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. Please RSVP tochrissi@roll.nz.
For those of you who have not pre-paid, breakfast continues to cost $25 per person, payable on arrival to this coming week, to Gaylene Hughes.
Members, don't forget to check the Duties Roster (Meeting Responsibilities) below for your nominated duty for our next meeting on the 19 August.
Meeting Responsibilities
Greeter
Thornbury, Shirley-Anne
Payment Taker
Hughes, Gaylene
Reception Desk
Brown, Allan
Opening thought
Gibbens, Richard
3 Minute Who Am I?
Eaddy, Vidette
Intro to Speaker
Markham, Michael
Thanks to Speaker
Braniff, Judy
Quizlett (6 questions about your industry)
Brockelsby, Murray
Closing thought
Tooley, Cameron
President's Report
Hi everyone,
I hope you have had a great couple of weeks and managed to avoid the usual winter ailments. I’m warm and dry, basking in the balmy conditions here in glorious Wainui, so I’m doing just fine!
I really enjoyed our last meeting, particularly hearing about the history and journey of Rotary on a global scale, and how the motto ‘Service Above Self’ has remained at the heart of Rotary throughout the decades.
I recently met with a few other club presidents at a Petone club meeting to discuss and share ideas around growing membership, fundraising activities, and ways we can work more closely together on larger-scale projects. The challenges facing each club are very similar, so it makes sense to look for opportunities to collaborate where we can.
One project that could have a regional focus is the new mental health centre being built at Hutt Hospital, with significant funding from Sir Mark Dunajtschik and the Wellington Hospitals Foundation. The centre is due to open in July 2027 and still requires approximately $350,000 for specialised equipment, furniture and fittings.
I will be attending an information evening next Wednesday at Boulcott Farm to hear more about the vision for this new facility. The project has some clear synergies with Lifting the Lid – Hutt Valley, so there may be an opportunity for our club to support it in some capacity, either on our own or alongside other Rotary clubs from across the Hutt Valley. I will keep you posted as we learn more.
On another project front, Richard Gibbens and I attended a soft launch of the Bee in The Cityart trail last week and were lucky enough to get a sneak peek at our Bee. It looks fantastic and will be stationed at Glover Park, right in the heart of Wellington.
We are hoping to connect with our artist very soon and invite her along to one of our meetings during the 12-week trail to talk about her work and the inspiration behind the project.
I am hoping to see as many of you as possible at our next meeting on Wednesday morning. I am particularly keen to hear our guest speaker discuss severe weather — especially given I come from the beautiful and famously mild climate of Wainui!
That’s all from me for now. A word of warning, though: the English Premier League starts again in a couple of weeks, so there could soon be plenty of Liverpool talk. How much, of course, will be very dependent on results!
In 1945, US President Truman announced Japan's surrender, ending World War II. While the primary global treaty was signed on 2 September aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, isolated Japanese garrisons required separate regional ceremonies across the vast Pacific.
For those that have been to Brisbane, you may have seen the HMAS Diamantina which is permanently dry-docked at the Queensland Maritime Museum on the South Bank. This River-class frigate carried Allied commanders to accept local capitulations. In September 1945, the official surrenders of Japanese forces at Ocean Island and Nauru were signed directly on its quarterdeck, cementing its legacy.
For President Craig
1962 – Beatles lineup change: The Beatles dismissed drummer Pete Best and the next day invited Ringo Starr to join
1971 – The Who release Who’s Next: The band’s fifth studio album, widely regarded as one of the greatest rock records, featured “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” It was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Breakfast Payment Reminder
Membership invoices have now been issued.
Your membership invoice will include your annual subscription plus five months of breakfast costs (10 meetings), covering meetings through to mid-December.
We'd greatly appreciate if you're able to prepay your breakfasts going forward. The club is invoiced for 30 breakfasts at every meeting, regardless of attendance, so prepayments help support our cash flow and allow us to continue focusing our funds on serving the community.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
Rotary Youth Programme of Enrichment (RYPEN)
Above is a flyer about RYPEN, along with an email from the District (apologies for slight hazyiness). The ''nitty gritty'' however is below.
Objective
RYPEN is aimed at young people in the 16 –17 age group who are still at school and are not likely to be selected for Youth Exchange or later for RYLA, but who possess qualities of decency, persistence and application and who deserve further encouragement.
It is suggested that students who have participated in previous outdoor education activities do not attend e.g. Outward Bound, Spirit of New Zealand, or any college outdoor pursuit type course. For details of the programme contact the convener.
RYPEN 2026
When: Thursday 8th - Saturday 10th October 2026
Where: Kawhatau Outdoor Education Centre (KOEC), Mangaweka.
