Rotary Park
We are planning to develop the park over the coming years in phases, beginning with adding tracks and plantings, and may undertake further developments beyond these first 3 phases, such as viewing platforms, shelters and seating.
Rotary ParkRotary Dunedin celebrated its centenary year in 2023. With this milestone came the desire to develop a showcase project which celebrates and reflects our long relationship with Dunedin and the wider Otago community. Rotary Park was originally developed by the Rotary Club of Dunedin (now called Rotary Dunedin) in the early 1950s, opening in June 1956 to celebrate 50 years of Rotary International. Rotary Dunedin has a long association with the Rotary Park and wishes to continue this development, with further enhancements and beautification to improve the site for the benefit of the entire community. We are planning to develop the park over the coming years in phases, beginning with adding tracks and plantings, and may undertake further developments beyond these first 3 phases, such as viewing platforms, shelters and seating. The project is well underway and if you'd like to join us then get in touch! |
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Me and my Pet RockSince 2012 the annual "Trees For Families" plantings have been establishing the shrubbery adjacent to the city end of the West Harbour walkway.
Although there was Rotary signage on the walkway, the BBQ shelter, and outdoor furniture, there was nothing recognising the significance of the planting. Led largely by (now) President Fiona, the Community Projects group designed, gained approval and commissioned a substantial bronze plaque which has now been placed in position awaiting a formal "unveiling". A generous donation from Blueskin Nurseries contributed part of the cost (the remainder was funded by the Community group), casting of the plaque was done for the cost of materials by Giltech Precision Castings Ltd, a basalt rock was dug out of their back paddock by Robin & Fiona, and the plaque was mounted on said rock free of charge by Dunedin Monumental Masons. |
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Quiz successThe recent quiz night organised by the Community Projects group successfully raised $1,013.00 which will be shared between the Rotary Park Centennial Project (90%) and The Rotary Foundation (10%). The group wishes to thank all those who supported the project, including those who donated prizes ranging from a pot of "Grans Remedy for Smelly Feet" to a "Handknitted Merino Headband"
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Wasp EradicationA team comprising President Fiona, Don McEwan, John Henderson and Siobhan Farr pause for a photo during the laying of bait stations in the Ross Creek area last Sunday.
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Congratulations Alistair LoganWe often think of Paul Harris Fellowships as being awarded to high profile people in the community and club members and/or those who have held leadership positions, but this is not always so, nor is it right. Many of our members are consistently loyal, supportive and are there when you need them over an extended period. Alistair has been a member of the club for 34 years. He currently serves on the Community Project Group and is a regular attender at meetings, events and projects when work commitments allow. Prior to this, he served on, the Club Administration Committee, the Youth Committee, City Affairs, Vocational, International and Classification committees. Further to all this, Alastair is one of the hardworking group of Club Trustees who review and approve on a monthly basis all monetary donations that the board recommends be made from our club trust funds. Alistair is quietly spoken and humble but he has done his bit consistently over a long period of time. He has a very relaxed manner and a droll sense of humour, as his Sergeant sessions exemplify, even if we sometimes wonder where he is heading with them. Over a long period, they have always been humorous and whimsical. For his dedication to serving our club and community, Alistair has been awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship. |
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Trees For Families 2022Pictured are President Cameron and Craig Radford after planting a tree donated by the club for Ellen Henderson. Ellen’s contribution to Rotary is fondly remembered by those of us who had the pleasure of knowing her. The Chirnside family also planted a tree donated by us for Wyn. All up 50 trees were planted and the event was well attended by members of the public, Keep Dunedin Beautiful, Task Force Green and the Mayor. It’s great for Rotary Dunedin to have had such a key role in this project over many years, the planting on this special section of the West Harbour trail is now completed and all the trees are growing!
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District Award receivedPresident-Elect Fiona shows off the trophy received by the club in recognition of the best Website in District 9980. (Our Bulletin was also one of four finalists for Best Bulletin)
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Changeover Night 2021On Thursday we gave thanks to President Gordon for his efforts over the year and welcomed Cameron Olsen as our President. Thanks to Ron for organising the brilliant Haggis ceremony, Gordon's daughter Stasa for an impressive dance performance, the very capable Master of Ceremonies Brian Daniels, and the Management team led by Lynne for organising the festivities. Some photos from the night can be viewed here.
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In the penthouse for this week's meeting!This coming Thursday, 1st July, we will be having our lunch meeting in the Penthouse, which is the top floor of the Petridish building. Our special guest speaker is past member, Gillian Bremner, so this will be a great opportunity to hear of her exploits in Botswana. This will be followed by a tour of the Petridish building at the end of the lunch, from the top to the bottom, for those who wish to take part. The team at The Dish Cafe need to know numbers of those planning to attend prior, so that the space can be set up to cater to our requirements. Therefore, if you are planning to attend, please pre-order by midday Wednesday 30th June to orders@thedishcafe.co.nz. All of the food and drinks will be brought up to the Penthouse, so you won't need to carry anything yourself. If you have trouble with stairs, we can arrange the use of the back elevator, but we do need to know in advance so we can those who require it with instructions. Please contact Gordon if you will have a need to use the lift, by midday Wednesday 30th June also. |
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The Year Ahead |
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Changeover 2020In recent years “Changeover” has varied from the formal “Black Tie” event to a themed (e.g. “Scarfies”) party. This years function was billed simply as a “relaxed affair with cocktail/finger food... and a cash bar.” Our resident magician Jonathan was M.C. for the evening, but not until he had demonstrated what NOT to do with someone elses $20 note! Outgoing President John then narrated his original cautionary tale (in the style of Hilaire Belloc) “The story of Will (who was disobedient and died of CoVid-19)” before summarizing the Clubs achievements during the past twelve months – quite impressive despite the disruptions of the pandemic. Cameron replied and thanked John for his vision and leadership. A bouqet was presented to Louise, in appreciation of her support to John during his term of office. Craig Radford presented some interesting facts and figures discovered while researching material for a forthcoming book (the club centennary history). Then – the handover of the “Bling” (value $1,312.20 in the annual accounts) to incoming President Gordon who spoke briefly about his plans within the new R.I. Theme “Rotary Opens Opportunities”. It was promised that this years Changeover would be “Family friendly” and it was good to see a number of youngsters present, one of whom (Gordons ten year old daughter) concluded the evening with a tap dancing routine – and received a standing ovation. |
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Speech ContestRotarys "4-Way Test" was created by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor in 1932 when he was asked to take charge of the Chicago based Club Aluminium Company, which was facing bankruptcy. The 4-Way Test became the guide for sales, production, advertising and all relations with dealers and customers, and the survival of the company was credited to this simple philosophy. The 4-Way Test was adopted by Rotary in 1943 and to this day is considered to be a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. Recently our Club was priviliged to hear the Test applied to three varied topics: “Medical Misdiagnosis”, “Finding Cultural Identity” and “The Reality of Racism”; during the annual “4-Way Test Speech Contest” for Year 12 & 13 High School Students. The three contestants at Club level were Lara Canton (Logan Park High School) and Tui Katai (also LPHS), and Patrick Sefor Cloughley (Otago Boys High School); with Lara being declared the winning speaker. While the “4-Way Test” was the basis of the speeches, judges also considered such things as clarity and logic, speech construction, language, visual and vocal impact, empathy with the audience and timing (5-6 minutes). In normal circumstances, the finals of the contest would be held at the District Conference however because of the CoVid-19 lockdown this event was cancelled. Instead, the finalists will upload their speeches on to video and the judges will do their work remotely. The winner will receive a prize to the value of $1,000, 2nd prize $500, 3rd prize $300, 4th $200, thanks to the very generous sponsorship from Wilkinson Rodgers Law Thanks also to Lynne Guy, the organiser of the contest. |
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Change of EditorCommencing with this edition, the weekly club eBulletin will be compiled and edited by Bruce Collier. This will hopefully help free-up some time for Cameron and allow him to begin preparing for his term as President in 2021/22. Our grateful thanks must go to Cameron for his efforts in maintaining the Bulletin since implementing the "Club Runner" integrated management and communication software used by the club. |
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New meal optionsWe have agreed with our temporary caterer to change to their cabinet food given the current meal order volumes. And the caterer has graciously agreed to donate 10% of proceeds to Rotary! Click through for food options. |
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Changeover Dinner 2020Join us for the Annual Changeover Dinner for Rotary Dunedin on Thursday 25th June. This year it will be a slightly more relaxed affair with cocktail/finger food and an earlier start time of 5.30pm for 6pm. Tickets are $20 per person and there will be a cash bar. Venue will be the Petridish Function Space (i.e. same as for our new regular lunch meetings). Please RSVP via the event registration page (click here); or to Cameron Olsen no later than 5pm Tuesday 23rd June.
