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The President's Pen

Hi All,
 
It was great catching up with everyone on Thursday and hearing about Lachlan’s experience in Chile. He really owned the experience and chose to see the positives in a less than optimal situation – well done!
 
As discussed in the meeting it would be great if members would consider donating the savings from having online meetings to the Rotary Foundation. The Foundation does some fantastic work around the world and our club has been the beneficiary of over $200,000 in the last couple of years. Any contributions would be greatly appreciated.
 
Our next project is to support the MS Society collection on the 18th and 19th September which is well subscribed.  As of Thursday, we needed one more person.  If you are interested, please reach out to Penny McGarry.
 
Take care and see you on Thursday.
Hugh
 
President: Rotary Club of St Johns
Phone: 021 0813 7313
 
 
Stories
Meeting in Review - September 3rd 2010
23 Members, plus IPPRM, (Immediate Past President Robyn's Mum), linked in to our Zoom Meeting last week.  There were two apologies received.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Those online were treated to a very good talk from Lachlan Kerr, the St. Johns RYE student from Sacred Heart College who departed from Auckland for Chile in January 2020, pre Covid-19.  Despite the huge challenges faced and a significantly reduced stay, Lachlan still managed to have an awesome experience.
 
On arrival in Chile Lachlan had nearly two months before school started and then only had two weeks of school before Lockdown.  This meant he spent five months with his first host family instead of the normal 3 months.  Fortunately the love and friendship extended to him by his host family made it a positively memorable experience.
 
Spending all day for several months locked down, watching movies, listening to music and confined, forced him to expand his language knowledge and by the time he departed he was speaking near fluent Spanish.
 
After several months of lockdown and facing a potential further 4 months in lockdown, when he became aware of a repatriation flight to Melbourne, he decided that taking this was the appropriate option.  The hurdles he had to jump to book a seat on the flight, and then actually board the flight in the middle of the night, was a significant challenge - however he did  make the flight with 10 minutes to spare before doors closed!
 
On arrival in Melbourne as a transit passenger he spent three nights in isolation before travelling to Auckland and spending a further two weeks in isolation before he was freed two months ago.
 
Since his return to New Zealand he has been backpacking around the country visiting the many South American friends he has made over the last eight months.  He can't get over just how many Chilians there are still living and working here in New Zealand.  He is currently in Picton and will shortly travel to Wellington where he plans to get a job before preparing for University next year.
 
Despite the huge disruption to his exchange due to Covid-19, Lachlan has made the most of a very difficult situation and it is great to see him back in New Zealand safe and sound, positive and happy.  We look forward to hosting Lachlan back in Auckland, face to face, in the not too distance future.
Club Activities & Other Important Dates to Diary
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10th - Zoom Meeting 7.30 am. 
Guest Speaker Shirin Brown - Labour Candidate Tamaki.  Shirin has a background in local government, community advocacy, strategic planning and teaching, both in New Zealand and overseas.

Shirin was twice elected and served for six years in Auckland local government (2013-2019).  She has a track record of working effectively with communities, NGOs and government departments to get great outcomes for local people and for the environment.  Her time on the local board included developing social procurement criteria to allow local businesses and NGOs to compete for local government waste contracts, turning over occupation and management of community halls to community groups, and initiatives that support youth engagement and participation. She also successfully advocated for people to take citizenship ceremonies in Te Reo Māori.

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88528062444?pwd=WEpHeHNpTm15amRpSldZaGIyOXQ5Zz09

 

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17th - Breakfast Meeting, Venue / Time TBC.
Brian Fergus will share with us details of his Queen Mary cruise late last year.  Following Brian's presentation, we will move into Project/Committee meetings.  Please do all you can to attend to ensure your thoughts on the way ahead for our club are shared. 
 
 
 
 
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24th - Breakfast Meeting, Venue / Time TBC.
The quality and diverse nature of our guest speakers continues, with this week's speaker being, Dr. Bodo Lang and his talk is titled "Don't Sugar Coat It".   

Sugar used to be our sweet heart. Not anymore. Sugar has been implicated in a variety of diseases with grim consequences for individual health, productivity, and health costs. This talk aims to inform, educate and even entertain the audience about sugar, its perils and how easy it is to reduce sugar consumption.

Dr. Lang has worked as a Lecturer in the marketing department at the University of Auckland Business School; as an Academic Director and Senior Lecturer at the Manukau Institute of Technology; and he is currently a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of Department (Marketing) at the University of Auckland Business School.  He is a passionate teacher and has received two teaching awards and has sustained excellence for nearly two decades of teaching.

Multiple Sclerosis Appeal
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
All members should have received the email below, regarding the MS Appeal in September, but just in-case you haven't yet seen the email, please read on and if there is any chance that you can assist, as outlined in Penny's email,  please register at your earliest convenience.
 
Hi Everyone
 
Many thanks to those of you have already committed to supporting the MS Appeal this year for the Friday/Saturday collection on the 18th & 19th September at Stonefields New World. And thanks also to those who have let me know that they are not available. We have had a good response but  we still need 3 volunteers - 2 for the 12 - 2 pm slot on Saturday and one for the 2 - 4pm slot, also on Saturday.

You can sign up directly on the Club Volunteer website by clicking here. We appreciate your participation and look forward to making a contribution to assist the MS Society.

So please, if you haven't already, click on Sign Up to view available slots and book yourself directly online.
 
