BULLETIN 1 FEBRUARY 2019

• Pat told members about some of the amazing speakers at the Rotary District 9930 conference in Hamilton Fri 15 – Sun 17 March. Register now!

• We are looking for expressions of interest for the Rotary Friendship Exchange going to Brazil from 15-29 April.

• Next week is Club Assembly when directors discuss the year ahead.

Happy Birthday Lynda Burch! Age not declared!

• Jane encouraged the lady members to respond to her request for profiles to celebrate 30 years of women in Rotary.

• Wendy S notified members that Pak n’ Save is no longer allowing collectors for Heart Foundation and Lions' Blind Dog (not sure that's the correct designation - Dave), so it would only be Countdown. If there were any issues with that please see her.

• Stuart asked for a volunteer to head up the logistics function for Treasured Art. It’s great fun and incredibly rewarding!

• David R called for volunteers to assist in Rypen 2019. Five year 10 students from each local college attend Ngamuwahine Camp on 15-17 March. An outdoor education contractor runs the weekend and Rotary members help out. Volunteers need a police check. Please contact David.

• Barbara thanked all who had helped with the cricket. She gave a shout out to President Pat and Bernie who had gone above and beyond and need a medal for their sterling efforts. We only need four more people to help out 5.30-10.00pm on Saturday 9^th February. Please contact Barbara if you can help.

• Wayne had been contacted by Buddy Mikaere with an opportunity for a fundraiser to provide a BBQ at Mt Drury and the Historic Village on Waitangi Day. Members decided not to pursue it further.

Guest speaker

David Foris: 'Life among the Sochiapam Chinantec people of Mexico.'

In 1970 David and Christine arrived with a two-year-old child to live among the remote Sochiapam village and learn the language of Chinantec. There are over 300 languages in Mexico. Only three houses had a tin roof, the rest being thatched and having one room only. The nearest medical help was 70km away and access was by a 35km mountain hike, or a 35-minute aeroplane ride. In the next 16 years they had another two children born in Mexico, who attended correspondence school.

David analysed the Chinantec language and developed a database of 10,000 words. The language is tone based and David provided a fascinating example of how the written word ‘ta’ has ten meanings depending on the tone in which it is spoken. Christine typed the translation of the New Testament into Chinantec.

In 1986 they said goodbye to the people of the village which was incredibly hard. They returned seven years later. At this point they had realised that the biggest barrier to keeping the language alive and people using it, was basic literacy skills. In 2000 they received funding to start a literacy programme and this was extended for several more years.

The village of Sochiapam is now very different to 1970 and a road links it to the outside world. All houses have several rooms, concrete walls and tin roofs. Due to the literacy programme many people can read and write Chinantec, and in 2005 a public library was built. A Spanish-English-Chinantec dictionary will be ready to publish in two years. The quality of life of the villagers has improved as well and the negative impact of alcohol no longer dominates the lives of men as it did in 1970.

David wrapped up his presentation by describing the progress of Wilf, who is a native Chinantec speaker. He has a Bachelor of Ministry and a MA from Auckland University. He married an American missionary, returned to Mexico and is currently translating the Old Testament into Chinantec.

Sergeant Session

Pauline fined Pat for making us all look bad with his work ethic at the cricket; Barb for cancelling the cricket at one point; Dan for his diligence in completing the survey; Rosalie for not controlling the weather (when she can seemingly control everything else); Dave for his liberal editing of the bulletin; Sally and Warwick for intimating there will be a celebrity guest speaker soon.

She also explained that if she seemed as if she wasn’t listening in the past, it was because she needed a hearing aid which would thankfully be fitted on February 12.

For this day in history Pauline dropped the temperature in the room by several degrees at the mention of the infamous Trevor Chappell underarm bowling incident. The temperature was raised at the news that today is ‘International Work Naked Day.’

Pauline ended off her session by hilariously explaining the in’s and out’s of cricket as depicted on a tea towel.

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'Since the last report the main activities of the committee have been on-going processing of new membership applications and inductions and the circulation of the club climate survey.

On the membership front we have welcomed three new members, while receiving resignations  from two existing members. The exit/entry interview process will be used to canvas feedback but it is a reality of a very busy and vital membership such as ours that changing circumstances will result in fluidity of numbers. It does reinforce the importance of all members inviting prospective Rotarians to meetings and encouraging them to join us.

As signalled at the first meeting of the year, the survey attracted 33 replies, not all of them complete. To encourage and remind members to participate it was reopened this week to allow one more opportunity for members to have their say.

Finally, thank you to all my committee members for the work they do autonomously to keep our club in such good shape. With a great calendar of speakers coming up 2019 is going to be (another) fantastic year!'

Pauline Cowens

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IMPORTANT REQUEST - SAVEALIFE

We are now working on the new, slightly larger size Savealife capsules so have all 7 colours available. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN 280 PACKS (Over $780 VALUE) OF THE CORRECT DOSE ASPIRIN. The only downside is that they have a relatively short 'sell by' date (May 2019) and whilst we are as certain as  we can be that they would be just as effective for some considerable time after that date, we do need to maximise this gift by having yet another push to move them on. As a reminder, our Club has benefited to the tune of $30,000 through this campaign. By selling enough 3 pack units to move on the aspirin we would also reduce our capsule stocks by some 50%. 

CAN YOU HELP?

WILL YOU HELP?

PLEASE. (Dave W)