As we edge closer to our Rotary changeover time in a couple of months, our thoughts focus on a new format for meetings ahead that we are going to start trialling on Tuesday 14 May.
For this meeting at Marsden we will start with light snacks provided by Elaine, together with our normal drinks and fellowship. The rest of the meeting will be dedicated to Club planning.
We agreed at an earlier club forum to trial a ‘blended approach’ and so the meeting on Tuesday 28 May will revert to a normal dinner meeting. We can also discuss the effectiveness of the new format after a period of reflection.
Why Are We Trialling This Change
The overriding objective is to try and make Rotary more attractive to other people, especially to younger members, without whom we will not survive. A secondary objective is to make the club more project oriented and sensitive to unmet needs in the community.
How Will We Achieve This Objective
We know that many younger people are under pressure from cost of living increases so we want to try and drive down the cost of being a Rotarian. The snack meal is a step in this direction. We will also be dusting off alternative membership options to promote through our social media and other connections.
We also know that younger people are time poor. Therefore we will try and keep our meetings short and to the point. We will meet at our normal time, but the meeting may conclude much earlier after discussion on projects going forward and any other business.
The Rotary You Know And Love Is Not Going Away At our meeting on 28 May, we will revert to a normal dinner meeting. We have two guest speakers following dinner provided by Elaine. If there are people who would like to hear our speakers they will have the option of joining us for a meal, or come at 7pm to just hear the speakers. The costs will be different, a lot cheaper for the light eats that Elaine has put to the board for approval, that we wish to try out.
Social Media Our use of social media has been weak to non existent. Social media is a work in progress, please bring any ideas that we can trial. Hopefully we can target younger people and obtain solid leads that we can work on on a personal basis to help us grow. We have to lift our game and this may also mean spending money on some professional help. We are also working on enhancing our relationship with other groups in Karori in a bid to identify unmet needs in the community. This work is also ongoing.
I want to thank Phil Oliver and Allan Frazer as incoming PEs for the Club for 2024-2025 who have done all this work for the Club around a ‘blended approach’ to our future, and as they have both said, all options are on the table.
Please give these matters your consideration as members and bring forward your views for our next meeting. I look forward to seeing you see all on Tuesday.
Please continue to support this important fund raising event for the Club and look around and help form teams of 6 to take part in the Quiz
Quiz night is Sunday 21 July from 6:30pm at Le Petit Lapin, 162 Karori Road. The restaurant will offer a special pre quiz dinner. Make a night of it, support your club and support a local business. See our flyer for details and cost per team.
The Rotary Club of Karori has played a leading role in helping to fund this project of support to schools through counsellors and other programmes to assist students in intermediate and secondary schools come to grips with mental health issues. Bill Day, a Past President of the Rotary Club of Port Nicholson and until recently Chairman of the Wellington Hospital Foundation is now lending his support to help fund raise for this vital Rotary project in the private sector.
Contact Phil 021 292 7001 if you need hi res copies of the flyer.
On Tuesday 28 May we are looking forward to welcoming Roger Blakeley, PE of the Rotary Club of Wellington and Chair of the Wellington Heritage Festival Board, and Jo Douglas, PE of the Rotary Club of Port Nicholson. They will join us at Marsden to speak about Rotary’s support for environmental and carbon zero initiatives. Both have spoken to several other Rotary Clubs in the Wellington area on this subject and we look forward to the messages that they wish to convey to us.
We were privileged to have New Zealand First List MP and former Mayor of Wellington, Andy Foster, join us to talk about being a new MP, how life has changed for him away from local body politics and how useful 30 years in that sphere is now helping him in his new life.
Being chair of two select committees, Transport and Government Administration gives Andy a wide breadth across the business of the House and country. Transport has always been dear to Andy’s heart, so little wonder he has slipped into this major area of Government. With wall to wall meetings throughout the week and at weekends life has certainly gone up a few gears for Andy. Not so much time at home in Karori. As a List MP, and covering many major portfolios under his watch in terms of select committee involvement, he is travelling the country and meeting wide and diverse community groups.
He saved a few stings for the end of his address, the life he left as a Councillor and as Mayor of Wellington with strong criticism for the perception and reality of local issues being dominated by party political representatives and Mayor, after decades of operating differently without this dominance from one majority faction. He pointed to greater successes in earlier years with a mix of politicians who were not driven by idealogy, who were good friends and who largely kept party politics to a minimum. He found a strong endorsement from club members translating this into some quite horrendous recent decision making by Council affecting our local areas of interest.
The breadth of questions to Andy helped to strengthen understandings around issues being faced at central government and more locally. Andy praised the Club’s community involvment and success with projects at Zealandia and more widely with improving recreational opportunities and grants. The Club noted that Andy had recently agreed to become an associate member of the Club.
At Marsden Cultural Centre: 6pm. Drinks and snacks in lieu of dinner. An update to report back on future plans for the club.
Saturday 18 May, Mary Potter Hospice Appeal Collection for the Mary Potter Hospice in the Karori Mall. Let David Watt know if you can help on the collection roster.
Saturday 25 - Wednesday 29 May, Rotary International Convention
Singapore.
Tuesday 28 May, Rotary Environment And Zero Carbon Initiatives Dinner meeting at Marsden Cultural Centre: 6pm. Guest speakers: Roger Blakeley, PE Rotary Club of Wellington and Jo Douglas PE Rotary Club of Port Nicholson.
Tuesday 11 June, Club Meeting
Dinner meeting at Marsden Cultural Centre: 6pm. Guest speaker: Dani Lim on Brasilia.
Tuesday 25 June, Club Projects And Direction At Marsden Cultural Centre: 6pm. Drinks and snacks in lieu of dinner.
Saturday 6 July, Rotary Changeover Dinner At Marsden Cultural Centre. Details TBC.
Friday 12 - Saturday 13 July, Lions/Rotary Book Fair At Baptist Church. Please diary some time for this important fundraising event.
Sunday 21 July, Quiz Night To Support Mental Health In Schools At Le Petit Lapin: 7pm. Get a team of 6 together now.
