Level 3 has meant that a number of our other shops and retailers locally have been able to open, albeit in a different manner, whether by delivery, click and collect, or takeaways. This is a good first step towards improving the economic balance in our community, and has been a life line to some of our smallest businesses. I would just like to encourage you to support local (I'm sure you do already) and to spread the word to friends, family, and neighbours of things that you hear are available. For example the new (was due to open the day after lockdown started) Waimate Farmshop and Butchery has been subsidising fantastic $60 meat packs home delivered around Waimate. The special finishes this week but it is very good meat and a big saving! Phone 02109055729 if interested. We don't usually advertise businesses but it is really important to spread the word (and the love) at the moment so we keep these businesses in our community. Let me know if there is anything you would like me to help promote, whether through here or on my Deputy Mayors Desk Facebook page.
POEM ON ROTARY
Where there is darkness, Rotary shares light.
Where there is loneliness, Rotary shares love.
Where there is illiteracy, Rotary shares education.
Where there is ignorance, Rotary shares knowledge.
Where there are problems, Rotary shares solutions.
Where there is enmity, Rotary shares friendship.
Where there are unearthed talents, Rotary shares opportunities.
Where there are needs, Rotary shares new horizons of living.
Where there is a tear, Rotary shares smiles.
Where there is a distance, Rotary shares the miles.
Where there is pain, Rotary shares the agony.
Where there is gain, Rotary shares the joy.
Where there are achievers, Rotary shares the compliments.
Where there are failures, Rotary shares success supplements.
Where there are orphans, Rotary shares the family.
Where there are elders, Rotary shares time.
Where there is childhood, Rotary shares values of life.
Where there is youth, Rotary shares the ladder of leadership.
Where there is unemployment, Rotary shares career choices.
Where there is lack of awareness, Rotary shares vocational training.
Where there is despair, Rotary shares hope.
Where there is depression, Rotary shares inspiration.
Where there is weakness, Rotary shares strength.
When there is chaos, Rotary shares harmony.
Where there is illness, Rotary shares curing.
Where there are disabilities, Rotary shares ability.
Where there are contingencies, Rotary shares might.
Where there is poverty, Rotary shares ways to wealth.
Where there is nothing, Rotary shares something.
Where there is everything,
Rotary sources it and shares it with those who have nothing.
This beautiful poem was written by Mrs. Jayanthi Raja Seenivasan during the year 2007 when the theme was Rotary Shares.
Take care all and I will see you tomorrow night,
Sharyn
CLUB NOTICES
Meals on wheels is still tracking along well with approx 30 meals being delivered a day. I would like to again thank our small team of deliverers who have been doing a number of shifts every week. We are currently waiting on the level 2 advice tomorrow to assess when we may be able to open the roster back up to more volunteers. I may need a couple more drivers over the next week or two as others head back to work, so please let me know if you are in a position of being able to help. (Sharyn)
A reminder that you can access a whole lot of fun Rotary learning, ideas and information online. Sign up at www.myrotary.org and let us know how you get on.
Zoom and online meetings - there are a huge range of online meetings going on at the moment and you can log in to them from anywhere in the world. Maybe try checking out another club in our Districts meeting, or a different NZ club, or a club elsewhere in the world! There are also some fabulous training sessions being run by the likes of the RI President and RI Board members. Get on and have a search - it is amazing what you can find.
Have you come up with a local project idea? The Board will be having a meeting next week and all suggestions are welcome
Today you will also receive, via email, a copy of the Draft D9980 budget for the 2020/21 year. Please send any thoughts or questions to President Elect Alan Maitland regarding this
Today, also via email, you will get a sneaky peek at the ideas for the Whitehorse development project. The project is at the stage of seeking funding and support, with a grant to be applied for by next Wednesday. Please have a good look at the concept drawings and give feedback on how you think Rotary might be able to help - volunteer time? cash? supplies? Any project questions can probably best be answered by Ian Moore and Chris Paul who are on the Economic Development Committee (Council/Community)
THIS WEEKS SPEAKER - WAYNE LANGFORD (YOLO FARMER AND MEAT THE NEED)
Saturday afternoon, March 18th, 2017. I decided “enough was enough”. I had to do something to change my life because I couldn’t go on living this way. I was turning 34 this day, I should have been rejoicing, partying. Instead, I was in bed, alone, tears in my eyes, trying to control my mind, which had taken control of me. “Life can’t go on like this, I’m broken.”
