Gil tells me that this is my penultimate bulletin! The Rotary year has gone quickly and I have enjoyed it immensely.  Gil puts a  huge amount of time into each bulletin researching our speakers and prodding us all along to contribute.  We have entered three of what we think were our best bulletins to be considered for the D9999 Bulletin Award.  We will hear who the recipient is at the District Changeover in July.

 

Our speakers on May 10th were Dewald de Beer and Vicky McLean who have formed, with others, a new business group called Elevate Central which is run along the lines of the old Alexandra Business Group.  One of their wishes is to act as one voice on behalf of the community to lobby government, the council and the like.  Vicky is also the owner of The Central App which Elevate Central use as a platform to promote their cause.  

 

On talking to Vicky, she is very keen to promote Rotary in any way she can via the App.

 

This week, Sam Kuperus, the incoming president for the Queenstown based Central Lakes Rotaract Club talked to us of the trials and tribulations of setting up a new club.

 

Rotaract caters for people under forty years of age. They do not want to be a ‘kids Rotary’ but want to give back to the community – and to help other Rotary Clubs with their projects.  The group are concentrating on environmental projects and hiking trips to date and meet monthly over a beer.  Rotaract doesn’t have the name recognition of Rotary so attracting members is proving hard.  

 

Accompanying Sam was our Regional Community Leader, Lee-Ann Murray who gave us a run down on her role with the Central Lakes Clubs.  She will continue with this role under the new DG Keith McIntosh. 

 

Paul did the honours of inducting Peter Dymock into the Club. His addition maintains our membership at 46.  We hope Peter enjoys being a Rotarian and know that they he will be great asset to the team.

 

Thank you to members who contributed to the Winter Salvation Army Appeal.  I dropped off the many personal care and laundry products yesterday.  We will have ‘the basket’ at the next meeting so any further contributions will be gratefully received.  

 

Jonny took me on a tour of the Combined Churches food bank.  It is impressive and well set up.  I found it quite sobering to think that 60-80 families in our community depend on this resource.  If any of you have any left over garden or pantry goods at any time, feel free to drop them off at the back of the Salvation Army depot.

 

Hugh and Mark chose a good film in the ‘Salt Path’ for us to enjoy last Tuesday. The theatre was almost full which was great. The takings were added to the coffers which is a plus.

 

Bernie has organised Changeover night at the Packing Shed on Tuesday 24th June. The cost per head is $50. We will circulate numbers next meeting or you can email me direct if you are able to come. Other halves are most welcome to join us.

 

I would like to thank Bob Dawson for attending to all the club engraving over the year.  We are so lucky to have a man with his talents amongst us.

 

Funding requests approved at the Board meeting this week were:
•    $500 to the Life Education Trust which visits schools in Alexandra reaching 700 students. The Trust educates and empowers children to make positive choices for their health and wellbeing.
•    $1000 to Hamish Attfield to help fund him attending the two week London International Youth Science Forum. A great honour for him which will no doubt encourage other students to aim high.
•    $1000 to the Southern Stars Stage Academy to help with the production of Peter Pan.  A very worthy cause for our aspiring  students to be involved in the many facets of putting on such a production.
•    Subs are to be increased to $220 per year. It is a few years now since they have been increased.
•    $500 to the NSW Flood Appeal.

 

The next meeting is on Tuesday 10th June.  We have decided NOT to hold a forum but to ascertain your views on Club matters via Survey Monkey.  Jonny Whybrow will be our guest speaker and give his ‘New Member’ talk which I imagine will be pretty interesting.

 

Best wishes

 

Movie THE SALT PATH, Alexandra Cinema Tuesday 20th May 
 

 

The Salt Path is a 2018 memoir, nature, and travel book by Raynor Winn. The movie detailed the long-distance walk along the South West Coast Path, in South West England, by Winn and her husband after they lose their home.

 

THE SALT PATH is the profound true story of husband and wife, Raynor and Moth Winn’s 630-mile trek along the beautiful but rugged Cornish, Devon and Dorset coastline.

