President Sharyn Cain – end of year report
Well it was a funny sort of a year with all sorts of curve balls thrown in but as I looked back through photos, bulletins, and notes from the year I was amazed and proud of how much our club still accomplished.
Pre lockdown seems so long ago now, and a bit like a different time, so some projects I had to double check when they happened to make sure they were actually in this past Rotary year!
This year we welcomed 5 new Rotarians to our Rotary Whanau – Jan Bayliss, Robin Murphy, Sam Rooney, Stuart Duncan, and Marlene Sheppard. These members all bring a whole new lot of skills, backgrounds, and experiences to add to the diversity of our club. We were saddened by the death of long time member Bruce Arthur at the start of 2020 and he will long be remembered for his commitment, financial skills, and wit.
Through the work of our Paul Harris Fellow committee a number of people were recognized for their contribution to Rotary, our community, and further afield. Rotarian Raewyn Francis was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow +1 for combined efforts in Rotary and the community, Past Rotary President John Meyer for his work with Rotary, and non-Rotarian Joan Dennison received hers for the tremendous amount of volunteering and organising she has done within our community.
The club hosted a huge range of speakers on a range of topics including – DGs video, Ian Moore and Michelle Jones on the Waimate Economic Development Strategy, Junior speech contest winners, Maggie Eames and Jane Severison from Waihao Downs School on the Davis Method of Learning (Dyslexia), Sam Roebeck – Manager of Waimate CentreCare Counselling, Waimate District Council CE Stuart Duncan gave a state of the nation, French Rotary Youth Exchange Student Calix Benjamin gave his introductory presentation, New member talks, William Joines – NZ Police dive squad, Dr Sarah Cregan on men’s health, Rotarians Dylan and Rebecca spoke about the Regeneration Conference, Mayor Craig Rowley presented his vision for the next 3 years, Our High School Honorary Members Catherine Nichol and Campbell Sheddan ran an evening including chairing, organizing youth entertainment and all other aspects, International committee had an evening on Polio, Don Hayman took us back in time with stories of spud farming at Lower Waihao, Jo Sutherland – Waimate 2gether, hugely successful Foundation Auction “Out of Africa”, Chris Moffatt – Blind and low vision NZ, Presentation to outgoing RYE Reese Millar, Christmas Party at the Event Centre with oldie worldy games. After a break for Christmas we headed back to Rotary with an evening of speed dating (Rotary styles), and then hosted the lovely ladies Leola and Dionne telling us all about the Relay for Life Event to be held in Waimate, DGE Dylan spoke of his Chicago trip, we discussed South Island Merger proposals, and Maddi Rogers filled us in about her time with midwifery in Nepal (our club donated towards a Doppler), these were interspersed with well run Club Nights by our President Elect Alan Maitland………..and then……… our community, country, and the world were shaken by the rapid onset of a nasty pandemic!
But did we let that stop us from “doing Rotary”?
The lockdown period offered new opportunities with contact buddy groups, online happy hours hosted by Dylan, Meals on Wheels continued, learning new hobbies, plenty of cooking and eating including some online cooking classes with Bec, zoom meeting and webinars to attend all around the world, quizzes, and even a fabulous chance to attend the first ever Virtual Rotary International conference for free!
We were fortunate to also have some wonderful speakers present each week via our zoom meetings – Stuart Batty from RNZWCS, Remaya Campbell a peace scholar tuned in from Los Angeles, Kerrin Tilley – NZ Mouth painter and Rotarian from Opotiki, Wayne Langford – YOLO Farmer and Meat the Need Charity, and Rotarian Rebecca Fry from Sydney on her initiatives RYLA Oceania and new club Rotary Social Impact Network.
Even in our return to face to face meetings in the last month we have packed in the opportunitiees with presentations by our team that travelled to Kenya, Rotarian Matt on his Cycle Aotearoa journey – Cape Reinga to Bluff unassisted, and RYE Calix gave his final presentation before he heads home to France on the 9th of July.
Our sergeants Chris Paul and Ailsa McKenzie did a fantastic job of extricating all the excess coins, and often notes, from club members and learnt early on that getting some of the young ones in the room to carry round the collection mugs brought about bigger sums. A fabulous total of nearly $3000 raised for the Sunshine Fund, which this year helped support people with health conditions, CentreCare Counselling, supplied firewood to those in need, and paid for groceries for families struggling during the lockdown period, amongst other things.
The Rotary Youth Exchange programme was again fully supported and this year we went full throttle by hosting inbound student Calix Benjamin, and also sending local young man Reese Millar outbound to Chile. A visit from an ex RYE was also enjoyed.
