BULLETIN 26th May 2023
 
President Gordon's comments 
 
Charity Dinner
 
Saturday night saw a hive of activity at The Packing Shed on Earnscleugh Road. It was a packed house with 125 in attendance. With thanks to auctioneer Alan McCrostie 15 packages or items were sold along with about 50 silent auction items. Our guest speaker Matt Chisholm certainly kept our interest - his choice of words was a bit rough at times but he took us through his life journey. He’s been in some dark places with depression which he tried to hide with drink and drugs.
 
It was an enlightening presentation with a good message for us all to look out and help or get help for people with anxiety problems which can lead to depression and low self-esteem to suicide. Well done John and to all those who contributed to make this evening successful. We look forward to the financial result (see below).
 
Director’s meeting
 
A brief summary of the Director’s meeting on Tuesday night after a full-on meeting and a visit next door to the brewery of Grant Radka. 5 applications for funds were considered of which two were supported. The Mt Aspiring Education Trust $2000 towards the replacement of the generator and Millers Flat School $1000 towards Year 7 and 8 children going to Wellington which was only a portion of what the initial application was for.
 
Sticks and Stones request for funding to go to a convention in the USA has been tabled until a full application has been submitted. An application from Alexandra Senior Citizens for kitchen equipment was also tabled for more consideration and research. Alexandra Flames Ice Hockey Club submitted a request for funds for a team to travel to Melbourne which was declined. 
 
Travel
 
As I mentioned in the last bulletin Hilarie and I have been on a road trip north where we spent a week in Turangi.I trust this story will be of interest to you. We took the inland route as far as Amberley then continued up the Kaikpura Coast. The countryside is all looking great with what would appear to be sufficient feed about as the farming fraternity head into winter. The calm ferry crossing was as planned and running to schedule as was the case on our return 12 days later. Our arrival in Wellington was evening in rain and rush hour traffic which made our trip through the Hutt Valley interesting - a far cry from negotiating our way home in Alexandra! We stayed 2 nights in Greytown which meant we could travel to areas in the Wairarapa where we hadn’t ventured before including a walk out to Castle Point lighthouse. It appears as we all know that small provincial towns are struggling - either shops closed or limited hours 10am to 4pm. Overcast and some very wet days seemed to be the norm which curtailed our activities. Eventually on the day we left Turangi - 7 days later the rain acted and we were fortunate to have blue skies and views of the volcanos covered to their bases with snow. Very picturesque!
 
The trip we did on the Forgotten World Adventure in Taumaranui was a highlight. We were transported in a van to Tokarima deep in the King Country and we returned in a golf cart - 45 carts have been adapted to run on railway tracks. This is a section of the now unused railway line which used to run from Stratford to Taumaranui. It was an interesting journey through many tunnels and little country settlements which all had an interesting history to be heard from the tour guide. Whanganui and Palmerston North were our next stops then an easy drive mid-morning down the recently opened transmission gully highway into Wellington. What a game changer that must be for Wellington commuters.
The final leg we travelled through the Wairau Valley via St Arnauds, Nelson Lakes, Murchison, Lewis Pass, Hanmer Springs and home via Palmerston and Middlemarch (to collect my dog) and home. 3500km later. Now to settle in for the winter and complete my Rotary Presidential year.
Hugh McIntyre
Admin Director
 
Charity Dinner
 
A report on this year’s Charity Dinner from my perspective as MC. The event this year was held at The Packing Shed in Earnscleugh.
 
The preliminary stuff all fell into place thanks to John’s organising and delegation skills. To sell out weeks before the event was well done and if the aim each year is to sell around 120 seats, it may be if it continues to be an event looked forward to, it will hopefully create its own demand.
 
The venue is good for a 120, I wouldn’t like to put any more in there. It was less cramped than at our early events in the Community Centre when we had 130 to 140. The layout is pretty good with the room next door for the silent auction and the bar was well out of the way. It was a lot more “comfortable” at the start. I was a bit surprised to see how quickly people drifted to their tables and in the end, they were ready to “start” before I was.
 
It was a bit cramped at the lectern and this was a little more obvious at auction time, but it wasn’t crucial. We had a hiccup at auction time because we didn’t fire up the projector to display the goodies although I am not sure that the proposed location of the screen would have been ideal. May have to think about that for next year. We also didn’t put out our spotters which made it a bit hard to track the successful bidders and we in fact “lost” the bid on the big painting on the first time it was put up. Not hard to fix that.
 
I thought the meal was great, the lamb was as good as I have tasted in a while, and I thought our waiters/waitresses did very well. The dessert was up there as well so the standard was high. Probably one or two may have gone home a bit peckish. We didn’t have the nibbles beforehand as in the past although I don’t know if they were missed as everyone seemed to get to their tables reasonably quickly.
 
