DG Steve Chaney, ably assisted by his wife Edith and incorporating te Reo by way of introduction and acknowledgements, presented his address to the club this week.
 
Elaborating on the World President Sheka Mela’s theme of Think Global, Act Local, Steve outlined the main goals for the year. In summary they are:
Increasing membership based on the mantras Each One/Bring One and Come Join Rotary, Steve called for growth in existing clubs as well as starting new ones. A ‘health check’ is advocated to find out what works for each club and building on strengths – a wide range of models is available – Cause based, e-based etc. The drop from about 2000 to 1200 members in District 9920 indicates the extent of the haemorrhaging over the last few years.
 
Steve informed us that District Committees on Membership, Public Image and ICT Strategy will be working in close collaboration to enhance any action in this area.
  1. Empowering girls – four clubs in Auckland are giving support to Teen Parenting units in four schools – what other initiatives could be dreamt up?
  2. Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion – need for continued strong support for Pacific Island communities, especially Fiji where NGOs have to work under the radar largely. To help promote these ideals, Peter Boshier, the Ombudsman, will be a guest speaker at the next District Conference at Te Papa in June next year. The Bill and Lorna Boyd Trust’s work in promoting literacy fits well into these goals. Collaborative Rotary actions are to be encouraged – joint projects with other clubs and use of Friends of Rotary.
  3. Supporting Rotary Foundation – this branch of Rotary sets us apart from many other charities. Our club’s fees this year include an optional donation of $50 to Foundation.
  4. Protecting the environment – many very successful projects are in train right now – wetland restoration, protecting the ‘Treasured Waters’ of the Waitemata, pest eradication, Mangere streams, Trees for Survival etc – good reason to hold heads high when faced with criticism from the new generation.
  5. Leadership and Learning development – the effectiveness of Zoom to promote interaction and training programmes was highlighted – especially effective in training sessions for Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers across the huge 9920 district. Clubs are encouraged to consult the District website where all club activities are to be listed.