It has been a busy couple of months for the Club as we have got back to Alert Level 1 and once again our programme is all go.
As we go to press we'll be holding our business breakfast with speaker Grant Robertson. Originally planned for February and postponed due to Covid this meeting is fully subscribed. We look forward to his return and to hearing about the economy and the challenges facing the government in the near future. We will feature more news from this event in the next bulletin.
On Tuesday 23 March, we will host at Marsden the three science students from the school that we sponsored to the Rotary National Science Forum in Auckland in January. They will be introduced by Past President and District Science Programme Coordinator, Jim Johnston. We look forward to meeting Victoria Jackson, Isabel Possenniskie and Shanshan Gu , who will be accompanied by Head of Science, Gabrielle Gunn, who we have got to know well over many years of our involvement with the National Science Forum Programme.
Following the student presentations we will move into a Special General Meeting to select a President Elect, or Elects, two are planned, for the 2021-2022 Rotary year.
We must all recognise that succession planning is a critical part of the Rotary programme. Unfortunately we have arrived very late to make this appointment for the coming Rotary year, now only months away. It is absolutely imperative with the Presidential training required and planning requirements for office that a President-Elect appointment is made in the year prior to taking office the following July. By the end of this calendar year when our annual meeting is held we must make an appointment of the President-Elect for 2022-2023 and also appoint a President Nominee for the year after that. I cannot stress enough, the importance of this key objective for all members of the club.
It seems to be a time of anniversaries. I think we are all aware of the centenary of Rotary in New Zealand and Australia. Just as importantly 2022 is the 40th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Karori.
It was a pleasure to welcome back Barbara Mulligan to again speak to us on 9 March. A passionate conservationist, Barbara has earned great kudos for her untiring work conserving graves in the Karori Cemetery. This is the second largest cemetery in New Zealand after Waikemete in Auckland, and largest by number of interments.
Of special relevance are the graves of those who perished in the 1918 Flu Pandemic. With a team of friends and volunteers Barbara did a wonderful job cleaning up hundreds of graves in time for the centennial commemoration of the Flu pandemic in late 2018.
Barbara does a great job running guided tours of the cemetery. The trust reaches out to the wider community to help preserve its many heritage features. The friends of the cemetery have formed a trust to preserve, protect and enhance all aspects of the cemetery.
If you want to help please contact Barbara at friendskaroricemetery@gmail.com
In May we will see the start of 100 years of Rotary in New Zealand and Australia. The first Rotary Club in New Zealand, the Rotary Club of Wellington, was formed on 7 June 1921. The lavishly illustrated Mana Tangata celebrates our centenary and is now at the printers. Some of our members of the Club feature prominently in this history.
The Club has purchased a box of 12 for the Club and we can get more. Members can buy a copy at a special price of $40.
A centenary exhibition is scheduled to open at the National Library on 12 May and be in place until at least 26 May. The opening of the centenary in Wellington will be in the form of a cocktail party for invited guests which will include the formal launch of Mana Tangata, People of Action, by author Stephen Clarke. The exhibition is being built around sharing the Rotary 100 centennial with the public. It will feature our past, our present and the future of Rotary in New Zealand.
Thursday 18 March, Business Breakfast At Karori Park Cafe, 7:00am
Our guest speaker is the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson. Unmissable insights into the post Covid world.
Friday 19 - Sunday 21 March, District Conference At Carterton
For full details please see elsewhere in this bulletin.
Tuesday 23 March at Marsden
Marsden students who attended the Rotary National Science and Technology Forum in Auckland in January; Victoria Jackson, Isabel Possenniskie, and Shanshan Gu. The girls will be accompanied by Head of Science at Marsden, Gabrielle Gunn, and introduced by District Science programme coordinator and PP Jim Johnston.
Special general meeting to follow at 7:30pm
Friday 26 March, Carterton
Carterton Rotary Ambrose Golf Tournament, details elsewhere in this bulletin.
Tuesday 13 April at Marsden
Anna Roberts, Manager, Enliven Huntleigh, Karori.
Tuesday 27 April at Marsden
Our guest speaker will be councillor Simon Woolf from the Wellington City Council.
Tuesday 11 May at Marsden
We will make donations to the pincipals of local schools from our Sunshine Fund.
Thursday 13 May, Business Breakfast At Karori Park Cafe, 7:00am
Professor Michael Baker, Epidemiologist at the Otago School of Medicine, Covid. Vaccines etc.
Tuesday 25 May at Marsden
Mark Wood our newest member to speak about his life and times.
Tuesday 8 June, The Arborist, Willis St
We will visit the Mt Victoria Club, please note the change of venue
Tuesday 29 June, Changeover At The Pines
We have been invited to join with Wellington South and Mt Victoria
