At Club Assembly I had the opportunity to give some signals about the year ahead. There remains a raft of initiatives and activities that our club will continue to do and be involved in from the River Carnival to Dictionaries in schools. 

 

However in recognition of our age and stage as a club there was also a signal of maintenance, of working with the strengths we have rather than a period of major change. 

The new regionalisation initiative will have some focus on our local clubs working more closely together which will be a potentially positive change. The larger focus seems to be on attracting new members as there is serious concern about falling numbers in our local districts.

I am sure all members would welcome a growth in club numbers but the programme is seemingly finding progress more difficult than anticipated. 

Govind's Rotaract drive is one response to that. 

 

 

Past President Govind is actively working to set up a Rotaract Club.

 

This material that will go out to past Interactors but can also go to any young person who might be interested.

If you are able to pass this on to any young people who you think might be interested in becoming a foundation member of a new club that would be gratefully appreciated. 

 

 

 

Recently, Trustees of the Trust - Sylvie Wilkinson (Chair), Don Lawry, Nick Loseby and David Wardell, accompanied by Bill Duncan – a Past Trustee and Govind Pani, as Pakuranga Rotary Club President, visited both Pakuranga Intermediate School and Riverhills School. The reason for the visits was to see how the funds that the Trust had donated to those schools had been put to good use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Pakuranga Intermediate School, Principal Stephen Johnston explained that the school had a vision to, “wrap the school in art”. To that end students were engaged in continuing to paint various murals around the buildings. Under the tutelage of the art enrichment teacher the students planned the murals and then, over several weeks, painted them.

 

We were all most impressed with both the planning that went into the projects and the perfection, and attention to detail, of the final product.

The Trust’s funds had helped with the purchase of materials and also the protective coats that the children wore with pride.

 

Riverhills School Principal Sarah Allen, showed us the tar sealed “pump track” that had been constructed to adjoin the perimeter track in the school playground. It had all been done to a very professional standard and was obviously being enjoyed by the children who were rostered on to use it at that morning’s playtime.

 

The children, at this stage, are bringing their own bikes, or scooters, and helmets.

They were zooming around burning up energy which Sarah felt enabled them to settle, and be more focused, when they returned to class.

 

Again, the trustees felt that the Trust’s contribution to this project had been money well spent.

 

Both schools impressed as being extremely well run and deserving of the financial assistance that the Trust was able to offer.

 

 

Christian is the Village Manager at Pakuranga Park Village, one of 4 villages operated by Real Living, and joined the Club last year. But his awareness of Pakuranga Rotary arose many years ago as an assistant manager at Waipuna.

 

Christian had started his work life as a plumbing apprentice but ended up in hospitality as a result of an injury which curtailed his plumbing career. Senior positions at Spencer on Byron, and Clearwater Resort were followed by a massive project at Stamford Plaza in Auckland as Director of Food and Beverage. A further stint at Waipuna was interrupted by the pandemic and the conversion of Waipuna to a managed isolation facility.

 

The opportunity to make a positive difference to the lives of the residents of Pakuranga Park Village made accepting the position of Village Manager an easy one, consistent with his values of wanting to give back to our community. The concentration is on ensuring the Village is person centric so that residents are able to live the best life they can.

 

 

 

 

 

Mike is South African born but went to Europe in 1974 and met up with his wife to be in London in 1975.

The couple made their way to New Zealand and in order to comply with NZ Immigration requirements, married within 3 months of arriving here. He was a member of Jaycee’s for 14 years and has spent more than 30 years as a successful realtor.