Visiting our Area networks and Clubs I am in the uniquely privileged position to see the phenomenal contribution we make to our communities and globally to the seven areas of focus. Be proud of the contribution we individually and collectively make as it is genuinely amazing. My sincere thanks to club leadership and area governors for your passion and drive to make a difference. To the Area Governors and Club Presidents please keep inviting me to your network meetings, as well as to talk to clubs and club boards.
Our changing communities and a global pandemic mean we have never been needed more or challenged more. The next year will be even more difficult as we confront areas like COVID vaccination passports and club access, as I can see that is a likely outcome. While Rotary is a global leader in vaccination programmes, there are good reasons why some members may not able to be vaccinated, and we need to accommodate unvaccinated members. Our four-way test can guide us through these challenging times; is it the truth; is it fair to all concerned; will it build goodwill and better friendships, and will it be beneficial to all concerned? Look for options to help. My own club live streams all meetings so anybody who can’t be there in person can participate. Think outside the box. e.g. if cannot be vaccinated what about joining a local, or global, E-Club or other group like Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Rotary Action Group.
Rotary has a role helping NZ get through COVID. We have a number of projects that are helping.
This project has been formally launched this week for all Rotarians across New Zealand to participate. For 9940 if you are interested in getting involved please check out our website here.
Work is still being undertaken in the background for individual donations, and we will update you at an appropriate time when this is ready.
This is the largest project that Rotary New Zealand has undertaken to date and has involved a significant amount of work among the broader project team. They will be updating Clubs and individuals how they can get involved in the near future.
The Wellington Regional Children's Hospital
The Wellington Regional Children's Hospital is on target to be open early in February 2022 and we need to meet our $400,000 to the hospital as soon as we can.
We are very close! A big thank you to everybody for your continued support. A final push would help. This hospital will have a major role to play in the future as we protect our children from COVID and other significant diseases / emergencies.
A few major initiatives to close the gap are underway or in the final planning stages
Wipes Project by Wanganui North Rotary Club
Wanganui North Rotary Club has had 1300 cartons of sanitising medical grade alcohol wipes donated. Clubs can order cartons of 24 packs of wipes from PDG Bob Smith. You will only be asked to pay for the cartons you sell at $25 / carton.
There are multiple options for this fundraiser:
The cartons can be sold at the prices above direct to anyone. In this instance all the funds made must be remitted to the Wellington Children's Health Trust.
The cartons can be sold above the prices listed above with the difference being kept by the Club or used for a Club's own charitable purposes. For example, if a pack is sold for $5, $3 can go to the Club and $2 must go to the Wellington Children's Health Trust.
Members of your Club can purchase these wipes for their own, or their business', use.
Clubs are finding small business, Air BnB’s, Motels, trades people have all been keen to purchase as they absolutely need to use wipes.
If you are interested please contact Bob Smith Direct Here.
Other Projects Closing The Gap
A few major initiatives to close the gap are underway or in the final planning stages.
A raffle for a car is being organised by the Hutt Clubs, who are working together and expect that the tickets will be available in the next couple of months.
Porirua Rotary is again putting together shifts for Christmas Parcel Wrapping at the Porirua Mall and may well be seeking some assistance from other clubs with all proceeds from this fundraiser going to the WRCH. Contact Area Governor Katherine Beattie for more information.
Once we reached the $400,000 we will be looking at ongoing support to the Whanau Rooms and a global grant for much needed equipment such as a hearing testing laboratory.
Rotary Give Every Child A Future
Thank you for the huge progress made where Rotary continues to fund the vaccination programmes to vaccinate 100,000 children in nine pacific countries, including trying to eliminate cervical cancer. We now need to continue our efforts so that we can 'Reach Every Last Child'. Auckland / Oceania Rotaract had amazing international success with #Move for GECAF, which is really appreciated.
Rotary International President Elect Jennifer Jones has expressed her special support for RGECAF and its impact on child and maternal health. We understand she will give it particular focus in her leadership year.
On the rollout, COVID-19 vaccinations have naturally taken priority, but the impressive thing, which we could never have planned for, is that the RGECAF training and cold chain equipment have together prepared Pacific countries well for dealing with the COVID pandemic -cold chain equipment – fridges - chiller bags etc - are in place. Training of health care professionals, especially public health nurses, is well advanced. The rollout of RGECAF vaccinations was held up by the COVID-19 focus however is now able to proceed, starting with a special promotion in Nauru this month, where Rotary is fully funding the vaccination programmes.