 
Event:
MS Appeal
 
   
Date:
18th & 19th September; 2 hour blocks between 10am - 4pm each day
 
   
Champion:
Penny McGarry
 
   
 
 
Any problems accessing the site please contact me on lesleypenny.rotary@gmail.com or 021 702 310.
 
Thanks in anticipation for your help with this project. 

Penny McGarry
The Salvation Army Need Our Help!
Are you free on September 22nd?  The Salvation Army need our help.  Please see details below from email you would already have received from IPP Robyn!
 
Dear Rotary Club of St. Johns Member,
 
Salvation Army Foodbank (Manukau Depot) greatly appreciate the regular volunteers from Rotary for food parcel packing.  Rotary Clubs of Remuera, Papakura and Newmarket are on a roster with our Club, assisting when they can.
 
Our next opportunity to help is: 
  • Tuesday 22 September
  • Hours:  team required ideally from 10 am - 2 pm
  • Approx 8 - 10 people required for this project (Newmarket teams up with us if we don't have enough from our club)
Please click onto the email link below to advise if you are available:
 
 
Kind regards
Robyn Ingram
IPP & Club Services
September Education and Literacy Month
From its chartering as a club, St FFrom its chartering as a club, St St. Johns Rotary has supported Rotary’s goal to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy including education for all children and literacy for children and adults. 
 
Over the years we have engaged in many projects that have made a huge difference in our local community here in Auckland, in the Pacific and further afield.  Our most significant current projects are the Rotary Dictionaries in Schools project among several Decile 1 local schools and the Onja initiative in Madagascar.
Virtual Conference Invitation
Some Members may have already received this invitation directly, but as a reminder and to those members who may not yet received this invitation, please take a moment to review and don't forget to register.  To date over 900 Rotarians have registered for the Virtual Conference.
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Time for a Smile!

Thanks Kevin for your contribution this week;

This Video is worth a quick look at;

An Italian Auction -- only 44 seconds!  You don't have to understand Italian to follow the auctioneer. A Chinese Ming Vase is up for auction. 

The bidding opens at a half-million Euros. Bidding is brisk and each bidder is clearly identified as each raises the bid by 100,000 Euros. NB. the exchange rate at auction time was

1 Euro =$US 1.12 ). 

Within seconds, the bid stalls at one million Euros, and the gasp from the crowd identifies the excitement that prevails in the room. 

The successful bidder is the last one who bid  -- one million, and the auctioneer counts down the bid, "Going once, going twice, and sold to the gentleman sitting in front of me for one million Euros”. 

Now, watch the video for yourself.  The pace is fast.  

http://www.youtube.com/embed/3e0yZCLjwfU?rel

 
Have a wonderful week with many *smiles*.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Next Meeting:
 
Breakfast "ZOOM Meeting" 7.30 am. 
 
Thursday September 10th.
 
The link for this meeting:
Bulletin Contents: 
  • The President's Pen
  • Meeting in Review - September 3rd
  • Activities & Important Dates
  • MS Appeal
  • Salvation Army Needs You
  • September Education and Literacy Month
  • Virtual Conference Invitation
  • Time for a Smile
Speakers
Sep 10, 2020 7:30 AM
Labour Candidate for Tamaki
Sep 17, 2020 7:00 AM
Brian will present on his Queen Mary cruise last year
Sep 24, 2020 7:00 AM
Don't Sugar Coat It!
Oct 01, 2020 6:00 PM
Fellowship Event (in lieu of usual meeting)
Oct 08, 2020 7:00 AM
Orakei Toastmasters
Oct 15, 2020 7:00 AM
Investment Markets in Uncertain Times
Oct 22, 2020 7:00 AM
Centre Manager - Salvation Army Manukau
Oct 29, 2020 7:00 AM
Mens Shed
Nov 05, 2020 6:00 PM
Updates on The America's Cup and ONJA Madagascar
View entire list
Meeting Responsibilities
Thursday 24 September
 
Set-Up
Street, Tom
 
Attendance
Harris, Lesley
 
Greeter
Jones, Simon
 
Speaker Host
Key, Gary
 
Thanks & Close
Gatt, Alex
 
Set-Down
Fergus, Brian
 
Stand-By
Stephens, Helen
 
Thursday 5 November EVENING
 
Set-Up
Figueiredo, Avinash
 
Attendance
Gunn, Liz
 
Greeter
Gilmer, Gavin
 
Speaker Host
Scott-Russell, Hugh
 
Thanks & Close
Wheadon, Ruth
 
Set-Down
Figueiredo, Avinash
 
Stand-By
Fabian, Graham
 
Thursday 1 October FELLOWSHIP
 
Attendance
Mann, Michele
 
Thanks & Close
 

Club Contacts

President: 
Hugh Scott-Russell 021 0813 7313 
Secretary, Treasurer & Apologies: 
Alex Gatt 021 571 722
Presidents Elect: 
Penny McGarry 021 702 310   &
Lesley Harris 027 4935 498
Sergeant:  Michelle Forman 021 0277 9456
Club Services: Robyn Ingram  022 0200 171 
Bulletin Editor:  Pete Walsh 021 747 858
Membership:  John Lewisham 021 375080
Website:  www.rotarystjohns.club
Our Meetings
 
We meet Thursday for breakfast at
7:00 am for 7:15 am start,
except for the first Thursday of the month, when we meet in the evening at 6:00 pm for dinner.
 
Remuera Golf Club
120 Abbotts Way
Remuera
Auckland 1072
New Zealand 
 
All Rotarian's are welcome 
including family members.
 
Others wanting to visit are most welcome - please email:
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