I think the only real weakness for the night was the acoustics. The building itself, with no ceiling, probably didn’t lend itself to the occasion and even with the sound system we had, I had trouble getting everyone’s attention on the occasions I needed. Our speaker Matt Chisolm didn’t seem to have the same issues. I suspect he has had somewhat more experience than me, and they did actually come to listen to him, whereas I was tending to interrupt their fun. A proper sound system will likely solve that issue quickly.
 
The speaker’s time was much longer than the norm, evidenced by a significant number of mainly men needing to take a walk before he finished, but that is largely their issue. All we can do is suggest a time of around 45 minutes being appropriate for the nature and timing of the even. The content of his presentation I found pretty interesting even though I had read his book. There were a few who maybe felt it was a bit raw, but I think they would be a minority. A lot of people came up after to complement him. The topic was different than what we have had in the past, but like Peter Williams he had a message and was not just there to entertain.
 
All in all, it was a very good night and a credit to John and his team of helpers. We are never going to please everyone but I think we went close.
 
Hugh
 
John Whitaker (PE)
 
The Tim and Marilyn Fleming Education Trust will be the primary recipient of the money raised at the Charity Auction(about $15,000 this year). This Trust is for the education of health professionals employed by the Central Otago Health Services. 
 
In particular they want to provide ongoing professional training to the hard-working nurses of Dunstan Hospital because they miss out on those opportunities due to location and cost.  For example, their first recipient nurse underwent new wound treatment training that she shared with the rest of the staff.
 
The actions of the Trust will benefit all of the local community through enhanced care at Dunstan Hospital.
 
 
 John 
Charity dinner food to be delivered to those in attendance.
 
Sorry no picture of those in attendance.
Alexandra Rotary 'helpers' ready to deliver more food. The food according to Hugh (above) was really nice and the venue too, different to past years, was also really nice. 
Bulletin Editor
Gil Elliott
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Fountain of Peace Childrens Foundation NZ working in Uganda
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Club Information
Alexandra
Making a world of difference
Tuesdays at 5:45 PM
Alexandra Bridge Club
52 Boundary Road
Alexandra,  9320
New Zealand
Currently meeting on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month
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If you are unable to do a duty that you have been listed for below, then please find a replacement for yourself. If you are Sergeant, you can contact the editor for a replacement name and then contact that club member. 
Meeting Responsibilities
Pre Meeting Tasks 13th June 2023
 
Cashier
Hunter, Greg
 
Attendance
French, Charles
 
During Meeting Tasks 13th June 2023
 
Set up/bar/kitchen duties/tidy up after
Jenkins, Rhys
 
Set up/bar/kitchen duties/tidy up after
Jopp, Jillian
 
Set up/bar/kitchen duties/tidy up after
Lepper, Bernie
 
Introduce and Thank Speaker
Martin, Carolyn
 
3 Minute Talk
Philip, Owen
 
Sergeant
Lothian, Ren
 
Meet & Greet and Last Word
Quinn, Graham
 
Pre Meeting Tasks 27th June 2023
 
Cashier
French, Charles
 
Attendance
Jenkins, Rhys
 
During Meeting Tasks 27th June 2023
 
Set up/bar/kitchen duties/tidy up ...
Jopp, Jillian
 
Set up/bar/kitchen duties/tidy up ...
Lepper, Bernie
 
Set up/bar/kitchen duties/tidy up ...
Martin, Carolyn
 
Introduce and Thank Speaker
Philip, Owen
 
3 Minute Talk
Quinn, Graham
 
Sergeant
McIntyre, Hugh
 
Meet & Greet and Last Word
Robertson, Steve
 
John Whitaker (PE)
 
Changeover Dinner reminder
 
The Changeover Dinner is on again of course as the months are rolling on. This year it is at the Post Office in Clyde on Saturday 24 June, starting at 6pm.
 
I want it to be a social evening rather than a formal one so it will be a Kiwiana Night.
 
What that means is that you have to dress up in one form or another in something identifiably classic Kiwi. So, dust off your set of Jacinda's teeth, your David Bain cardigan, your red band gumboots, your old footy shorts.  Whatever it is that you have in the back of your wardrobe that you couldn't throw out that marks you as a Kiwi.
 
The food will be Kiwi Kulture.  (Come as a Pav if you want).
 
And we will be having a Kiwi Kwizz with the winner taking away a Whittakers Peanut Slab. Wow!
 
So, lock the date in please, numbers are limited.
 
John
 
 
Hugh - Admin Director
 
I have made a booking at the Ferris Road Brewery for one of our popular ‘Pint and Pinot’ nights for Tuesday 4th July (American Independence Day)
 
Put it in your diary now, More info later.
 
Hugh
 
 
Steve Robertson
 
Firewood splitting
 
Keep Thursday the 8th of June 2023 free for our fire wood splitting morning starting at 9am. Community garden, Dunstan Road (next to the Fulton Hogan yard).
 
Steve
Rotary International Logo for 2022/2023 year.
The next Bulletin will be produced on Friday the 30th of June. Please send articles and any photographs to the Editor (gil.elliott42@gmail.com) by Thursday the 29th of June at the latest, thank you.