April is Child and Maternal Health month in the Rotary world so for us to pass the first financial hurdle in the Zone 8 funding process for Rotary Give Every Child a Future has been a big achievement. Our centenary project in the Pacific is underway! Our District has more than carried its weight to help fund this initial stage through our Global Grant contribution of (NZD) $30,000.00. We will deliver 100,000 vaccinations for two childhood diseases and HPV cervical cancer to young people in the Pacific.
Since Thursday, 26 March 2020 we have been completely overtaken as New Zealand went into Alert Level 4 of lockdown to unite against COVID-19 https://covid19.govt.nz/communities/. The lockdown will be for four weeks minimum and will impact on our lives and livelihoods for years to come. Our first response has been to look to our families, then to our work and after that to Rotary. All our club presidents have set up communication networks to look out and care for our members and their families. Old and new Rotary friendships, locally and across the world, have been rekindled and affirm our organisation as a connected, caring, international community.
This week I have chosen to reflect on the themes developed for our 2020 Conference – the one that was not to be.
We're all experiencing the need to do things differently at the moment. Plans we had made, expectations we had have been thrown up on the air. A key part of a Governor's year is the expectation of visiting each Club. Right now it's hard to imagine how those visits might look. We were planning a District Assembly to follow DG John's Conference but that will need to be delivered differently - and will be - watch this space.
I feel hugely sorry for DG John having to cancel his Conference after so much planning. I'm planning mine too for March next year. How might that look? Can we expect to welcome overseas speakers and RI reps or will the borders still be closed? And top of mind is our District Changeover.
John and I are discussing this and originally anticipated an event similar to last year's. But right now we're faced with the possibility of a Changeover like no other - a virtual one! Let's see what unfolds, but one way or another, you'll all invited to a party!
Next year's theme 'Rotary Opens Opportunities' is definitely playing out. I'm excited about about the opportunities the year will bring.
Please refer to the District 9940 Homepage to access the Covid -19 resource. This includes a selection of very important resources and helpful information, including an article that outlines the importance of the Club Bulletin/Newsletter.
District 9940 Rotary and the many Clubs that she associated with in the Wellington area are saddened at the passing in March of Sister Catherine Hannan, aged 84. Sister Catherine was a much loved and respected member of the Rotary Club of Wellington South. She was President in 2014-2015 and was a Sapphire Paul Harris Fellow. In the 2020 New Year Honours List she was honoured with a QSM for services to the community. Sister Catherine had an outstanding life of service.
We start by extending our thoughts to Polio News readers around the world. We hope that you are safe. To those working on the frontlines of COVID-19 response: our thoughts are with you. This edition contains an update on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on polio eradication, but also features some of the incredible work that women are doing for polio eradication around the world. Our aim is to recognise the exceptional contributions of health workers and remind us all of our ongoing determination to end polio.
As the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative is offering support, expertise and resources to help curb the spread of the virus, adapting skills developed during polio eradication activities. We have a moral imperative to do all we can to help countries overcome this extraordinary emergency.
On 24 March, the Polio Oversight Board took the difficult decision to temporarily pause some parts of our operations, including vaccination campaigns. Other key activities will continue, including sustaining surveillance for the poliovirus and accelerating progress towards roll out of the novel oral polio vaccine. There remain thousands of children worldwide who are vulnerable to the poliovirus, and we are committed to rapidly restarting vaccination activities as soon as we are able to do so. The polio programme possesses one of the strongest disease tracking networks in the world. This infrastructure is now being deployed to help countries battle COVID-19, lending vital contact tracing, surveillance and communications support to the pandemic response. [More]
Information on this page includes such things as to meet or not to meet, how to maintain engagement during the crisis and so on. This Covid-19 resource page is dynamic with additional information and resources added as these come to hand. In addition if you come across resources that would be useful for others or have a topic that needs inclusion please send to cs.bg.robinson@xtra.co.nz - we are all part of the solution
Tawa Rotarian Denise Garcia, has been assisting from day 2 with other health professionals on the Covid-19 contact tracing phones since March 21. Denise tells of some of her experiences.
"Checking in on how people are doing, plus giving instructions on self isolation from Ministry of Health headquarters in Wellington for 3 shifts a week. Talking to people from anywhere in NZ to all over the world in contact with anyone in NZ who has tested positive for Covid-19. Highlight was an American couple in Missouri who I rang. "Honey its Denise from New Zealand, the Ministry of Health there really care about us"
Home-visiting new babies and families is a huge challenge with hardly any PPE gear available. Keeping everyone safe, is the priority. Denise has made her own masks as the 7 provided were gone in 2 days. She purchased her own hospital scrubs to be as clean as possible. When she gets home its straight into the shower and changes and washes her clothes. At home its 3 people in separate rooms, different bathrooms, own set of crockery, sitting on separate couches apart - distancing to keep the bubble as safe as it can be".
lease read more: An excerpt from 'Midpoint' Midwifery Council of New Zealand Newsletter - April 2020. It highlights the Council's statement on practice as a midwife during an emergency.
