DG Mitch April Message

 Our dinner has been shifted from RNZAF Base Ohakea (due to operational needs) to the Palmerston North Convention Centre.  Be prepared for a night to Go in to the Wild Blue Yonder .

 We will Go Wild About Rotary with an amazing dinner and entertainment from Mark Williams and the Rodger Fox Big Band, through the night and then culminating in a musical and dance festival of own own to celebrate a year where we have definitely Gone Wild About Rotary !! 

 Get dressed to dance the night away.

 

Past District Governor Rodney Wong and Angela with support from District 9910 Governor David and Denise Oliphant from the Rotary Club of Henderson in Auckland will host Rotary International Presidents Representative and Rotary International Director Elect  2018-20 Rafael Garcia III from the Philippines and his wife Minda.  

 

 

Inspirational speakers will include an iconic ambassador from the Wildbase Recovery Centre, Wildbase and Wildlife author Janet Hunt,

Refugee and Polio survivor Karim Rostami, Peace Doctorate Student Tonga Karena, Rocketlab - to space from NZ, The Poppy Place Trust, Our street names - Our People, RI Director Elect Raffy Garcia III, and RI President Ian Riseley!

 

The culmination of the weekend will be on Sunday 13th May morning with our Annual General Meeting at 8.30am followed by the opening of our District Training Assembly with District Governor Elect Marion Johnston. A day full of information for you to invest in as we continue to develop and maintain our Rotary knowledge.  All Rotarians are invited to this day  The day concludes at the Palmerston North Convention Centre at 3.00pm.

Register today for District Training Assembly http://rotary9940.org/event/district-training-assembly-2018/

 

Get NOTICED at RotaFEST - To SPONSOR our Rotary event of the year and ensure your business has a great profile at RotaFEST 18, you are invited to contact Scotty Bruce email - scottybruce64@gmail.com - to sponsor our speakers, lunches, morning and afternoon teas as well as our Saturday night celebration dinner and dance with Mark Williams and the Rodger Fox Big Band. Please get in touch with Scotty today and show your sponsorship support!

 

Our big public profile in the Palmerston North Square will see High School Youth Jazz Bands, as well as Mark Williams and the Rodger Fox Big Band perform live at RotaFEST 18 - Our Festival of Rotary from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 12th May. I invite all Rotary Clubs to bring their information and projects that have supported and Made A Difference to you community this year to showcase in the Square. Here we will show how our community service has supported our communities. 

The marquee has been supported by Massey University to promote Rotary to the public and our Rotarian's over the weekend of RotaFEST 18.

 

After all of this .. now you definitely need to REGISTER for RotaFEST 18, what an event NOT to be missed - Register here;  https://hoteventsnz.eventsair.com/rotafest2018/rotafest-2018/Site/Register

 

 

The most amazing experience was for our Rotary District host Rotary International President Ian Riseley. Ian made his significant Rotary presence felt with a lunch and presentation to 50 Rotarian's and guests. This was followed by a visit to the Wildbase Hospital at Massey University. The afternoon culminated in a tour of the nearly completed Wildbase Recovery Centre in the Esplanade, Palmerston North and the planting of three native trees; a Totara, a Titoki and a Tawa!!

 

RI President Ian Riseley was then part of an evening at the Feilding Convention Centre with nearly 200 Rotarian's that saw all ages and faces of Rotary meet and share the passion of Rotary. From our Interactors, to our new Satellite Club to the four Rotary Clubs celebrating 75 years’ service - Stratford, Marton, Pahiatua and Hutt City.

 

The celebration of the night was capped off with the recognition of one of our most committed, dedicated and passionate Rotarian's PDG Pat Waite. Pat was stunned to be announced, in front of wife Melva and their three sons, as the recipient of the highest honour in Rotary, the Service Above Self Award. I was proud to be part of the announcement of this award and presentation by Rotary International President Ian Riseley.

 

The 24 hours concluded with my time the following morning taking RI President Ian back to Wellington where he flew out to Auckland for a final function before heading home to Melbourne. My personal thanks to RI President Ian for his time in our District.

 

On 17th March 2018, I was privileged to attend the Presidential Peace Building Conference, at the Sydney Town Hall with Rotary Club of Ngamotu sponsored Peace Doctorate student Tonga Karena.

The conference was excellent with Peace scholars and speakers from all over the world presenting various facets and views of Peace Building which will be a real part of Rotary support and work for now and into the future. Tonga will speak at RotaFEST 18 and I am sure he will lead Peace Building discussions and practice in our country and in the world with the ongoing support of Rotary.

 

As we head towards our last few months of this Rotary year, can I promote the opportunity for all Rotary Clubs to complete a Rotary Presidential Citation. No forms are necessary, you can report all accomplishments on My Rotary. So please follow the information and instruction in the following link and have your Clubs year of Making A Difference capped off with the award of a Rotary Presidents Citation. 

 

Soon all Rotary Clubs will receive notification of the Rotary District 9940 - Annual General Meeting scheduled for 8.30am, Sunday 13th May at the Palmerston North Convention Centre, Main Street, Palmerston North. 

 

District Secretary Nigel Ramsden will send out the Annual General Meeting agenda, along with a notice of motion to receive and adopt the Rotary Club of Wellington proposed District Constitution. It is important that your Rotary Club is represented at the Annual General Meeting to participate fully in the meeting and ensure that with a quorum we are able to receive the Rotary Club of Wellington proposed District Constitution and vote on it for adoption. This process was originally chartered for the District Constitution to be reviewed some 5 years ago. I am hopeful that the updated Rotary Club of Wellington proposed District Constitution being promoted as required to Clubs, (at least 30 days in advance of the annual general meeting as required), will ensure we have sufficient discussion and support from the Annual General Meeting to receive it for proposed acceptance.

 

Seems almost sad to say, there are only a few more months to go in this Rotary year. A year of Rotary: Making A Difference in our Clubs and in our communities. A year where we have promoted the notion to Go Wild About Rotary and culminating at RotaFEST 18 - A Festival of Rotary.

 

My thoughts and highlights of this last Rotary year will be many, but one stand out will be the significant project that shows just how Rotary can Make a Difference in the world. This project is the Rotary Club of Masterton South, Global Grant supported project to see the late President Warren Carter's vision to support his Rotary Club to have a Rarotonga Mobile Health Clinic developed, built and delivered from Masterton to the Cook Islands. The official hand over to the Cook Islands Government and the people of Rarotonga will be at a ceremony on June 18th, 2018 in Rarotonga.

 

The opportunity will exist in the Rotary District for Rotarian's to see the outcome of this project as the Mobile Health Clinic "bus" heads from Masterton through the Rotary District on its delivery trip to Auckland for shipping to the Cook Islands. A confirmed schedule of time and location will be sent to the Districts Clubs and Rotarian's, but as a teaser, the Mobile Health Clinic will be in Palmerston North on the 8th May, Wanganui and Inglewood on the 9th May and New Plymouth on the 10th May as it heads to Auckland for delivery and shipping on the Friday 11th May.

 

See you next month, on the 11-13 May, here in Palmerston North at RotaFEST 18 - to Go Wild About Rotary.