por favor” for Brazil. I figure if I can manage those, the rest will sort itself out.
It is hard to think of a better route for a football fan — Argentina gave us Messi and Maradona, Uruguay hosted the first two World Cup tournaments back in 1930 (and won the inaugural one), and Brazil are five-time world champions and gave the game Pelé. I’ll do my best to represent the club with distinction, or at least with enthusiasm.
Thanks, as always, for everything you bring to this club. I’ll see some of you after the final whistle.
Kind Regards,
Craig Deadman | Packaging Products Ltd
General Manager
M. 021 799 551
(Editor President Craig is being too modest. Here is DG Brent Gerrard's comment in full about IYM:
''I enjoyed the Innovative Young Minds (IYM) Quiz Night run by RC Hutt City where a packed house of close to 200 people had a great night. Quiz Master and Hutt City President Craig Deadman kept us reaching to the far corners of our brains for answers to the questions…did you know that Mick Jagger was a backing vocalist on Carly Simon’s “You’re so Vain” ?!…the things you learn at quiz nights – well worth an evening out and with the auction and raffles they raised over $10,000 for the programme.'')
On this day in 1914, the Main Body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) departed Wellington Harbour, marking the largest single migration of people from New Zealand at one time.
The convoy consisted of 10 troopships carrying 8,454 solders and about 3,000 horses. Their departure had been delayed from September due to fears of German cruisers in the Pacific, prompting the arrival of powerful British and Japanese naval escorts.
Watched by thousands of spectators on the hills of Wellington, the fleet began its journey lasting almost 50 days. While the troops initially expected to fight on the Western Front in Europe, the Ottoman Empire's entry into the war diverted their destination. The NZEF disembarked in Egypt on 3 December 2014 Egypt on 3 December 1914 to guard the Suez Canal, a move that ultimately led to their deployment at Gallipoli the following year.
For President Craig:
Patsy Cline released her signature tune ''Crazy'' in 1961, a cover of Willie Nelson's song.
Culture Club featuring Boy George appeared on Top of the Pops in 1982 singing ''Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?'' Not quite up there with his boyhood hero David Bowie singing ''Starman'' ten years earlier, it was still a landmark for pop.
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley, founding guitarist for the rock band Kiss, died aged 74 in 2025.
A group of intrepid explorers, led by Past President Katrina, took us on part of the Bee in The City art trail on Sunday 4 October. It was a beautiful day, as you can see from the photo below, and the group managed to tick off 29 of the 50 Bees on display.
Walking from the station (buses replaced trains, grrrrr), we did a loop walk along the waterfront, past Te Papa, up Taranaki St, Dixon St, Cuba Mall and onto Glover Park to see our bee Fruit Bowl. We then proceeded down past the new Library (where there are six bees) and on to Lambton Quay finishing at Midland Park.
The hardiest then adjourned to the Featherston for well earned refreshment.
Oh, and a big shout out to District Governor Brent Gerrard who joined us for part of the walk!
You can catch more of the trail highlights featuring many of the bees onKatrina's Facebook page: click on the link below.
Sue Colville and Andy Soper have just returned from their six week jaunt to the UK, and whilst there, they visited the Rotary Club in Stockport (not far from Manchester).
No sooner had Rob Cranna presented to President Craig a pennant from the Rotary Club of Apea on Samoa, last month, now it is the turn of Sue and Andy from the Stockport Club. Apparently it was their last one too!
Andy Barker then gave us the lowdown on AI, asking us to think of them/it as a new staff member who never sleeps, never sulks, but nevertheless still needs checking up on.
Interestingly, Andy's company spends a not insignificant sum on AI technology each month, to ensure that AI solutions can then in turn be offered to customers.
We then heard from our main speaker, Jan Meyer CEO of Rutherford & Meyer, purveyors of fruit paste and gourmet crackers, for both New Zealand and the internatiional market too.
Jan grew up in rural Canterbury, where a sense of community was important. She mentioned that her Mum (Alison) got the confidence to really get into business when she got the support of a great friend, Gay Rutherford. Without explicitly setting out to do so, they pioneered what is now known as upcycling, rescuing left-over, excess fruit from the summer harvest that otherwise would have rotted, and preserved it into premium fruit pastes designed to pair with cheeses.
