FROM
WHERE I SIT
by Bob Aitken
Managing Editor
Rotary Down Under |
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Twenty
years in this seat and Rotary still takes my breath away!
Back
from annual leave, I recently made time to sift through a pile
of District newsletters from recent months.A simple task which
I enjoy but, on this occasion, it made me realise how fortunate
we are in Rotary to come up with real quality in leadership year
after year.
Our
District governors really are special men and women who sacrifice
a great deal over the two to three-year period of their preparation
and service.
We
all know that each Rotary club is autonomous but the amazing excellence
in Rotary service we are so proud of in Australia and New Zealand
would not happen without the guidance, encouragement and education
provided by our District Governors and their teams.
In
this column I want to highlight just a couple of examples of the
quality of leadership and service from several Districts around
our ANZO region – and these are not specially selected. They
were contained in the District newsletters that happened to be
on my desk at the time!
• From Governor John Burkey and the Rotary Club of South
West Rocks in District 9650, with great support from the communities
of Kempsey and Stuarts Point – $21,000 in just four months
for a new 14-seater bus for Macleay Options, a disability service
in Kempsey.
• From Governor Tony Holmes and the Rotary Club of Honiara,
Solomon Islands, in District 9600, the colourful visit of Rotary's
Centennial Bell and the news that, since chartered in 1987, Honiara
has distributed benefits valued at more than $A15 million throughout
the Solomon Islands.
• From Governor Peter Chivers and the Rotary clubs of Cowra
and South Wagga Wagga in District 9700 – $20,000 for PolioPlus
from a Spring Ball and $11,800 to support a hostel for Cancer
patients from a golf day.
• From Governor Charles Wilson and all clubs in District
9910, details of a unique dental hygiene project involving six
schools and 1,500 pupils, resulting in positive media coverage
on New Zealand national radio.
• Finally, from Governor Lyn Holmes and her District Group
Study Exchange Committee in District 9970, New Zealand, details
of how she bravely broke with tradition and organised a Vocational
Neighbouring Country exchange with Governor Jenny Coburn and her
team in District 9810, Australia. Along with containing costs,
this exchange will focus on the environment.
And the best feature? . . . all of the above is just a drop in
the ocean when we look at Rotary's total contribution to communities
throughout New Zealand, Australia and surrounding island nations.
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Past
Presidents Leanne Cummerfield and Glynis Carter, of the Rotary Club
of Manukau City Sunrise, N.Z., set the dress theme for a rollicking
Oktoberfest (see item below). |
Beer
Hall fun at Manukau: Young Rotary clubs thrive on fun and
fellowship and Manukau City Sunrise certainly leads the way in District
9920, N.Z. Last October, the club raised $NZ3,000 to fund South Auckland
Health Foundation’s work with the Kidz First Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit and Middlemore’s National Burn Centre through an Oktoberfest.
The festival began mid-afternoon with sausages, sauerkraut and traditional
music. The main event featured Win Heuser, New Zealand’s top leidermeister.
Guests received souvenir beer handles or wine flutes and, responsible
to the end, the young Rotarians organised South Auckland Taxis for transport
at a special rate.
Number
plate frames: The Rotary Club of Pakuranga, N.Z., is marketing Centennial
Rotary Awareness number plate frames. The club is an official R.I. licensee
(the only one in N.Z. if not the region) and is offering a set of two
frames for $NZ25. Rotary clubs may purchase sets and remit $20 each
(including GST), thus retaining $5 to cover their own handling costs.
Pakuranga will donate 20 per cent of profits to The Rotary Foundation
as its Centennial gift. Further details: Russell Clarke, P.O. Box 51-166,
Pakuranga, New Zealand, or email russ@jtspower.co.nz
Rotary
cricket sponsors youth: With world interest in cricket high and
Rotary cricket fellowship tours in South Africa, New Zealand and India,
it is good to see administrative skills of the International Fellowship
of Cricketing Rotarians (IFCR) being directed toward youth. Australian
IFCR President, Charlie Townsing, of the Rotary Club of Maryborough,
Vic., was instrumental in arranging a tour of young cricketers from
Singapore University to Australia. The tourists played a match against
a Maryborough Regional College team at historical Princess Park, Maryborough
(see photograph below).
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Ex-Essendon
Cricket Club player Geoff Tobin, National Coach of Singapore Cricket
Association Grant Stanley and Rotarians Richard Groom (umpire),
IFCR President Charles Townsing and IFCR secretary Graeme Amoore
(see item ).
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Friends
at Grenfell through Youth Exchange: Yuu Tomikawa of Japan has just
completed a memorable year with Rotary’s Youth Exchange Program
with the Rotary Club of Grenfell, N.S.W. Yuu followed in the footsteps
of her mother, who enjoyed a similar exchange with the Rotary Club of
South Brisbane, Qld, 25 years ago.
continued
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