Tawa Rotary Club was well represented. Highlights:
- the recognition of Phil Harland's 50 years in Rotary.
- No 3 Club in the District for Rotary Foundation donations
Conference Report (adapted from the report in Wellington North Bulletin) follows......
DISTRICT 9940 CONFERENCE
The Conference began with a welcome event, outdoors at Greytown’s Cobblestones Museum. Attendees were issued with play money to purchase food and drink. After brief speeches, entertainment was provided by the Kuranui College Kapa Haka Group and the Masterton South Rotary Club Choir. Kapa Haka group, introduced by John Mohi
Catering for breaks and the Saturday night dinner was provided by Clareville Bakery and the drinks were served by the Carterton Fire Brigade.
SATURDAY SESSIONS The morning began with a discussion group, selected from a number of clubs, on topics ranging from membership growth to special projects.
- Dr Paul Wood by Zoom on “what’s your Prison”. As a teenager, he had taken a wrong turn and convicted for drugs and murder. He managed to turn his life around and commenced a BA in Psychology, which led to an MA and eventually a PhD, followed be a successful career after his release.
- Carterton Mayor, Greg Lang, spoke enthusiastically and at length on Turning Challenges into Opportunities. A wheelwright by trade with a history of living in a house bus. Greg settled near Gladstone and was persuaded to stand for the District Council, subsequently becoming Mayor. He has great plans for his district, some of which might be over ambitious, such as turning rear shop access drives in to laneways,
- Melbourne style. Zooming in from Australia, Rotarian Mark Huddlestone with charts showing membership 4 trends spoke about Creatures of Habit and the changes needed for Rotary to reposition itself. Mark’s message was reinforced by Zoomed in comments from RI President, Holger Knaack.
- Final speaker, this time live, was chef Martin Bosley, who was wheelchair bound following an accident. He spoke of his involvement with catering training at Remutaka Prison and how it became a participant in Wellington on a Plate. It has become so popular that there is now a public ballot for places at the dinner.
- SWING FLING DINNER Participants were invited to come dressed in the fashion of the decade their club was chartered We were in 70's costumes.
SUNDAY SESSIONS
- Rotarian Michelle Tanner who promoted the Oceania project to Give Every Child a Future. It principally involves vaccinating children of the vulnerable Pacific Islands against a variety of potential diseases, against which New Zealand and Australian children are protected from.
- Rotarian Deepak Kapur on How India beat Polio with mass vaccinations in which Rotarians, including teams from New Zealand, played a significant park. The sounds of Delhi traffic behind Deepak’s Zoomed presentation added authenticity.
- Professor Michael Baker on Our year of beating Covid19. He gave a clear explanation of the spread of the virus and the steps taken to control it in New Zealand. The lessons learned will be valuable for the next, inevitable, virus which strikes us.
- Russ Ballard on the Rotary Peace, Remembrance and Community Forests Trust
- Bill Day on the Rotary Commitment to the Wellington Regional Children’s Hospital.
- Two students from Porirua College spoke on the benefits they gained from attending a RYPEN course and an International Youth Exchange student described her successful Covid bound year in Japan. 5
- The Conference concluded with the introduction of DGE Mark Wheeler and DGN Marilyn Stevens. There was also promotion for the 2022 District Conference is scheduled to be held at Te Papa. Various trophies were awarded and the Conference was wound up by acknowledgements from DG Gillian.
