Welcome to our latest Newsletter. I hope everyone is keeping warm and dry and haven't been effected too much by the recent weather.
Contributions to our bulletin are welcome and if you have anything please send to me at sue.colville@gmail.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.
Breakfast costs $25 per person, payable on arrival. Please RSVP to annagy91@gmail.com
Members, please check the Duties Roster (Management Responsibilities) below for your nominated duty for our next meeting on 18 June2025.
Meeting Responsibilities
Greeter
Ross, Brian
Reception Desk
Gough, Bruce
Reception Desk
Tooley, Cameron
Opening thought
Longstaff, Carl
3 Minute Who Am I?
Eaddy, Vidette
Intro to Speaker
Hughes, Gaylene
Thanks to Speaker
Webb, Douglas
Quizlett (6 questions about your industry)
Colville, Sue
Closing thought
Peterson, Charles
President's Report
Well what a whirlwind year it has been since I became President of Hutt City Rotary club. For the most part I have enjoyed the role and would recommend you all give it a go.
Timing is everything, at next Wednesday’s meeting I will celebrate my 64th Birthday, and my business Packaging Products officially celebrated 50 years in business on the 11th June. This will be my last meeting as President before handing over to the very capable Katrina Harding.
I have lots of fond memories of our meetings and projects over the last 12 months. As a club we get a lot of stuff done and are seen by the Rotary District as a very progressive club who are always looks at new ways to adapt, grow and prosper for the betterment of the community at large. In particular Rotabiz has continued to help keep our club relevant to the business community which was the foundation of Rotary from the very beginning.
We also know how to enjoy ourselves at meetings which is important and I am confident we can keep growing as a club providing we continue to collaborate, have fun and tap people on the shoulder about why they should be involved, including the ability for our business owners to network.
Thank you all for your support over the last 12 months, particularly with the “Harmony for Hope” concert that, in the end turned out to be an amazing event that has netted significant funding for the Lifting the Lid project.
In conclusion I would just like to extend my thanks to the board members Andy Soper, Gaylene, Katrina, Richard Gibbens, Barry and Craig who have made my role so much easier.
Also Richard Nabarro, Sue Colville for putting out comprehensive fortnightly newsletters to our members and Anna for getting us sorted for our fortnightly meetings.
Look forward to seeing you next Wednesday and then again on the 25th at changeover to show Katrina your support.
Special congratulations to Hutt City Rotarian, David Percy, named as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King's Birthday Honours, for services to fire safety technologies, business and the community.
David established the Lower Hutt-based business Pertronic in 1982, which has produced fire detection, alarm and warning systems since 1986.
As Pertronic grew, David has maintained a policy of at least 17 percent of annual gross revenue being invested into Research and Development as technology advances, allowing Pertronic to remain competitive internationally and evolve with technological change over 40 years to enhance fire safety protection.
Updated versions of Pertronic’s alarm control systems developed in the 1990s continue to lead the fire alarm systems market in New Zealand and Pertronic’s products are widely used from small commercial buildings to large-scale complex facilities and infrastructure installations nationwide and in Australia.
Pertronic is now the only operational New Zealand-based manufacturer of advanced Automatic Fire Detection and Alarm Systems and exports compatible products to Southeast Asia, the South Pacific and Australia.
Through Pertronic, David has supported STEMM education and local organisations including sport and social clubs, and businesses through the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce.
He has served on a number of New Zealand Fire Alarm Standards Committees. He has been recognised by fire protection associations for his contributions, as well as receiving multiple business and innovation awards. Mr Percy is an Electrical Engineer and a Fellow Member of Engineering New Zealand.
We've committed to a fundraising BBQ/sausage sizzle at Bunnings on Sunday 15th June - just 2 days away - and we need helpers to cook sausages, take payment and shmooze with the punters. Andy Barker (Media Giant) has made this amazing online registration link, so you can select the time and duty you prefer,
There are 12 2-hour slots to fill. We appreciate your contribution - always a fun day selling sausages!
Murray Brockelsby is heading the team going to Boulcott School on Thursday 19th June for their annual Matariki celebration. There'll be 44-gallon drums with fires to toast marshmallows and we need 5 helpers please to monitor the kids (to ensure they don't burn themselves!). Please email me or Murray if you can assist - from 7am, so it's an early start, for approx 2 hours. You'll be home in time for coffee. :)
On the 13th of June in 1920, the US Postal service stated that children and animals could no longer be sent by post
Just a few weeks after Parcel Post began, an Ohio couple named Jesse and Mathilda Beagle “mailed” their 8-month-old son James to his grandmother, who lived just a few miles away in Batavia. According to Lynch, Baby James was just shy of the 11-pound weight limit for packages sent via Parcel Post, and his “delivery” cost his parents only 15 cents in postage (although they did insure him for $50).
In 1834, Leonard Norcross was granted the first US patent for an underwater diving suit by developing the first closed helmet for diving made entirely from lead with an air pipe that went from the helmet to the water's surface.
A very exciting and busy meeting with a number of visitors.
Allan Brown updated us on plans to repurpose the Gibbes Watson conservatory in central Hutt. Brad Xie told us about his business Omix, and our guest speaker Frank Phillips from Fulcrum spoke about how his business can help manufacturers automate aspects of their business. And of course Craig entertained us with his quiz questions.
Our speaker next week is Sebastian Grodd - Life Flight Trust. Simon is the Head of Fundraising, Marketing & Communications at the Trust.
Sebastian will share a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at a life-saving project that Rotarians are helping "take off."
Thanks to the wonderful support of the local community, Life Flight continues to provide emergency air services 24/7 through your local Air Ambulance Planes and Westpac Chopper. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how your efforts are making a real difference in saving lives.
Pictured below is the Life Flight plane arriving in Greymouth in January 2024 to transport me to Wellington Hospital after I contracted pneumonia while on holiday. I can vouch for this amazing service and the dedicated team at Life Flight. I felt I was in safe, professional hands all the way home.
Our very own Linton Adams, setting up the can collection at Summerset, as we support Rotary's Cans for a Cause at a number of collection points around Lower Hutt.
I changed my alarm ringtone to the Hokey Cokey.
It took me an hour to get out of bed this morning...
Are Your Membership Details up to date in ClubRunner?
A message from Doug Webb our Club Site Administrator:-
Have your personal details changed, especially email address and phone number? Take a few minutes to log-in to rotaryhuttcity.org.nz.
Click on the following link for a step by step guide to accessing your member profile.
Wednesday 25th June is our changeover dinner evening. A chance to celebrate outgoing President Cameron and welcome in your new president, me!
It'll be upstairs at the Speights Ale House, Jackson Street, Petone. $60 buffet dinner with fun and entertainment provided. Would love to see you there - pencil in the date NOW!.
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!
