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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. Please RSVP to chrissi@roll.nz.
For those of you who have not pre-paid (see President's Report below), breakfast continues to cost $25 per person, payable on arrival to Gaylene Hughes.
Members, don't forget to check the Duties Roster (Meeting Responsibilities) below for your nominated duty for our next meeting on 18 February.
Meeting Responsibilities
Greeter
Braniff, Judy
Payment Taker
Hughes, Gaylene
Reception Desk
Soper, Andy
Opening thought
Wilmshurst, Wayne
3 Minute Who Am I?
Webb, Douglas
Intro to Speaker
Barker, Andy
Thanks to Speaker
Nabarro, Richard
Closing thought
Eaddy, Vidette
President's Report
Morena, good morning,
It is great to be underway with Rotary again for 2026 and it was lovely to see everyone at the last meeting after the Christmas break.
I count Hutt City Rotarians as friends. Google defines friendship as “a voluntary, affectionate bond between people built on trust, honesty, and mutual support, where individuals genuinely care for, respect, and enjoy spending time with each other, sharing experiences and offering comfort through good and bad times, making them feel seen and understood. It is a deep connection stronger than mere acquaintance, characterised by shared interests, emotional reliance, and the freedom to be oneself without judgment, fostering personal growth and a sense of belonging.”
I like to think we are good at providing and fostering all these traits. I hope you do too, and that you will help others feel the same as we look to grow the club numbers this year.
Initially, we will work with the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce and introduce their members to Rotary, but it would be great if you can look to bring a friend or colleague along to a meeting to join us too.
We all need a community around us - more than one, if possible. Life is much more fun when it is shared.
Saddened to hear the news this week that Honorary Member Bill Cropp passed away late last week.
I remember Bill being on the "door" most weeks when I first joined Rotary, to greet members. He was a good man "an officer and a gentleman" and true to the Rotary maxim of "service above self".
Bill was born on 5th December 1927 and joined our Club on 29th June 1973. His sponsor was Les Pearce and his Inducting President was Bob Smith.
He was a chartered accountant, a partner in the firm Brunton Cropp & Co, Club President during the 1993/1994 year, Club Treasurer for a number of years and a Paul Harris Fellow. (Thanks to Ian Ramsay for providing this info).
We will have a few minutes at our meeting next week to remember Bill. If you would like to say a few words about his contribution to Rotary you are welcome to speak briefly. He has chosen not to have a funeral.
While Bill had been involved with Rotary, his wife Norma was actively involved in the Inner Wheel, or as our ladies affectionately call it, Rotary Girls – around a dozen wives of current and past members. They continue to meet monthly at a restaurant even now, and Bill would drive Norma to the event and then pick her up afterwards.
RIP Bill
PS I have sent flowers to Norma on the Club’s behalf.
Meet Allan Brown: The founder of Innovative Young Minds who believed in you
An article recently posted on the IYM website News page
When Hutt City Rotarian, Allan Brown, helped start IYM 10 years ago, he wasn’t trying to create just another programme. He wanted to change lives. And he has done just that for well over a thousand young Kiwi women.
Allan is the founder and former chair of IYM, and he still plays an active role today as a board member. He helped launch IYM through Rotary, an organisation that has supported young people’s education for generations. But Allan believes IYM stands out as something special.
“This is a new offering in the suite of Rotary opportunities for young people he says. “It’s innovative, it’s self-driven, and it has real, immediate value.”
Before IYM, Allan had a long and varied career. He has worked in manufacturing, run his own businesses, managed major public spaces like the Wellington waterfront, and led teams focused on innovation and technology. Throughout his career, he saw first-hand how powerful science, technology, engineering, maths and high-tech manufacturing (STEMM) skills can be — and how few women were being encouraged into those spaces.
Originally, Allan imagined IYM as a programme for all students. But he was '"persuaded" by the very articulate and passionate women on his organising committee to focus specifically on IYM being for young women. Looking back, he says it was one of the best decisions IYM ever made.
“Women have been under-represented in STEMM, and that matters,” he says. “I didn’t know that at the time, but once I understood that properly, it became very clear that we could make a real difference.”
Since then, IYM has grown beyond what Allan first imagined. Hundreds of students have taken part in the residential programme, with many more joining online nationwide. But for Allan, the learning is only part of the magic.
“What you learn is important,” he says. “But who you learn it with is just as powerful. The friendships, confidence and support that form so quickly — that can be life-changing.”