I’m involved with supporting Government’s digital public service for New Zealand people and business. We service Ministers who need information quickly to inform their decisions; and work with government agencies and suppliers/vendors who deliver essential service and want up-to-date advice on digital channels and practice to ensure we can enable access to service together with privacy and security for NZ people. See: https://www.digital.govt.nz/
Laura is pictured on the left - with the fundraising convenor for Mary Potter Hospice
New Plymouth North Rotary has a number of members who are all working in the Essential Services in one way or another.
Deb Tawa – Motelier; Andrea Leadbetter- Marketing; Pippa Kohlhase, Peter Hilliam, Matt Walsh, Kara Northcott, Michael Fisher - all in the banking sector; Jill Fearn – Resthome; Leanne – Legal (photographed with Deb); Chris Connolly – Airport Services,Available Stew Kidd – Oil and Gas ; Geoff Ward – Farming Services;Frank Weterman – NZ Grazing Services; Kay Kendall – Electrical; Kevin Kerr & Jo Pierce – Insurance.
Available photos, left to right & top to bottom are of Deb, Andrea and Leanne, Pippa, Matt, Jill, Jo, Kevin.
Coronovirus and how to play the Adaption Game One of our club members, (Hutt Valley Rotary) Audrey, is doing great work to understand and work towards beating COVID-19. 'We are busy adapting one of our biggest projects to collect data and eventually provide feedback on the best treatment for the novel coronavirus outbreak COVID-19. Coronavirus mutated (or adapted) recently to give us SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 disease. Adaptation is a great skill for a virus – it’s a pretty keen skill for people and we are using it to fight back with what we do best.' Audrey Shearer, Founder and CEO, Spiral www.spiral.co.nz
I am a member of the Rotary Club of Port Nicholson, director of the Youth Committee – Anne Hare. My role as an Authorised Financial Adviser means I am working from home as the finance sector is an essential service! Stock markets around the globe remain open, thus we must continue to play our part in assisting investors with their requirements. It has been full on but at least I can do this from home over the phone or email.
I would like to shout out to essential workers that have to concentrate on physical distancing as well as continuing in their important work.
Hi,I am the President Elect of the Rotary Club of Tawa (a second time) and I have been deemed an essential worker. I work as a Telecommunications and Radio Networks Engineer in the Emergency Services sector. At this time the primary Emergency Services of Fire, Police and Ambulance along with Civil Defence are all stretched with the effects of COVID-19 and the associated lock-down.
As part of a dedicated team it is our responsibility to keep the various communications networks operating as efficiently as possible.
While Rotary Club meetings and Rotary events ramp down, the work of the RYE committee has ramped up considerably with the event of COVID19 and the lockdowns around the world.
We have four international students hosted in District 9940 - Cris and Felipe from Chile, Maxime from France and Rebekka from Switzerland. All students and their families have chosen to stay in NZ for the duration of their exchange and we thank host clubs for their support and commitment to honour our agreement with our overseas partners and to look after their children as if they were our own.
Photos:
Hila making some very tasty Rahkapulla, which means curd bun in Finnish.
HIla going for lots of forest walks with her host Mum during the lockdown.
Tawa Rotary Club President Judith Gray says that, as community leaders, the Board felt that suspending weekly meetings and large group activities to be the correct course of action to take in order to look after people and help slow the spread of Covid-19 through the community. Unfortunately, this has also meant postponing the club’s upcoming 50th Anniversary celebrations. It is sincerely hoped that we may have the celebrations at a later date.
Bill Day's Update on our New Children’s Hospital...
Like most things in NZ at the moment the New Children’s Hospital building site has been shut down due to COVID19 as it’s not an essential service, but the current children’s Hospital is operating as best COVID19 will allow.
In the meantime the New Children’s Hospital project management team and design team are continuing to progress detailed designs and procurement activities remotely. I am pleased to say that Weta Workshop also continue their work for the new hospital as they develop the creative environment and interactive space in the hospital. I have seen some of their ideas via Zoom links last week and even though I am not the target market, their ideas and concepts are impressive.