Our NZ goal from clubs and Rotaractors this Rotary year is $100,000. Please help where you can by going to https://rotaryoceania.zone/
District Governor Update
Rotary New Zealand and the Pacific has been given a multi-generational transformational opportunity to shape its own future. Rotary NZ must change otherwise through community and legislative changes will rapidly reduce in size and impact. This transformational change is occurring amidst a global pandemic. Changes made to date:
We have a unified District 9940 Governor Train. Marilyn, Wayne and I are working closely together. Wayne as DGN is the NZ DG train’s representative on ‘Shaping Rotary NZs Future. We are just starting the process to select the DGND, whose appointment will be key to ensure continuity.
The move from Assistant Governors to Area Governors has been well embraced. The 12 Area Governors have been empowered to lead their clubs. Please keep inviting the DG and Area Governors to club or board meetings.
The Learning and Development Team (Richard, Jane and team) supported by key individuals (Adrian, Graham and Helen) are running a series of workshops on how to effectively govern and manage clubs. Huge effort is going into this approach, and I wish to thank the team for this as it helps reduce our risks.
The District Conference is planned for Friday 8 and Saturday 9 April 2020 and will provide an opportunity to be informed on and discuss our future.
Failing clubs and a pending new Incorporated Societies Bill combined has the potential to markedly reduce Rotary’s national impact, with at least six clubs in D9940 in this category. Our District Executive Secretary Adrian and District Treasurer Graham have proposed a new model Club, effectively a franchise model. This is an exciting model to create a new Club – ‘The Rotary Club of Mana Tangata (People of Action), which provides all the legislative, Rotary International and Governance to chapter clubs who would otherwise fail either through natural lifecycle or legislative changes. It will be GST compliant. This allows those clubs to continue with community service before self. Now we are clearing the concept with RI and the constitution with before standing up ‘The Rotary Club of Mana Tangata’.
Insurances – Clubs are now insured by District. ROZOps are just finalising with Crombie Lockwood our Broker, a change of underwriter to Prossser to cover Youth activities from 1 January 2022. By 30 June all district less D9930 should have the same Broker and underwriter. Having Youth activities covered is a key before they ramp up again.
For planning purposes and thinking ahead the District Changeover will be on Saturday 25 June on the Kapiti Coast.
Summary
Clubs remain at the heart of Rotary and never have our communities needed us more. The District role is to support / free up clubs to do more for their communities and globally in the seven areas of focus. I am proud of the way the District Governors train, Area Governors and District Administration and Committees have not lost sight of this. I am also proud of the way Clubs are finding new ways to make a difference. This is not a normal period – so please keep helping NZ and our communities get through this.
Mark, DG D9940
Reminder of District Calendar
Please remember all events should be recorded in the District Calendar available here.
Please remember to update your events here in the District Calendar, this can be done by emailing our IT Chair.
Rotarians are fighting climate change through The Rotary Foundation
“If we continue as we are, temperatures will carry on rising, bringing even more catastrophic flooding, bush fires, extreme weather and destruction of species.” This is just one of the statements in material produced to explain COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference which is currently being held in Glasgow. You can read more herehttps://ukcop26.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/COP26-Explained.pdf
Not only do the COP26 participants and governments have a responsibility to address climate change, but we also can play our part, not only as individuals but through the power of our work and connections through Rotary. COP26 is taking place in the month where we focus on our work through The Rotary Foundation. And this year The Rotary Foundation has embraced supporting the environment as our seventh area of focus.
Rotary members are tackling environmental issues the way we always do: coming up with projects, using our connections to change policy and planning for the future. We’re asking questions Will climate change bring more poverty? Will we be able to stop its worst effects? Some of what we are doing is explained here https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/protecting-environment
The Rotary Foundation will enable Rotarians and our partners to take action in many ways:
Protecting and restoring land, coastal, marine, and freshwater resources
Enhancing the capacity of communities to support natural resource management and conservation
Supporting sustainable agriculture, fishing, and aquaculture practices
Addressing the cause of climate change by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases
Strengthening ecosystems and communities affected by climate change
Supporting education initiatives that promote behavior that protects the environment
Advocating for sustainable consumption to build an economy that uses resources more efficiently
Addressing environmental justice issues and public health concerns.
The challenge for Rotarians in District 9940 is to identify environmental needs in our communities so that we can address them and make a difference for future generations. The challenge is for clubs in District 9940 to come up with a global grant project in this new area of focus.
Supporting the environment joins our other areas of focus: peacebuilding and conflict prevention; disease prevention and treatment; water, sanitation, and hygiene; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; and community economic development.
Eradicating polio was not too big a project for us to take on. There have been only two wild polio virus cases this year – one in Afghanistan and one in Pakistan – but we need to see this job through, so your contributions are very important. At the same time, polio eradication has shown that Rotarians are up for big challenges, including mitigating climate change and supporting the environment.
There has never been a time when supporting our Foundation by developing projects and contributing to the Foundation is so important.
Please aim for Club giving of $100 per member to the Annual Fund to support our projects
Consider becoming a Centurion Club member by giving $100 a year as an individual
Assess communities’ needs in the seven areas of focus, look locally as well as internationally, and think big.
Here are links to two documents that will be useful:
Any inquiries may be addressed to Peter Whittington, District Foundation and Centurion Club Administrator, and the District Foundation Chair, Martin Garcia, at trf9940@rotaryoceania.zone
ERK KITS Appeal
NIWA is forecasting across the South West Pacific “between nine and 12 named cyclones between November 2021 and April 2022 - a range above normal.” They anticipate “higher chances of systems in and around the Coral Sea, especially between February and April, along with an elevated risk in the subtropics between Fiji and New Caledonia.”
It is essential adequate stock of ERKs are on hand to replace that which can be depleted overnight following a disaster. Forward planning in response is crucial.
In anticipation, additional stock of Emergency Response Kits is right now on the way for prepositioning in Vanuatu and Fiji in addition to stocks held in Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands. This with back up supplies retained in Auckland all thanks to Rotarians from the combined clubs who pack the kits.
The Emergency Response Kit is distributed to affected families to support them through the first days following a cyclone or other weather event. With a kit and a little ingenuity, a family is able to construct basic shelter, keep themselves protected from the elements and utilise the immediate survival items.
The value of a kit including the container, contents, freight and storage is approximately $600. The project has been encouraged by the New Zealand Government who over many years has often provided transportation, logistical and financial support.
Donations please to 03-1702-0192208-02
Ref: 308
For additional details, download a brochure here ERK
RYLA 2022 Now Available To Register!
Details For Calendar
26 - 30 January 2022
Silverstream Retreat Hutt Valley
For youth aged 18-24 who have leadership potential
Back in 1986, three past Presidents of the Rotary club of Tawa were having a convivial drink one Saturday night along with their wives and chatting (as you do) about the state of the Nation.
PP Keith Lee, PP Glyn Patchett and PP Bill Russell had one thing in common besides Rotary. They all owned caravans. Glyn the most senior of the three had been caravanning for years when his children were growing up, Keith and Bill had just recently bought one and were novices, but after a few practice runs were ready for anything to prove they were competent.
Discussion centred around where to go and who else had a van that they could invite to come along and join in. Various suggestions were tossed around, with the final one being let’s start a Rotary Caravan Club. Striking while the iron was hot and full of enthusiasm they telephoned later that evening, the then District Governor the late Fred Burns.
What are the objectives of this group asked D G Fred ?
"Fellowship" said Keith
"Fellowship" said Glyn
"Fellowship" said Bill
Permission granted said DG Fred, and so Dist. 9940 Caravan Club was born, with the first Rally being held on Nov 6th 1986 at Howard Booth Memorial Park in Carterton.
Thanks to the Rotary Club of Carterton and the efforts of PDG Alastair Orsborn, that rally was an outstanding success, and it was resolved to continue on.
Over the 35 years of its existence, the club has visited most camping grounds in the Wellington/ Wairarapa / Manawatu/ Wanganui region. Travelled as far North as New Plymouth and as far east as Hawkes Bay. Usually, 3 or 4 rallies a year or when something special is on.
The club is founded on democratic principles, no formalities and no formal procedures except for the awarding a wooden spoon to the chief stirrer.
To celebrate 35 years of its existence, the club will be having a special rally in Carterton (where it all started) on November 12th /13th/ 14th . Again, and thanks to PDG Alastair Orsborn (now a recycled President 2nd time around) the Rotary Club of Carterton is supporting us.
All past members and any new Rotarian with a caravan or Motorhome are very welcome. Even if you don’t have a caravan, there is accommodation at the camp that can be booked, and some retirees do just that to keep their contacts going.
If you have a Caravan, Motor Home or are just interested in joining the group then get in touch with the organiser(s) and find out what’s on.
