October is Economic and Community Development Month
President Paul Adams
Secretary
Shirley Stratton
Treasurer
Graham Evans
Hosted by President Paul
Guests:
Ian Wards (speaker)
Al
Sue will be collecting content for social media - get your best stories ready
The evergreen Doug, talking about firewood.
Looking very spruce.
Ian, shelling out the readies
Steph won the raffle, did a victory lap, and was fined for displaying her blue puffin socks
Guy finally collected his winnings
Roger
Opening thought:
A meal without wine is called breakfast.
(what about champagne breakfasts, eh? - Ed)
Parting thought:
There are 3 key things for happiness:
a large rare steak
a bottle of whisky
a dog to eat the steak
Raffle winner
Steph
Dinner
Hearty vege soup, followed by smoked chicken pasta bake, veges, salads and garlic and herb bread
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Notices
Richard May
Christmas puddings are up for sale again. $25 each with $7 going to Club funds. Buy a couple and maybe one for the Foodbank! For orders please contact Richard May: 021 0241 0441 richardkmay1945@outlook.com
Sue Taylor
Sue has volunteered to help Josie with comms, and will be interviewing Members over a coffee or wine to get some good content. Keep it PG, you lot.
Ian
$400 has been raised for End Polio. This week's Lucky Lotto winners:
Sue T
Linda
Eddie
As the mini golf development is cracking along, soon we will have a wonderful community facility. It will need to be staffed, so there will be monthly rosters coming out. We need to cover our half, with the Lions doing their half. It will be light duties compared to hauling sand. This should make good money for the Club to fund our projects.
Al
The mini golf work is going very well. The exterior cladding and most of the lining on the kiosk has been completed. The turf is on a slow boat from the USA - no tariffs known to us - but should be here next week. The permanent fence is going up. Digger Dave has finished his work and gave us a generous discount. Thanks to all the now qualified sand shifters for saving us a lot of time and money. They have collectively (with Al's machines) shifted an astounding 87 tonnes!!!
Doug
Wood for Good working bee at El Rancho on Sat 11th October, 1.00pm until 4.00pm. Splitting and stacking. If you are on ClubRunner, please sign up via the app if possible. Or let Doug know: 0274 545754
Dugald
On 30 October a lot of the Club will be playing or helping with the golf tournament. If you are not doing that, please talk to Chris T about helping with the District railway platform collection for End Polio
Derek
offered his sincere apology if his recent communications about raffle tickets were perceived by those unfamiliar with the Yorkshire dialect as threats. He intended them as vigorous encouragements. Please return money, stubs and any unsold tickets next week so Derek can redistribute them. Selling is progressing well, and he would like to wrap it up by the end of October if possible.
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Wine tasting evening 13 November - partners' night
Eddie
Anthony sporting his flash footwear
Sue struck it lucky. Ian tells us he only does Lucky Lotto for the hugs
5 minute Speaker - Anthony
Anthony talked about the relative challenges of designing, drawing and constructing buildings. He explained the months of preparation and large number of different consultants and trades involved in a building project, whether it is a huge warehouse conversion in Napier, or a 49m2 18 hole mini golf course and kiosk in a town near you. Prior planning evidently prevents very poor performance.
Anthony expressed his thanks to everyone who has made the planning come to life, especially Vic, Al and Mal.
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Graham introduced Ian
Ian's fondness for the real people behind the artifacts in the museum's collection shone through
President Paul, Graham and Ian
Guest speaker: Ian Wards, Senior Curator
Wellington Museum - telling our stories
Graham introduced Ian. He studied at Canterbury University and has worked in museums most of his working life. For the past 6 years has been Senior Curator of taonga for Wheako Pōneke/Experience Wellington's facilities, which include Nairn St Cottage, the Cablecar Museum and the Wellington Museum (formerly the Maritime Museum). Ian is a keen cyclist, and has cycled the length of Aotearoa in 21 days.
The former Bond Store was built in 1890, so working there has the dubious benefit of being freezing in winter and boiling in summer. Ian described his work as documenting artifacts and the human stories behind them, or collecting really fascinating stuff and making exhibitions. The museum staff facilitate locals telling the stories of our city and the people who lived here.