The RYLA committee and alumni are working hard to bring a vibrant programme to nominees in January 2021. With all the uncertainty right now, what we can say is that we'll be ready to light up the New Year in January with RYLA in whatever form we can.
Given that clubs will have change over in June and July this year it is timely to make sure incoming Presidents have RYLA 2021 firmly in their plans for the club.
We expect the fee for a full RYLA programme will be $995.00, so please include this in your budget. We'd love to have participants from clubs all over District 9940 attend in 2021.
Applications are now open at www.ryla9940.co.nz/, so please start thinking now about how you will attract applications. If your club has sponsored participants in previousyears these young people have the contacts and the enthusiasm to help you make great selections for RYLA 2021.
We are here to help and support clubs be part of this amazing Rotary leadership programme
Applications for the Innovative Young Minds programme closed on 1 April. Unfortunately due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are no longer able to run the July 2020 programme as originally planned.
The health and well-being of our programme participants, site hosts, staff and the wider community is our priority.
The exciting news is that we plan to offer the July IYM programme online instead. We couldn't let the amazing programme we had planned go to waste! The online IYM programme will be free and open to all applicants.
We are currently exploring running additional residential programmes next year, but this is reliant on obtaining additional funding and support. We are excited about these opportunities and we will keep all our applicants, sponsors and supporters informed as the situation develops. In the meantime, thank you so much for your support and our thoughts are with you and your whānau during these challenging times.
Given the current nervousness of parents, students and schools around the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as Rotarian’s, the Inglewood Rotary Club last night decided to postpone the RYPEN Weekend scheduled for 27-29 March.
All students accepted onto the program are invited to attend a rescheduled weekend on 16-18 October 2020. This will mean nobody will miss the opportunity of the RYPEN experience and we are hopeful that the focus of the media has moved to more positive matters by then.
I hope this change of dates doesn’t inconvenience anyone unduly; I think you’ll agree that a cautious approach is prudent.
This email is sent to all students accepted onto the 2020 program and you should all be contacted by your sponsor Rotary Club and possibly by someone from your school. If you have any questions please feel free to email me.
Kind regards and thanks for your patience and support.
SUBJECT: Register Now: Connect With the (Online) Rotary World
Via: Adestra
To: District governors, district governors-elect, assistant governors, Rotary coordinators, assistant Rotary coordinators, district membership chairs, club presidents, club presidents-elect, and club membership chairs and all Rotarians.
Dear club and district leaders,
Rotarians everywhere are proving that being socially isolated doesn’t mean disconnected. In fact, people are embracing new ways connect all around us. World renowned experts and speakers are calling in to news shows via Zoom from their living rooms. These are done using the technology they have available—smart phones, earbuds, webcams, and the internet. Nothing fancy, just people adapting with what they have.
Join us for the webinar Connect with the (Online) Rotary World on Wednesday 29 April at 8 am NZ time [Tuesday, 28 April, 15:00-15:45 Chicago time (UTC-5)]. Format will be a Q&A with Rotarians who are leading their clubs and districts in the move to virtual connection, specifically who are:
Holding interim club meetings online
Using social media to engage with one another and the community
Developing fun ways to maintain the traditions they love and finding some new favorite activities
Finding local and global service and mutual aid opportunities, proving that Rotarians continue to be People of Action
This morning (4/04/20) I attended a Zoom meeting with the Rotary E Club of Keystone, I was invited by a Rotarian from Pennsylvania who I had meet at the RI Convention at Toronto in 2018.Total participants were 22 and the meeting commenced this morning at 7am (NZ Time), 2pm Friday there time.
Attendees were from Pennsylvania, North Caroline,Colorado, Texas, New York, Jamaica, Canada,Tanzania and other USA states I had missed. The meeting duration was for approximately 90 minutes.
The meeting include a guest speaker from Tanzania and included a Power Point Presentation on his project to support the disabled through producing wheelchairs all specifically made to suit each persons needs Each chair was at a cost of $US 260-00. I noted that the front wheel on the chair was centrally mounted, this was to enable them to travel over rough terrain.They are desperate need of a additional 42 chairs.
They spoke about a number of clubs that have projects that won’t be completed this Rotary year and suggested those funds could channeled to the Rotary Foundation .
Corona-19 was discussed at length and one person described in there town they had 37 cases but only had 2 ICU beds therefore had five deaths.
I certainly enjoyed listening to other Rotarians “Connecting Rotary to the World”.
It is a fabulous day in Otaki, no wind, not a cloud in the sky and currently 15 degrees, a Rotarian from Canada advise there weather was minus 15 degrees and snowing !!!
I hope to attend there E meeting next Saturday morning even though it will be 6am (NZ Time) meeting with our our daylight saving change.
Even in challenging times, the Petone Rotary Club found a way to meet tonight using Zoom! It was super fun and a great way to utilise technology during these unprecedented times. Whilst many members couldn't make it tonight, we are looking for different ways to ensure everyone stays connected.
Take care of one another folks. Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui. Be strong, be brave, be steadfast. And stay home.
The Rotary Club of Plimmerton celebrated Women’s Suffrage with an event in Porirua.
This included a musical item from LeArt, a musical trio from Porirua College. They wanted the fundraising to benefit their peers at College. Adrienne and Donna visited the Principal and Deputy Principal to see how best the fundraising plus a District Grant could best be used.
As the musical trio had plans to continue studying music at Victoria University, they suggested chromebooks. The DP was currently inquiring to purchase 10 Chromebooks for a University Preparation Group. We could confirm purchasing 4 of those. We discussed barriers to students attending college through winter and the Principal expressed a desire for 4 winter raincoats for vulnerable students. The school raincoat is fleecy lined, windproof and waterproof but it is not a priority for some families in need.
This is from our Global Foundation scholar in Germany. Jessica Sebastian is a Porirua Community Lawyer and has gone to Berlin to complete her Masters in Human Rights.
Hi everyone
My apologies, I had a deadline yesterday for my supervisor for my thesis. My mum let me know re the contact. I am doing well, moved from Berlin to Rheingau amid the COVID 19 spread and also to minimise spending. I am in fairly regular contact with Clemens as well. Two states in Germany have imposed lock downs as the spread worsens but we are in self isolation and things are very quiet here, good for thesis writing. More states are likely to follow suit.
The Rotary Club of Port Nicholson received some good news and that was that, 'the 1st Ian Paterson Rotary Club of Port Nicholson Award was awarded to Dr Nathaniel Dasyam for his work with Freemasons CART T-cell research programme'. Dr Dasyam will be presented with this when the club starts meeting again.
An ambulance formerly owned by Wellington Free Ambulance is being sent to Samoa after a fundraising effort by the Rotary Club of Port Nicholson
The ambulance was presented to the High Commission for Samoa H.E. Leasi Papali'i Tommy Scanlan at the Rotary Club of Port Nicholson’s club meeting on 4 March
The ambulance will be used for emergency work in Samoa and has been reconditioned and upgraded to meet Samoa’s needs.
Captions
( Above)Tamaris Livera, High Commissioner Scanlan, Rick Hughes and Darryl Ross.
(Left)High Commissioner Scanlan takes a seat inside the ambulance.
46 people, Rotarians and Rotaractors, from NZ, Fiji, Tonga, Guatemala, Arizona, Germany, France joined a Rotary Oceania Zoom meeting to be introduced to the Rotarians Experiencing Distress initiative. Truely Rotary Connecting the World. Rotarian Ruth Cross spoke of the difficulties she has experienced and faces stranded in Fiji and her story online the Rotary Oceania website. Rotaractor Dr Carina Muckel also briefly mentioned her experience of being stranded in Auckland awaiting a flight, sometime, back to Germany and she was joined on the meeting by her parents. Carina's story will be published next week. Ruth and Carina have received a lot of support from Rotarians in NZ, Fiji and Germany - thanks to all for your compassion and showing the Rotary network working at its best.Ruth and Carina are unlikely to be the only Rotarians in similar situations. Please support the fund set up to help Rotarians (and Rotaractors) Experiencing Distress by making a donation via https://www.rotaryoceania.zone/page/rotarians-in-need Whatever you or your club is comfortable with will be gratefully received.
In Levin Rotary's 23/3 Bulletin, Youth Director Pam Good, reported:
"Our club was very fortunate in having two students accepted for the 2020 Science and Technology Forum at Auckland University in January. The students we sponsored for the two week forum were Brianna Chow (Horowhenua College ) and Luke Cochrane (Waiopehu College). They were to speak to us at our Rotary meeting on 24th March which, as you know, was cancelled.
Brianna's ambition before attending the National Science and Technology Forum was to study in Dentistry, Health Science or Engineering. Brianna saw the opportunity to consider other options and was eager to learn about recent development in both fields of science and technology.Luke has always wanted to be a scientist right from an early age. He has always been fascinated by ants and wanted to know why they behaved as they did! Luke's ambition was to study Genetics however he was eager to explore other options.
Please take time to read their presentations. When you do you will see their profound comments resulting from attendance at the Science and Technology Forum.
This was a wonderful opportunity for our local students!!
Pam Good, Youth Director. Brianna's presentations is reported in 'read more '
It was a momentous occasion for our club as we closed a very successful chapter in our history with the handover of our 5-dollar note project to the Himalayan Trust.
20 years ago, the club had a simple idea: a run of 5 dollar notes autographed by Sir Edmund Hillary and put up for sale to anyone who wanted a little piece of history for themselves. This little project went on to raise over $ 200,000 for the Himalayan Trust.
The 25th Rotary Charity Car Show was held in February 2020 with a spectacular record turn out of vehicles and public. Thank you to CSR – Custom Street Rides for being our valuable sponsor. The funds from this day were being raised to assist the set up of the Inglewood High School Youth Health and Wellbeing Unit.
Pictured here is Principal Rosey Mabin accepting a cheque for $2000 from Rotarian Jim Shepherd.
Thankyou to all our Sponsors, Golfers and Rotarians for making this day a great success. Photos x3 On the 6th March we held our 4th Annual Charity Twilight Golf Tournament and our Winning Team was Ideal Electrical. Funds raised from this will be assisting with the final installation of a Solar System at The Taranaki Retreat in respect to our District Grant. Many thanks to our Major Sponsors HTL Group, Shelley Wilkin McDonald Real Estate, Kitchen Draw, Barbara Kuriger MP Taranaki. King Country and Ag & Marine. We also pass on our thanks to our many other sponsors for their support in hole sponsorship, auction items and raffle prizes.
A great day was had by all with spectacular weather conditions and there are more photos are available on our FB page.
Other winners were: Longest Drive - Ag & Marine and Ideal Electrical
Closest to Pin – Adamson Contracting and Spurdadles
The Fair has evolved from a modest 35 stalls and produce trucks to over 500 stalls from around New Zealand selling a wide range of quality items and attended by over 40,000 people over the two days. Food was popular in the early fairs, and is still so today with a lot of food trucks selling ethnic and traditional food.
Local produce is particularly showcased at the Fair including olive oil, honey, salami, cheeses, bread, fruit preserves and juices, fresh produce and fudge.
The Fair’s reputation is such that the demand for stalls exceeds the space available with waiting lists now commonplace. We have also increased our efforts to publicise the fair in advance on the Web and on social media where it has its own website and Facebook page.
'Speak no evil', 'Hear no evil' and 'See no evil' were not for sale !! :)
How to Attract Young Volunteers: Some key messages from a recent Sam Johnson speech to the Rotary Club of Wellington.
Recognise that social connection is the key driver for young people who volunteer. When you set up your projects, make sure you foster that sense of connection. Let them work together, create opportunities to mix and have fun, provide good food!
Give young volunteers meaningful roles and then provide support. Sam believes the biggest barrier against young people volunteering is self-confidence. They worry whether they have enough skills to be useful. To get through this barrier, give them tasks they can manage or carefully train them up.
Research shows that if young people have a good experience the first time they volunteer, they are four times more likely to make volunteering part of their lives. Think through very carefully how you can ensure their volunteering experience is successful. Make sure that the work happens as soon as they arrive. Don’t have them hanging around waiting and remember that food makes a huge difference!
Recognise that when a young person arrives to their first volunteer activity, if they have a good time, they are highly likely to become life-long volunteers….and the reverse.
A letter to DG John from Karalyn Hingston from Food Plant Solutions
Dear DG John
I am writing this having just heard about the closing of borders in WA, SA, Tasmania, as well as many borders between countries around the world. I am sure we will hear more news like this for many days ahead.
I am aware that the COVID-19 virus has necessitated many Rotary Clubs to suspend Rotary meetings till further notice, as my club has done. I also know that some major fundraising programs have been cancelled because of the virus. But Rotary work does not stop. In fact I am sure we will be called upon to support many people in our communities who will be doing it hard at this time. Many of us have never faced a time like this.
Bruce Morgans ( love the hat ) spearheading BBQ’s throughout the colleges within the Kapiti region. Funds raised seeding the trust with a goal of targeted, direct support to those slipping through the cracks. this In response to the recent ( last years ) tragic lose of some of our youth to Suicide. Our community stepping up, looking forward to hooking them up with the Kapiti youth Council. Amazing work guys.
Our Rotary District 9940 is launching a new Facebook page for a public audience within the next fortnight and will be changing the existing Facebook group to a closed group for interaction between Rotarians.
He aha te mea nui o te Ao?
DG John is delighted to announce the winner of our Conference 2020 Early Bird raffle. 
Coronovirus and how to play the Adaption Game 
Bill Day's Update on our New Children’s Hospital...
l Fagg shares:
