BULLETIN 5 APRIL 2019

Visitors

Kerri Price - speaker

Sheyanne Banks (apologies for spelling!)

Notices

President Pat

• Pat and Warren are attending the District Training Assembly, at Taupo-nui-a-Tia College, Taupo, on Saturday 4th May 2019. It would be great for new board members or any new members to attend.

• Todd Muller MP is our guest next week, and will speak about climate change.

Club Notices

• Kevin Atkinson and Simon Beaton will be bravely participating in the Graeme Dingle Foundation ‘Drop your Boss’ fundraiser. Simon has thrown down the gauntlet to Kevin by printing and distributing a glossy leaflet to promote his www.givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/dropsimonbeaton page. What competitive move with Kevin do to raise more money than Simon? Watch this space for the battle of the bosses!

• Julie gave a last update on The Big Sing on Friday 5 April at Lone Star upstairs on The Strand. *See Stop Press 3 below*

• Simon and Michele STILL need hosts for four Hong Kong students on 23-24 April. Please contact Simon asap!

• David R asked if anyone could suggest candidates for the Outward Bound camp in June. Applications are due mid-April for 16-18 year olds, and its ok if they have left school.

• Max and Pat will be visiting the Imam next week to ask how Sunrise may be able to engage with Tauranga Mosque.

• Dave W announced that the whisky tasting event would be held in July. It is possible to raise $3,500 in two hours, and he needs volunteers to help organise it. He also took the opportunity to announce to the Club that he has been diagnosed with rectal cancer. Nothing 100% confirmed yet as more biopsy results are awaited. Watch this space. Yet another instance of the supreme importance of having regular checks as his was discovered by a chance CT scan following a kidney stone episode in January

Guest speaker

Kerri Price – Sailing with Purpose.

Kerri is well known in the Bay of Plenty for her work with the non-for-profit consultancy Exult, which she has recently moved on from. Her and her husband will be sailing to Vanuatu and have no fixed time frames in their future!

In 2015 their daughter Courtney was volunteering on the island of Pentecost when Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu. 24 people died, and thousands were displaced. For eight days their daughter was unaccounted for and on the tenth day Kerri flew there and found devastation. There was little international agency assistance initially and so she started helping. This led to a relationship with several villages to replace roofing, provide medical help and fresh water, and many other needs.

Over time they have been back to Vanuatu many times and helped set up a school, a hospital shuttle and other forms of assistance. They will now base themselves in Vanuatu and use their Freebird 50 catamaran to ferry medical teams around the islands. They will also work to set up schools and train teachers. If anyone would like to donate please see their Facebook page – Sailing with Purpose.

Sergeant

Neil in a surprise move bought the fines box and led a fine club rendition of Fred Dagg’s Gumboot Song. For those who want some nostalgia - http://folksong.org.nz/gumboot/

In keeping with the singing theme Warren offered some incredible lessons in the lead up to the Big Sing that night. Pieces from well known operas and stage performances were sung with relative ease. I almost expected Simon Cowell to stand up in the audience and applaud.

God on High, Santa Lucia, Time to Say Goodbye, and Nessum Dormer (none shall sleep) were some excellent examples. The final advice was, ‘Sing like no one’s listening.’