Visitors: No visitors in this meeting.
Venue: The meeting was held at Tauranga club on Devonport road.
Introduction
Lynda (President) welcomed all members and started with appealing to members to come forward and offer help with coordinating meals for her. Members can cook meals and get in touch with the coordinator to organise taking meals for Larissa in Papamoa every second day. Larissa is gluten free and John put his hand up to help with this matter arising.
Lynda also reminded members about the movie night, screening “the Lost King” which is an event promoted by the Rotary international for Polio free drive across countries affected by the disease. Tauranga Te papa club has organised the event and members who are interested can contact Rodger and provide you and your club details. Please check your mailbox for email from Lynda.
Messages:
Glenys : ROMAC patient Vinna Sapa
Vinna is returning to NZ to have the plate out of her leg … the final part of her journey back to good health.
The circumstances of the team that looked after her previously have changed significantly and as a result she will largely be based with Glenys here in Tauranga.
As Glenys works full time it would helpful if there were any Rotarians that could host her and her mother Korina for a day’s outing at times during her stay. Her surgery is scheduled for November 8 … all going well that would be from the week of November 15th.
Also Glenys has a work appointment in Auckland November 24 … if anybody can help that day.
ROMAC Raffle tickets
Glenys will be at Rotary and can collect the raffle ticket butts on Friday November 12th meeting. Otherwise call 0274 997081 to arrange collection.
Many thanks
Indeevar: Volunteers needed for RYDA workshops in Feb-March 2023. Timings are from 0830 till 1400 hours. Dates and times are:
Date
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2nd Feb
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8 Feb
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15 Feb
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28 Feb
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14th March
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16 March
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School
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Mount/ACG
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TGA boys
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Otumoetai
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TePuke/Papamoa
|
Aquinas?
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Aquinas?
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Venue
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Church
|
Church
|
Church
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Gordon Spratt
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Church
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To be decided
|
It is an wonderful opportunity to volunteer for safer drivers and also refresh some of our own memories about the road code and some stats.
Coming for Dinner
Reminder to book your place, and more hosts are wanted. Please contact Michele if you are able
Quiz night: Keep Tuesday November 29th free for our famous Quiz night back in operation. Book a table of 8 of work mate, friends or just come as an individual to help make up a table.
Raffle ,prizes, nibbles and cash bar. please advise numbers to Wayne or Michele ( wayneshad@gmail.com. )
Speakers: No Speakers this Friday as it was the AGM.
After the messages and President’s appeal, AGM was announced open. It started with previous president’s Annual report 2021-2022.
- Chris Dever (Previous President): Chris started by reminiscing the time in 2019 when he was approached by Pat Taylor and others for Presidency and after a few beers he agreed. He recalled the unusual year he had as a president as we had no international engagements, had to wear masks and even had 7 zoom meetings. He then thanked the leadership and guidance provided by Pat Taylor, Rhonda and president elect Lynda Burch. He also thanked people who worked behind the scenes, Simon Beaton, (secretary) Ray Scott (treasurer) and Wayne for his tech support.
- Much of the committee work was constrained by COVID restrictions.
- Events in public relations were chaired by Henry Kayser. In spite of various plans, most were constrained by Covid restrictions.
- New Generation committee was chaired by Andy Cameron, with exception of one RYDA event in Waihi all the committee work was halted by the restrictions at the time.
- Community service by Shiv, it was hard to get the ball rolling for most of the events. However, the Luxury home event has transformed into amazing places garden and art show and hopefully delivered by next year.
- International committee was chaired by Lynda Burch. They were able to have a good year despite COVID. They were able to carry on with threads across the pacific and sent the fabric to our contacts in Vanuatu. School uniforms have been delivered and donated. They were also able to ship a shipment of books to Vanuatu schools and clothing for Vanuatu workers in New Zealand who were not well equipped for our climate.
- Environment committee lead by Michelle Beaton. They were able to install drain socks to keep our waters clean, K valley project, laying bait traps and tree planting. With Michele’s enthusiasm they continued to provide guidance to students eager to help with environmental challenges.
- Club membership committee were able to do an amazing job under the guidance of Dean Thompson. We had interesting speakers every week, even through zoom. Membership remained stable. We lost a few and gained a few however fun aspect of the club membership was achieved with great success. We had a great club anniversary and were honoured by distinguished guests at the event. Team also conducted an Rotary awareness event and was deemed very successful.
