It was fascinating last night to hear Bidi’s story as our newest member — our very own SPY! Welcome, Bidi. We hope you thoroughly enjoy being part of Alexandra Rotary. Now the question is: who will bring along our next prospective member?

 

Thank you, Barry, for reminding us of the history of Rotary. As outlined in the Constitution:

Section 4 — Recognizing Rotary’s Beginning:

 

 

At last night’s Board meeting, we discussed the club exchange we had prior to 2017 with the Australian Alexandra Rotary Club. This exchange aligned strongly with these ideals, and we wondered whether members might be interested in reintroducing it (subject, of course, to interest from the Australian club).

 

Historically, the cost ranged from approximately $800 to $2,000, covering airfares. Hosting worked on a reciprocal basis, with the visiting couple being looked after by the host club for two to three days. At our next meeting, I’ll ask for your thoughts, and I’m very happy to receive ideas by email in the meantime.

The Board is currently seeking nominations. Our bylaws state:

 

 

If you are interested in being part of this committee and contributing to recommendations on both the President-Elect and Paul Harris Fellowships, please contact me by 3 March.

 

Cromwell Rotary has invited us to join them for a vocational visit to Carrick Winery on Sunday, 23 March at 5.30pm (Otago Anniversary Day).

Finally, sincere thanks to Rosalie and Andrew for their amazing generosity and organisation of the Community Christmas Lunch. Rosalie has written a report, which will be circulated.

 

Let’s hope for some consistent hot weather now!

 

 

 

 

This is just a brief outline of Bidi’s talk (Ed.)

 

Bidi tells us that she was brought up in Cambridge (yes North Island) and the family lived on a farm. She first attended university aged 16, but found it not to be what she wanted, claiming at 16 that she was too young to attend university anyway.

 

Bidi then ventured to Auckland and got involved in the wine industry. Next her and her husband to be decided to go on their OE, this was the early 90’s. They travelled around the UK and then settled in Scotland for a number of years.

 

Then back in New Zealand, they opened a restaurant. Deciding to give university another go. Bidi completed a Masters degree. She then joined the Defence force, discovered a few ‘glass ceilings’ on the way, but enjoyed her time all the same. Bidi then was appointed as a defence force Liaison Officer for New Zealand in Canberra Australia.

 

The next step was a motor home and travels around Australia. Bidi particularly liked the Australian outback. Then back again to New Zealand after the Liaison position in Australia ended and became involved in the 5 eyes area (of which NZ is a member along with Australia, the US, UK, and Canada). There was a lot of travel with this job.

 

Then Bidi went to London and was involved with NATO, and while in the UK had a good look around Europe. Bidi and family came back to New Zealand pre-Covid 19 and then eventually decided to come and live in Central Otago.

 

Bidi has a role as a Strategic Planner for the Central Otago District Council and Bidi particularly likes Alexandra as it reminds her of Cambridge of old.

 

 

After two years at Dunedin Teachers College, 1961, I faced the 7-man three-piece suited panel to find out where I would teach for my PA (Probationary Assistant) year. They said “we are sending you to Strath Taieri District High School”. After finding out it was Middlemarch, the whole panel stood up and shook my hand. I found out later it was always hard to find board for a teacher in Middlemarch.

 

The next school was Green Island in Dunedin. A practical maths lesson was developed when I was donated a sack of oysters. The pupils went to the teachers and got their order, worked out the cost and delivered the product. We used the cash for a class party.

 

I married Nola and we both taught at Melville Park school in Mosgiel. This was a new school, built in the area where Joe Brown had his parade of homes.

 

Into the country again as Principal of Edievale School, a sole charge with 17 children in West Otago. The local community had provided carpet on the floor (first school in Otago), and it was very well equipped.

 

On to a 2-teacher school at Mandeville (near Gore) with 45 children where we both taught. As part of a project we booked on the Kingston Flyer that went from Lumsden to Kingston. We had to buy 100 tickets, as parents and friends had always wanted to experience the trip but had never got around to booking. No problem with pupil supervision.

 

On a cold winter day, we saw an ad in the ODT for teachers wanted for a tropical duty-free island. We applied and found it was the Republic of Nauru. The smallest, richest Republic in the world (due to phosphate). The island is near the equator, 3 hours from Fiji, with 11 miles of roading round the island and a population of 5000 with 10 schools.

 

Nola was to be the principal of a junior school, but the old principal had decided to stay on, so they asked her to start a teacher’s college with 10 trainees. I was teaching at an intermediate school. We had some great experiences during this 2-year stint.

 

Back to NZ and to Kaipaki school, a 2-teacher school near the Mystery Creek field days site. Then back to Dunedin, where I was deputy principal at Portobello, Anderson Bay school and Dunedin intermediate school. Then on to Mosgiel as principal of Mosgiel West School. I was on the Otago Primary Principals Executive and moving back to Dunedin North Intermediate as Principal joined the NZ Principals Federation (NZPF) serving for 11 years.

 

From Dunedin to Konini School in West Auckland and on to the Auckland Principals Association. Nola was the Principal of Manurewa South School, on NZPF (2 years as President) representing them on The World International Confederation of Principals Board (2 years as President) and awarded a MNZM for services to education.

 

Then retirement to Alexandra 14 years ago and thanks to education, we both have friends and colleagues from all around the world.

 

 

Gunther is a visiting professor from Germany and his talk was entitled ‘Global warming, it’s worse than we thought, but we know the solutions’.

 

Gunther inter alia, is a Professor at the Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, specialising in Solar radiation and remote sensing.

 

Gunther talked mostly about world/global events relating to climate change and the fact that we have already reached that deadline temperature goal of +1.5 degrees Celsius.

 

Gunther showed us a number of power point slides indicating by just how much atmospheric CO2 and temperature have risen in tandem.

 

The rather frightening conclusion is that yes, we are going to obviously go past the current +1.5 degrees Celsius and what we thought might happen, that we would perhaps go higher than this by 2050, is more likely to occur around 2030.

 

Gunther (and others) predict that the world temperature could increase by up to +3.5 degrees Celsius by 2050 or even higher if the developed countries like China and the USA e.g. don’t rapidly do something to reduce the amount of atmospheric CO2, they are mostly responsible for producing.

 

The oceans are heating up and because of this they absorb less CO2 than colder water. So, this ocean ‘safety net’ is diminishing as time goes by. Glaciers too are melting all over the world and so there is less heat being deflected back out into space and more being absorbed by the darker terrain.

 

This was a rather dire warning about global climate change and how it might affect every one of us in pretty well all countries.

 

A most interesting talk from Gunther.

 

 

 

 

Phone     0274341284

Email        hughmcintyre20@gmail.com