Contributions to our bulletin are welcome and if you have anything please send to Sue 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. Please RSVP to chrissi@roll.nz.
For those of you who have not pre-paid, 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 1 April.
Meeting Responsibilities
Greeter
Deadman, Craig
Payment Taker
Hughes, Gaylene
Reception Desk
Geremia-Young, Anna
Opening thought
Cherian, Ganesh
5 min What is my Business?
Markham, Michael
Intro to Speaker
Longstaff, Carl
Thanks to Speaker
Gibbens, Richard
Quizlett (6 questions about your industry)
Tooley, Cameron
Closing thought
Soper, Andy
President's Report
Hello and Bonjour from Eastern Canada,
I was selected to join a Trafalgar Tour for agents, so we can experience a tour ourselves and then be able to promote it to clients. We started in Toronto, saw Niagara Falls (in the rain), have had two nights in Ottawa, and head to Quebec City tomorrow, then finish in Montreal. So, we see the English part of Canada and the French. It’s all great so far, except it’s very cold. Minus 7 degrees this morning with a high of 4 degrees, and I’m told it’ll get colder as we head east. Lots of snow still on the ground and canals and rivers are still iced over.
But, to Rotary things. Wednesday sees us have a combined meeting with the HV Chamber of Commerce and we’ll have Minister & MP Chris Penk speak. His portfolios include Small Business, and Building & Construction, so I’m sure members and guests will find his talk relevant. We’d also like to tempt visiting Chamber members to consider joining Rotary. I know you’ll do a great job of making the guests feel welcome on Wednesday.
I’ve got a meeting next week with Seb from the Life Flight Trust about a fundraising initiative idea, so look forward to finding out more about that. Having had to cancel the bowling day, it’d be great to have something else to help them fundraise.
Tough Guy & Gal Challenge 9 May: Marshalls needed !
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 😊
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.
Blown Away in Napier: A Rotary Conference to Remember
Last weekend, Trisha and I travelled to Napier for the Rotary Oceania Conference. While our primary motivation was to support Carol Green in her role as District Governor, I’ll admit I arrived with somewhat tempered expectations. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
From the opening moments, it was clear we were in for an exceptional experience. The opening address by fellow Wellington Rotarian and former Governor-General, Sir Anand Satyanand, set a perfect tone—thoughtful, inspiring, and appropriately challenging.
The event moved with impressive precision thanks to the seamless coordination of past District Governors John Prendergast and Jonathan Usher. Together, they kept the programme flowing perfectly, punctuating the schedule with a brilliant blend of humour and—quite literally—magic.
The speaker lineup was equally outstanding:
Sam Johnson spoke passionately about the potential for collaboration between Rotary and the Student Volunteer Army, focusing on the power of mobilising young people for social good.
David Shackleton delivered a compelling session on "Lifting the Lid" on youth mental health, where our own contributions to the cause were noted.
Brad Olsen from Infometrics provided a fascinating and data-driven look at the significant economic impact Rotary makes across our communities.
The programme also looked toward the future, featuring thought-provoking sessions on the evolving role of AI and how the organisation can adapt to a rapidly changing world.
Beyond the formal presentations, the true highlight was the camaraderie. Reconnecting with long-time Rotary friends from across the country—and forging new connections—reminded me of the incredible sense of shared purpose that defines this organisation.
If you ever have the opportunity to attend a Rotary conference, I strongly encourage you to take it. It is an experience that informs, energises, and serves as a powerful reminder of the impact we can have. As for me, next time I won't need any persuading.
Allan Brown: Rotary Club of Hutt City
Footnote: I couldn't agree with you more, Allan, I've had the privilege of attending Rotary District Conferences in Australia and New Zealand and was fortunate enough to attend the International conference in Sydney ...all amazing and highly recommended! (Sue C)
Looking Back 18 March meeting
Colin Keating was our guest speaker and an international lawyer and former New Zealand diplomat. He gave an interesting and informative presentation about the history of rules based order in the world, covering topics such as international treaties regarding shipping, health, trade, environment and human rights, (all very topical at the moment). Colin was the New Zealand Ambassador to the UN Security Council in 1993-94 and is recognised as a leading global authority on the Security Council. He served as the Legal Adviser of the New Zealand Foreign Ministry and later as the CEO and Secretary for Justice.
Sienna Mitchinson also spoke at our meeting about her journey with Rotary, Sienna has been involved in RYLA, both as a participant and in a leadership role, and with IYM as a participant and as a mentor. This year she at RYLA, she won the RYLA Spirit Award, embodying everything that RYLA aspires to be. Sierra gives her all in everything she does and we are looking forward to seeing her achieve great things.
Sienna
Colin
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Looking Forward 1st April meeting:
ROTABIZ - MP Chris Penk, Small Business Minister
Chris will provide an update on his portfolios - Building & Construction, Land Information, Veterans and Manufacturing. He is a dynamic presenter who will keep your eyes and ears connected throughout his entire presentation. This is a great opportunity to bring a friend or a business client along to one of our meetings and display how proud we are to be the Rotarians of Hutt City.
If you have any questions relating to the topic please feel free to send them more than a week ahead of the presentation to richard@secl.co.nz
This meeting is run in conjunction with the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce.
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.
A Reminder of Club Meeting Duties: Closing Thought
Our closing thought is for you to round off a warm and interesting occasion where everybody has shared
the moment, enjoyed themselves, and head off with a memorable thought to lift their day.
• See if you can choose something linked to the speaker’s topic.
We have been invited by Glenda Barratt, President of Eastern Hutt Rotary and Simon Edwards, President of Hutt Valley Rotary to attend a meeting at the Avalon Pavilion on the 16th of April between 7-9pm. This is to discuss Hutt City Council's Annual Plan and to discuss issues of local significance that are important to you. Please also note: This is aimed to be a light discussion feedback time only - a chance for everyone to have their say and for us to be able to collect information/feedback to be relayed to Council officers.
- 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!
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: Which countries make up the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council? They are China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and USA.
