WOW – 2020 just keeps on giving! This week provided insight into how unpredictable life is, but also highlights how agile our club and its members have become. Within 24 hours of Level 3 being announced, we managed to transition our meetings back onto Zoom and enjoyed a great discussion with Simon O’Connor. Thanks to Robyn and Simon for making this happen.
The Golf Club will be closed until the 31st of August which means we will be on Zoom for at least the next two meetings. Hopefully our speakers are able to accommodate us.
This week we were unfortunately not able to complete our ERKs, but I am sure we will make this up some time in the future. We do have a couple of projects to look forward too, including the MS Street Appeal on the 18/19 September and a visit to Rotaroa Island on the 27-29 November.
Stay home, be safe, and reach out to members of your community who may require help.
The "Return to Zoom" went very well considering the short notice that we found ourselves back under, Covid19 Level 3, restrictions. A big thank you to IPP Robyn for ensuring that behind the scenes the switch to Zoom was set-up and members advised.
The meeting commenced at 7.30 am with 21 participants including our guest speaker Simon O'Conner, but it wasn't long before we had 28 Zoomers participating.
Prior to introducing Simon, President Hugh again congratulated the club members for the success of last weeks fund raising Quiz night. He made special mention of Donald's organising efforts while at the same time acknowledging that this was Donald's last meeting prior to he and Penny moving south to Taupo to begin a new phase of their life.
Best wishes with the move Donald and we look forward to seeing you as a guest whenever you are visiting the big smoke!
Simon was then given the floor, or should we say screen, and he commenced his talk by congratulating the club for all we do in the community.
He began his talk by sharing his thoughts around Covid19, the new lockdown, the political implications as well as the economic implications. After making his party's thoughts very clear and a little debating from the floor, President Hugh redirected the discussion to the two referendums which we will also vote on in October. Simon is opposed to both the Legalisation of Cannabis and the End of Life Referendums.
Unfortunately at this point in the meeting, the Editor lost the Zoom link and accordingly he is unable to report on the remainder of the meeting! Just in case this happens again during future Zoom meetings, be sure you link in and participate in the meeting to ensure you don't miss out on any of the speakers views or news.
Guest Speaker - Mary Panko, President of The End of Life Choice Society of New Zealand. Mary will be discussing and sharing information on the upcoming End of Life Choice Referendum. She will identify the key parts of the EOLC Act and answer questions.
The aim of the EOLC Society of NZL is to change the law in this country so that it becomes legal for competent adults, experiencing irremediable suffering from a terminal or incurable illness, to receive medical assistance to end their life peacefully, at a time of their choosing.
THURSDAY AUGUST 27th -7.30 am - "Zoom Meeting".
(Link will be provided in next weeks Bulletin.)
Guest Speaker - Chris Makoare, Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board Chair. Chris has lived in Glen Innes for 30 years where he is now a community leader. He is a solo dad who has four children, aged 17 to 25, all of whom attended Glendowie College where Chris worked for eight years as a Sports Coordinator. Chris has been manager of the Glen Innes Family Centre, a local social service provider, for the past two years. He's been active in a parent and youth network and was trained as a community facilitator for the Tamaki Transformation Programme.
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 3rd - Dinner Meeting, Remuera Golf Club 6.00 pm (Venue TBC).
Guest Speaker Holly Sutich,
Phoric is the brainchild of Bradley Hagan and Holly Sutich. The duo witnessed first-hand thousands of University students consuming countless, artificial energy drinks to keep up, but feeling guilty for it. So, they made it their mission to create a natural, clean alternative. The pair were the Overall Supreme Winner and Winner of the Social Enterprise category at the AUT X-Challenge, landing a $35,000 investment to develop their idea. Phoric will donate five cents from every bottle sold to mental health and their ambition is to increase that to twenty cents over four years.
Promoted as a natural energy drink for the new generation, Phoric is now widely available in many supermarkets and convenience stores.
Holly will talk about her journey since leaving school, going to university and starting Phoric.
Each year, Rotary Clubs and their leadership, are challenged to earn a "Rotary Citation", for achieving goals that strengthen Rotary and individual clubs.
Goals associated with the Citation can include, (for example); an increasing membership engagement, developing sustainable service projects, giving to The Rotary Foundation, and building awareness of Rotary in your community.
The goals are adjusted each year by the current Rotary International President, who provides a ‘target’ to reach, which can be monitored via regular input of goal progress using MyRotary.
To receive a Rotary Citation is a recognition of a Club’s achievements which can be used to show that Members are engaged within the local community and internationally.
Well - the big news this week is that our IPP Robyn Ingram and the St. Johns Rotary Club, have been awarded the Citation for the last Rotary Year of 2019 / 2020, as advised by IPDG Gary Langford, via the following email;
Congratulations to you and your club for achieving the Rotary Citation for the 2019-20 year. Well done on your leadership of the club in a challenging year for us all.
Best wishes
Gary Langford
Immediate Past District Governor 2019-20
Rotary District 9920
Congratulations Robyn and all club members for receiving this Citation!!!
The club website is the foundation of club information and communication. The emails you get telling you of great opportunities, the fantastic Bulletin you enjoy, and so much more all originate from the website. The website is also an information and promotion hub you should be letting others know about so that they can see what we do and maybe join in. The carousel pictures on the Homepage have just been replaced and are interesting and well worth a look - go to www.rotarystjohns.club
August is Membership month on the Rotary calendar, so please proactively encourage each other to discuss our Rotary activity with friends, family, colleagues etc.
Never miss a membership opportunity. Whenever you are in contact with non-Rotarians, be sure to spread the good word and invite them along to one of our meetings.
The St. Johns Rotary Trust provides administrative support for the "Kwok / Masters Trust" and your Board has requested that details of this trust be shared with club members.
The Kwok Masters Trust was set up in November 2016, jointly by two good friends, Dr Mandy Masters and Past President of the RCofSJ, Ainie Kwok. The aim of the Trust is to provide financial support for a child, or family in a lower decile school to attend college for senior education up until end of school year 13, and to provide opportunities to a child who would otherwise not have been fortunate enough to have had this opportunity due to financial constraints.
The Trust currently supports a very humble and intelligent young boy in Year 12 at Sacred Heart College, a girl in Year 12 at Baradene College, plus two families at St Pius School, yearly school retreats at St Pius School and a yearly academic award at Glen Taylor School.
The capital funding required to cover the cost of the above is equally provided by Mandy and Ainie, and the Trust is administered by the Rotary Club of St Johns Trust.
Hon Member Alex McKenzie was instrumental in assisting with the setting up of the initial Trust and Mandy & Ainie are very grateful to the Board of the Rotary Club of St Johns Trust for their continued administrative support over the last 4 years.
Mandy now resides in Whangarei and is an Emergency Department Doctor for rural hospitals in Northland. Ainie now lives in Wellington.
Well done President Hugh! 
Prior to introducing Simon, President Hugh again congratulated the club members for the success of last weeks fund raising Quiz night. He made special mention of Donald's organising efforts while at the same time acknowledging that this was Donald's last meeting prior to he and Penny moving south to Taupo to begin a new phase of their life.
Simon was then given the floor, or should we say screen, and he commenced his talk by congratulating the club for all we do in the community. 
THURSDAY AUGUST 20th 7.30 am - "ZOOM MEETING". 
THURSDAY AUGUST 27th -7.30 am - "Zoom Meeting".
Congratulations Robyn and all club members for receiving this Citation!!!
August is Membership month on the Rotary calendar, so please proactively encourage each other to discuss our Rotary activity with friends, family, colleagues etc. 
