For anyone counting, today is Day 47 of isolation and I am very proud that our Club has not missed even one week of meeting. As we look ahead to the move to Level 1, please be assured we are working closely with our home base (Remuera Golf Club) to announce the date we can safely return to a physical meeting.
The ability to meet via Zoom has certainly opened our eyes and minds to how easily we can remain connected using technology. As we have discovered, we absolutely don’t need to be techno-experts to host both informative and enjoyable meetings this way. A great example of this was last Monday evening, when we engaged in vigorous debate with Auckland East! My thanks to our team of Shaun, John and Ruth who took on the challenge. There was an audience of 50 for this debate, 17 of which were RCSJ members! We also had an immensely enjoyable Thursday morning meet with members Alex G and Aubrey sharing great photographs and commentary. Thank you gentlemen!
There is a change of pace this week to an evening meet time of 7:30pm, timed so the 2020 RYPEN Online Leadership team can present to us. This is an awesome initiative for RYPEN, so it will be great to hear all about it first-hand. The link for this evening meet has already been emailed to you all, but I will send a reminder with link on Wednesday.
I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday evening at 7:30pm.
As COVID-19 restrictions continue to impact on our regular meetings, our club continues to overcome the challenges, remain in contact, and do good in the community, as restrictions allow. 24 members linked in to our Zoom meeting last Thursday. Club notices were shared, updates on activity as allowed were discussed and some good fellowship was experienced via the wonders of technology.
Our first speaker on the day was Treasurer / Secretary Alex G, who shared with us some of the highlights of his recent trip to Malta, (where he was born), then on to the USA, the Carribean and ending his travels in California, and specifically San Francisco. He loved San Francisco, the sights and the weather and he is already planning his next overseas trip, although that could be sometime away. Now you have the travel bug Alex, this would be a great time to "travel local" and we look forward to hearing the next episode!!
Aubrey R-J was then invited to share part of his life story via the Snap Chat slot in the agenda. Aubrey used the opportunity, with the help of some very old slides and pictures, to talk about his early days travelling to the UK in 1971 where he met Helen.
After falling in love, with 90 pounds in their pockets, they headed south back to Aubrey's home in Rhodesia where they spent the next 7 years working and exploring Africa before heading to Australia, (Helen's home), and finally to New Zealand where they settled, and as they say the rest is history. It was a story that many of us could relate to when we headed off on our own OE's back in the 70's with a lone yellow shirt, minimal cash in the pockets and a huge thirst for adventure!
Club activity and regular Thursday meetings are currently suspended due to the COVID-19 Virus and the associated lockdown. However "Zoom Meetings" are held each week until further notice. Details of future meetings follow. (Watch out for your "Zoom" invite via email, from President Robyn, which she will send out on Wednesday evenings. We look forward to having all members join in!
THURSDAY MAY 14th:
"Zoom Meeting - 7.30 pm. See your invitation to this meeting and the link to Zoom, in the next story.
FRIDAY JUNE 26th CHANGEOVER:
This event is one of the most important dates in the Rotary Calendar. Please diary now and we will hope that crowd restrictions will be lifted allowing this event to be celebrated. Please note that the regular Thursday meeting on June 25th will be cancelled.
Your personal Invitation to Thursday's Evening Zoom Meeting:
Our Club is delighted to host the 2020 RYPEN Leadership Team as guest speakers for our meeting this week which, please note, will be an EVENING meeting.
The 2020 RYPEN team saw the cancellation of their March camp as a challenge and very quickly decided they could still provide students with the opportunity to develop leadership skills online.
So, during lockdown the RYPEN Leadership Team used their skills and expertise to produce a set of weekly 10-15 min videos and worksheet journals for the students who were selected to go to the cancelled RYPEN Camp. Students were encouraged to use the worksheet journals and then ask questions via Google Docs.
Past RYLArians from Australia, Auckland and Christchurch were invited to contribute to these inspirational videos. Word got out, and the D9920 RYPEN Online Programme has inspired D9685 RYPEN to prepare a hybrid version, in consultation with our RYPEN team!