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Rotary meetings re-launched at new venueRotary Dunedin meetings were re-launched at our new venue last week. Members were treated to a clever Sergeants session from Alastair Logan and an epic poem from President John. We were also finally able to induct new members Claire Hanes and David McEwen. If you were not able to make it you can check out the photos here. |
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New Meal Order ArrangementsAs mentioned in last week's Bulletin, a new cafe is set to open in July at our new venue at No. 8 Stafford Street. In the meantime we have made temporary arrangements for catering to be delivered via Cottage Bakehouse and our friendly hosts. The menu can be viewed here and you can choose two selections for $8, or three for $11.50 or four for $14.00. Orders must be submitted by Tuesday evening each week for the Thursday meeting via email to Cameron. |
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Meetings resume this week!After a long wait... Club Meetings will resume this week! Members and friends are welcome to join us at our first meeting at our new venue: Petridish at No 8 Stafford Street on Thursday 4th June. This first meeting will be a chance for a good catchup & fellowship. A new cafe is under construction at the venue which will be available some time later next month. In the meantime we have arranged for a tea and coffee station ($2.50 per person - please bring cash), and you are welcome to bring your own food from home or local cafe's. In future weeks if there is enough interest we will arrange catering from Cottage Bakehouse; copies of the food options will be available at this weeks meeting. Please also note the Duty Roster has restarted and an email reminder will go out to this week's rostered members. Best to check the new roster here: https://www.dunedinrotary.org.nz/page/duty-roster as soon as possible. |
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Latest Meals on Wheels RosterThe next Meals on Wheels roster for June is now up on the website. If you are able to assist please contact Cameron at camerono@logicgroup.co.nz with the days that you are able to help. Please also provide the best phone number to reach you on currently (mobile phone preferable). Dates which have already been filled will be regularly updated on our website at this link: https://www.dunedinrotary.org.nz/page/meals-on-wheels so you can see what dates are taken. Update: we still have dates in late June and early July available. Thanks once again for your help. The response over the past few months has been fantastic. |
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Resumption of MeetingsArrangements have been put in place to resume meetings in-person when Covid-19 restrictions allow. With the Government to announce an update on the size of gatherings on Monday 25th May, we may re-start as early as this Thursday 28th May. This will be confirmed on Monday evening 25th May. Use of the Petridish function space at 8 Stafford Street has been arranged and this is also the recommended ongoing venue (by the Caretaker Group). Tea & Coffee will be available for $2.50 per person and Members are able to bring their own food/takeaways with them to the meeting which will be a fellowship/catchup session. Our Management & Membership (M&M) Group will start working through exciting speakers for following weeks. We will also investigate streaming future meetings to allow members out of town or in vulnerable health to participate remotely. |
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Meeting UpdateThe planned visit to Youthline this week has been postponed until Covid-19 protocols allow. The Caretaker group is continuing to investigate new meeting venue options and temporary meeting venue options for when meetings are restarted. As per the update from President John this week, it is hoped meetings may resume in person as soon as possible. In the meantime the weekly zoom catchups on a Thursday will continue and we recommend that Groups start reconvening. |
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Thanks received from Presbyterian SupportPresbyterian Support Otago have provided a letter of thanks for the recent $2,000 donation from Rotary Dunedin. Judith McCracken, the Supporter Development Manager writes: Dear Rotarians Many thanks for your donation which will be used to support our foodbank in Dunedin during the COVID-19 lockdown and in the weeks following the pandemic. In the first two weeks of the lockdown, Presbyterian Support Otago received 101 referrals for support (up from 79 during the same period in 2019). Many of these referrals are for new clients – older people, former refugees, families, and individuals – who haven’t needed our support before. With your support, Presbyterian Support Otago is taking a responsible approach to supporting people’s needs during this time. Usually, we would provide a combination of food parcel and grocery vouchers to people accessing the foodbank. As people are encouraged to stay at home, and supermarkets are incredibly busy, your donation will be used to purchase items we need for the foodbank from our usual suppliers (those suppliers who supply products for our Enliven care homes), and make up welfare parcels which include food, cleaning products, and other items needed by people during the pandemic period. Your support makes a massive difference to people in our community, especially during this pandemic period. Your financial support means that we can be flexible in how we approach the needs of people during this crisis, making sure that we continue to meet the needs of people in our community to help overcome the extra difficulties we’re all facing during this time. Thank you for your support during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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Rotary Virtual ConventionJoin the family of Rotary at the first ever Virtual Rotary Convention. This free event will connect Rotary participants from around the world, inspire through innovation, and celebrate our resilience and ability to adapt. More information coming soon so save the dates! Join Us As We Set a Record: We believe that this 1st ever Virtual Rotary Convention can set an attendance record. Of the 110 previous Rotary conventions, the highest level of attendance was 45,381. President Mark and the Convention Committee believe that we can set the bar even higher. Members of Rotary, and the general public, from all over the world, can be a part of this historical effort. Our program will be world-class, the cost of registration is FREE, and people can attend the convention using a computer, tablet or smartphone. On behalf of President Mark and Gay, the Convention Committee and Rotary, we are asking YOU to play a vital role in helping us achieve this record. Convention Website The Rotary Convention Website (www.riconvention.org) continues to provide updated information. This is the best place for the latest news. For example, Rotary has just posted the schedule for the breakout sessions that will be held June 22-26. https://www.riconvention.org/en/honolulu/breakout-sessions-schedule. You can:
Sign up for our free convention today and encourage friends in your network, club, and community to join you. Don’t miss out! |
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Caretaker Group Update 26th AprilThank you for the new venue suggestions which continue to come through. The Caretaker Group is starting to reach out to some venues to check their suitability so will look to update members further on this next week. One idea we are considering is a 'random act's of kindness' activity to recognise essential workers efforts in recent weeks. Of course there is many such deserved people so we are interested in any suggestions on how we might focus this. On a related note, a reminder that suggestions for Paul Harris Fellow are welcome. Cameron |
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Community Support during Covid-19Many charitable organisations are taking a financial hit from the Covid-19 disruptions to their normal fundraising. This comes when their services are in greater need as ever. The Rotary Club of Dunedin is making an immediate contribution of $2,000 from the Club Trust to each of the Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul and PSO foodbanks and the Otago Hospice. This contribution has been received gratefully, from the Salvation Army for instance: "We really appreciate this. The amount of food parcels we are giving out is steadily growing. Please pass on our thanks to the members of the Rotary Club of Dunedin."
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New Venue Survey ReminderThank you to everyone who has completed the online survey to date on new venue preferences. For those of you who haven't - you have until this Tuesday evening 7th April to have your say. The link again is https://otago.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bISJKzAjZnWwAMR Please note there will be opportunities for further input on specific venues down the track once we have analysed the initial feedback. |
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Temporary Website IssueAs advised during the week, we are currently working through changes to the ClubRunner hosting site which took effect from April. The link from our Club website domain address (dunedinrotary.org.nz) to ClubRunner is temporarily down whilst we resolve this. In the meantime the Club website is still reachable directly via https://portal.clubrunner.ca/13174/ |
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Caretaker Group UpdateThe Rotary Dunedin Caretaker Group meet up on Thursday, having successfully overcome the technological hurdles that comes with online video meetings! Andy Kilsby, Darrel Robinson, Fiona Nyhof, Peter Gouverneur and Cameron Olsen are the happy group assembled for this, and will continue to meet weekly on Thursdays during the Covid-19 lock down. An update on items discussed:
If you have any further feedback or queries on anything mentioned above, feel free to get in touch with Cameron by email or phone (021 292 2790). |
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Come on callers join the party...No this is not the terrible party phone line advert of the late 1990's (click here for a reminder on this) but an opportunity to chat with other Rotary members in the District. The District will be hosting online "chat meetings" every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evening for the 4 week lockdown period, starting next Monday 30th March. These are for any member to join in on, as an opportunity to chat about how things are going in general, and perhaps meet some other Rotarians from our District that you may not have met before! It is just another way for us to stay connected. There will be no pre-set format, each evening is purely a chance for you to see others and catch up. Click through for details how to connect via Zoom. |
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Event Cancellations & PostponementsIn accordance with Ministry of Health Guidelines, the following events have been cancelled or postponed in the wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic:
Note our contribution to the Meals on Wheels service is continuing. The future of weekly Club meetings and monthly Group meetings will be discussed at the monthly Board meeting this week. Update: Club meetings and monthly Group meetings cancelled for month of April. Their possible resumption in May will be reviewed in the week of 23 April. |
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Dunedin Community MediationMax Reid, Manager of Dunedin Community Mediation, addressed last week's meeting attended by 23 members. His role today was to promote the services offered. While the organisation has been running for some two years, it is somewhat below the radar and not as widely used as it could be. Max sees it as being a suitable way to resolve conflict or disagreement, be that be between neighbours, clubs or families. He led by suggesting referral could also be from lawyers or indeed from Courts. Mediators do not take sides or apportion blame or tell people what they should do. Neither do they make decisions or judgements or give legal advice. Their considerable skills are applied in guiding people through a process of closing the impasse and have them reach a decision, they can live with. A process this reviewer highly recommends --------- gChesney Contact details are below: Dunedin Community Mediation is a non-profit organisation funded by grants, donations and member subscriptions. email: dcmediate@gmail.com Ph 0800 112 462 |
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Update from SydneySydney has provided an update on her Rotary Youth Exchange to Austria. Click through to read more. |
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Charity AuctionMarch 26th 2020. The Charity Auction is fast approaching and you will be amazed at the incredible adventures, artworks, jewellery, wine and loads of other things, that are on offer for Auction. GUARANTEED, this will be a fantastic night with gourmet food and decadent wines so please – TELL EVERYONE you know about the event and shoulder tap those that will support the event and in turn, our worthwhile charities. This is an Eventbrite ticket site, where you can purchase tickets. If you can use your social media, emails, personal contacts, any way in which you see fit to invite people, please support us. There are only 100 tickets to get in quick. The updated Catalogue can be viewed or downloaded here. From the Charity Auction Organisation Team. |
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Town & Country Safari to Stewart IslandThe Town & Country Group annual Safari was held recently on 14th to 16th February in Stewart Island. Malcolm writes: A group of 17 of us had a great weekend on the Island. Some travelled to Stewart Island by Ferry from Bluff and some flew from Invercargill. We spent part of Saturday visiting the Mamaku Point Conservation Reserve and helped uplift seedlings in the reserve so they can be propagated for conservation work on the island. Some of the group visited Ulva Island reserve as well as exploring the Island. We had a great fellowship weekend with some staying on the Island for a few days to enjoy the area further. To view some photos click here. |
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Museum of Broken Relationships ExhibitionMembers enjoyed a look through the new 'Museum of Broken Relationships' exhibition at the weekend as a welcome back event for 2020. Highly recommended - as one commented 'touching, hilarious, and sad all at once'... For those that missed out, a TVNZ clip can be viewed here: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/thousands-objects-symbolising-rage-hope-broken-relationships-display-in-dunedin |
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Christmas Message - Rob van AbsOur guest speaker at the Club Christmas Dinner, Salvation Army Captain and former Rotarian Rob van Abs, began by asking “what is Christmas all about?” Rob said it can be a challenging question for many to answer. The Warehouse will tell us one thing, Noel Leeming will tell us something else, and K Mart will tell something else again. So, who do we believe? Children will often tell us which one to believe because they know exactly what they want for Christmas, as for many of them, it is all about what is under the tree that counts. We see flier after flier coming through our mail boxes, Christmas trees becoming bigger and brighter, presents bigger than they used to be, and yet the demographics in our communities indicate, the poor are becoming poorer and the rich are becoming. Rob suggested that it can be useful to think in terms of the Rotary 4-way test: is it the TRUTH, is it FAIR to all concerned, will it build GOODWILL, and will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned. Today, in communities around Dunedin there will be hundreds of Christmas food parcels being delivered from various community groups to those who will struggle to put food on the table, let alone presents under the tree for children. Working with people in the community who struggle to put their lives together has prompted Rob to ask “what would the essentials of Christmas look like? If we threw away all the wrapping paper and tinsels and just kept a basic Christmas tree, “would a meal around a table on Christmas day with family and friends, not gives us a better Christmas?” Rob concluded his Christmas message by noting the strong relationship between the Salvation Army and Rotary throughout the world and thanking Rotarians for the good work done and the care and compassion shown to others in the community. Robs parting pray was that we all have a great Christmas, “not because of something big and beautiful, but something that is inside of us all that you can’t replace with anything physical”. Peter Thomson |
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2020 Welcome Back EventTo kick start the new year we will be doing something a little different in January... instead of the usual BBQ we will visit the Otago Museum for their newest exhibition. Opening soon is the unique 'Museum of Broken Relationships exhibition'. The Museum of Broken Relationships (MoBR) is an original, internationally acclaimed museum, conceptualised by artists and founders, Olinka Vištica and Dražen Grubišić. Its mission is to provide a virtual and physical public space, with worldwide presence and global reach, to connect people through stories of love and loss. On Saturday 18th January at 12.30pm we will meet in the cafe for a quick bite to eat and then go through and enjoy the exhibits - some examples are shown below! Note this exhibition is also free! |
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Rotary Youth Exchange Blazer PresentationRotary Dunedin was pleased to present a Blazer to Sydney Scott ahead of her forthcoming Rotary Youth Exchange to Austria!