Allan believes IYM will become a lasting legacy for Rotary — one that thousands of young New Zealand women will look back on as a turning point in their lives.
“That’s what Rotary can and should be doing,” he says. “Giving young people opportunities they will carry with them forever.”
And that belief — in your potential — is what IYM is built on. Allan encourages all young women to take advantage of it.
Today's Date 13 February
February 13 is associated with Charles Schulz because it is the date his final, original Peanuts comic strip was published in 2000, just one day after he passed away. Schulz, who was battling cancer, planned for this date to be the end of the beloved, long-running cartoon strip. He drew over 18,000 Peanuts strips during his career.
The final strip featured a note from Schulz thanking his readers and expressing his love for the characters.
Looking Back 4 February
For our first meeting of 2026, it was good to see well over 30 people in attendance, taking advantage of the new breakfast arrangements with plentiful supplies of bacon!! (YES).
In the "What is my Business?" slot Ganesh Cherian provided a fascinating insight to his memorials business (Glovers) that has recently relocated to bigger premises in Seaview. (For more, do visit the Glovers website).
Cameron Tooley advertised the Bowling event to come at Naenae Bowling Club on 27 March ($550 for a team of three), hoping that the day could help raise considerable funds towards a second hand ambulance for Life Flight.
Similarly, President Katrina promoted the commemorative bricks in front of the Dowse, with the idea of creating a Rotary Hutt City presence, listing all the recent Presidents of the Club. Perhaps those current and past presidents could ''pave the way'' (geddit ☺️) for starters?!
Our main speaker was Paula Clarke of GO Architecture, leading on Common building mistakes - and how a deisgner can help you dodge them.
Paula believed that it was necessary to have a collaborative approach with Council and contractors.
In a nutshell, the main mistakes were:
Too little planning and project management;
Going ahead with a number of small individual projects that then leads to restraint when trying to deliver the big picture;
Maintenance limbo - a building's upkeep is neglected, making it difficult to produce adequate plans;
Failure to get consent - failure to apply for consent for new insulation occurs frequently.
Keeping to the President theme, Linton Adams provided a fascinating Quizlet on Rotary Hutt City presidents through the years from 1943, the year Linton was born, and also the year that the Club was founded. On my table at least, we tended to take the lead from Murray Brockelsby a past President, as to which of the three choices was the right year to pick for each President!
Finally, another link back to the meeting. Richard Gibbens ripped up his chosen Closing Thought because he had hogged the questioning of Paula Clarke in asking ''for a friend.'' As a result of a number of negatives given to his questions, he suggested that his new Closing thought be:
Consult an Expert and save money!!
Looking Ahead 18 February #1 Mary More: Barrister Mary will be talking about her life as a Lawyer and Parole Board Member.
Originally from Dunedin, Mary has been a barrister, solicitor, and accredited mediator specializing in family law, health law, and Coroner's Court matters.
Based in Ōtaki, she operated as a sole practitioner, served as a Panel Convenor for the New Zealand Parole Board, and is also a registered marriage celebrant.
In late 2025, she transitioned into semi-retirement, focusing on mediation and celebrant services whilst maintaining her legal practice registration.
She says: Having worked in the outback in Australia, nursed and raised four wonderful children, I am using that experience to help people with the important occasions in their lives.
Looking Ahead 18 February #2 Cam Millar: Salvation Army (Tree of Joy)
We welcome Captain Cameron (Cam) Millar from the Salvation Army. For those present at the last Breakfast meeting, Cam was scheduled to speak but was unable to attend due to sickness.
Cam will have a short slot to update us on how the record number of 2025 Tree of Joy gifts (over 3000!) will have been distributed to the various local charities. He also has new ideas on how to manage future distributions.
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Michael Murphy of Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children) has written a note of thanks.
Kia ora Katrina
I just wanted to let you know our deep appreciation for all the Christmas gifts you organised for the tamariki and rangatahi we work with … the beaming smiles, and obvious joy and wonder was great to be part of, and reminded us of the what Christmas is all about!
It is often a tough time of year for our most vulnerable, and especially those that miss out on the festivities that most of us take for granted. I was amazed by the generosity and thoughtfulness of our wider community, and it was extremely heartening amongst the usual ‘doom and gloom’ we hear about.
Again, thank you so much for spreading the Christmas cheer amongst our young ones. 🙏
Nga mihi nui
Michael Murphy Site Manager Upper Hutt
Sue Colville adds that for one family, five children would have received no presents at all without the Tree of Joy.
Every 90 minutes, heart diseases takes the life of a loved one in New Zealand. That’s almost 6,000 mums, dads, siblings, and grandparents. And there’s something you can do today to help prevent this.
Join the Heart Foundation on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 February as we take to the streets and raise vital, life-saving funds to support heart health in New Zealand. Gift two (or more) hours of your day as a Big Heart Appeal street collection volunteer.
We need your help to improve the way we diagnose, treat and prevent heart disease - and research is the key. Every dollar you help collect will enable us to invest in life-saving heart research and specialist training. You could be part of unlocking the next big breakthrough in heart healthcare.
Every day, dedicated cardiologists, researchers and support teams work towards a shared goal – stopping all New Zealanders from dying prematurely from heart disease.
It is simple to register (see link below which also provides more background information) and you can select when and where you would like to volunteer from the list of our available sites. Once you have completed your registration, our friendly team will take it from there.
We are so grateful for our amazing volunteer street collectors – the impact of your gifted time cannot be understated. Please consider joining us for the Big Heart Appeal street collection today.
Tough Guy & Gal Challenge 9 May: Save the date please!
Andy Soper writes:
We are once again providing marshals for the Tough Guy & Gal Challenge in Wainuiomata on Saturday, 9 May. I’m coordinating this – and will also be entering the event, so there’s an extra incentive for you to be there and have a good laugh!
We need 24 volunteers, to make sure nobody veers away from the course. Your help will raise $3,000 towards our community and youth projects.
There is great camaraderie and it’s such fun to watch competitors struggling through muddy ponds etc 😊
For now please just save the date – 9 May – and talk to anyone you know who might like to help. It’s a good opportunity for young people to get involved in a Rotary project.
While the Saturday has to be our main focus, if you can’t make it but could help with registration and finish line duties on a morning earlier in the week, please let me know as soon as possible - Tuesday 5th, Thursday 6th or Friday 7th May.
- Saturday 21 February Petone Fair (see notice below)
- Tuesday 24 FebruaryPertronic will be hosting a Rotabiz evening to showcase their award winning fire detection systems.
- Friday 27 February - Saturday 28 February Heart Foundation street collection (see notice above). You can register and discover more information at the link below:
- Friday 20 March - Sunday 22 March Finally, planning ahead a little, President Katrina is really keen to get a group together to go to the new ''whole of North Island'' Rotary District Conference in Napier. Do pop the dates in your diaries – I think we can make an impact as a club and have fun together at the same time.
- Friday 27 March Corporate Bowling Day fundraiser at Naenae Bowling Club. We need 18 teams of 3 at a cost of around $550 per team.
- Tuesday 28 April Petone Rotary Club are holding its 75th Anniversary dinner, to which we are invited.
We now know this will be held at The Petone Club on Udy Street Petone commencing around 6.00pm and will include a 3 course buffet style meal.
Further notices will be issued closer to the time and as more details of the program become available. If you wish to register your interest to receive further updates, please contact Gerry Pallo, Petone Rotary 75th Anniversary Convenor at gernpa@actrix.gen.nz
This will further assist in the event planning for catering purposes.
- Thursday 30 April Come and join us at The Devil Wears Prada 2, Petone Lighthouse 5.45pm. $30 pp, including munchie pack!
The Rotary Club of Petone's Brian Hughes is looking for marshalls.
Hopefully you have saved the date and are looking forward to the Fair on the 21 February.
Bookings for marshalls are going well but there are still many gaps for block and road marshalls on the day. Any help is most welcome, even if it is only for 3 hours in the morning or afternoon.
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 Craig so he can share them at the meeting. Email: craig@packprod.co.nz
Payment is also now available by Eftpos onsite - no excuses!
Last Edition, I asked: .In 1982, Gandhi won 8 oscars. But can you give the names of the three films that have each won a record number of oscars (11)? One of them has a close link with New Zealand.......
Ben-Hur (1959)
The first film to reach 11 wins, losing only in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.
Titanic (1997)
Won 11 out of its 14 nominations, matching the record set decades earlier.
The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
A historic "clean sweep," winning all 11 categories it was nominated for, including Best Picture and Best Director for (Sir) Peter Jackson.
This edition's question: What is the main character called in the Peanuts cartoon, and why?
