Already we are at the end of the first month of 2023 and into the second half of our Rotary year. Welcome to our first bulletin with updates on “what’s on” in the next couple of months.

 

The Community Christmas Lunch all seemed to happen without any hitches thanks to help and support from many volunteers from the Community.

There was a good turnout of volunteers to help with food preparation and to the Rotarians; Barry Bemrose, Steve and Cathy Robertson, Andrew Howley, a big thank you. We got everything set up, cooked up, cleaned up and put away in fine weather with happy and appreciative participants.

 

Big congratulations to Team Mike & Co and others who helped set up, sell and clean up books. $27,500 gross was an outstanding result, even with the fine weather conditions there were always people in browsing and buying books (further information below).

 

The weekend that was planned for 10th/11th February has been postponed in the meantime as there are no major projects to be undertaken. A small group may go another weekend - Hugh will have this under control.

 

I recently received an email from William (Bill) David from USA, He was a 1979/1980 Rotary Sponsored American exchange student to Dunstan High School. His plan is to visit Alexandra in March and wondered if he could attend a club gathering. I replied affirmatively, invited him to one of our March club nights and suggested if it suited, he could be our guest speaker. Watch this space - it could be interesting.

 

Finally, I would like to encourage and invite members to consider attending District 9999 conference in Oamaru 24/25 March. Having attended previous conferences, I can assure you they are very interesting with a range of VERY good speakers and minimum time in meeting and business sessions. It’s a great opportunity to meet other Rotarians of course from all of the South Island, exchange ideas and extend our thinking beyond our own club activities. Oamaru is not far to travel and it is the first conference since Covid. Registrations can be completed online, if not contact me for more information.

 

Here’s to an interesting time ahead. Keep a lookout and keep in touch with anyone who is suffering from illness or age-related ailments. Remember a phone call or visit can be very beneficial when people are housebound. Also please be mindful of potential new members.

 

 

 

On the 11 October 2022 we shifted the donated books from Ngapara St to our sorting shed at the back of Pioneer Energy.

Our sorting team of 6 regulars worked every Monday afternoon from 1pm to 3pm with the help of some casuals. Our collection team picked up books 3 mornings a week. We moved into Memorial Hall on Wednesday 28 December 2022 and spent the next few days getting ready for the 4-day sale from January 1-4 2023.

 

This year the weather was very hot but we raised $26 590, nearly $1000 up on last year. Our raffle raised $856 and we sold $5 jars of honey. Our top books we sold for $10. The best children’s books, cookery and gardening books also sold at $3 and $5. We sold about 75% of our collectable and magazines were at $1 each. We cleaned up on Thursday 5 January 2023 keeping half crates of some books and the rest were allocated to Stu’s recycled area.

 

 

 

We continue to have a four-day sale in 2004 with a half-price sale on the last day.       

 

 

We continue to use the same sorting room if available.        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As advised by Treasurer Graham there was a turnover of around $27,500, around $1,000 in excess of last year, the 2^nd highest on record exceeded two years ago @ $30,700 when it rained for around three days & also that was the last occasion that the late John Taylor donated cherries, something we made considerable money on.

 

Ex Rotarian Mike Vercoe donated a large quantity of thyme honey which we perhaps made around a couple of hundred dollars on.  The large quantity of surplus honey was passed onto President Gordon to be used as he and the club sees fit.

Thank you to Caroline for arranging the hamper raffle. Around 550 tickets sold for a profit of around $850. Winner was Louise van der Voort from CODC.

 

Generally, a large percentage of club membership were involved in some role, those not sighted we presume were out of town or indisposed.  A great team was involved at set up time and included many family members. Many thanks to everyone involved.

Special mention to those book sorters and book collectors who contributed so many hours pre-sale time.  Book sorters Barry and Kevin and wives Nola and Sue, Denis, Mark, Graham and others, and book collectors Don and Stu and others.

 

Saturday a week ago Barry and Nola hosted a high-class barbeque evening (item and picture above) which was also the opportunity to have a committee review of the book sale.

Scribe Barry made the following notes which I shall detail with additions.

General agreement that both the venue, the community hall and the date of sale commencing January 1^st works well. So, we recommend continuing with a four-day sale with a half-price sale on day four.

We discard the majority of school and other library books.

 

Hopefully the same sorting facility, Aurora’s shed is again available this year.

We look for more volunteer sellers and provide better guidelines on duties like restocking the tables from books in the Jordan Lounge and crates in the theatre foyer. The response to Kevin’s email for extra bodies at sale time was a little disappointing accentuated when a couple who didn’t turn up and didn’t arrange replacements.

 

We arrange to have better larger labels made and revise older labels displayed at the hall.

We repaint our blue collection boxes.

We advise that the major charity for2024 will again the Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust.

We plan to look at advertising more efficiently. And to advise second hand book sellers with the dates for the sale.

 

We have booked the hall for 2024. The council have to date charged us half price for hall usage but we have been informed we will now have to apply for contestable funding to get this discount. (A very detailed form process Barry advises)

Disposal of surplus and discarded books may be a problem in the future now the big hole is no longer available.

 

Thank you letters to be sent to Aurora for the use of their shed, Radio Central for promotion via Community Notice Board, Steve Quin Dunedin City Ford re their vehicle out front, Richard Stephens for again providing himself and his tip truck for disposing of books at sales end, Mike Vercoe for his honey donation.

Comments and suggestions from fellow Rotarians are always welcome.

 

Thank You (some duplication here with Barry’s article sorry).