Candidate nominations before: Friday 11th September 2026.
If anyone amongst our members knows someone that they believe might fit the bill then please contact either Craig (021799551) or Cameron (021430977). Thank you.
We welcomed new member Chris Whelan and look forward to hearing more about Chris at future meetings.
In passing we also learnt that Past President Katrina has an alter-ego as Madge the Badge Lady. During Covid, when the travel industry was on hold, Cameron Tooley very kindly employed Katrina at Packaging Products where clearly she was in charge of all things badge!
In a ''What is My Business?'' slot, Kevin Grimes, ably assisted by colleague Laura, gave us a physical demonstration, not for the first time, of what Roll.nzhave to offer by way of personal electric vehicles.
Brian Ross stepped forward and effortlessly took one of their latest scooters for a spin around the floor.......
Our main guest speaker was Peter Kyle from Maryland, former pupil of Hutt Valley High School visiting for its Centenary and staying with friend Doug Webb, and a Rotary International expert. Having visited many hundreds of Rotary clubs worldwide, Peter was very complimentary about the atmosphere he had experienced on arrival this morning.
Whilst acknowledging that Rotary membership was falling worldwide, there were still growth areas such as India and other part of Asia. In the United States, membership numbers were reasonably stable.
A recurring theme of membership was the need to encourage and capture new members within the first twelve months, as many joiners would leave before the end of the first year.
In an overview of the growth of Rotary, Peter highlighted how important peace initiatives had been since inception, perhaps not surprising as Rotary began to establish itself in the period before, during and after WW1. It had played a significant part in helping frame both the Declaration of Human Rights and creating UNESCO. Years before the United Nations formed, Rotary utilized its global network to advocate for international understanding, human rights, and post-war educational reconstruction.
Finally, Peter mentioned the staggering sum of US$3 billion, given to eradicate polio worldwide since 1985. It was important to lobby the US government constantly, to ensure that additional funding was secured.
Looking Forward 19 August - Daniel Talbot Upper Hutt's Weather Man
Amateur weatherman Daniel has built the central Upper Hutt weather station, to address long-standing community frustrations over inaccurate regional forecasting.The city’s unique valley microclimate means its temperatures and weather patterns are often far more extreme than nearby Wellington or even Lower Hutt! To capture this distinct local data, Daniel has spent seven years coordinating a massive $150,000 crowdfunding and networking campaign, backed by local residents and corporate sponsors.
Daniel runs the Wellington Severe Weather Reports page on Facebook, providing hyper-local forecasts for over 50,000 followers. His state-of-the-art station, located at St Joseph's School, is officially integrated with MetService. The real-time data is now utilized to improve Hutt Valley forecasting and directly features on national One News Weather broadcasts.
You can find out more about Daniel and his eclectic hobbies and interests here at this link to a ''Stuff'' article: Daniel Talbot
NB: Not to be confused with this Dan, also a weatherman!, (Corbett of 1 News).
Save the Date!! You’re Invited to Celebrate IYM’s 10th year & to Have Some Fun at the IYM/Hutt City Rotary Quiz & Auction Fundraiser …
Kia ora Contributor & Supporter of IYM & Rotary Hutt City 😊
Firstly, Thank you for your support of Innovative Young Minds over the past 10 years. Yes! you heard right, we are into our 10th year of operations 😊
We work really hard to keep costs down for students participating in our Online, Satellite and Residential programmes.
One way we do this is by running a yearly live action, raffle and quiz night in conjunction with Hutt City Rotary.
You keen to help us keep costs down? You can 😊
Donate an item, activity or prize for the Auction
Join our quiz yourself or as a team - please see the quiz flier attached for the 1st October at Boulcott Farm Golf Club and save this date!
Forward this notice to someone who might be keen to support us!
A grocery item would also be most welcome – there was a lot of competitive bidding for a generous grocery hamper last year!!
Thanking you all in advance …..
Or if in Rome, ask for four guys instead.......
That's probably why they kept a few Reds under the bed.................
Closing Thought 5 August
Presented by Peter Tatham
Virginia Wolff
Let us not take it for granted that life exists more fully in what is commonly thought big than what is commonly thought small.
Taken from her 1919 essay ''Modern Fiction,'' Woolf criticized Victorian and Edwardian "materialist" novelists. She argued that their rigid focus on complex plots, societal status, and heavy descriptions missed the true essence of life. Instead of external structures, Woolf championed capturing the fluid, internal reality of human experience.
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.
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 time I asked: Michael Seresin, the prominent Wellington-born cinematograher, served as the director of photography for which Harry Potter film?
It was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
This time: Wellington is known as the windy city, but is it the windiest city in the world and what is the average wind speed per year?