Youth programme initiative High School Honorary members continues to be very successful and we have been fortunate to have Catherine and Campbell prior to Christmas and now Amellia Lindsay and Billy Boyne. Since its inception in 2015 we have had 12 very capable, compassionate, and intelligent young men and women join in with our Rotary family. This has always been one of my favourite initiatives and the success is highlighted by the fact that 2 have gone on to be Presidents of Rotoract at Victoria and Otago Universities, and others have joined Rotoract Clubs, many have received scholarships, 3 have been awarded Waimate Youth Civic Awards, and all of them are leading fruitful lives.
Each of our main committees has also been very busy, considering nearly 3 months was removed from the project calendar.
Public Image – New promotional pens, Christmas Parade, Relay for Life Team, Articles in News and Views, weekly bulletin, and social media
Development – Combined Services Training Grant, Black Stilt release, Debonaire Trust, Library Visit, Dr Cregan on Men’s Health, and a trip to the Port of Timaru
International - 2x Emergency Response Kits, Foundation night raising over $28000, Toilet Block Nepal, Kenya Project, Polio efforts, Polio Night, Fundraiser Movie Ride like a Girl, Polio Bears
Community Service - Meals on wheels, Waituna Creek Carport, Planting Day, External paint and spruce up of the Waimate Plunket Rooms, Toot for tucker, Bushtown BBQ, Family fun day, Seats up the hill, Strawberry Fair, St John 100 years, Gun buyback BBQ, Eco lightbulb event, traffic management, Centrewood Fete, Christmas in the Square BBQ, preparation for the return of the Main School/Rotary Trail bike ride, and Kiosk Repair
Youth - William Pike Challenge, WHS Peer Support, Speech Competition, WHS Honorary Members, Rotary Youth Exchange, WHS Library Donation, Life Education Trust, Dictionaries in schools, and Plunket Books
There were family friendly trips to Otematata, and secret squirrel women’s trips.
Our club was totally represented in the community with our Rotarians supporting the following external clubs, organizations, and trusts with appointed committee members– Waimate Parenting Hub, Life Education Trust, Blind and Low Vision Foundation, Regent Theatre Trust, Community Vehicle Trust, Centre Care Counselling, Civic Award Committee, Community ANZAC group, and the Debonaire Trust. We were also very proud of Rebecca for her work on Shelterbox, and all those who served at District and Regional level including our very own Rotarians Dylan as District Governor Elect and Raewyn Francis as Assistant Governor.
… and there was much, much more, with fundraising events, the Big Easy, School of Music, Anzac Bikkie comp, period poverty, and sewing for Days for Girls.
What an extraordinary year, and I potentially missed some things!
I would like to take the time to thank the following people –
Board of Directors
- President Elect Alan Maitland
- Secretary Jane Bell
- Treasurer Cara Gregan
- Past Presidents Representative Colin Dore
- Immediate Past President Ryan Luckman
- Youth Director Bridget Wilson
- Public Image Director Harvey Wood
- International Director Ian Moore
- Development Director Mark Brown
- Community Services Director Mark Shefford
Assistant Governor Raewyn Francis – also for all her help on the finance committee, cash desk, meals on wheels coordinator... etc
Special thanks to
- Chris Paul – donation of raffle prizes meaning an additional $1000 raised, hands on support with building skills, donated products, and the 2 sergeants raked in around $3000 off you all for the sunshine fund
- Michael Horne – manning the rotary phone and managing all the apologies and numbers with the T and C, and super 2nd in command for the very busy Community Services committee
- Adam Rivett – Rotary Counsellor for Calix which ended up being a pretty full on role with the COVID situation, revamping the Junior Speech contest, extra duties each week for Meals on Wheels ober the lockdown period and much more
Extra special thank yous
- Jim Rayner – amazing job as Chair of the Our People Committee, hours and hours of effort as our Club Historian, and a great personal support to me through my year as President.... infact my whole time in Rotary, with kind words, advice, and support
- Pauline Dore – outstanding as chair of the induction/PHF committee, along with her team they did a very professional job , end polio champion, organiser extraordinairre, always there with a helping hand, and the other Rotarian that has been a great personal support to me through my year as President and time in Rotary with positive thoughts, sound advice, friendship and support.... and the occasional kick up the jacksee, I mean gentle prod, when I forgot something!
Other super stars -
- Penny, Mel and the staff at the Town and Country Club
- Jim Young and Raewyn Francis for their work on Meals on wheels, as well as all the drivers, especially those who stepped in over lockdown
- Sergeants Chris and Ailsa
- Our Finance team who supported treasurer Cara
- The Inductions and PHF Committee
- Carolyn Johns on raffle duty
- Harvey Wood – weekly bulletin – Networker
- Trustees of the Charitable Trust
- DGE Dylan for his advice, and being a sounding board at times
- Reps on all the external groups
- And last but certainly not least – all of you, my fellow Rotarians for the difference you make in our community, our Aotearoa, and around the world.
I would like to wish Alan and his crew all the very best for their Rotary Year 2020-21. I know with such a positive and motivated bunch that it will be another hugely successful and enjoyable time for all.
Signing off for the last time,
Sharyn (now Immediate Past President)