That Saturday afternoon I climbed out of bed, I grabbed the wife and kids and said “we are going on an adventure!” I had no idea it would turn out like this. As we drove down the long gravel country road I explained to my family “we are going to do something every day for the next 365 days, something every day to say that we have lived for that day!” With the kids too young to really understand my mental state and my wife seeing a glimmer of hope to finally get her husband back, they all agreed. “We will call it YOLO, You Only Live Once.” Although we didn’t know it at that time, YOLOFarmer was born.
If I look back on that day, I remember thinking of all the mountains I was going to climb, the bungy jumps, roller coasters and the exotic countries I would visit. It would be like a movie, I would find myself. It didn’t take all that, far far from it. We are now 1141 days* (edited to today) into our journey, we could have never stopped at 365. I now say “we” because my family came along for the ride. Every day we focus on doing one thing, big or small, to say that we have lived. Forcing our bodies to feel the emotions that are life, #connection, #gratitude#pride#giving#experiences.
I’m a dairy farmer in Golden Bay, New Zealand. My wife Tyler and I, as well as our three boys Lewis (12) Gordie (10) Alfie (9) run 300 cows, milking once-a-day with an emphasis on environmentally sustainable milk production. Like many other young farmers, I suffered from depression, this is my path I took out of it. What a journey so far, with so much more to go. I use to wake dreading the day, now I wake wondering what the next #YOLO is?
"Everybody goes through a tough patch in their life, there will always be highs and lows. It is the actions we take in our daily lives that will affect the way we can deal with these peaks and troughs.
When I found myself at my lowest, almost broken, I changed my routine. I said “I’ll do something every day to say that I have ‘lived’ for that day.” What I did not know then was I was on a path that would change the way I see the world.
Through my journey over the last 3 years I’ve connected with 1000’s of different people. Everyone of them offering me a chance to learn and grow as a person. I learnt that everyone has a beautiful story, everyone has a heart and almost everyone is as shy and nervous about sharing that side of themselves as I am.
An old friend said to me “the Wayne I remembered loved to give.” One thing I had lost, a part of me that I had not touched in a long time was the simple act of giving. I began to give. I gave my time to others, I gave thanks for simple pleasures, I gave space in my mind to learn new things, I gave up those parts of my life that were dragging me down. I gave what I could, money, milk, meat, smiles and tears. The more I would give, the more it would fuel me to carry on.
I thought, what if there are other farmers out there that want to give just like me. Farmers that want to care and look after their communities and country they live in. This would not be about recognition or dollars and cents. This would be about farmers doing what farmers do, creating food to make sure our people don't go hungry. It should be simple, it should be easy and it should change the way we feed New Zealand.
A number of our fantastic little future Rotarians have had birthdays over the lockdown period and I just wanted to say a big Happy Birthday from all of us in the Rotary Club of Waimate. So if your child, grandchild, or other family member has had a special day please pass on our best wishes. While you're at it check out the amazing cake that one of our littlest dudes Fionn got for his birthday!! Bruce the shark! Are you taking click and collect orders Rebecca?!?!
Yep food seems to be the national go to position for a lot of us and many of our Rotarians have been outdoing themselves! Who can guess which Rotarian went to this big effort to recreate a favourite at home?
The above very cool raised garden shelter was not built by one of us - it was built by a man in Rolleston for his lovely wife, but gee isn't it fabulous! I thought I would post it on here to put the idea in to your heads as maybe it could be a future project for in schools, or the community garden, or in low income homes???? It also has a wee spray sprinkler system run along the inside top, that just turns on easily at the tap for a fine mist. Very cool.... now who can I find to build me one at home too :)
KEEPING UP WITH CALIX
After 5 weeks with the Meyer family at Hook, Calix has moved on to the Shefford's home. Huge thanks to the Meyers for hosting "our boy" and we know Calix will enjoy his time out on the farm with Mark, Vanessa and family. By the look of the photos coming through there will be some interesting stories to tell...
