Our first meeting for the new Rotary year 2026-2027 was one to remember, with the temperature of the morning being 1deg!. It didn't keep some of our members from getting out of their warm beds and attending - along with 7 dedicated Rotarians from the Parnell Rotary Club,
My first role of President was to induct Lindy Esslemont into our Club making our current membership 40 with 6 Honorary members. A very good start to the year ahead. Lindy is an experienced Rotarian and has been a member of the Auckland Rotary Club. She will bring experience and enthusiasm as she gets to know everyone. Lindy will join the Community Committee and work with our Director Julie Louie. Welcome Lindy we are looking forward to having you amongst us and it was a pleasure to welcome you aboard.
We were also very pleased to welcome our Guest speaker, James Christmas representing the ACT Party to give us the latest updates on how the voting for the Elections in November this year are progressing.
An interesting young barrister who had the opportunity to work at the highest levels of the NZ Government, as a senior adviser to Prime Minister's John Key and Bill English. We wish him a good journey into the world of politics.
Next Thursday morning will be a very vocal time for everyone. It will be a time when you can have your say on how our Club can move forward into the future.
I hope you all had a relaxing long weekend and enjoyed the sunshine.
Despite the cold weather, we were pleased to have a strong turnout for our meeting last Thursday. It was a pleasure to welcome our guests: Steven Fleming, Nick Hamilton, Phil Gormack, Peter Don, Kathy Simpson, Peter Yu, and Malcolm Stapleton.
Sergeant of the Morning
Murray took on the role of Sergeant for the morning, presenting an insightful "snap chat." He drew on his extensive experience in the supermarket trade and his involvement with Foodstuffs to discuss the structure of supermarkets and their impact on shoppers.
Guest Speaker
Our guest speaker, James Christmas, (ACT party candidate) gave us an interesting look at his career and work history, including his eight years working with Chris Finlayson before he became Attorney General. James spoke about his current campaign, sharing his ambitious goal to knock on 12,500 doors before the election. He emphasized the importance of face-to-face contact and noted that, in his experience, most people have been very pleasant.
Club Updates & Mentoring
Peter B reminded members about the opportunity to volunteer as English mentors for students in Madagascar. A few of our club members are already involved in this program and have found it to be a very rewarding experience. Please contact Peter for more details if you are interested in helping.
Happy Moment
Malcolm shared some excellent news: 600 shelter bags have been delivered to Auckland for the city's rough sleepers. This delivery is particularly timely, as the winter weather has truly set in and this support is greatly needed.
Patrick is an active and important member of our club. He is always cheerful, speaks his mind and has an abundance of energy. Miles designed this lovely message for you Patrick so you will enjoy your special day!
Happy Birthday to you! Never change and thank you for everything you have done for the club and the members.
Club members are the lifeblood of Rotary. We can only make a difference in our communities if we have a strong club with enthusiastic, active members. Vibrant, well attended club meetings support our members to communicate what’s happening, report back on projects, share ideas, listen to interesting speakers, and organize volunteers to enable us to have an impact. We would like to start the new year with a workshop to gather feedback from all our members, about what you enjoy most about our club and any ideas for improvement that you have. This is your opportunity to “have your say” so please diarise the date now, and come along to share your thoughts and feedback, and offer your ideas! Date : Thursday 16 July 2026 Time : 7.00am Venue : Remuera Golf club
This is your opportunity to help shape the future of our club. Bring your ideas, suggestions and feedback as we discuss what members would like to see in the year ahead.
Be there and have your say!
Duties
Equipment: David Hartstone Meet & Greet: John Lewisham Reception Desk: Sylvie Wilkinson Host: Muriel Donnelly Sergeant: Matt Adams