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4 Barrels Wine Tour 2020 The 4 Barrels Wine Tour in Cromwell is coming on Saturday 22nd February 2020! This club SOCIAL event is booked once again. An awesome day of great fellowship, fantastic food and awesome wines. We have 3 generous hosts in Jonathan, Andrew and Lisa who are happy to entertain and share their beautiful homes. They are even happy if you turn up on the Friday night. Join us on the Saturday for a Brunch; wine tasting; a Mediteranean styled lunch to die for; more wine tasting and an exciting evening meal event at the Stoker Room. Please contact Brian Daniels (bdancher@hotmail.com) and confirm your numbers. |
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Food for Food BanksMany thanks to everyone who came along to assist the Food Bank supermarket collection last Thursday. This was another successful “sleeves rolled up” project with wonderful donations from our community to local Dunedin’s food banks ahead of Christmas.
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Scottish BarbecueClub members and friends were treated to excellent weather, a gifted young bagpiper and a unique address to the haggis in English by our own Ron Mackintosh at the Scottish themed barbecue at Woodhaugh Gardens last weekend. Many thanks to the Town & Country projects group for arranging this. |
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Craig McGregorCraig McGregor spoke to the Club on Thursday 14th November, recalling his career highlights which included time selling corporate memberships of Forsyth Barr Stadium. Craig is an accomplished Toastmaster and works as an MC, Speaker and provides coaching and mentoring on public speaking. Craig has recently published a number of books, the latest of which is a children's book to encourage public speaking. If you would like to purchase any of Craig's books his website is: www.craigmcgregor.nz
For more guidance on purchasing click through below. |
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Notice of Annual General MeetingAll members are advised that the Rotary Club of Dunedin Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Thursday December 12th. Further details: Date: Thursday 12th December 2019 at 12.15 for 12.30
Venue: Cobb and Co Restaurant General Business: Any general business must be notified to the Club Secretary by 5pm, Tuesday 10th December 2019. Business: * Apologies * Confirmation of minutes of previous Annual General Meeting * Matters arising * President’s Report on 2018/19 year * Presentation of Club Trust accounts * To receive and adopt the Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2019 * Election of President for 2022/23 * To consider any general business that may be legally brought before the meeting. Note that, a quorum being present (one third of all members), a two thirds vote of all members present is required. |
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Scottish Barbecue & Family LunchThe Town & Country Projects Group have organised a Scottish themed barbecue and family lunch for this coming Sunday 24th November at Woodhaugh Gardens. Bring your own food and drink along from 12pm. A young bag piper will be present and our own Ron Mackintosh will address a Haggis! Woodhaugh Gardens can be found at the north end of George St or off Duke St or Inverleith St.
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Off-site meeting this weekA reminder there is no lunchtime meeting this week as instead we will be assisting the Tomahawk Smails Beachcare Trust at 5.30pm. Final details will be issued via email this week for attendees as the location will depend on numbers. Please email to confirm whether you can attend. For more information on the Trust's activities - their recent AGM update can be downloaded here.
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Vicar Michael WallaceAll Saints' Anglican Church vicar Michael Wallace told members the story of Arnold Spencer-Smith at our 17 October meeting. Rev Smith was chaplain and photographer to the Ross Sea Party of Shackleton's trans-Antarctic expedition. Smith’s group were to set up supply depots for Shackleton’s trip from the South Pole to the Ross Sea. However, Shackleton’s ship Endurance was crushed in the ice so Shackleton never even started the expedition. Similarly Rev Smith’s ship, the Aurora, was also caught in the ice resulting in the loss of essential provisions. |
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Coming up in October... |
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Jeff HarfordOur Speaker last week was Jeff Harford, Community Liaison Manager at OAR FM in Dunedin. Jeff addressed his brief “Who is Jeff Harford” by giving us a brief history of his life and a detailed description of his role at Otago Access Radio. Jeff was born in Dunedin and loves Dunedin and is still discovering the City. His early life was in North East Valley and later attended Kaikorai Valley High School. He joined the Department for Courts as Jury Officer and sat through many High Court trials. Following that, he took a year out and then became a Sub-Editor for the Otago Daily Times for 3 years. A stint as a freelance writer followed and that was great fun but the income was poor. He certainly did the job for its fun; not its money. Next move was to Otago Access Radio here he remains to this day. Otago Access Radio is one of twelve community access stations in New Zealand and these were set up to provide a vehicle for everyday New Zealanders to be heard. Their mission is to reach out to under-represented sections of the community and these groups are listed in the Broadcasting Act. |
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Rotary Youth Exchange UpdateHere is the latest from all of the District 9980 RYE students including our Club’s outbound student George who is in Austria. Click here for the August update.
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Lynne Guy & Jackie St John recognisedThe month of May celebrated 30 years of women in Rotary. As such, Past President Lisa Wilson was pleased to recognise two of our female club members for their contributions. Lynne Guy was presented with a Paul Harris Fellowship at our 29 August 2019 meeting: And at our 5th September meeting Jackie St John was presented with a Paul Harris Sapphire Award: Click through for a copy of the remarks made at each presentation.
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Rotary Dunedin bring comfort to Womens RefugeClub members created comfort packs to donate to Womens Refuge at our 05 September meeting. Many thanks to our Community Group for organising this. Photos can be viewed here. (Photo credit Ruth Empson)
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August DonationsRotary Dunedin is pleased to confirm the following grants from applications made in August:
Hugh Saunders Trust Rotaract Club of Dunedin $650 – Auckland Conference assistance. 9-11 September 2019 Liam Hewson and Waide Bridgman-Tallon $300 – NZ Scout Jamboree Volunteer Leaders assistance – 27 December 2019 to 7 January 2020
Club Trust South Dunedin Community Patrol $500 – Assistance with vehicle running costs. All Saints Anglican Church $1,000 – Donation to Spencer-Smith Stained Glass Window Fund – Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition Malcam Charitable Trust $1,000 – Assistance with purchasing electrical testing equipment. |
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Spring Charity AuctionSpring Charity Auction is now LIVE on Facebook so please get sharing, sharing, sharing! If you go to the Rotary Club of Dunedin’s page, you will see the link and you can purchase tickets there. Only $25 and it will be a fabulous night of fun, buying (heaps and heaps) and socialising. Grab a group of friends and come along. If anyone has the ability to put up flyers, that would be much appreciated. Let Sarah Warhurst know who can send through documents.
