Co-Presidents St. Johns Rotary, Gary Key (Ph: 021 611169), and Graham Fabian (Ph: 021 826292).
Presidents-pen
Well done to all who attended the Apirana planting on Saturday 23rd July. After all my appeals at the previous meeting for people to attend I didn't turn up up myself. I did have a good excuse though as I (Graham) had a bout of the dreaded flu which still seems to be lurking. As they say the best laid plans….
Thursday's breakfast had a good turn out again and reasonably festive as well. Leo Malloy, Mayoral candidate, spoke of his reasons for being the best candidate. He spoke of the 3 “C’s” He is the only candidate, we have no other choice and one other I can’t remember. I can remember the three M’s though Motor Mouth Malloy. Man could he talk continuously without taking a breath. He certainly will be in everyone’s face and calls it like it is. Just wonder if people will listen to him or whether the bureaucracy is just so entrenched it will be like trying to shift an ice berg should he be successful.
Please remember to RSVP for this coming evening meeting on 4th of August. Sadly I will miss the show as I am away.
BTW how is the search for a project in our neighbourhood going?
Last Thursday we were alerted to the tragic passing of , Penny & Warwick Leyland's grandson, Jack.
The members of the Rotary Club of St. Johns send their deepest sympathy to Penny, Warwick and the entire family at this very very sad time. May the many happy and loving memories that you have, stay with you forever.
Acting Sergeant John C. extended a hearty and rousing welcome to our Co-Presidents Gary and Graham Gary and then extended the welcome to all members and guests. Once again we had tech problems to deal with, but Gary requested that anyone wanting to know what should have been on the screen, "to Imagine" what should be there just as the RI tag line this year says.
Directors Reports:
Peter B, - Environment: A huge thank you to the 19 volunteers at the Apirana Reserve tree planting working bee on the 23rd, including Isabella who provided a very welcome morning tea. 500 trees planted in 1 hour and 10 mins!
Kevin & Liz - Community & Youth: Reiterated that it is once again ERK packing. Details of days and times when volunteers will be welcome to assist were published in last weeks bulletin'
Lesley - Club Services: Advised of change in speaker August 4th. Now Kevin Kevany, who will continue talking about his recent visit to Europe. RSVP's required for this dinner meeting - Please RSVP to Lesley immediately.
Quiz Night - Organisers Aubrey & Miles; requested that members diary Oct 14th now and start planning on buying a table for friends and family. Can you donate an auction item? This is a key fund raiser for the club to allow us to continue to do good in the Community. More details on how you can help will be published in future issues of the Bulletin.
Co-President and Treasurer Graham: Updated members on discussions with the RGC on breakfast prices and alternatives. Unfortunately there are no alternatives to what is currently offered. It was agreed that we will maintain the status quo until further notice, with applicable charges being levied to cover any shortfall due to low numbers attending breakfast meetings.
Snap Chatterer this week was our wandering PP Robyn Ingram who updated us on the big activities she experienced in the last 12 - 18 months, which included; a new house build in Pauanui, a move to Pauanui, landscaping the new Pauanui property, despite good snow, limited visits and skiing to their property in Ohakune, (due to Covid restrictions), two daughters weddings, and a highlight - a visit to Europe which included the Monaco Grand Prix! What a life - just as well they are both retired and have the time. It also sounds like we should book Robyn and Tony in for a Guest Speaker slot as well! The trip to Monaco would have to be a good story!
At our meeting on August 4th our Two Minute Snap Chatterer will be John Lewisham.
Guest Speaker - Auckland Mayoral Candidate - Leo Molloy:
Leo commenced his talk sharing details on who he is and what he stands for. He was born and raised on the West Coast and is from modest stock. Many years ago one of his earliest jobs was as a jockey, but as he started to get a little older and gained a little weight he came to the conclusion that this career won't last for ever and decided to become an adult student studying to become a Vet which he did successfully.
Then, around 25 years ago he moved to Auckland and joined the Hospitality industry which he loved and he did well in. He recently sold his HQ Pub and Restaurant and is now focusing on the Mayoral campaign.
He sees the current Mayor and many of those before him, as very much practising absentee Mayors, rarely seen, or active in the community - he will be the opposite. A couple of quotes from his talk that seemed to appeal to the meeting were;
"The current council and Mayor see Rate Payers have the right not to know what is going on", and another
"that right now, the biggest job in Council is preserving your own job".
One more "The public transport in Auckland is so not fit for purpose", and an example of why many would want to be doing all possible to preserve their job is that "no fewer than 13 AT employees earn more than the Mayor", which is in excess of $295k per ann.
As a totally and completely Independent candidate, Leo sees himself in a very strong position that Central Government are very wary of.
A very articulate and passionate individual who touched on a lot of hot buttons with the audience. Many thanks again to Leo for taking the time to address us and we wish him well with his campaign.
THURSDAY AUGUST 4th DINNER MEETINHG - GUEST SPEAKER: Kevin Kevan. Peter Lester who was scheduled to talk has advised us that he is now unable to attend Thursday's meeting but, we have managed to secure, (drum roll), by popular demand our very own Kevin Kevany to continue his snap chat enlightening us all on his recent travel exploits. Thanks Kevin, for stepping in. For those who haven't RSVP'd please do today,
Imagine how much more we can achieve this Rotary year if we make membership a priority, as we commit to increasing our impact and expanding our reach. A strong club with a healthy membership base can do more good in the world.
So who will you bring to experience Rotary – your friend, family, neighbour, colleague etc? A prospective member’s first meal is complimentary, as they are hosted by Rotary. an invitation that explains about Rotary is attached for you to give or send to them. Remember to forward their name, email address & mobile number to berylrobinson@xtra.co.nz or 021 652 802, so that she can then proactively follow up membership leads.
What a team!! Within hours of the call going out seeking volunteers for this high priority community project, all spots on the roster were filled.
Many thanks to all who have volunteered, including those who volunteered and missed out on a spot. If you missed out don't hesitate to contact Hugh as he is happy to look at increasing the numbers per shift if the demand is there. Alternatively there will be another opportunity at the end of the year.
A story regarding Regionalisation appeared in last weeks Bulletin. However, Co-President Gary has received additional information, and due to the importance of this matter, Gary has requested this also be published.
Regionalisation Pilot project resources
Dear Club President,
CC District Governor and Assistant Governor
You are receiving this message as the President of your Rotary Club because we want to ensure you are as informed as possible about an important action you are being asked to take in September this year.
We hope by now you have heard about the Regionalisation Pilot project in our part of the world and that you have either participated in a Zoom meeting or webinar or had a club meeting about it. This is a very important project for the future of Rotary. Our region includes Rotary and Rotaract clubs in Australia, New Zealand and 14 countries.
A team has been working for some time to establish a pilot to support our clubs to explore, develop and test a new model of governing and operating Rotary that is relevant for our region. The Rotary International Board has agreed to support our efforts, and this support is subject to our clubs voting to participate in this pilot. You as the President of your club will be asked to cast a vote on behalf of your club, whether you wish to participate in the pilot or not. This vote must reflect the views of your members.
The details of the vote are contained in the attached Vote Fact Sheet. (See "Read More"
To help you and your club members we are providing you with additional resources to review and share.
Here is a Dropbox folder where you will find key fact sheets and two videos to share with your clubs. One video tells the story and background and the other has further details about the pilot. The files are too big for us to email, so if you need help to access them please ask someone to assist.
If you have not yet had a chance to have a club presentation or be part of a webinar, or need some help or clarification, please make contact as soon as you can by emailing rotaryregionalpilot@gmail.com
We have an opportunity to create a stronger future for Rotary to meet the needs and circumstances we experience, to create a Rotary that works for us now and in the future.
Thank you for your leadership this year.
Regards, Regionalisation Pilot Project Team Co-chairs Ingrid Waugh (NZ/Oceania) and Peter Frueh (Australia)
RYPEN 2022 was held two weeks ago in Auckland and despite living in Wellington, St Johns Club member Ainie Kwok once again coordinated the running of this years event.
Once again the feedback has been very positive as this letter from Deputy Head of Sacred Heart College highlights. Well done Ainie!
We would like to thank Rotary for the recent invitation for three of our students to attend the annual RYPEN Leadership course.
Three of our students attended last weekend (Maz, Thomas and Azlan) and all students have been into our office this week to speak with us and provide most positive feedback.
They all very much enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity and felt they gained and learnt so much from the weekend – as well as new friendships!
Again, we would like to thank all those involved for their time and effort and for making such opportunities possible – all currently much more difficult in our current Covid environment!
Please can we ask that you pass on our thanks and appreciation.
MUNA stands for Model United Nations Assembly. A large number of Auckland schools take part each year. This year, the schools all met at Auckland Girls Grammar School, on Friday and Saturday, 29 and 30 July. The schools get allocated a country to represent and the students dress in the national costumes of their countries. For example, the two schools that Rotary St John's support, Glendowie College and Sacred Heart College, represented Saudi Arabia, Guatemala ( Glendowie College ) and Spain (Sacred Heart). The hall at Auckland Girls Grammar was alive with colour, costumes and camaraderie while students learnt about the remits and procedures of the United Nations.
Last Thursdays Sergeants Session was hosted by John Cornaga, Sergeant Patrick's 2IC. A very aggressive John, managed to suck out of the meeting a very credible amount of $129.60.
If you have got any good ideas as to who we can make a small donation to, contact Patrick or John with your idea, how much you are suggesting and a brief justification as to why.
An old man, who had been a retired farmer for a long time became very bored and decided to open a medical clinic. He put a sign up outside that said: "Get your treatment for $500 - if not cured get back $1,000." Doctor "Young," who was positive that this old man didn't know anything about medicine, thought this would be a great opportunity to get $1,000. He made an appointment and went to the old man's clinic. Dr. Young: "Doctor, I have lost all taste in my mouth. Will you please help me? Old man: "Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in Dr. Young's mouth." Dr. Young: "Aaagh! This is petrol!" Old man: "Congratulations! You've got your taste back. That will be $500." Doctor Young gets annoyed and goes back after a couple of days figuring to recover his money. Dr Young: "I have lost my memory, I cannot remember anything." Old man: "Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth." Doctor Young: "Oh no you don't, that's petrol!" Old man: "Congratulations! You have your memory back. That will be $500."
Dr. Young, having now lost $1000, leaves angrily. He mopes over his loss for a few days and then returns with what he is sure is a fool proof plan. Dr. Young: "My eyesight has become weak I can hardly see!" Old man: "Well, I don't have any medicine for that so. Here's your $1000 back." Dr. Young: "But this is only $500..." Old man: "Congratulations! You have your vision back! That will be $500."
Moral of the story: Just because you're "Young" doesn't mean that you can outsmart an old man.