 

After Moth was diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration (CBD), a rare and progressive neurodegenerative disease shortly after he and Raynor were forcibly removed from their farm, they made the desperate decision to embark on a yearlong coastal trek, hoping that in nature, they would find solace and a sense of acceptance.

 

With depleted resources, only a tent and some essentials between them, every step along the path was a testament to their growing strength and determination. 

 

THE SALT PATH, depicted a journey that was exhilarating, challenging, and liberating in equal measure. A portrayal of home, how it can be lost and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.

 

The Salt Path is a 2018 memoir, nature, and travel book by Raynor Winn. It details the long-distance walk along the South West Coast Path, in South West England, by Winn and her husband after they lose their home.

 

In The Salt Path, it is here that a woman tells Ray and Moth they have become “salted” – meaning they are for ever connected to this path due to their time spent treading it.

 

Raynor Winn was born in 1962. Winn and her husband Moth, who was diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration (CBD), became homeless after a business deal with a friend went wrong, and decided to walk the 630-mile (1,010 km) South West Coast Path. The couple have two children.

 

This is the true story of Raynor and Moth Winn, a couple in their fifties, who have been together for over 30 years. A devastatingly unjust court case leaves them virtually penniless, without a home or livelihood.

 

Moth was diagnosed with CBD in 2013 whilst he and Raynor were walking the South West Coastal Path. Moth was just 53 years old, and the couple believed he had been experiencing problems for around two years prior to his diagnosis.

 

As CBD reaches an advanced stage, muscle stiffness will continue to get worse. People with the condition may lose the ability to move 1 or more limbs. Some people are unable to walk and need a wheelchair or assistance to transfer (such as help getting into and out of bed)

 

The Wild Silence 

 

This book is both a sequel and prequel to The Salt Path, as it continues the story of Ray and Moth when they've finished walking the Salt Path, and goes back into Ray's childhood, and the early years of their relationship. This gives a greater understanding of why they did the walk than we get in the first book and movie, The Salt Path.

 

Continuing the inspirational story of The Salt Path, Winn's tender sequel recounts what happened when her and Moth's odyssey came to an end.

 

Raynor is still writing, including magazine articles, that Moth is reasonably well and has completed his university degree, and that they do now have a place to live. 

 

 

On Sunday May 4th 30 Guests and 3 Rotarians took off from Alexandra at around 1pm on our annual mystery bus trip. The route taken was via the Manuherikia Valley, Hills Creek and onto Naseby.

 

We had a narrated tour around the Naseby township, then out to the International Curling Centre, then on to the Oturehua Hotel for a very well-presented afternoon tea.

 

Homeward bound via Blacks Hill and Ophir, and back to Alexandra at around 5pm. We were very fortunate with the day, clear and sunny with feedback from our guests was very positive.

 

Many thanks to both co convenor Robyn Bowman and bus driver Les Young, and also the 10 Rotarians who transported our guests to and from the bus.

 

 

THE ROTARY THEME FOR 2025-2026 IS: UNITE FOR GOOD.

 

The long history of a Rotary International President launching a theme for their presidential year is going away in 2025-2026.

 

This decision was made by the RI Board of Directors at their October 2023 Meeting. 
The rationale behind the decision is based on the importance of standardizing branding and communications.  

 

The presidential themes were to be used only for internal communications to motivate Rotary members. However, too many clubs and districts used the theme as a logo to promote Rotary projects and events to the public. Additionally, the themes changed every year, and some clubs and districts preferred promoting a past theme over the current theme due to personal preference.

 

This causes confusion with helping the public understand the focus of Rotary and what we stand for. 

 

One of the most important things we can do to tell our Rotary stories in an effective, compelling way is to make sure we all use consistent and unified messaging.

 

You can use the president's message for 2025-26, Unite for Good, to inspire members, participants, and the public with an idea that aligns with our Action Plan and calls on us to work together.

 

Using the presidential message in your club and district communications helps to convey Rotary’s global impact and create stronger recognition of Rotary’s name in our communities and with potential service partners. It can help people understand who we are and what we do and might even inspire them to join us.