The Rotary Club of Karori has committed to helping schools in our area for many years through our Sunshine Fund. Through this fund we have provided substantial grants to school principals to use at their discretion for the good of their school.
With our changing banking world, our grants for this year have become on line payments to schools, but we appreciate the opportunity to meet with the school principals to hear about their projects and what they are planning to do in the future.
On Tuesday next we will welcome to our Rotary dinner meeting Gail Dewar from Makara Model School, Sharon Gataulu from Karori West Normal School, Mary-Angela Tombs from St Teresas School, Conrad Kelly from Karori Normal School and Andrea Peetz from Northland School, who will speak to the Club. Tania Savage, principal of Cardinal McKeefry is unable to attend on 11 May but will join us for our Club meeting on 25 May.
We have a very exciting week ahead of us, firstly to join fellow Rotarians to celebrate New Zealand Rotary’s Centenary at the National Library of Wellington on Wednesday 12 May. This will be a very special occasion for all Rotarians and especially for the Rotary Club of Wellington, the first Rotary Club established in New Zealand on 7 June 1921. If you would like to attend please contact me ASAP.
The following day, we will welcome to our business breakfast in Karori, Professor Michael Baker, the well known New Zealand epidemiologist working with the taskforce on the covid management strategy and vaccination programme roll out. This will also be an opportunity to welcome our new business breakfast partner, Forsyth Barr.
It was a great pleasure for us to learn about the life and career of one of our new members Mark Wood, who despite only joining our Club a short time ago had some 10 years in the Rotary Club of Wellington and has continued to attend Rotary while he has worked in consultancy management work in Thailand.
Mark gave us an excellent insight into life in Thailand with its important cultural values and respect for customs, religion and the monarchy. Mark has had an extensive working career, 18 years as a director and general manager in advertising agencies in New Zealand, and in banking and marketing management in New Zealand. He has subsequently spent 28 years working as a self- employed strategy and marketing consultant. He has worked in Thailand for 11 years and intends to return there when overseas travel allows. He has given very considerable service to others, particularly teaching English as a second language in Thailand, building up personal respect for his commitment to understanding of local cultures and spiritualism and sharing in the lives and helping others around him.
Mark also outlined his commitment to Rotary projects, working with fellow members of the Rotary Club of Wellington some years ago to travel to the Pacific to work on a school re-roofing project in Tonga in 2001 and constructing Rotary Rotahomes in Fiji in 2003. He said this was a great personal experience to learn and work alongside builders and other trades people helping in the recovery of local communities devastated by hurricanes. Mark said that both New Zealand and Australian Rotary Clubs have earned a great deal of kudos for the many humanitarian projects that continue to play out in the Pacific Islands.
Now is the time to start getting your team together. The venue is booked so we need to pull out all the stops. I will distribute promotional material and further details shortly.
A final reminder for our business breakfast with Professor Michael Baker on Thursday 13 May. Michael is working closely with the technical advisory group on the vaccination programme for Covid-19 and for the past year on the management of Covid-19 in New Zealand.
He has earned several awards for his services in public health and was recently made the Supreme Award winner as the Dom Post Wellingtonian of the Year for 2020.
This will be a sellout event. Please advise David Watt of your attendance at this event at the Karori Park Sports Cafe.
This will be our first business breakfast with our new business partner Forsyth Barr.
The official launch of the Rotary Centennial Book 'Mana Tangata' for district 9940 will take place on Wednesday 12 May at 5:45pm in the National Library, Molesworth Street. Thanks to those who volunteered to act as exhibition hosts in the period following the launch. The exhibition runs from 13-26 May from 9:00am to 5:00pm
This is a free event hosted by the Rotary Club Of Wellington. We are limited to 8 people, including partners and we must RSVP by Monday 3 May. To keep things under control please contact me (phil@PraxisSoftware.co.nz) in the first instance and I will coordinate our group response.
The book is now available we have copies available for a special price of $40. Three of our members feature on Page 214 on behalf of the many others in the Rotary Club of Karori who contributed strongly to the development of the Karori Sanctuary, now known as Zealandia, and in the construction of the predator free fence which goes around the this wonderful environmental asset.
We are still looking for many more items to sell. The Wellington Childrens Hospital is a great cause and of course you benefit by reclaiming garage and cupboard space.
Do you have any unloved items that might fetch a few dollars? Please take a photo and forward it to Mark Wood (MarkWoodNZ@GMail.com).
The Rotary Club Of Feilding is selling number plate surrounds as a centenary fund raiser. If you are interested please contact Jack Cranston, jackcra1@gmail.com, 027 483 4192.
Pincipals of Karori and Northland schools will join us for dinner, speak about their activities and receive grants from our Sunshine Fund.
Wednesday 12 May at National Library
Rotary Club Of Wellington will host the launch of Mana Tangata and its associated exhibition. There are still some places available for this event.
Thursday 13 May, Rotary/Forsyth Barr Business Breakfast At Karori Park Cafe, 7:00am
Professor Michael Baker, Epidemiologist at the Otago School of Medicine. His topic 'How Aotearoa New Zealand is beating Covid 19 and key lessons for the future'.
Tuesday 25 May at Marsden
Tania Savage, principal Cardinal McKeefry School.
Tuesday 8 June, The Arborist, Willis St
We will visit the Mt Victoria Club, please note the change of venue
Sunday 20 June, Quiz Night at One Fat Bird
Social event, fund raiser for the Wellington Childrens Hospital.
Tuesday 22 June at Marsden
Managers from Forsyth Barr, our new business breakfast partner, will talk about their work in the finance sector.
Saturday 3 July, Changeover Dinner At Marsden
Rotary changeover dinner with partners and former members. This occasion will mark the end of this Rotary year and the start of a new one.
Tuesday 13 July at Marsden
Murray Edridge will speak about his work at the Wellington City Mission.
Tuesday 27 July, Rotary/Forsyth Barr Business Breakfast At Karori Park Cafe, 7:00am
Chris Cahill from the Police Association will speak about his work. There will be no Rotary meeting at Marsden on this date.
