Welcome to Rotary 2025. I hope you have all had an enjoyable festive season and have had a good catch up with family and friends.

 

It was good to see all the familiar faces at Rotary this week. It seems a while since the well-attended AGM at the Station Brewery and the Christmas function at The Orchard Garden – a lovely venue to unwind and enjoy each other’s company.

 

The Book sale was a resounding success thanks to the leadership and organisation of Mark, Carolyn, Hugh and Ren, and to you – the Rotary Support Crew.  It’s a big effort but is our biggest fundraiser and treasurer Graham is more than happy.  Some of the funds raised will go toward the Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust and to the Fire Brigade for the Alpine Eight Fault project.

 

We have many requests for funding and at times we can’t satisfy them all so having the coffers refilled is satisfying.

 

Ian Rutherford was our last minute guest speaker at the meeting on Tuesday 28th and did an admiral job telling us about his life story.  It’s always interesting to learn more about our members.

 

Rhys discussed the Pulse Lend a Hand Foundation sponsorship which is to end soon. The mood of the meeting was that we should wind this up and transfer the funds to the Trust account.

 

Rhys also gave an update on the Polio situation around the world.  It seems a never ending battle to ‘get’ the last case under control.  With the advent of COVID there is a distrust of vaccinations which makes Rotary’s job that much harder. Numbers in some areas are increasing.

 

Pam Hughes is interested in joining the club as are our new Salvation Army Captains Charlene and Jonny Wyebrow.  We look forward to having them as members.

 

Arnold and Owen have been busy with the Poplar Grove project, and with some members, are staining tables and seats to add the finishing touches. 

 

The Days for Girls programme has orders for more menstrual kits to go to Fiji in May so our team of ladies will be heads down sewing in the next month or two.  We have applied for a District Grant of $1500 to cover the cost of making the 50 kits.

 

Coming up we have a social /partners Fish and Chips night on Tuesday the 11th February at the Post Office in Clyde.  We have an entertaining local as guest speaker!  Any family member or friend is welcome to join us as a guest.  We have a good number attending but if you wish to add your name to the list please get in touch with me jjopp@mouterestation.co.nz asap.

 

Mark is organising a Car Rally in March which should be a lot of fun. Keep Saturday the 8th March free.

 

We are also  planning a breakfast meeting on Tuesday the 11th of March to cater for the early birds!  Details in due course.

 

On the weekend of 22/23rd March, Hugh has a few maintenance jobs he would like assistance with at the Mt Aspiring Lodge.

 

Richard is on the job organising interesting speakers for the next month or two and with Paul, the ‘Rotary Hoe’ nine hole team each week.

 

I’m looking forward to the programme for the next few months.

Jillian

Ian Rutherford
New member talk

 

The Bulletin editor was at the Rotary meeting last Tuesday and listened to Ian give a very interesting talk about his work and family life. Following is an attempt to give a brief and reasonably accurate (I hope) synopsis of his talk.

 

Ian was born in 1947 in Clyde Central Otago although his family lived at Millers Flat. He attended the Millers Flat primary school and then went to Otago Boy’s High School as a border.

 

After leaving school Ian worked for an insurance company in Dunedin dealing mainly with rural land. Because of a problem in the family Ian then went and worked on a farm at Waitahuna to help out. 

 

Ian married in (I think) 1968 and after a few farm jobs eventually ended up in Te Anau where Ian and his wife bought a property. They have three children, the first born in 1974.

 

Ian joined Te Anau Rotary in 2008 and during his time with that club became the treasurer. Eventually Ian and his wife decided that they would return to Central Otago and bought a place in Alexandra.

 

Ian, fortunately for the Alexandra Rotary Club, joined our club recently.

 

Ian’s talk was very entertaining and he told us of his very broad working life mostly in rural endeavours and a somewhat unplanned direction to some of his life (sorry not as detailed as your talk Ian and apologies for any inaccuracies Ed.)

Arnold Hooykaas 
Poplar Grove update

 

In the continuing journey to get the tables finished. The timber has arrived, see a couple of pictures of progress below. 

The tables once oiled and assembled, will then be installed on the Poplar site.