Tickets are available via www.eventbrite.co.nz (direct link) or via the Facebook page. |
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Tree PlantingThe Beachcare planting on Sunday 18th August was successful with 500 natives planted in less than 1 hour at the far end of Tomahawk Beach, with approximately 60 people involved (kids included). John Drummond with his daughter Sarah, Alistair Logan, and myself (with 4 year old son Saul) were there, and enjoyed the sunshine and great company with the BBQ, cake and soup at the end of the planting. This is the last planting for the year, as winter is the best time to get the plants established. In November (7th) we will help with releasing, which where weeds and invasive species are removed around the young plants, to help them survive. |
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Youth Exchange Update - GeorgeOur current outbound Youth Exchange student George is almost half way through his 12 month exchange in Vienna, Austria. George writes: I’m fast approaching the halfway point on my exchange and going through the emotional experience of farewelling my homebound oldies. I’ve made some great friends in the group and I look forward to meeting the newbies in August. Over the last couple of months it’s been getting much hotter and the weather is now consistently in the low 30s - not the most pleasant heat in a built-up city like Vienna. Other than lots of swimming and a switch in host families I don’t have too much to report. I did a farewell camping trip with the other exchange students to present the completion certificates to the oldies and formally say goodbye. I got eaten alive by mosquitoes but enjoyed the beautiful village of Mattsee, in Salzburg state. A highlight of the last two months for me was travelling to Salzburg and staying with a friend’s host family with 5 other exchange students, volunteering a helping hand to build a new deck for the family. We got our hands dirty in sweltering heat and later a thunderstorm but we got the job done and were rewarded with amazing food and hospitality. We got along so well with the family that they invited us back two weeks later to do a free canyoning trip with the host dad, who is a trained canyoning guide. It was so much fun and I gained a lot of confidence by free-falling 14 metres into a narrow canyon with no ropes - had to check some of the fine print on my insurance for that one. Looking forward to the rest of Summer and the second half of my exchange!
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Phil KerPhil Ker the CEO of the Otago Polytechnic outlined the Polytechnic and the Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) reforms at our August 15 meeting. Click through below for write-up. Photo: Ron Palenski |
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Damian NewellRadio Breeze broadcaster and three-year City Councillor Damian impressed with his positive view of Dunedin and its environs. Born in Invercargill, where the absence of hills allowed him to bike everywhere, he was attracted to Dunedin’s music weekends while in his teens. He had nine years in broadcasting, initially doing the midnight to dawn shift in Invercargill, then moved to Queenstown before shifting to Dunedin in 1999. He currently hosts the 6:00am to 10:00am on “The Breeze”. Damian likes the size of Dunedin and the rarity of its wildlife. Loves the music scene and recommends “The Chills” movie. His positivity and admiration of our forebears’ ‘can-do’ attitude contribute to him being in favour of the waterfront development and our club’s community work. He would like to see us doing even more.
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Food Bank Supermarket CollectionThe food bank supermarket collection was run successfully last Thursday 1st August. This was the first monthly 'sleeves rolled up' activity of the new Rotary year. Members of the committee donated generously to support the St Vincent de Paul, Presbyterian Support, and the Salvation Army. Multiple trolleys full of food items were received at each of the three supermarkets chosen. Thank you to all of our Rotary members and friends who volunteered to help. Update: below is Don and his granddaughter who helped out on the day: Below is President John Drummond and Gaye Wright in action on the day.
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James Cameron Challenging the Deep ExhibitionA great night was had last week by our members at the new James Cameron 'Challenging the Deep' Exhibition at Otago Museum. 26 people attended with $125 raised for Shelter Box. The exhibition itself was very impressive and is recommended to those who could not make it. Many thanks to Murray Bayly for helping make this happen.
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Welcome back Katie Slaughter!A big welcome back to Katie Slaughter (Tucholski) who has rejoined the Club and was re-inducted on 25th July. Katie is a marketing strategist at Walsh & Beck.
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No meeting this weekPlease note there is no regular meeting this week (Thursday 1st August). Instead a number of our members will be collecting donations for local food banks at three local supermarkets from 4pm to 6pm. This will be followed by an informal dinner at Cobb & Co at 7pm, $20 for a two course meal. This meal is open to all regardless of whether you are joining the supermarket collecting earlier.
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Rotary Dunedin Youth Committee Mystery DinnerSaturday September 21st or Saturday 28th (your choice). $50 per head and BYO. The mystery is you don't know:
Until the Saturday morning when you open your sealed envelope with the appropriate detail of where and when.You will meet your host and fellow guests that night. You are most welcome to bring friends who will be allocated the same host as you. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HOST Please contact Brian Daniels bdandcher@hotmail.com Spaces will be limited. SAVE THE DATE |
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Rotary Exclusive - James Cameron Challenging the Deep ExhibitionInterested in seeing the new James Cameron 'Challenging the Deep' Exhibition at the Otago Museum? We are pleased to announce Rotary Dunedin will have an exclusive after hours social event with this world class touring exhibition ! This will be held Tuesday 23 July from 5.30pm to 7pm. Tickets will include access to the exhibition, a welcome drink on arrival along with some nibbles. A cash bar will also be available. Tickets $35 for Adults, and $18 for Children (Children under 3 free). Not only that, a donation from each ticket sold will be made to Shelter Box! Note no food and drink can be taken into exhibition. Register now via the event page here. Tickets are strictly limited so don't miss out! For more information on the exhibition, click through below, or visit: https://otagomuseum.nz/whats-on/see/exhibition/james-cameron-challenging-the-deep Bring a friend (A great opportunity to promote Rotary)!
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District Governor Tania LowreyDG Tania Lowery (Balclutha club) addressed the club via a DVD. The main topics she covered were –
Update: video link now provided on click through below to watch her address – it’s well worth it! Check out her car and how the DGE-E got arrested, tried and sentenced. She also promoted the District Conference (17-19 April 2020) and it sounds like a winner. Plan to be there. |
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President John Drummond - The Year AheadOur new President, John Drummond presented his vision for the club in the coming year at the 4th July meeting. He quoted Tania lowery (DG) “less Hui more Do-Ye”. John outlined steps to achieve this:
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Improvements to West Harbour Trail BBQ ShelterA crack team of our members has been busy making some improvements to the BBQ shelter on the West Harbour Recreation Trail. Big thanks to Malcolm Liddell, Neil Lyons, Dave Richardson, David Neill, and Peter Gouverneur for making this happen. Click through for some photos.
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Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes for end of monthOur meetings in the last week of the month will have a new format starting from July. As President John mentioned in his address a few weeks ago, this meeting will be all about fellowship and communication. What does this mean exactly? Well, on July 25th this will include:
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Community Food Pantry - Free!NATION’S CHURCH Community Outreach is thrilled to announce that the Community Food Pantry is now open! Open 24/7 to everyone. Take what you need No judgment. All welcome. |
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Changeover 2019A successful Changeover evening was enjoyed on Thursday 27th June 2019 with Presidential duties transferred from Lisa Wilson to John Drummond. Some photos can be viewed here.
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Naomi Miller of Water Under the Bridge PublicationsNaomi gave us an insight into her life as a writer in which much of her work is writing and publishing books reflecting the life of an individual in a family. Many of these individuals are old and the family wished to have record of their lives and of the wider family. Naomi started as a journalist in Christchurch and after 16 years moved to Dunedin. She had a neighbour (Syd) who was a character and after getting to know him better thought his story was well worth telling. She has gone on to write many books and due to age of her subjects she needed to be very patient and understanding of their reminiscences. Each book generally takes 4 – 6 months. Naomi has a website www.waterunderthebridge.nz . The name coming from the old saying. |
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Anna KaarillAnna Kaarill spoke to our Club on Thursday June 13th about the highlights of her year in New Zealand. A copy of Anna's presentation can be downloaded here.
