May is Youth Service Month. Rotary is heavily invested in supporting, fostering, and encouraging rangatahi to thrive. In turn, young people give back to Rotary and the community.
Raffle won by Anne-Marie
Gary Lawrence
Opening thought:
Welcome back from a 3 week break. Let's all reflect on Rotary: thought and action.
Parting thought:
"Everyone is entitled to be stupid
But some abuse the privilege."
- attributed to Leon Trotsky
Dinner menu:
Beef and vege lasagne, potatoes, veges and salad
Chocolate berry brownie and whipped cream
Notices
President Ross
Henry played the Last Post on his accordion while attendees stood to show respect to the fallen.
Ross popped into the site for the mini golf course and the kiosk has been pegged out. Well done team, especially Mal and Anthony: it's happening! A flyer has been emailed out to Members. If you or someone you know may be interested in sponsorship, please contact Mal Bird 027 288 6691 or Jason Buckley 021 226 6609.
Rotary Roadie
17 - 19 October at the Martinborough Top 10. It is a great location with plenty of cabins for the non- motor home folks, and good facilities for communal cooking. Activities will be organised. An email has gone out; please contact Ross to register.
Richard Moulton
Foodbank Collection Day
Thanks from Richard and Dave Edwards to everyone who volunteered so quickly to fill the food bank collection slots, and to fill some spaces when people had to change. Paul Adams did a swap at Club Vista on Friday night: thanks, Bruce! Let's hope the weather is back to being kind for our collection day.
Doug
Wood for Good (aka Doug's passion)
Doug has been concerned about Members having to use their own chainsaws for the project and other Rotary work, so he applied to Pub Charities (with the Board's blessing) and secured a flash new Stihl chainsaw which is available to any Rotarian for our project work. Well done, Doug.
The next WFG working bee is on Saturday 10 May at 73 Ratanui Road. There should be 3 splitters in action, so Doug will need lots of helpers. He has emailed out seeking workers.
The next Ronald McDonald House dinner is pencilled in for 24 June.
Matt
The apparel cupboard has been re-stocked. Jackets and polo shirts are available for purchase, just contact Matt.
Sue Scutter
Sue is on the Mary Potter Hospice organising committee for the annual street appeal and Strawberry Festival. She is looking for a couple of collectors for the street appeal on Thursday 15 May. Please contact Sue if you can help out for an hour or 2.
Ian
Lotto Lotto winners list:
Mark
Vic
Roger
Vance
Chris D
a mystery winner Mac Bino??
$400 proceeds to End Polio
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The Last Post
The new Rotary Club chainsaw
Doug in rather formal attire
Matt is our Wardrobe Master
Richard Moulton
Ian distributes the winnings
5 minute speaker - Tony Hunt
Tony talked about his 47 year career in technology, including AWA, the TAB and Police. Tony got in on the ground floor, training in electronics and radio in the olden days. Not quite as old as the 1907 Edison gramophone he is restoring. How things have progressed: from slide rules to scientific calculators, to PCs and learning coding, cellphones which started as a small suitcase, then a brick, a flip-phone, and now smart phones. The internet, the Cloud and AI have all changed our world completely.
Guest Speaker: Amanda Wing
The Co-operative Bank - Spotting Scams
Richard May introduced Amanda who has worked for the Co-operative Bank for the past 3 years.
Amanda took us through the many different types of scam in circulation, and tips to avoid getting into strife. Too many New Zealanders are falling victim to scams and losing money.
Types of scams include:
Smishing (phone fishing) - messages from agencies that look legitimate but are not eg toll-road charges, courier deliveries, NZTA vehicle rego renewal, immediate bill payments
Phone/text scams eg friends or family needing money or gift cards, Customs, Police or bank officials
Fake deposit websites seeking investment - may seek confidential personal information and/or ID
Fake news/endorsements by well known people - do not click on links
Facebook Marketplace/adverts - may look legitimate, but get off FB and look on the real website for the deal
Romance scams
Lottery/inheritance scams
Fake invoice/overdue notice scams
Sextortion/blackmail
If it seems dodgy, or too good to be true, be alert! Don't give out personal information, bank details, PINs, credit card details or passwords. When in doubt, go to your web browser and search for the real website. Look at suspect emails on your laptop rather than phone to see more information.
Ring or go in to see your bank - they don't mind and would rather you asked beforehand than try to sort out a problem afterwards.
Preserve the evidence and report to the Police or Netsafe if you think you may have been scammed.
Sue Scutter was happy as Larry
Richard May introduced Amanda with great enthusiasm
President Ross, Amanda and Richard
Before there was Spotify....
Amanda was keen to keep us safe from scammers
Some WOW inspiration for 8 May's partners' evening. Wellington "The Skin I am In" by Katherine Bertram. 2024 WOW show
A request for support from one of our Members, Derek Hughes
Hi all Rotarians
I would be grateful if you could spare a few minutes to read this & hopefully offer some form of help.
As many of you are aware, my wife, Elaine, suffered a stroke on 14 February 2024, whilst recovering in hospital from an operation.
She has made a tremendous recovery since then, has walked 6kms with me & is gradually helping with some light chores around the house.
Elaine was discharged from Community Health at Christmas, as she was deemed to have reached the goals set, of reading, writing & communication. However, she cannot read any of our grandchildren’s first books, cannot write legibly or text/use phone or talk coherently. In addition, unrelated, she has broken her left patella (kneecap) twice in 4 months. As many of you are aware, she is a determined Yorkshire lass & will succeed eventually.
As a proud Yorkshireman & of course a proud Kiwi, I’m rather a reserved person & don’t like asking for help. However, I am not coping very well, we have no “support” whatsoever, except Cath Simpson (bless her soul!) who pops in once a week for an hour to talk with Elaine. Both of our daughters are full-time working mums, one living out of Wellington, and just can’t provide the sort of support we need.
I hate asking, but could do with some “respite” now and again for an hour or so, someone to come & sit with Elaine & read a book to her & let her read a book to you. She can play Rummicub incredibly well – doesn’t beat me of course!
So I’m asking, if any of you or your partner could please spare 30/60 mins now and again, to sit with Elaine at our place in Waikanae, whilst I go for a walk around the block to recharge the batteries, or take her for a coffee, I would be eternally grateful.
Thanks for reading this & hopefully someone can offer a little help, which would be greatly appreciated. Please call or email me: hughesderek51@gmail.com 021 287 7899
Many thanks
Derek
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL WEBINARS
Wednesday 14 May at 9:00 AM Chicago time (UTC-5)
May is Youth Service Month. Celebrate with a special webinar featuring members of the Rotary Youth Advisory Council! They will share key insights from their districts and communities on:
The qualities of Rotarian youth champions and how they amplify youth voices.
How young people receive support and funding within Rotary.
How Rotary events can foster meaningful intergenerational collaboration.
Can’t attend live? Register to receive the recording! https://rotary-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_86xOMO10TGKnHLgtAvL5kg#/registration
Tuesday 20 May 2025
We are thrilled to announce an upcoming webinar that promises to be an invaluable learning experience for Rotarians across our region. This event will feature John Given OAM and Trina Phillips, Joint Chairs of the Rotary NSW Police Officer of the Year Awards (POOTYA) and the masterminds behind the remarkable and highly successful joint initiative by the Rotary Club of Sydney on behalf all Rotary Districts in NSW and the NSW Police Force, to recognise professional excellence and dedication to service by officers and civilian staff.
