Welcome to our latest Newsletter. This is my last newsletter for a while as Richard has returned from his travels :)
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.
Breakfast costs $25 per person, payable on arrival. Please RSVP to chrissi@roll.nz
Members, please check the Duties Roster (Management Responsibilities) below for your nominated duty for our next meeting on 16th July 2025.
Meeting Responsibilities
Greeter
Orsborn, Ian
Reception Desk
Ramsay, Ian
Reception Desk
Braniff, Judy
Opening thought
Adams, Linton
3 Minute Who Am I?
Cranna, Rob
Intro to Speaker
Markham, Michael
Thanks to Speaker
Brockelsby, Murray
Quizlett (6 questions about your industry)
Gibbens, Richard
Closing thought
Ngan Kee, Mark
President's Report
Kia ora, hello.
It's with pleasure that I write this first Presidential note for the newsletter. Thanks to those who attended our travel-themed changeover the other week. It was an enjoyable, fun evening.
With my first breakfast meeting now out of the way, we move in to the 2025-26 Rotary year, where the theme is Unite for Good.
There will be plenty of opportunities in the next few months to socialise, connect, and to unite through events such as our Fifth Wednesday Drinks at The Crooked Elm on 30th July, and a movie night to see Downton Abbey 3 - both of which we've invited Rotary Hutt Valley to, along with a standing invitation to one of our monthly breakfast meetings.
The Board and I joined the IYM attendees at Parliament last week. It was great to chat with the girls and to hear how excited they were about the opportunities shown to them whilst on the weeklong residential programme. We're hoping to have a couple of them visit to tell of their experiences. IYM was a project started by our club 8 years ago and is still going strong.
Rotabiz members, please add Thursday 7th August to your diaries. We’ll have a 5pm Orientation and Networking ‘hour’ at the Chamber of Commerce. More details to come, but we’d love to see all Rotabiz members there and ideally with a guest/prospective member. It’ll be a great chance to spread the word and showcase Rotary and Rotabiz. I can’t wait to see new members join us to Unite for Good.
As you read your newsletter today, the following events happened in history
1877:
Kate Edger graduated from the University of New Zealand, making her the first woman in New Zealand and the British Empire to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Kate's legacy lives on in the work of the Kate Edger Foundation (KEF) which honours Kate’s legacy by providing financial awards and assistance to fund the advancement, promotion and encouragement of education for women.
1983:
Lorraine Downes was named Miss Universe, an achievement that brought her instant fame and a year of international travel.
1986:
The Homosexual Law Reform Bill passed in the New Zealand Parliament with a 49 to 44 vote. This bill decriminalized homosexual acts between consenting adults.
Based at Silverstream Retreat in Upper Hutt, this programme is for Year 11 and 12 female students from schools in the greater Wellington region, Wairarapa, Horowhenua and Manawatū.
Over five days in early July, 40 like-minded young women, experienced some wonderful hands-on science and technology activities and heard from women who have built careers and businesses in the STEMM sector. Each day, they travelled to a variety of science and technology businesses, including the Otago University based at Wellington hospital, Ferrier Research Institute, BRANZ, and Wellington Airport.
Back at Silverstream Retreat, they were visited by Weta Workshop and Pertronics and had an opportunity to hear from inspiring scientists in the evening, reflect together on the day's experiences and relax together - making lifelong friends who share a passion for STEMM!
The photo on the right is of two of the students and the Aspirin they made at the Ferrier Research Institute.
First meeting for President Katrina, and wearing the (very heavy), chains of office.
Conal from Boost HR talked about HR through the years, Will and Judy, our guest speakers from EarthSOS presented about their composting machine, Rosie, which can turn organic waste onto compost in just 2.5 hours, and Ganesh's quizlet was on the topic of early US modern history. Quite the educational meeting!!
Kaibosh was founded in 2008 as the first dedicated food rescue organisation of Aotearoa. They rescue and redistribute good quality surplus food from 90 food businesses in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Te Awa Kairangi, Kāpiti and Horowhenua – connecting good kai with 140 charities and community groups supporting people in need.
Too many whānau are going without kai, whilst good food is still being wasted. kaibosh helps to stop food waste and feed families
Welcome to the new Rotary year. It’s certainly been a whirlwind start for me with eight changeovers in one week, including the District one.
I seem to have survived and am ready to get to work with a diary that is filling up fast. I will visit as many clubs as possible if you invite me.
Last Saturday we saw the handing over of the chains from Jocelyn to Carol as the new District Governor. It was a good opportunity for us to get together and there was a great turnout of Rotarians from all around the District, including several past District Governors. PDG Simon Manning came from Queenstown for the occasion which was very special to me.
I talked about my membership goals which are to:
Stabilise the membership and look at how we can increase it.
Welcome new and younger members: invite your spouses to join, invite your children to join.
Invite members from your community and their businesses to join.
Increase our profile in the community. Talk about Rotary and what we do to anyone you meet.
Invite people to come to a meeting or have coffee with them and tell them about Rotary. Make sure you always have collateral with you such as a Rotary card, a flag or whatever so they can get hold of you.
So, it’s onwards and upwards from here. Let’s Unite for Good and have a fun year.
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!