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PHF Sapphire presented to Graeme LeithGraeme Leith was presented with a Paul Harris Fellowship Sapphire Pin for his donations to Rotary at last week's meeting by President Lisa Wilson:
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Tramping Season 2020 OpeningThe Otago Youth Adventure Trust / Milton Rotary Tramping Season opens soon and bookings can be made after June 18th at https://www.otagorotarytrusttramps.org.nz Information about the trips is on the website. |
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Jane LudemannOur speaker on 6 June 2019 was Jane Ludemann. Jane was diagnosed with ovarian cancer two years ago at the age of 32 and she told us about her life prior to her diagnosis of cancer, her fight with the disease, and her story in creating an initial charity. Jane is a young woman who has everything to live for. She has a mathematics degree and works as an optometrist. She has been a keen tramper, half marathon runner and rock climber. As well as this Jane has been a competition debater. |
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Changeover Dinner 2019This years Changeover Dinner will be held on Thursday 27th June 2019 at the Cobb & Co Restaurant. Registration is open now via the link below (note once you have gone through to the event page page you will then need to click the registration button). RSVP's close Tuesday 25th June. |
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Volunteers needed for OctacanIf you can help collect donations for Octacan on Thursday 20th June please contact Hannah Day on 477 7115. If you cannot give your time please remember to donate cans or money. Presbyterian Support |
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Mid Winter CarnivalVolunteers are needed to assist with this year's Mid Winter Carnival on Saturday 22nd June. For more information click through below.
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Women in RotaryWomen in Rotary, like water on stone, it took a long time. June Mills gave us an eye opening talk on the long and slow progress to admit women into Rotary Clubs around the world. First credit goes to the Rotary Club in India, for its 1950 proposal to delete ‘male’ from the Rotary Constitution. In 1964 Rotary Ceylon also tried, and then in 1972 the US was not successful. In 1977 three unsuccessful proposals are made to the Rotary Convention. However the Rotary Club of Duarte, acts on its own and admits women. Its membership of Rotary International is terminated in March 1978. In 1983 the California Court upholds the decision, but in 1986 the decision is reversed. This is appealed in the US Supreme Court and on 4th May 1987 it decides Rotary cannot exclude women on the basis of gender. By June 1990 there are 20,200 female Rotarians worldwide. June joined on 7th Sept 1995 and she with Astrid Winfur, were the first women into our club, from a decision made by Pres. Stuart Heal, and invited to join by member John Heslop. John and his wife Barbara, had many debates on the subject of women’s possible rotary membership, sometimes with June listening. It seems that other Rotary clubs had been somewhat sceptical that Dunedin would ever invite women, but history has shown that significant progress has been made, and the Dunedin and all Rotary clubs, are all the better, for those who took the first steps. |
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Polio UpdateThere are now 24 confirmed cases of polio this year – 7 in Afghanistan and 17 in Pakistan – all as a result of the ongoing hostilities along the border between the two countries. When you read the stories included on the attached link, you will understand the difficulty of the situation and the bravery of our volunteers. Bill Gates leaves no doubt on the absolute vital nature of ongoing support from Rotary – along with his commitment. Please find attached information on what is being done to address the challenging situation in Pakistan. |
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Anne-Marie WellsAnne Marie Wells gave an entertaining talk to members at our 23 May Club Meeting. Anne's talk covered many topics including falling in love with her NZ husband while mountain climbing, and a career change from a software engineer to a dairy farmer.
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Trees for FamiliesThe Trees for Families event was successfully held again on Saturday 11th May. There was a great turn out once again. Thanks goes to the City and Community team and other volunteers for digging over 60 holes!
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Charity Dinner - save the date!A Charity Dinner is planned for Saturday 22nd June. Venue is Blacks Hotel in Ophir. A 5 course dinner is planned with Emersons beer to match. Other highlights will include a magic show from Jonathan Usher and music from professional guitarist Luke Flanders. Tickets will be $120 a head, and for those who wish to stay overnight a reduced accomodation rate of $125 a room including breakfast for two will be available. Funds raised will benefit Camp Quality who support children living with Cancer in Otago. Contact Ron Mackintosh for more information.
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Donation presented to Otago Youth Adventure TrustThe Rotary Club of Dunedin was pleased to present a donation of $4,050 to the Otago Youth Adventure Trust at our Club Meeting on Thursday 9th May. The funds were proceeds from Circus Quirkus fundraising. OYAT Chairman Stephen Woodhead gave a presentation on the Trust's activities in the community and our own members Graeme Chesney and Catherine Goodyear recounted our Club's involvement over the years. Stephen spoke about the great work that the OYAT who are half the partnership with the Milton Rotary in the OYAT/Milton Rotary Tramping Club, they can have between 900 – 1,200 trampers per year, on walks and cycle trails. The OYAT primary focus is on youth with schools being the main users of the camps. They significantly depend on donations, such as from Dunedin Rotary, as they have a number of large assets to maintain, such as the Tautuku Outdoor Education Centre, which takes up to 90 people, Berwick Lodge taking 67, and the Sutton Camp 20. Activities include abseiling, kayaking, archery, group projects and wall climbing. Tautuku was a Judge JD Murray initiative in the 60s for wayward youth and Berwick by Rotary in the 80’s. All these camps are needed and so is regular maintenance, which requires funding from somewhere. The Trust employs 2 permanent and 2 part time staff. Looking to the future, a web site is being up graded and marketing initiatives undertaken to support the great work being done. Graeme Leith |
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Professional Development Group from Rotary District 9830 Tasmania, Australia.We were privileged to hear from six members of the Professional Development Group from Rotary District 9830 Tasmania, Australia. The group consisted of the following:
George, the Team Leader - a Finance Manager Annie, a 28 year old Marine Scientist. Laura, a 30 year old Business Development Manager. Margot, a 26 year old Rural Reporter with ABC Radio. Graham, a 30 year old Engagement Specialist with Tourism Tasmania. Ellen, a 26 year old Wildlife Management Officer.
All speakers were passionate about Tasmania and provided us with some very interesting information. |
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Bruce Cowan recognisedRotary Club of Dunedin member and past District Governor Bruce Cowan was recognised at the recent District Conference in Oamaru. In presenting Bruce with a sapphire pin to his Paul Harris Fellowship, District Governor Andrew Hamilton noted Bruce's work and dedication to our Rotary District which has been spread over the past six years. During this period he has faced many challenges, which have been dealt with the upmost integrity and upholding of the principles of the Rotary Four Way Test. He has put 100’s & 100s of hours of work into helping run and support the Rotary District. First as an Assistant Governor, then as a member of the Governor Train, including his year as District Governor, and then recently as Chair of the District Training Committee – and always with a smile on his face. Congratulations Bruce!
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Speech Competition WinnerA big congratulations to Alice for winning the Four Way Test Speech Completion Final at the District Conference last weekend!