When the company moved to Lower Hutt in 2001, Jan took over the company. Recognising the need to diversify, they began to manufacture crackers too.
One of the key takeaways for me was the need for the company to change the way they produced labels, which they had produced in the past with the help of IHC, the disabilities and support services organisaton. Making 10 labels at a time suddenly transformed into the need for an order numbering almost 100,000!
Even before AI, the company revolutionised its paperwork systems by putting it online to improve efficiency.
Nowadays, Jan's company produces its own waifers and rice crackers, having previously relied upon outside suppliers.
Finally, Jan had some insights into the future for the food industry. With the advent of weight loss (GLP-1 medications) such as wegovy, there is a transformation coming for the food industry as consumers want smaller portions that are nutrionally denser. As appetite decreases, demand is rising for high-protein and fiber-rich products. Food companies are responding by innovating product designs that prioritize metabolic health, delivering maximum nutritional benefit within significantly reduced serving sizes.
Jan Meyer offering us ''food for thought''.......
There was just time for Katrina to give us her travel and geography quizlet which was very interesting and had a Scandinavian feel to it.
Looking Forward 21 October - Alex Hockley: CEO Wellington Heritage Festival
Alex will be talking about the Wellington Festival that runs for three weeks (24 October - 15 November) and has 160 events in the Wellington/Wairarapa region, in conjunction with Rotary Wellington. Click on the link below to find out more.
Alex was due to speak to us in November last year, but illness sadly prevented his attendance. The good news is that he is here with us next week, in advance of this year's Festival.
Alex started with a background interest in computers and history, and is at a unique intersection between the two.
After a Software Engineering degree honours project saw him using augmented reality to visualize lost objects at heritage landmarks, he started a company, Hiamo, using technology to share heritage stories, engage people with historic monuments, and build educational experiences.
This interest has continued throughout his involvement with Wellington Heritage Festival. Alex has lead its delivery, reaching thousands of visitors and sharing dozens of events around the region, since becoming Festival Director in 2021.
Outside of these roles, Alex works as a contract web developer, primarily working on full stack web development with a focus on Front End, building custom websites using a wide range of technologies.
Looking Forward 21 October - Tyler Stephenson Naenae Boxing Academy
A bonus for us this week, no Who am I, but Tyler will be speaking to us about the Naenae Boxing Academy, in the company of some of the Academy's young boxers. Here is Tyler's Facebook post.
Kia ora,
My name is Tyler, and I’m the new Manager of the Naenae Boxing Academy. It’s an honour and a privilege to serve the community here in Naenae, and I’m excited to connect with our boxing whānau.
Some things about me: I live in Johnsonville with my husband Micah. I love the great outdoors! I grew up on a farm and moved from Invercargill to Wellington in 2018 for university.
I love spending time in nature—hiking, camping, horse trekking, and any kind of adventure is my cup of tea. I graduated with a Batchelor of Fine Arts and love getting creative. I have a pretty broad background in management, admin, hospitality, retail, non-profit community work and youth/young adult engagement. I look forward to mashing all those skills together to serve our boxing whānau and the wider Naenae community.
To get in touch email me at manager@nyct.org.nz
After school classes start back from the 16th, same schedule as last year. You can renew your membership on arrival to the gym.
Ngā mihi
Tyler
Did you know that if you take the first letter of banana and put it at the end instead, it spells the same word backward?
A Reminder of Club Meeting Duties: Thanks to Speaker
It is a good idea to do a little research beforehand so you can set the wider scene for an interesting talk.
This is a Club courtesy to say thank to those who have given their time and energy in coming to talk to us. Ideally, keep it short:-
Say the talk has been interesting - you might very briefly recall a point you found enlightening but don’t try and summarise what we’ve been told;
Say we have all learnt a great deal, and what they have told us will stimulate thought and further conversations;
Again, say thank you and give the speaker any publicity material about our Club.
RYLA, or the Rotary Youth Leadership Award, is an intensive, hands-on leadership development program for young adults, sponsored by local Rotary Clubs. The program uses seminars, group activities, and community events to help participants develop leadership, communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. Participants are chosen by sponsoring Rotary Clubs or companies and are selected based on their potential for leadership and desire to grow.
