President Govind welcomed guests and members including:
The Honourable Michael Woods, Former Labour Party Minister of Transport and Deputy Leader of the House
District Governor-Vidja Chand
Exec.District Secretary - Nitika Chand
Past District Governor - Gary Langford and wife Jan,
Past District Governor - Willard Martin and wife Gabrielle
Rotary Community Leader - Evelyn York
Past President of Highbrook Rotary - Leslie McLagan
Adele Siljeur - Pakuranga College
President of Inner Wheel - Sue Miller
During the year the club focus has been on fellowship and President Govind thanked Malcolm McLagan, Graham Kearns, Dennis Kavanagh and Ian Handisides for their assistance.
The accompanying Power Point presentation highlighted the club’s main activities undertaken during the year. Whilst we are only a small group of members the number of projects and range of projects is impressive and our new sculpture located on the rotary footpath is drawing favourable comment from the local community and visitors to the area.
The River Carnival, Golf Day and the Diwali Celebrations were very successful.
Govind presented a Paul Harris Fellowship to Lesley McLagan, for her tireless work for Rotary including the planning and management of the River Festival .
In presenting Adele Siljur with a Paul Harris Fellowship, Peter Woodcock outlined the very valuable work that Adele had done for many years with an active and involved Pakuranga College Interact Club.
Govind then presented the annual Rotarian Cup to Graham Kearnes.
Our guest speaker Michael Woods has enjoyed a long association with the Pakuranga area reminiscing about the times when what is now heavily built up residential and commercial was once open farmland. Memories includes attending Pakuranga College where he was a member of the school debating team which participated in the Holyoake debate and defeated Saint Kentigern College.
In his youth he worked parttime at Hugh Wrights and commented on the associated benefits of interacting with customers, something that and brought back memories for many members who had also worked in the retail area in their youth.
He provided an interesting insight into New Zealand today and the problems we all face, the pressures facing many in the workplace and not surprisingly the pressures of a career in politics.