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Please register/RSVP for this weeks meetingThis week our Club is hosting the Tasmanian Professional Development Exchange team to present. We are extending a special invitation to all local Rotarians to attend our meeting and thus would appreciate if everyone who is attending can register via the link below. This will enable enough tables and chairs to be set out regardless of meal orders. Note this is for the 02 May meeting only, and you will still need to order a meal separately in the usual way if you would like one. |
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Life Matters Suicide Prevention TrustAt the lunch time meeting on Thursday 18th, we welcomed Denise Kent and Carolyn McMillan to speak about Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust. This was initiated seven years ago by Corinda Taylor following the death of her son. She called a public meeting to gauge interest in setting up some form of support after finding the mental health “system” sadly lacking. These efforts snowballed and resulted in a petition to parliament, eventually culminating in the Mental Health Inquiry which reported to Parliament in December 2018 with a predicted outcome and report from the Health Minister in April or May of this year. |
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Walking Wine TourBy all accounts a great time was had at the Walking Wine Tour held this month in Cromwell. Some photos can be viewed on our website here.
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Rotary response to Christchurch Mosque TragedyPlease find below a letter from District 9970 District Governor John Driscoll and the Presidents of the Riccarton, Ferrymead and Linwood/Woolston Rotary Clubs. Dear Fellow Rotarians, Firstly, we would like to thank the many individual Rotarians and clubs within New Zealand, across the Tasman, and around the world for your response to this call for support after the tragic shootings in Christchurch on March 15th. This all developed rather spontaneously, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. We have of course anticipated that written acknowledgements and receipts are essential, and a spreadsheet of donors has been maintained which we will process as soon as possible. As this evolved it quickly it became clear that the support from Rotary would be required in two key stages; responding to immediate need, and establishing a longer term fund in which Rotary and leaders within our local Islamic community will work together in providing continued support into the medium and long term. Over the past couple of weeks, a number of Rotarians including myself have been volunteering at the Support Centre and Hub set up at Hagley Park by the city council and local Muslim leadership, to provide a place for victims and effected families from that community to seek support and access immediate help. Through this we have been able to get to know key people and undertake a degree of diligence with regards to the level and types of need required and how best to distribute this. We have also seen how absolute and devastating the trauma associated with this event has been and the stories heard will stay with us for a long time to come. We have closed an effective "stage 1" of this appeal at $50,000 which is being handed over to the Canterbury Muslim Community Trust (coordinating direct support to victims and families via the support hub based at Hagley Park). Today we are handing over $25,000 in grocery, petrol and taxi vouchers and a further $25,000 in cash into a medium-term fund run by that trust to provide counselling and psychological support in a culturally appropriate way. |
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Let’s help Sakhr become a KiwiMany Club Members will remember Sakhr Munassar when he attended a Club Meeting last year on behalf of Red Cross. Rotarians in the District are trying to raise funds to help support Sakhr Munassar to stay in New Zealand. Sakhr Munassar came to NZ as a Rotary Scholar in 2016. A Yemeni passport holder, he came via the United States to study a Masters in peace and conflict studies at the University of Otago. While he was in New Zealand, the American immigration rules changed, which banned Yemeni passport holders from access to the US. Yemen is in the grips of war so going home has become an equal challenge. Now graduated, Sakhr works as a youth coordinator for the Red Cross in Otago. He runs multiple youth programs throughout the district, has assisted with the many Syrian refugees now settled in Dunedin and is actively involved in the community through Rotary, Rotaract and music. The strength of Rotaract in Dunedin is very much due to the effort and energy he put into it as a student – creating a sustainable organisation. He is an all round excellent citizen, but his first application for residency has been turned down by Immigration NZ. Sakhr has decided to appeal that decision, but that comes at a price. Rotary D9980 is inviting support from members to assist Sakhr in the legal costs of challenging that decision.His lawyer is an experienced immigration appeal lawyer and is confident there is a good chance of a successful appeal. Sakhr really appreciates the support Rotary members have given him. Click through for information on how to donate, and for photos of Sakr's work in our community. |
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2019 UN North America Leadership TourThe Rotary Club of Dunedin helped to assist Anne-Sophie Page attend the 2019 UN North America Leadership Tour with a grant of $1,000 late last year. Anne-Sophie recently returned from the tour and has put together a report and short video on her trip. These can be viewed by clicking through below to the story.
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Otago Youth Wellness TrustBarbara Payton, Manager of the Otago Youth Wellness Trust spoke to the Rotary Club of Dunedin on 04 April. Established 20 years ago by visionary, determined and dogmatic Pat Harrison the Otago Youth Wellness Trust is a wraparound service for 12 to 18 year olds. Barbara Payton, at OYWT since the get go herself, says that the secret of its success is that Pat took no prisoners in the one year set up. And this start as you mean to go on approach sees OYWT going from strength to strength. Click through for more on this story.
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Shave for a Cure“Shave for a Cure” is an annual cancer fundraiser. Sergeant Don’s wife Jan is a cancer survivor – breast cancer and several melanomas – and lives with the knowledge that they can reoccur at any time. This year she has shaved her head for this cause. You are cordially invited to meet Jan and see her actual “haircut” at this week’s meeting (28 March) … and to make a significant contribution to this cause during the Sergeant’s session. So come (financially) prepared. One guess who the Sergeant will be! Update: $220 raised towards the Shave for a Cure; cancer research charity! |
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Dunedin City Vigil - Forsyth Barr StadiumCarmen Houlahan and I have just witnessed the most amazing turnout of Dunedin people, in the face of the apalling Christchurch Mosque tragedy. After a meeting at the DCC in town where we were provided with "Official DCC Volunteer" badges, we made our way towards the stadium area. We met up with Rotary Dunedin South members, in a car park area that they usually operate, who had a supply of fluro vests, if we did not already have one, which we did. We were provided with money collection buckets and I took two of them. It was a short walk to the stadium and I ended up at Gate C on Anzac Ave, which is a continuation of Union St East. After sorting out where to position ourselves, there appeared in the distance coming out of Union St East, the most amazing column of people, about 6 or 8 wide, that walked silently forward to our gate and poured money into our buckets. The column was a never ending stream of old and young, and went on and on and on and on. It was a sight that I shall never forget. The two buckets did not seem heavy, because the flow of notes was heart warming. It eventually tapered off, it had to, because the stadium was filling up completely, except for the south stand which I was told was closed for maintanence. We handed in our buckets, happy that we had helped and gratified that we had seen the generosity of greater Dunedin in the face of an appalling unforgivable tragedy. Graeme Leith |
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Dunedin Wildlife Hospital Fundraiser SuccessA big thank you to all those people and sponsors that helped to make the Quiz Night fundraiser on the 13th March an an enjoyable and successful night. All funds raised are in support of the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital and we hope to present the donation at an upcoming meeting. The City and Community Committee would like to thank the following businesses who donated prizes:
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Statement on the Christchurch Mosque MassacreTo truly stand in solidarity with the victims of the Christchurch Mosque Massacre, we must recognise our failings A statement from staff and students at the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago |
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Rotary on the RadioA reminder the current series of radio broadcasts being presented fortnightly on Otago Access Radio by Ron Mackintosh and the Membership Committee is available on podcast at https://oar.org.nz/event/dunedin-rotary/ The latest (fifth!) episode features Steve Hyde, Ron Mackintosh and James MacDonell.
