Over the weekend, we were all holding our breath to see how and where Cyclone Vaianu might make landfall. While it was a little damp in Wellington, we were very lucky there was no storm here. We walked around the waterfront for a couple of hours on Sunday morning and enjoyed watching all the swimmers as we had a coffee. As they say, “you can’t beat Wellington on a good day” and early Sunday was one of those days. I feel confident that our members would have been out there helping anyone in need if the storm had hit.
I hope you all enjoyed a happy Easter and didn’t over indulge in too many Easter eggs.
As I wind down to the last 2 and ½ months of my term, there are still lots of invitations coming in and lots to be done. I’m still happy to get new invitations if you would like me to visit your club and I can get there.
Thank you to the people who attended the Foundation meetings after the Summit. They were useful.
Yesterday I visited the Wellington Rotary Club with Brent and over the next week I have a visit to Hutt River Valley. 28th April is Petone Club’s 75th Anniversary dinner and April 29th is New Plymouth North’s PHF dinner. District Assembly is in Whanganui on 2 May followed by President Elect training that afternoon and on the 3rd.
We appreciate that the price of fuel is making it difficult for some people to get to meetings, especially in the provinces where the distances might be greater and many people have diesel vehicles. We still prefer face-to-face meetings where possible so carpooling might be a good option.
If you want to learn more about Rotary in your District and outside of your club come to District Assembly.
Rotary District Assemblies are annual training events for members and incoming club officers to learn about Rotary programs, plan for the upcoming year, and network.
We have a special guest from our Rotary International South Pacific and Philippines Office (RISPPO) based in Sydney:
Barbara Mifsud
Regional Membership Officer
Rotary International
Barbara has worked at the Rotary International South Pacific and Philippines office for over 14 years ago.
During the last six years in her role as Regional Membership Officer, she has supported clubs and districts in Rotary South Pacific with their membership efforts. This includes advising on strategy, analysing data, providing resources, as well as sharing best practice and stories.
Barbara has over 25 years’ experience in the not for profit sector, including disability access and refugee resettlement. In her spare time, she is a member of Toastmasters International, helping others develop their communication and leadership skills through public speaking.
Why do we hold a District Assembly: - to train club leaders (President-elect, secretaries, treasurers, and committee chairs) and provide updates on District goals. We talk at about the machinery of Rotary, leadership, membership growth, the Rotary Foundation and governance.
This is a great opportunity to connect with other Rotarians within the district.
This years District Assembly is centrally located in Whanganui and will take place at:
This Trust was established by Rotary International Past President Harold Thomas, (Rotary Club of Auckland) in 1973.
In 1985 the Trust received a magnificent gift from Past District Governor Bernie Ross (Rotary Club of Manurewa) and his wife, which added greatly to the capital of the Trust. The Trust has available approx. $100,000 for distribution each year to Rotary Clubs and considers applications for grants as soon as received.
Assistance to Rotary Clubs is usually limited to 50% of the cost of the project up to a maximum of $10,000 for each project.
The objects of the Trust are to:
Assist financially any child, resident in the Pacific Islands who is in need of medical treatment or care in New Zealand, including fares and related costs.
Provide medical assistance for children in New Zealand or elsewhere.
For medical research.
For charitable purposes as defined in the Charities Act 2005.
Grant applications by Email are preferred and there is no specific application form. Applications are considered as soon as they are received.
For further information or assistance please contact:
Stay connected with everything happening across our District by following our Facebook page. It’s a great way to keep up with projects, events, stories, and the incredible work our Rotary Clubs are doing in our communities.
If you haven’t already, head over and give the page a like — and while you’re there, help spread the word by sharing our posts with your networks. Every like and share helps showcase the impact Rotary is making and strengthens our connection with the wider community.
Applications are now open for the 2027 Rotary Peace Fellowships until 15 May. Rotary invites club presidents, district officers, and members to help promote peace by encouraging leaders in their communities to apply for this prestigious, fully funded opportunity.
Each year, Rotary awards up to 170 Peace Fellowships to dedicated peacebuilders from diverse backgrounds. This includes 50 fellows selected for master’s degree programs at partner universities across Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States, and 120 fellows for professional development certificate programs at Makerere University (Uganda), Bahçeşehir University (Türkiye), and the new Rotary Peace Center at Symbiosis International University (India).
Rotary Peace Fellows use their training to strengthen peacebuilding efforts at local, regional, and global levels. Rotary and Rotaract members are encouraged to identify potential candidates within their networks and community organizations and refer them using Rotary’s simple referral form, helping ensure more changemakers learn about and apply for this life-changing fellowship.
At the Summit, Rotary Zone 8 (NZ/Aus/Pacific Islands) Director - Jennifer Scott, announced that the recommendation from the Redistricting Working Group (DG/DGE/DGN representatives) is that New Zealand and the Pacific Islands clubs will be merging to form two districts from 1st July 2028.
The new Northern region district will merge Districts 9910/9920/9930 (Pacific Islands, Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, East Coast and Hawkes Bay). It will have 2,800 members.
The new Southern region district will include Districts 9940 and 9999 (Taranaki, Rangitikei, Manawatu, Wairarapa, Kapiti/Horowhenua, Wellington and the South Island). It will have 2,560 members.
For NZ/PI, the Working Group considered a single district, 2 districts and 3 districts as possible options. The 2 district option was chosen as it gave it us the best possible member split for two stronger districts, enabled the Pacific Islands to retain their strong links with the northern clubs/districts and enabled the southern part of New Zealand to form a contiguous merged district with much stronger membership numbers.
Australia is also going through the same redistricting process and will be advising of their recommendations shortly.
Our Zone 8 is also being merged with another southern Asian Zone and this will also take place on 1st July 2028.
As mentioned in a previous notification, these changes are being made due to our membership base reducing and in order to rebuild stronger districts, we are bringing more clubs together under a wider district structure.
While not cast in stone and feedback can be sent to brent.gerrard@outlook.com, it is expected that this recommendation will be presented to the RI Board within the next month or two.
The Rotary Children’s Health Trust is seeking support from Rotarians and clubs across the district for an upcoming online auction fundraiser in support of Life Flight.
Life Flight provides vital emergency air ambulance and medical services across New Zealand, helping save lives every day. Funds raised through this auction will help fulfil the Trust’s commitment to providing specialised lifting equipment designed to safely transport Life Flight’s smallest patients in incubators.
To make this fundraiser a success, the Trust is looking for donations of auction prizes, including:
Gift vouchers or hampers
Products or merchandise
Services (such as spa treatments, professional consultations, or experiences)
Event tickets or exclusive opportunities
Donated items will help raise essential funds for this important project while also providing valuable exposure for participating clubs and businesses. Donors can be acknowledged on the auction website and in promotional material connected with the event.
Every contribution, large or small, will make a meaningful difference.
If you are able to donate a prize or would like more information, please contact:
