President Gabrielle's Message - Rotary Club of Milson

22nd February 2021

 President Gabrielle’s Message

With temperatures sitting at approximately 25oC tonight, and sun streaming into our meeting room, we
all did very well and with much information to digest.
Our 2nd meeting of the year, and I thank you all for your encouraging attendance especially seeing Allan
Rae feeling stronger after his stint in hospital, and then to have or Sir Pat back after 6 months building
his strength. We are a great club, and I’m so happy to see everyone keen to see things happening.
Our Board meeting tonight resulted in decisions being made
concerning Wendy Watts request to Support the “ParkRun” with
a Defibrillator, and we as a club have chosen to do this. We do
have a few conditions enabling a wider Community to have
access to the machine during the week when ParkRun are not
needing it. More info for you all as it comes to hand.
Our big Annual Golf Fundraiser is on the calendar again this year
and I’m sure those that know the game are keen to be involved.
The 14th March at Manawatu Club. See Grant McCaskie for any
further info.
Congratulations to the very proud Grandparents Malcom and Mandy Stewart. 3 Grandies in 8mths. Oh
how so much can happen to our lives in just 1 year. Love Love Love 
Adrienne, Jordy, Gabrielle and Bruce W, are into making some strong plans for the Women’s Refuge
makeover, and along with “Our” Cliff we are hoping to pull together a team of members over the
weekend March 27th-28th and just get it all done in one GO.
We are really open to anyone who has something or some ideas that we can use in our Beautification
work at the back yard/offices Main Street of WR. Many hands make light work, and I thank you in
advance. We are hoping to lay artificial turf, erect a basketball hoop, erect a shade sail, arrange large
potted plants/trees, and generally make the area fun and sociable. Your support is very appreciated and
Rotary will have a permanent identity at this place of work and Wellness.
On the 9th APRIL, at 5.30pm Manawatu Golf Club an evening of celebrating 100yrs of Rotary, in not only
NZ and Australia but more specifically here in Palmerston North.
Tickets available early March and it’s a night to bring your partners. Food, beverages, information and
inspiration all yours for $45 PP. more info to follow.
Rotary Signs at the entrance to our City are in the making. We are working alongside the LIONS with
this project.
We are always looking for ways to grow our membership and with the large residential development
opposite the CHALET this is looking like an opportunity we need to scope. Notice boards about our
existence around the area???? Your thoughts are welcome.
So many changes happening for many of our strong members and we value you all... Let’s continue to
look out for each other.
Have a great week. Keep cool where you can.
 Hei Kona mai.
( Goodbye for now)

President, Gabs

David Robinson spoke about MASH, the ‘Manawatu Accommodation, Shelter and Housing Trust’. It
is an example of an organisation that makes the Manawatu special.
David grew up around Ohakea and Whenuapai Air Force Bases, he left school at 15, worked in a
factory until he was old enough to join the Air Force as a Cadet. Spent the next 5 years having
what he describes as a Boys Own Adventure, jumping out of airplanes, shooting guns and blowing
stuff up. After a personal accident, he left the Airforce, completed a Business Degree at Otago,
then after moving to Wellington another stint as a civilian in the Defence Force looking after
Accommodation and Welfare. During this time the Christchurch Earthquake happened, and he was
one of the first to be airlifted in by Hercules on the day of the Quake. He considerers he saw
humanity at it’s best at that time. After the Defence Service, David became COO of Te Manawa, and
oversaw the Galipoli Exhibition.
Through all of these events he became interested in ensuring that people had the support they
need. All through his life various e vents have drawn him back to the Manawatu, when the
opportunity arose, he took up the challenge to again return to the Manawatu and became involved
in MASH and is now its CEO.
MASH evolved out of the former Railway Hotel Trust in 1990 with 5 clients and has Service Clubs at
is conception (Rotary, Inner Wheel and Soroptimist International connections with Joan
Chettleburgh and Nan Kinross being among its founders). It now has a budget of $35,000,000 with
500 staff supporting 2500 people, from Hawkes Bay, to Manawatu, Otaki/Horowhenua, the Hutt
Valley and Wellington. The organisation is well supported by individual benefactors as well the
Palmerston North City Council locally. It helps people with disabilities and those who feel a lack of
social connection. Many customers are high school students or young parents. There is lots of
work to be done, especially among people with mental health or addiction problems. The
dedication of the staff has alleviated his concerns about dealing with a possible outbreak of Covid in
a residential site, when almost to a man/woman the majority of staff were prepared to isolate and
move away from home environment to enable their many operations to continue during lock-
downs and potential outbreaks.
MASH is a success story in the lower North Island but it is stretched. David concluded by asking
how MASH and Rotary can work together to achieve their goals.

Wendy Watts, a Paediatric Nurse from
Palmerston North Hospital, spoke about
Parkrun, which is a non-profit
organisation that arranges free 5km.
runs. The runs are held each Saturday
morning starting and ending at the same
place, are logged and timed. Once a
person has a registration, they can run
in any Parkrun anywhere in the World.
There are people who (before Covid
restrictions) travelled from city to city
to run as many different runs as they
could. There is a run in a city some
where in the world starting with every
letter but X.
It was started in 2004 by Paul Simson-
Hewitt, who organised the first one in
Bushy Park in London, after a serious
injury side-lined him from his high
exercise life-style. While unable to get
out and exercise Simson-Hewitt
suffered greatly with depression, he
realised that exercise was associated
with mental health and wellbeing.
The organisation is now present in 26
countries and has 3,000,000
participants. It is particularly active in
New Zealand, where it is present in 33
city-park locations, as compared to 47
in America, a much larger country. It
has been present in Palmerston North
since 2017, where it takes place every
Saturday. Ages of participants range
from 4 to the late 80s. Since it began
in Palmerston North, there have been
70 and 280 participants for each run,
and over 25,000 completions of runs.
The benefits include greater fitness
and the formation of friendships, the
latter being especially important for
people who live alone. The volunteers
who organise the runs learn new skills in working as a team.
A current goal is to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) available at every run. The use
of such a device within 3 minutes of a cardiac arrest improves the chance of survival by 44%. Its
cost is $2242. Wendy appealed for the support of our club in meeting this goal.

Never judge someone without knowing the whole story. You may think you understand, but
you don’t.

1st March Glen Round, Planning a large companies response for Covid-19 in
 Melbourne
8th March Karen Kaye, NZ's foremost Talent Agent and Modelling Agency. Partners
 Evening
15th March Farah Palmer ONMZ, Professor at Massey, member of NZ Rugby Union
 Board and legendary former Captain of the Silver Ferns is speaker on
 partner's night
22nd March RYLA presentations, and Committee Meetings
29th March Orphee Mikalad – newly elected PNCC councillor
5th April No meeting (Easter)
9th April (Friday) Centenary celebration of Rotary in New Zealand, further details to be
 announced
12th April John Thornley, growing up with Rock ‘n Roll

 • Close off time for apologies and RSVP on the Website is changing to 9:00am on a Monday morning,
 this is a change from midday, is at the request of our caterers, Boat Shed Catering who are
 requesting numbers earlier. Please log your apologies or guests via the web site as early as possible.
 Partners nights will now start at normal start time, that is 5:30 for 6:00pm dinner
 • Remember to keep aluminium wine bottle lids, and aluminium pull tabs off ginger beers and plastic
 ties for bread bags, which can be donated for fund raising purposes.
 • Roger and Valerie Swan are taking leave of absence, and have moved to Carterton
 • Board Meeting after the main meeting 22nd February
 • Roger Buchanan thanked the club for the flowers that were sent on the occasion of his father’s
 passing.
 • Gabrielle mentioned that she is often asked questions for which the answers are already available in
 the bulletin. Read it!
 • Please inform the almoner, Grant McCaskie, any members of our club who need help.
 • The Rotary centenary event will be held at the Manawatu Golf Club, 9th April from 5:30 to 8p.m. The
 cost will be $45 and the proceeds will go to the Children’s Hospital in Wellington. There will be 200
 tickets available and Gabrielle hopes that our club will be able to sell 50 of them.
 • Allan Rae and Sir Patrick Higgins were welcomed back to the club after absences due to illness.
 • The meeting on 8th March will be a partners' evening. The speaker will be Karen Kaye.
 • The golf tournament will take place on 14th March.
 • Network meetings between the five Palmerston North Clubs are being held monthly, mostly
 focusing on our Rotary in New Zealand Centenary.
 • Financial support is being sought from clubs for the development of a regional children’s
 hospital in Wellington.

• Several community groups have appealed for our support this year, the Club must decide, as a Club,
 which of these we shall commit ourselves to and support. More to come over the next few weeks.

• A very successful RYLA event was held, attended by about 30. Our returning RYLA participants will
 speak in the 3-minute spot in a future meeting.
• We also have two candidates from Freyberg High School for RYPEN later in the year.

• Malcolm Stewart welcomes suggestions for next year’s programme.
 o Malcolm Stewart reported on a good training session he attended at Massey the weekend
 before last and plans to attend another in Christchurch in March.
 o He reported on a push to make Rotary more attractive by relaxing some of the rules,
 particularly around membership.
 o There will be more discussion around some of the trending changes as more information
 and direction comes from RI.
• Club Development will have their dinner soon – watch for details

• Any scurrilous information should be directed to one of the sergeants:
 o Brent Dickins (brentdickins@coombesmith.co.nz),
 o Malcolm Hopwood (hopwood@inspire.net.nz). or
 o Kathryn Coolbear-Stern (twobearsden@xtra.co.nz).

**If unable to do a duty, please ORGANISE a replacement
 Duties: and notify Bruce Manninen of your replacement **
 NB: If you are rostered on as Corporal Please arrange a ‘buddy’
 to help collect fines on the night

 ** = Change 1st March 2021 8th March 2021 15th March 2021

 Karen Kaye, NZ's top Farah Palmer, member of
 Speaker Glen Round, Modelling Agency NZ Rugby Union Board

 Meeting
 Normal weekly Normal weekly meeting Normal weekly meeting
 Status
 meeting The Chalet The Chalet The Chalet
 Venue

 Bar Wendy Blithe Brent Dickens Ashley Muir

 Rotary Toast David Bolton Ben Read Grant McRae

 Corporal Bruce Manninen Neville Openshaw Brett McIntosh

 Speaker
 Reception / Phil Round Wendy Blithe Christine Jones
 Intro
 3 Minute
 Spot Stefan Speller Evan Kroll Kevin Bowater

 Speaker
 Thanks Derek Walker Malcolm Stewart Grant McCaskie

 Gear Out &
 Away Roger Kennedy Cliff Bennett Allan Lee
 Parting
 Glen Caves Fiona Chard Andrew Sievwright
 Thought

 President: Gabrielle Bundy-Cooke
Bulletin Team: Wendy Blithe - Charles Little - Grant McRae – Bruce Manninen – John Morrison
 Club Operations: Roger Buchanan Club Secretary: Derek Walker Treasurer: Fiona Chard
 Sergeants-at-Arms: Kathryn Coolbear-Stern – Brent Dickens – Malcolm Hopwood
 Rotary Youth: Jordan Bentley Community: Adrienne Pierce
 Club Development: Evan Kroll Speakers: Malcolm Hopwood
 Almoner: Grant McCaskie

 District Governor: Gillian Jones District Assistant Governor: Venkatesh Kannan