Greetings to you all and best wishes for the new year.
As you will see below we already have a packed forward program for 2021. In addition I have mentioned several events organised by other clubs that might appeal.
Our first meeting for the year will be a social event with the Tawa Rotary Club. We have organised a guided tour of the Wrights Hill Tunnels. These are an important part of our local history and are well worth a look. The cost for the tour is $12 and Elaine will deliver a light meal to the site afterwards. Most importantly please rsvp to David's email by Saturday so that we can firm up on catering numbers. Partners are welcome to come to this event.
Don't forget our district conference is coming up in March. Based in Carterton there will be opportunities to sample the delights of the Wairarapa as well as attending to Rotary business. Discounted early bird registration is available until the end of January. Please see below for the details.
Details are:
Tuesday 26 January 2021
Please assemble at 5:45
Access to the tunnels is via Campbell St, right into Verviers St, left into Kano St, right into Wrights Hill Road
I look forward to catching up with you all and to socialising with our colleagues from Tawa.
A combined meeting with the Rotary Club of Tawa to Wrights Hill tunnels, followed by a meal at the entrance to the tunnels. Note this will be an early start 5.45pm for an organised tour of the tunnels, the tour price is $12. Dinner will follow at about 7:15 outside the tunnels, Partners welcome.
Tuesday 9 February at Marsden
New member Lynda Murray will address the club giving us some insights into her life and work.
Thursday 18 February at Karori Park Cafe
The first Rotary/ANZ Business Breakfast for 2021, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson. Unmissable insights into the post Covid world.
Sunday 21 February, Karori Karnival at Ben Burn Park
We will run a stall and raise funds, Please allow a couple of hours to help between 10:00 and 15:30.
Sunday 21 February, Rotary Club Of Wellington Centennial Dinner
Dragons Restaurant, 25 Tory Street, 5:30 for 6:00pm. Guest speaker Prof Michael Baker MNZM.
Tuesday 23 February at Marsden
Our guest speaker will be Michael Smith CEO Wellington Division Cancer Society.
Tuesday 9 March at Marsden
Barbara Mulligan and Richard Bentley from the Karori Cemetery Trust.
Tuesday 23 March at Marsden
Craig Nicholson NZTA to speak on the Transmission Gully Project.
Tuesday 13 April at Marsden
Anna Roberts, Manager Enliven Huntleigh Karori.
April at Karori Park Cafe
Planned Business Breakfast, speaker to be confirmed.
The Rotary District 9940 Conference will be held early next year in the beautiful Wairarapa between the 19th and 21st of March at the Carterton Events Centre.
Go to the Rotary District 9940 website to register now. Early bird registration is open until 31 January 2021. Full programme and speakers on the website. Be prepared to be entertained, informed and challenged. Enjoy a Taste of the Wairarapa – food, beverages and sights. There will be a range of activities around the Wairarapa throughout the weekend including A Taste of the Wairarapa on the Saturday afternoon and a Swing Fling on Saturday evening.
Help celebrate our centenary - come along and enjoy what this weekend has in store.
I am writing to you about a new production of Don Giovanni in Wellington by Wellington Opera. As Chairperson of the new Wellington Opera Trust, I can see that the Company’s first production is going to be a memorable musical event. Don Giovanni is widely regarded as Mozart's finest opera, some say the finest opera ever written.
Many of you will remember the enjoyable Singers to Listen For concerts which the Rotary Club of Wellington has hosted in St Andrews on the Terrace. Since 2015 we have brought together New Zealand’s leading young singers to help develop their talent and raise funds.
The aspirations we have had for them are now being realised through the casting for Wellington Opera's production of Mozart's Don Giovanni. I would like to personally invite you to join us to enjoy the singers with Orchestra Wellington at the Opera House, 17 - 24 April 2021.
Wellington audiences are in for a real treat, with a dynamic New Zealand cast featuring many principals back in New Zealand on pause from their careers around the world. They include Christian Thurston (Don Giovanni) from Minnesota Opera, James Ioelu (Leporello) from London, Oliver Sewell (Don Ottavio) from New York, Natasha Wilson (Zerlina) back from Pittsburg Opera, and Paul Whelan (Commendatore) also from New York. Joel Amosa (Massetto) is a recent Lexus Song Quest winner, Amelia Berry (Donna Anna), one of our finest resident sopranos and the outstanding Amanda Atlas (Donna Elvira) with a string of international successes behind her.
Singers Natasha Wilson, Oliver Sewell and James Ioelu are sponsored by the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation, and the major donor to the season is the Margaret Doucas Trust.
The production is directed by Sara Brodie, with designer Meg Rollandi, and Matthew Ross as Music Director, with the Wellington Opera Chorus and Orchestra Wellington.This is a bold yet timeless production offering food for thought for our times whilst embracing the theatricality of old.Don’t miss it… with only four shows in April 2021, buy your tickets now!
Tickets are available at https://www.wellingtonopera.nz
I look forward to seeing you at the opera.
Kind regards,
Dame Kerry Prendergast Chair, Wellington Opera Trust
Are you a keen golfer? The Rotary Club Of New Plymouth invites you to join in their charity golf competition in support of Heart Kids. Full details are in the flyer below.