Meet our RYPEN online leadership team: Grace Cussell, Henry Thomas-Kircher, Gabriel & Claire De Guzman who will share with you their motivation and thinking which brought this innovative online programme together, all during lockdown. They will also be happy to answer any questions.
A summary of the debate was covered off in last weeks Bulletin, however, since then we received the following e-mail from DG Gary. This debate must have been very close to a first - "A Rotary Debate on Zoom". Thanks to all, who helped to make this another successful event under Lockdown! The picture below is of some of the 50 who linked-in to make history!
Last week we reported on the support that your Rotary Club is providing the GI Foodbank while under Lockdown. One of the four areas of support was the $1,000 donated by the club to be spent on much needed items at New World, Lunn Avenue. New World made this even better by selling the selected goods at cost. Since then Graham Fabian has advised the club that he, (New World), is matching our donation with an additional $1,000 to the Foodbank. A huge thank you to Graham & New World - you are our Champions!
During Lockdown, Glen Taylor School were donated a new kitchen and all that was needed was the installation. So who do you call? No not GHOSTBUSTERS, but the Kitchen Boys - Aubrey and Miles, and after a few days of hard labour, this is what you end up with.
A big thank you to both gents for their professionalism and time, for the installation of what will be great asset to the school's hall facilities.
Congratulations to all our members who floundered into Zoom and learned as you went along!
It could be said that this information is a little late in coming, but as they say, better late than never!
If you are still confused about some of the things you can control as a Zoom participant, below is an easy guide you might like to refer to. Pages 5-6 are available if you click Read More.
An Invitation from President Colin - Newmarket Rotary:
If we are lucky, on the morning of the 13th of May we will leave level 3 and migrate to level 2 with consequential opportunities to move out of our bubbles.
Our guest speaker for our e-meeting on 12 May 2020 will be Professor Des Gorman from the University of Auckland who will talk to us about Covid-19 and NZ's preparedness for the pandemic. Professor Gorman has been in the media on the subject so it will be interesting to hear from him.
Past President Ainie Kwok continues to do good no matter where she is. Here is an opportunity to help her and her family raise funds for Cancer, by competing in the Wellington Cancer Relay for Life. Please click on the link to find-out more.
Our Club has reached our to the local primary schools in our neighbourhood to ask how we can assist them during this difficult time.
We are delighted to advise that we have donated $500 to Glen Taylor School to give immediate assistance with their food parcel supply. School Principal Chris advises that throughout lockdown they have delivered food parcels to school families who would normally utilise the school Breakfast and Lunch clubs.
Chris has also advised he could do with assistance to deliver resource packs to junior students. When these are ready for delivery, the Youth Committee will do a 'shout out' for volunteers to assist with this.
A change in staff before lockdown has also left the school needing assistance with some maintenance and ground work. Miles will meet with Chris soon and will Champion the coordination of these jobs. Once he has a firm idea of what is required, he will also 'shout out' for club volunteers to assist him.
We are yet to hear from our other schools, but will keep Members informed of ways we can assist our local Youth, in and around Level 3 restrictions.
A married couple in their early 60's were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in a quiet, romantic little restaurant.
Suddenly, a tiny yet beautiful fairy, appeared on their table. She said, 'For being such an exemplary married couple and for being loving to each other for all this time, I will grant you each a wish.'
The wife answered, 'Oh, I want to travel around the world with my darling husband.'
The fairy waved her magic wand and - poof! - two tickets for the Queen Mary II appeared in her hands.
The husband thought for a moment: 'Well, this is all very romantic, but an opportunity like this will never come again. I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me.'
The wife, and the fairy, were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish.
So the fairy waved her magic wand and poof!...The husband became 92 years old.
The moral of this story:
Men who are ungrateful bastards should remember fairies are female.....
Congratulations to all our members who floundered into Zoom and learned as you went along! 
...and failing to succeed with this challenge, this is the potential outcome!!!
Past President Ainie Kwok continues to do good no matter where she is. Here is an opportunity to help her and her family raise funds for Cancer, by competing in the Wellington Cancer Relay for Life. Please click on the link to find-out more.
Our Club has reached our to the local primary schools in our neighbourhood to ask how we can assist them during this difficult time.
