If there is one thing certain in this world it is that there will always be change – economic, political, environmental; some good, some bad. Some change affects a handful of people; other change can affect a nation or the world. Most people accept change; some struggle with it. Some people effect change; others either go along with it or fight against it. Some are powerless to do anything about it.

 

In February 2020 the world heard a new name - Covid 19, an extremely infectious version of a SARS virus. In March 2022, there have been approximately 480 million reported cases and 6 million reported deaths, the first Pandemic since the Spanish Flu of 1918. This pandemic affected approx. 500 million people with a death rate of 50 million. Technology allowed the world to rapidly produce vaccines in an effort to control the spread in 2020. In 1918 the world was without such technology.

 

Millions of people took advantage of the new technology offered in order to control their fight against this disease; others chose to ignore the changes and advances in technology and take their chances.

 

In February 2022, no one knew much about Ukraine; In March 2022 that country is involved in a life-or-death battle with a Nuclear equipped Superpower run by a person seeking absolute power with a desire to change political events back to what they were 30 odd years ago. Of a population of 44 million, nearly 7 million people have been displaced and close to 4 million people have fled the country – the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War 2. This nation of people haven’t been given a choice. Their nation is having change forced upon them – surrender or your country will be obliterated.

 

Women in Rotary has its fair share of change, hopefully in a much more controlled and democratic style. Every year, every Club, District, and International Governing body changes its Presidents and Governors. The only thing that didn’t change for a very long time was the fact that it was a bastion of male dominance. Rotary was founded in 1905. It wasn’t until 1989, following court battles, that the Council of Legislation admitted women members into Rotary. Women were involved in Rotary, through their male partners, and condescendingly called Rotary-Annes.

 

I remember back in about 1984, Council of Legislation voted on the inclusion of women as members. The vote was defeated. I was Bulletin Editor for the Hamilton East Club at the time, and there was an article in the Waikato Times from the District Governor who basically made the comment that now was not the time for women to be admitted into Rotary. He asked whether Colin Meads would be happy to have women playing alongside him, and that the team of Rotary could be likened to a Rugby team.

 

I guess I was young and brash, and I wrote an article in the club bulletin pointing out the error of his ways and his thinking, and that his analysis of the situation was typical of the Male Chauvinism that ruled Rotary at the time. I included a cartoon of a big mean wild pig with a rotary logo in the centre of it.

(Male Chauvinist Pig was the catch cry of those days from anyone fighting for women’s rights)

I must have struck a chord somewhere in his head – I won the District Bulletin Award that year.

 

However, sometimes acceptance of change takes a long time, and even though women have been accepted in Rotary for 33 years, it is only next Rotary year that Rotary will have its first Woman International President:-

 

Jennifer E. Jones (picture below right), a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, and a Rotarian since 1997 has been nominated to become Rotary International’s president for 2022-23, a groundbreaking selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in the organization’s 115-year history.

                                              

You will have seen Andrew’s clubrunner posting regarding the Boards decision to organise a public collection for Ukranian refugees, and will have seen the article in the local paper last Thursday written, I am assuming, by the same person that Andrew will be in contact with to get our message out to the town about what we are planning and asking for their support. We have a couple of weeks to organise for the day. There is considerable support from Rotary International, and I plan to contact Stuart Batty from Rotary NZ World Community Service to ascertain from him our best avenue for chanelling our assistance.

 

I see in a note sent out by DG Nick that the pumpkin weigh in will be April 23. He doesn’t say how that will be achieved. For Stu Beattie it probably doesn’t matter. From what he tells me his will fit in his lunch box. I’m organising for Clyde Hiab Services to collect mine (picture below right). Amazing what an outlet from a septic tank can achieve !!