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Associate Professor Graeme Bremner - Forensics in AfricaAt short notice, Graeme Bremner filled the role of Guest Speaker informing and entertaining an average attendance of members, today 7 March. The Bremners are back in Dunedin again, but for a short time only, while their new house is built in Botswana. Graeme previously held positions with The University of Otago latterly as a Forensic Scientist in Animal Health while Gillian (member of Rotary Club of Dunedin 1998 -2018) was head of Presbyterian Support.
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Welcome to James MacDonellA big welcome to our new member James MacDonell who is transferring from the Invercargill NRG Club. James is a Senior Auditor at Crowe Horwath and was inducted into the Club on 7th March.
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Town & Country Safari 2019The Town & Country Committee held their annual Safari last weekend. Graeme Chesney reports. A selection of photos can be viewed here
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Kerry Buchan - University of Otago, celebrating 150 yearsKerry delivered a very well-presented overview of key dates and events planned for the 150th celebrations which will include in excess of 175 events of which 35 are classified as major events.
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Red Cross and Rotary Dunedin Youth Fund UpdateWe have received an update on the $3,000 donation the Rotary Club of Dunedin made to the New Zealand Red Cross just before the holiday break. This was the latest of several donations to help support former refugee young people to integrate into the Dunedin Community. Red Cross have advised they have now distributed all but $750 of the fund. The remainder of this fund will go towards covering term 1 activities for new arrival young people. CLARIFICATION: This update on the Red Cross and Rotary Dunedin Youth Fund was an account of Red Cross’s spending during 2018 of the donation made by The Rotary Club of Dunedin in 2017. The grant made at our final meeting of last year is yet to be disbursed and will be allocated during 2019.
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Mind the gap: Brain connections and behaviourRotary Club of Dunedin member Ruth Empson (Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago) is presenting her Inaugural Professorial Lecture on Tuesday 12th February 2019 at 5.30pm. The venue will be the Archway 1 Lecture Theatre, Union Street East on the University of Otago campus.
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ClubRunner IntroductionClub member Cameron Olsen gave a excellent presentation on Club Runner the new Rotary Software that the club has changed to (Cameron is the administrator).
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Gertje Peterson – Gene Editing TechnologyOur first guest speaker for the year was Gertje Peterson from Abacus Biotech who spoke at our 24th January meeting.
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Grant Chirnside and David Neill recognisedThe Rotary Club of Dunedin was pleased to recognise the service of two of our members recently; Grant Chirnside with a Paul Harris Fellow, and David Neill with a Paul Harris Sapphire Pin.
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Bethune's Gully BarbequeA good time was had by all at the club member barbeque earlier this week at Bethune's Gully. Thankfully the rain clouds held off for a pleasant evening. Click on the link for more photos (photos credit: Lynne Guy, Cameron Olsen).
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Red Cross DonationThe Rotary Club of Dunedin was pleased to present a $3,000 donation to the Red Cross at yesterdays Club Meeting. RCOD Present Lisa Wilson is pictured with Sakhr Munassar, the local Youth Co-ordinator from the Red Cross.
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National Science Forum ContributionsThe Rotary Club of Dunedin will be supporting two students to attend the National Science Forum in 2019. Two students - Matthew Kinley (from OBHS) and James Mitchell (from LPHS), have been successful in being selected by the district. This contribution will be made from the Hugh Saunders Trust.
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Darryl Robinson and Graham Leith recognisedA very Hearty congratulations to Darryl Robinson and Graham Leith for their Paul Harris Awards today for their outstanding commitment to our community via Rotary projects. Very well deserved indeed. |
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Combined Rotary Club Tree PlantingGrant and President Lisa helping out at the combined Rotary Clubs planting at Panpac in Milburn last Saturday 1st September 2018. All trees planted result in a donation per plant to the Sinclair Wetlands.
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Keep Dunedin Beautiful Awards 2018The Rotary Club of Dunedin was pleased to be recognised at the Keep Dunedin Beautiful awards on Monday 30 July 2018. Our club received First place in the Taylor Community Pride Award 2018 for our work on the West Harbour Trail. Excellent recognition for an excellent project. Photo – Brenda Harwood
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Brain Injury Association DonationThe Rotary Club of Dunedin is pleased to advise it has agreed to grant $500 from the Club Trust to Brain Injury Association (Otago) to assist in sending two Liaison Officers to a training workshop in Christchurch on 8 August 2018. Training of this type is rarely available in the South Island and the Association supports over 560 clients who are affected by brain injury in the South Island.
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Gift Basket of GoodiesA gift basket of goodies was a welcome Friday surprise for Dunedin Hospital emergency department nurses on the 6th of July. Rotary Club of Dunedin Club delivered the treats to thank the nursing staff for the great job they do. Organiser Carmen Houlahan said the club was planning a series of random acts of kindness and ED staff were an easy choice as the first recipients. “As a family we’ve had our kids in ED and the staff were great.” Dunedin Rotary president Lisa Wilson said she hoped other clubs and organisations would follow its lead with some acts of kindness of their own. “It’s an easy thing to do. It’s about acknowledging members of our community and saying thanks for their work.” |
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Helping people with disabilities make their own musicMusic has been an important part of leading an ordinary life for students at the Music School for Children With Disabilities in Honor of Paul Harris in Lublin, Poland. Founded by Rotary members, the school serves 20 students with various disabilities, including Down syndrome, autism, and visual impairments. The Rotary Club of Lublin-Centrum-Maria Curie-Sklodowska has provided funding with help from Rotary Foundation Matching Grants and the Henryk Wieniawski Musical Society, which houses the school. After their son Mateusz was born with underdeveloped eyes, Mariusz and Joanna Kania looked for ways to help him be active. When he showed an aptitude for music, they looked for a teacher and were thrilled to find the Paul Harris music school. |
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Finding Safe HavenFor years, Angalia Bianca had slept in abandoned buildings throughout Chicago. She stole. She did drugs. She spent time in and out of jail for forgery, theft, trespassing, and possession of narcotics. But after she landed in prison for the seventh time, something changed -- Bianca knew she wanted a better life. She just didn’t know how to make it happen. After serving her time, Bianca sought help from a local homeless organization, A Safe Haven, and moved to its shelter in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Bianca followed the program closely -- she attended all the required meetings, passed drug tests, and volunteered at every opportunity.
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Saving lives in GhanaWhat is it like taking a large team to Africa? It has probably been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. In mid February, I began leading Rotary members from all over the East Coast of the United States through Ghana. I’ve tried to give the team a warm Ghanaian welcome like I’ve received on my earlier trips. A large trip is a real blessing because each person sees Ghana and our work in a different way. A highlight for the team was greeting the chief of Sagadugu. The team got excited about buying goats and food for children in the villages where I support eight churches. It was good to see the pastors of most of the eight churches, and I had to explain that we were just passing through on our way to Bolgatanga. |
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India celebrates three years without polioThroughout India and around the world, Rotary clubs are celebrating a major milestone: India has gone three years without a new case of polio. The last reported case was a two-year-old girl in West Bengal on 13 January 2011. To mark this historic triumph, Rotary clubs illuminated landmarks and iconic structures throughout the country with four simple but powerful words, "India is polio free." The three-year achievement sets the stage for polio-free certification of the entire Southeast Asia region by the World Health Organization. The Indian government also plans to convene a polio summit in February to commemorate this victory in the global effort to eradicate polio. |