Text is kept to a minimum to avoid overwhelming visitors, and the layout and design of exhibitions takes a lot of careful thought and planning. All the different cultures of the city's history are represented. It is about having a bit of fun with history, and touching people's hearts.
Ian showed us many interesting objects and told us the stories of the people behind them. He knows a lot of excellent gossip, especially about the city's famous and sometimes infamous eateries. His stories stirred so many memories: the Woolshed (first date for Roger and Shirley) the Green Parrot (ditto for Murray and Steph), Il Casino, and Chinese-owned businesses The Favourite Milk Bar and Dick Lee & Co.
Watch this space for an exhibition called Capital Kai, mid next year.
Ian also told us about the other facilities, including the Nairn Street Cottage, a colonial cottage of outstanding heritage significance, with its fully restored pianola.
Ian spoke with great humour and affection about the heritage building, its eclectic contents and the human stories behind the artifacts. He often gets to meet and work with whānau who are donating their family treasures. Ian is keen to continue collecting Wellington's social history and culture. He welcomes donations of artifacts and stories from all around the district.
www.museumswellington.org.nz/wellington-museum
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Golf for Good
Vic sent round a message of gratitude this week. "What an amazing club we have! I asked for 4 volunteers to shift sand one evening and 10 people turned up. 2 hours work knocked off in 36 minutes."
Chris demonstrates proper barrow form
18 fencepost holes were also dug this week, and there was some puttying to be done over the weekend. You Fellows are really putt-ing in the hard yards. Sorry, I'll see myself out.
Kevin Boyce got to do a stint on Newstalk ZB before the rugby test last weekend, at the invitation of former colleague Jason Piney Pine. He was fined, of course. No good deed goes unpunished around here.
Richard May is selling Xmas puddings
Matheson J rides again
Matheson J was on duty as sergeant. There was no escaping his laser-like attention. He opened with a sentencing tale, probably apocryphal (how you call a Judge a liar without getting thrown in the cells). It started like this:
“Jose Manuel Miguel Xavier Gonzales, in a few short weeks, it will be spring. The snows of winter will flee away, the ice will vanish, and the annual miracle of the years will awaken and come to pass, but you won't be there.
The rivulet will run its course to the sea, the timid desert flowers will put forth their tender shoots, the glorious valleys of this imperial domain will blossom as the rose. Still, you won't be there to see..." etc
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A lovely message of appreciation was received from Ken Shilling for the recognition of his Honorary Membership and the support and visits from Members. He also enjoys the Bulletin, the best read in town.
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Kevin Boyce appreciated people enquiring after Dianne's health after her lengthy hospital stay. She is recovering well.
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We received a message of thanks from Dave Edwards' granddaughter, Mel Blackmore. The Club nominated her to attend a prestigious leadership forum:
I would like to sincerely thank you for supporting my nomination to attend the 2025 Aspiring Leaders Forum. It was an incredibly valuable and formative experience that I will carry forward in both my personal and professional leadership journey.
One of the greatest highlights was being among nearly 100 young adults, all passionate about servant leadership and committed to making a positive difference in their communities. The keynote sessions were deeply thought-provoking, prompting me to reflect on my own faith, values, and the kind of leader I aspire to be. I was especially reminded that leadership is not about status or influence, but about serving others with authenticity, integrity, and care.
A message that particularly stood out for me was that “service is not an action but rather a posture of the heart.” This captured so much of what the Forum was about, and it also reminded me of Rotary’s own guiding principle of Service Above Self. The Forum encouraged me to live out that posture of service in both small, everyday actions and in larger leadership opportunities...
The experience has left me inspired, equipped, and motivated to grow as a servant leader who leads with heart, purpose, and a steadfast commitment to serving others.
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This week:
9 October: Tony Fraei - A highland fling and more
11 October: Wood for Good, El Rancho
Coming up:
16 October: Gregory Fortuin - Former Race Relations Commissioner
17-19 October: Rotary Roadie
23 October: Charter Night
30 October: Golf Tournament
31 October: Sports Heroes Fundraising Gala
27 November: Rebecca Palmer - Malaghan Institute
4 December: Steve Marshall - Update on Myanmar
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Group trip to WOW
Brunch before the show
WOW was truly amazing. Thanks, Sue Scutter for organising the 13 of us.
