The District Governor, in his presentation at last Mondays meeting covered a number of timely issues and initiatives that were already in our planning for the year. These are detailed in the scribes report on the meeting.
As I indicated the Board did issue members subscription notice for this Rotary year without first raising that at a meeting.The subscription that has been set was based on estimated club expenses for the year plus dues to District and International. Every attempt was made to keep that to a minimum. The big change for this year is that we have included a Foundation donation of $50. Members can choose not to pay that or to make a larger donation. A receipt will be issued for taxation purposes.I am of course hoping that members will make the donation.
The Governor also spoke highly of the anniversary sculpture project and this bulletin includes some images of our artist, hard at work on the sculpture.
He also talked about membership and included ideas that are central to the work that Peter Hawkins as the member with the membership remit is already doing.
Finally, in recognising and applauding a range of the significant projects and initiatives that this club has been responsible for he reminded us of the contributions we have made and hopefully that encourages us to keep up the good work.
You will notice that there are two scribes report in this edition. That is due to the editor being in the South Island last week. On the bright side it does ensure more reading for lockdown.
On the meeting of the 2nd of August, Dennis Millard, General Manager for the Trees for Survival Trust presented o the club.
The whole organisation has come through considerable change since its inception nearly 30 years ago, from a 3-school involvement in Pakuranga to now 152 schools throughout New Zealand active, with nearly 40 waiting to get involved. Demand well exceeding supply. These schools have now planted out nearly 2 million trees, which has had a huge educational and social benefit to the thousands of school children involved. Dennis explained the program as it is today covering all aspects from current funding requirements, the change to a commercially managed operation with increased cost requirements, the continued requirement for rotary support, eco seedling sourcing by district, propagation and distribution, and landowner responsibilities.
He is passionate about TFS and congratulated the Pakuranga Club for starting such a worthwhile project, thanking those who had participated through the nearly 30 years of its existence. That connection was recognised with a presentation to Noel Holyoake and Don Bowater, the details of which are also in this bulletin.
As part of the guest speakers Dennis Millard, General Manager for the Trees for Survival Trust visit to the club a presentation was made by Noel Holyoake, a Foundation Trustee of the Trees for Survival Trust, to past President Don Bowater. Don has retired from the club and from the TFS Trust, after a considerable period as a trustee, seeing the organisation through the difficult years of limited funds and constraints, through to its current successes.
Don was thanked by Noel for his considerable contribution to the success of the organisation and was presented with a desk mounted TFS plaque. Don responded with thanks.
Saara Yiakop was introduced by Graham Kearns giving a background to awarding her a Paul Harris Fellow.
This was for the work that she had done in support for the organising committee for the 50th Anniversary Celebrations. She assisted in the presentation of the booklet, the organisation of the evening, and was an integral part of the success of the event.
Graham present Saara with her pin and accompanying documentation.
DG Steve Chaney, ably assisted by his wife Edith and incorporating te Reo by way of introduction and acknowledgements, presented his address to the club this week.
Elaborating on the World President Sheka Mela’s theme of Think Global, Act Local, Steve outlined the main goals for the year. In summary they are:
Increasing membership based on the mantras Each One/Bring One and Come Join Rotary, Steve called for growth in existing clubs as well as starting new ones. A ‘health check’ is advocated to find out what works for each club and building on strengths – a wide range of models is available – Cause based, e-based etc. The drop from about 2000 to 1200 members in District 9920 indicates the extent of the haemorrhaging over the last few years.
Steve informed us that District Committees on Membership, Public Image and ICT Strategy will be working in close collaboration to enhance any action in this area.
Empowering girls – four clubs in Auckland are giving support to Teen Parenting units in four schools – what other initiatives could be dreamt up?
Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion – need for continued strong support for Pacific Island communities, especially Fiji where NGOs have to work under the radar largely. To help promote these ideals, Peter Boshier, the Ombudsman, will be a guest speaker at the next District Conference at Te Papa in June next year. The Bill and Lorna Boyd Trust’s work in promoting literacy fits well into these goals. Collaborative Rotary actions are to be encouraged – joint projects with other clubs and use of Friends of Rotary.
Supporting Rotary Foundation – this branch of Rotary sets us apart from many other charities. Our club’s fees this year include an optional donation of $50 to Foundation.
Protecting the environment – many very successful projects are in train right now – wetland restoration, protecting the ‘Treasured Waters’ of the Waitemata, pest eradication, Mangere streams, Trees for Survival etc – good reason to hold heads high when faced with criticism from the new generation.
Leadership and Learning development – the effectiveness of Zoom to promote interaction and training programmes was highlighted – especially effective in training sessions for Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers across the huge 9920 district. Clubs are encouraged to consult the District website where all club activities are to be listed.
Many artists who design major sculptural work have much of the heavy physical work done by others but not Dion the artist crafting our anniversary project.
This month, PolioPlus. I was going to start with Afghanistan but events have moved too quickly. Will just comment that we have only located one case of wild polio virus in Afghanistan [and only one in Pakistan] this year and certainly up to the end of May our partnership was active. In May there were 712 739 children vaccinated using 307 permanent transit sites and 15 cross border vaccination points in Afghanistan.
Back to the beginning. In the 1970s some Rotary leaders thought that we had matured enough to undertake some “corporate” projects rather than stay with each club being totally independent.
We had an ally in UNICEF with whom Rotary had worked often so Rotary applied to WHO seeking recognition in 1985 and it was granted. The hard work was about to begin!
In the 1970s some Rotary leaders thought that we had matured enough to undertake some “corporate” projects rather than stay with each club being totally independent.
Clem Renouf, who was guest speaker at our club 50th Celebration, was particularly vocal about Rotary’s ability to do something larger and he was criticised for it. Clem held strong and the Health, Hunger and Humanity programme was introduced. Clem asked a prominent US Pediatrician what Rotary could do and was told that a new oral vaccine would allow the eradication of polio. Smallpox has just been eradicated at a cost of around $100 000 so polio should not be overly expensive. Rotary approached the World Health Organisation to seek a partnership and we were told that while eradication was now possible, it was logistically impossible to put two drops of vaccine in the mouths of all the world’s children.
Rotary decided that we would run a polio eradication campaign to prove it was possible and the first 3H programme, to eradicate polio in the Philippines, began on September 29, 1979. It gained tremendous support. Manufacturers gave some free vaccine [we bought the rest!], airlines flew supplies into the Philippines pro bono, there was publicity internationally, and a five year programme was completed in three.
RI got excited by this and in February 1982 adopted a resolution to eradicate polio by our Centenary in 2005. WHO was still not as enthusiastic. At a social function at the World Health Assembly in 1984, the Director General of WHO was blunt. He said that volunteer organisations had approached WHO like this before but do-gooders make promises but fail to follow through. So, Rotary, we appreciate your interest but would like you to go home.
The situation in Afghanistan has escalated since a zoom meeting of RI END POLIO NOW Coordinators last week but several messages with great impact were delivered by our senior leaders during that meeting.
Many Rotarians have expressed concern about the future of our Polio Eradication Initiative – when ultimate success is so close.
However, RI Past President and 2021/22 Chair of The Rotary Foundation, John Germ, told the meeting Rotary’s team has been working with the Taliban for some time and we need to remember ‘the Taliban have children too – and want them protected against Polio’.
DG Steve Chaney, ably assisted by his wife Edith and incorporating te Reo by way of introduction and acknowledgements, presented his address to the club this week.