Rotary Hutt City has budgeted to sponsor two candidates and we are looking to Club members to suggest possible candidates. Rotabiz members especially would find it an excellent leadership course fo younger staff (18-24 years).
Please contact Andy Soper for further information or to offer your suggested candidates. andy@maudelegal.co.nz
The District has just transformed its website, which has all the information needed to interview, endorse, and sponsor a candidate. The link can be found below:
For more than 10 years, Innovative Young Minds (IYM) has been helping young women discover pathways into STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) careers through industry engagement, mentoring and real-world experiences. With more than 1,000 participants, exceptional programme outcomes and a growing alumnae network, IYM has proven what works.
Now we're ready for the next phase of growth.
We are seeking a small number of strategic partners or angel supporters who want to help shape New Zealand's future workforce by investing in a proven organisation and expanding opportunities for thousands more young people.
Whether through funding, connections, advocacy or collaboration, your support can help us build stronger talent pipelines, increase diversity in STEMM and create lasting impact across New Zealand.
Be Part of the Growth Story
If you or your organisation are passionate about developing future talent and making a meaningful difference, we'd love to talk.
Join us as a strategic partner or angel supporter and help scale the next generation of STEMM leaders.
ContactGaylene Hughes today to explore these opportunities.
Petone Rotary Club - Hustings for forthcoming Election
Gary from Petone Rotary Club writes:
Politicians and pizza nights
20 October – Courtney White; Greens
3 November – Ginny Andersen; Labour
Please email Gary – media@petonerotary.org.nz with number of guests you invite for numbers for the pizzas.
If you are attending, please arrive between 5.30 - 5.50pm for pizza sharp at 6.00pm, with speakers due to speak at 6.20pm (approx). A $10 koha for pizza would be appreciated.
Forthcoming Fund Raiser Wild Horse Nine Petone Lighthouse 2 November
NB: Change of date to previously advertised as 29 October
Wild Horse Nine follows two CIA operatives in 1973 Chile, sent from Santiago to Easter Island on a mission that stirs old secrets, political tension, and moral reckonings under the looming coup. Viewers may be drawn by its sharp dark comedy, rich character work, and acclaimed cast led by John Malkovich in an award-winning turn. Critics praise its wit, chemistry, and layered themes, making it a strong contender for awards and worth seeking out.
World Polio Day is observed annually on 24 October, is a global initiative established by Rotary International, to commemorate Jonas Salk’s development of the first polio vaccine.
This critical day unites Rotary clubs, public health advocates, and global partners to raise funds, drive awareness, and advance the mission to eradicate polio entirely.
Since launching its PolioPlus program in 1985 and co-founding the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, Rotary has helped achieve a 99.9% reduction in global cases. Through around $3 billion in contributions and massive volunteer campaigns, Rotary has protected over 3 billion children, keeping the world on the brink of ending this paralyzing disease forever.
Loose change and Buying the Box
Remember to bring some loose change along to the meeting so you can contribute if you answer a Quizlett question incorrectly :), or wish to "Buy The Box".
If you should have any interesting stories about fellow Rotarians then please pass them onto Sue Colville so he can share them at the meeting. Email: sue.colville@gmail.com
Payment is also now available by Eftpos onsite - no excuses!
Last time I asked: What is the origin of the cracker biscuit?
Modern crackers are the end product of what started as a convenience food for soldiers and sailors, recorded as far back as 1190. Known as ''Hard tack,'' or ship's biscuit, they were made out of a mixture of grain and/or legume flour and water, shaped into tablets, then baked until brick hard.
In 1836, Jonathan Dodgson Carr, who owned a mill and bakery in Carlisle, England, began milling wheat for his Table Water biscuits.Made of flour and water,the recipe was derived directly from hard tack, but rolled much thinner. As a thin, crisp cracker, water biscuits were more palatable than hard tack but still suitable for long-term storage by sailors and travelers.
This time: There are 50 beesto visit in Bee in The City'sart trail. But how far do you have to walk to visit them all on foot, to the nearest kilometre?
You can't say furrer than cat!
World Polio Day is observed annually on 24 October, is a global initiative established by Rotary International, to commemorate Jonas Salk’s development of the first polio vaccine.