Co-Presidents St. Johns Rotary, Gary Key (Ph: 021 611169), and Graham Fabian (Ph: 021 826292).
Good morning fellow Rotarians,
A huge thankyou to those members who attended our first evening meeting of the year!! We were indeed honoured to have our Peter McKenzie Scholarship recipient Alexis Khoo, and her Mum Elaine, present to receive her certificate. Noeline Doherty, Alexis' Accounting teacher, did a great job in introducing Alexis to the Club—Congratulations Alexis.
What a pleasure it was to hear the exploits of James Davies who we assisted to Outward Bound just before Xmas —well done James! Also to hear from both James Mum and Dad -Angela and Andrew, on how Rotary has shaped their lives together and as a Family.
Our third presenter was our own David Hartstone who did a great job presenting the Power Point District Conference Presentation that you have all registered for!!! You can be assured that it is going to be a memorable event.
Please RSVP to Peter Buchanan for our Working Bee at Apirana Reserve next Sunday morning Feb 19th 9-11.30am. And don't forget the Stonefields Music in the Park 3–7.30pm on Sunday also.
Be safe everyone and we look forward to seeing you all at the Men’s Shed on Thursday morning. PS Don’t forget to RSVP to Lesley.
Co-President Gary welcomed 35 members and guests to our first evening dinner meeting of the year and asked Directors to report on activity.
Penny McG. Director Club Services
Reminded all that the next meeting will be on February 16th at the Men's Shed and requested RSVP's be sent to her asap.
A bus outing to Coopers Creek Winery on Sunday 26th Feb is planned. A fun chilled afternoon listening to Jazz. RSVP's also required asap to ensure the correct bus size is chartered.
Peter B. Director Environment;
He reminded members of the upcoming Working Bee at Apirana reserve on Sunday 19th February. The weather over the last few weeks has caused weeds to grow at an extremely fast rate and these need to be brought under control. Peter will email all members with details.
Tom Street, Director Youth:
Updated us that plans for RYLA 2023 are well underway and St. Johns will be looking to sponsor up to 6 future leaders to attend. He and his selection committee will be looking for individuals aged between 20 - 28, who have already demonstrated leadership qualities. Interviews will be undertaken in early April. If you know of suitable candidates please contact Tom asap.
Golf Tournament organizer extraordinary, David Hartstone,
Advised that the tournament has now sold out. We are, however, still looking for sponsors. please share details of any potential sponsors with Dave
Lesley H. is still looking for club members to assist on the day with the organisation. Please contact Lesley if you can volunteer.
Guest Speakers:
As noted by Gary under the Presidents Pen, we were once again very fortunate to hear from two more young members of the community whom St. Johns Rotary have had the good fortune to support in their development.
Hearing how successful that Alexis Khoi has been at school, and particularly in the area of Accountancy, certainly supported that she was a very deserving recipient of the Peter McKenzie Memorial Trust Sponsorship for 2022.
The recipient of the Brian Gibbs Memorial Trust Scholarship in 2022 was James Davies. Thanks to the assistance provided by St. Johns Rotary, James was able to secure a space on a 21 day Outward Bound experience last December. James gave a very interesting and and personal account of his OB experience and the mental, physical and emotional challenges that he experienced during his 21 days course.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16TH - BREAKFAST MEETING: VOCATIONAL VISIT TO THE MEN'S SHED, ABBOTS WAY:
Breakfast will be provided on site and this will be a great opportunity to see and learn about the activities that the Shed is getting involved with, in our community.
Spencer is the Superintendent of the Remuera Golf Club which is set within 72 hectares of stunning woodland park reserve you are constantly surrounded by an abundance of nature, birdlife and tranquil beauty at all times. They were the first, and one of only a few courses in New Zealand, to be fully Geo-Certified for our environmentally sustainable practices.
Spencer will explain how he does it and what sets Remuera GC apart from the rest.
