The Daffodil Fairy has struck all over the motu. Thank you for the wonderful kindness you always show to people, Doug
Opening thought - Josie's table led us in the Rotary grace.
Parting Thought - "There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up." John Holmes
NOTICES
President Vic
Kindness is a movement. Kindness is a chain reaction. Pay it forward. Doug Hooper-Smith is a lovely man who made us all feel happy with the gift of daffodils on our doorsteps. They brightened people's days, including the partners of a couple of husbands who may not have presented their better halves with flowers lately... That is the great thing about the Club: the care we show for one another.
Doug
The Club is cooking and serving dinner at Ronald McDonald House on 10 October. 4 people are already signed up. Several members volunteered on the spot to help out.
On 14 October at 10am there will be a ceremony at Otaihanga Domain to unveil the plaque the Boyce family has bought to commemorate the tree planting for Marilyn's District Conference. Go vote, then come on down! Or vice versa.
Doug has procured 4 or 5 cord of firewood to be cut at Ratanui Road. The date will be advised in due course.
Guy
As the golf tournament is now an Ambrose format, the 2 trophies which require a very serious golfing competition will be contested another day. It is likely to be a Sunday afternoon at Waikanae Golf Club. There are 12 contestants so far. Please advise Guy if you wish to enter.
Rod
The Sue and Jack Leslie Trust has sufficient endowment funds to enable it to grant about $10k in scholarships each year. They are to support students studying for vocational rather than academic qualifications. Rod is making contact with the Colleges but needs more contacts. Steph and the Youth Committee can work with Rod. If any other members have ideas for which secondary and tertiary/trades training institutions in the district we can approach, or promising apprentices or students in trades and professional courses, please let Rod know.
Kevin S
The entry forms for the golf tournament (non serious) are on the tables. Please share the word to maximise entries. They are going well with prizes etc. Hole sponsors are still needed.
Martin
The trailer raffle sales are off to a great start - 150 books over the weekend. There is some healthy competition going on: 42 in a session is the record to beat. There was a gap in the roster which was immediately filled when Kevin B was voluntold to do so.
Dave Edwards
On 5 October the club is going on safari to the wilds of Hinemoa Street. We will have a mostly normal Club meeting meal cooked by the delightful Ingrid in her kitchen near the Foodbank. It will be great to see how the Foodbank turned out after all the Club's hard mahi. Please bring any donations of food or other goods you may wish to make to add to the shelves.
5 minute speaker: Eddie Winkel
Eddie gave us a run down on the local residential property market. He took us for a turn down memory lane, to the halcyon days of rampant inflation that quickly pushed house prices beyond the reach of many people, especially first home buyers. After a severe course correction, there appears to be some momentum coming back into the market. Now is the time to buy. Heck, it's always the time to buy a house from Eddie. See him: he'll sell you a house.
President Vic, Kate Day and Doug
Popular serial raffle winner, Eddie
Kate was, as promised, an inspiring orator
Speaker: Kate Day - biographer of Dr Edric Baker
Doug introduced Kate. Kate told a fascinating story, not just of the life and work of Dr Edric Baker, but of how she came to spend 7 years researching and writing his biography, Call Me Brother. Kate started by thanking the Club for its support for Edric's work over many years. Gary told us about how the Club had to smuggle funds into Bangladesh to support Edric's work. Edric was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow by the Club in recognition of his heroic work.
Kate first encountered Edric at her Nelson church on one of his regular fundraising trips home. He was electric with passion for the project: providing staggeringly low cost primary health care to the people of Kailakuri. Edric had experience in Vietnam providing health care to the local people, left without medical care when the staff had to work in the battlefield units. He was inspired by the life and missionary work of Albert Schweitzer, and chose to go to Bangladesh. Edric spent 30 years establishing a health service and training 90 local people to work with him. Edric created a cheap and simple way for local people to test their blood sugars (as diabetes is rampant).
Kate once jumped on a plane and rode a bus for 10 hours to interview Edric. After his death in 2015, she was asked to embark on his biography. She resisted but eventually caved in and began the work. Kate said the enduring legacy Edric left was to see the potential in ordinary people to do what was necessary, and to have grace for oneself.
The Sunshine Fund contributed $250 to the ongoing work of the clinic in Bangladesh, in Doug's name.
Buy the book or donate here:
https://www.kailakuri.com/
The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.
Albert Schweitzer
Kate with her book
Kailakuri is in West Bengal
Dr Edric Baker
This week:
21 September: Georgie Ferrari, CEO of the Sustainability Trust
Coming Up:
28 September: Election 2023 - Local Electorate candidates
5 October: Dinner at the Kāpiti Community Foodbank