- Chris thanked all the committee members for the great job they did and also reminded everyone that clubs are not run by presidents, directors or the president elects, they are run by the people who are in the club. He then thanked every member for their contribution and their efforts and handed the meeting over to Lynda.
Financial report by Ray Scott:
Financial was circulated prior to the AGM. We have a surplus of income over expenditure of over $2,000 as compared to $300 for the previous year.
Subs remain the same for the coming year $320. The report was moved to be accepted by Ray and seconded by Chris Dever.
Election of officers:
Simon Beaton to continue as Secretary.
Michele Beaton is the new president elect.
We need a new Treasurer and a New President elect.
Please put your hand up if you would like to take up the club responsibilities mentioned.
Trust Financial report by Rhonda Wisbey:
Even though it was a dismal year for club services and projects, it was heartening to see that we made $6110 worth of distributions. Drain sock project was not included in these calculations as we received funding from Regional council and the project has still not concluded.
Rhonda then provided specific numbers for the distribution amounts and the project they were allocated to.
Net earnings were $6678 net from funds given away, funds raised and the cost associated with the raising of the funds.
We raised $13,000 worth of funds. Whiskey tasting was the biggest fund raiser in terms of fund generation.
We have accumulated funds of $90,000 as of 30th of June. Roughly 20,000 in BNZ term deposit and rest in the trust.
Drain sock project is still ongoing and we have $2,675 in credit.
Questions from the members were then answered with precise responses and explanations including where the money goes and the processes involved. In essence, money is spent by the club after direction from the committee members and their leads. Report was then moved to be accepted. Les Geragthy seconded the report to be accepted.
Michele Beaton’s Presentation on (Kopurererua Valley) aka K Valley
Michele started the presentation with enlightening all members about the location of the K Valley. It is located. Kopurererua Valley is a 300 hectare block of low lying rural land situated between residential Neighbourhoods in Tauranga. Running from Judea in the north to Tauriko in the south, it is bordered by the neighbourhoods of Te Reti, Gate Pa, Greerton, Westridge and Cambridge Heights.
It is an ecological and cultural icon with immense biodiversity (plants and animals), it has various walkways and bike tracks and is also a connection between various suburbs of Tauranga.
In 2004, Rotary centennial trust was inaugurated and it was decided to support the development of the K valley development as 100 years of Rotary celebration.
Currently the stream takes a straight line which is not its natural course. It was straightened to drain the land for farming however current plans are to restore its natural course. In the process it will increase the sedimentation, raise the water table and restore the biodiversity around the area.
Southern end of the valley is where the work is being done. Results are already visible with raised water table, increased native plant population, and wildlife rejuvenation.
Work is also underway for control of pest plant and animal population.
Tauranga city council are the main project drivers. Currently, the southern realignment is underway, old channel is almost dug out and is on course for further restoration. Planting of native plants is underway and lots is already done. Next month the southern part of the project will hopefully be complete.
Buddy added the cultural aspect of the K valley to much of everyone’s delight. It is essential for us to recognize the cultural and ecological value of the place and drive the project in both the directions with equal force. He encouraged members to visit the area and get to explore both aspects of the special place that we are lucky to have here in Tauranga.
Number 61 won the Raffle: Ron
Sargent session: Rhonda
Rhonda apprised all members about the upcoming long weekend as Labor Day was on Monday the 24th of October 2022. It is celebrated to commemorate the struggle and final achievement of 8 hour working day in New Zealand. New Zealand was the first country to do so and celebrated it on 28th of October 1890. It also had political implications as Labor Day act was passed in 1899 and created a statutory holiday and was first observed in 1900. It is now every forth Monday of the month October.
Even though it used to be celebrated with much fervor in initial years, it became another public holiday by the 1920s. It raises the obvious question, is it relevant.
On 20th of October 1972, the equal pay act was passed. It aimed to reduce gender pay gap where in 1972 a median woman’s pay was 69% of a median man’s income. It has taken 50 years to reduce that gap to 91%. The gap is much bigger for Māori, Pacifica and other diverse ethnic communities.
So is it still relevant? Yes, it is if we look at the other aspect of the labor market.
So when we celebrate the holiday please do give a thought to the working conditions that we have today as compared to our great grandparents and ones before them. Also give a thought to the people that end up getting paid less than us due to the color of their skin.
Enjoy your weekend.
Parting thought Steve: 2 parting thoughts.
1: Don’t leave till 11 o clock before the Rotary meeting to come up with a parting though
2: Don’t cry because its over, smile because it happened.