THURSDAY MARCH 2nd DINNER MEETING. GUEST SPEAKER - MIKE POTTER - CEO DISABILITY CONNECT:
Mike is an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the Not-for-Profit Sector. Prior to a motor vehicle accident in 2008 that left him with a spinal cord impairment he was a competitive international runner and a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at AUT. Mike is a reflective thinker whose upbringing, vocation, life experience and understanding of the disability paradigms are helping him to advocate for an inclusive world for people with disabilities and their families. He is a proud husband and Dad to two teenage daughters, one of whom has a learning disability and is an advisor for The Cookie Project. He has an MCom (Hons) in Marketing and International Business from the University of Auckland.
NB. Mike was a key resource in the instigation of the "Breaking Barriers Disability Day", which Ainie Kwok ran.
Rotary St Johns, your club, is responsible for hosting this important event so your support is needed by coming along for a great time. The programme is now finalised and it is a wonderful mix of social/networking events and incredibly inspiring speakers. Being close to home, it is easy to get to, and the venue is impressive, as anyone who has been to Karaka Bloodstock will attest to. So register your place today, especially as you will want to get along to the full programme (Friday night dinner is limited to the first 120 registrants).
Friday: Foundation Dinner and charity auction
Saturday: Conference
Saturday: Past District Governor Cocktail Hour
Saturday: Awards Dinner
Please click on the following link to view a short video from Allan & Sue, sharing details of the programme and inviting you to attend the conference.
All members should have received the following e-mail from Peter B, but as a reminder, please read below;
"Dear St Johns Members, plus whanau & friends, are all very welcome to join the Rotary St Johns Working Bee at Apirana Reserve, Apirana Ave, Glen Innes, on Sunday 19th Feb., 9.00-11.30 am - followed by coffee at nearby coffee bar.
Our working bee will be weather dependent of course.
Purpose: To start preparation of the ground for this year's planting which (as Ken describes it) "will involve quite a bit of rip, shit and bust of the weeds that have just exploded after the recent rain. There will be no delicate picking of weeds [though important to not mistake a native plant for a weed!], just to try and cover as much ground as possible to enable us to spray."
We will start right up at the top end of Apirana Reserve in the newly cleared area towards the railway tunnel entrance (see attached photo), so note that there won't be a hive of activity near the road entrance to Apirana Reserve.
We will be close to the stream, there will be logs and tree branches that need to be moved; some of the ground is steepish, and there are some small areas of blackberry.
So, in a nutshell - old clothes, weapons of choice in the form of slashers and ripsaws, good strong gloves, and in the case of Kevin, waders and a snorkel.
Also bring plenty of drinking water and a hat.
Start time: 9.00 a.m., or earlier if you wish. Ken, Nanda, and Roger will be there from 8.30 am.
Let me know if you are coming. Any questions, please ask.
Demand for the Sallies food parcels continues unabated. If you can spare time next Wednesday Morning Feb 15th your presence will be much appreciated. Please contact Murray H for all the details.
Co-President Gary welcomed 35 members and guests to our first evening dinner meeting of the year and asked Directors to report on activity.
Hearing how successful that Alexis Khoi has been at school, and particularly in the area of Accountancy, certainly supported that she was a very deserving recipient of the Peter McKenzie Memorial Trust Sponsorship for 2022.
The recipient of the Brian Gibbs Memorial Trust Scholarship in 2022 was James Davies. Thanks to the assistance provided by St. Johns Rotary, James was able to secure a space on a 21 day Outward Bound experience last December. James gave a very interesting and and personal account of his OB experience and the mental, physical and emotional challenges that he experienced during his 21 days course.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16TH - BREAKFAST MEETING: VOCATIONAL VISIT TO THE MEN'S SHED, ABBOTS WAY:
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23rd - BREAKFAST MEETING: SPENCER COOPER, SUPERINTENDANT REMUERA GOLF CLUB: 
THURSDAY MARCH 2nd DINNER MEETING. GUEST SPEAKER - MIKE POTTER - CEO DISABILITY CONNECT:
