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It was cause for celebration when the Trust established by the Club in 2019 surpassed its target of 200,000 trees planted at the end of the 2022 planting season.
On 17 October, the theme of the speakers and discussion was the Club’s progress as a Zero-Carbon enterprise and actions members can individually take in their own life styles.
Denise Church’s Five-minute talk presented a helpful framework for mapping the stages in a typical member’s attitudes during a transformation such as to zero carbon. The discussion among participants will often move from pretence, to sincere opinion, to accurate fact, and arrive at authentic purpose.
Principal Youth Court Judge of New Zealand, Hon John Walker, addressed the Club on 10 October. He was appointed to the District Court bench in 1994. Since then he has been involved in a number of roles relating to judicial administration and courts reform, particularly related to drug and alcohol dependent young persons and adult offenders.
The statistics of the Youth Court are disturbing and many of us in the room were unaware of the reality. Police attend 160,000 callouts to family violence a year in New Zealand and, in 80% of these events, children are involved. But it is estimated that only 20% of family violence is reported. A staggering 60% of all those who appear in the Youth Court have a history of family violence. In the District Court, 50% of all defendants have a history of trauma.
Leaving Paekakariki
Ride for Polio
“Please remain on the train!” The main job for the train controller was ensuring all his 360 passengers plus crew arrived safely to Taihape and returned home. This he did, thanks to volunteers from Steam Incorporated and Chris Tchernegovski, the End Polio chair of Rotary. In 3 coaches were 110 Rotarians, happy to support the elimination of polio in the world.
The occasion was the Rotary Explorer heritage train hauled by steam locomotive Ja1271, beautifully restored and operated by Steam Incorporated in Paekakariki. It was fuelled by good West Coast coal and watered from fire hydrants at Palmerston North. Along the route were many families enjoying the unusual sight and sound of a steam train.