Home Page | The Rotary Club of Wellington North

Are you an established professional who wants to make positive changes in your community and the world? Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for community service and friendship. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group who share your drive to give back.

Kindness and clean air

It’s rare to hear a leading politician speak about kindness. It doesn’t seem to fit with the usual rhetoric of ‘strength and success at any price’. Politicians are meant to be tough,

aren’t they? With thick skins. Such qualities make us feel secure. And, when hardship comes along they call us to be strong, not kind.

Operation Rice

OPERATION RICE

Filling the last 1kg bag

"It’s like the good old days of Rotary, a working bee followed by coffee and a chat”. So spoke Margaret Emerre after a successful Level 2 compliant working bee at Chez Nunns to transfer the contents of five 20kg bags of rice into 1kg bags for distribution by Kiwi Community Assistance. This was part of a second consignment of eight tonnes of rice donated by Tulsi’s Monty Patel. Johnsonville Rotary Club had already bagged up about 200kg and, having completed the Wellington North operation so quickly, President Lionel and the team are keen to do another round. The bagged rice is being rapidly despatched to Foodbanks.

Guest Speaker 20 May

Peter Kyle Incoming RI Director Speaking from Washington DC.

Club Presidents

Current President - Pres Lionel Nunns

My Rotary story began in Dunedin back in 1998, where I joined a club of some 110 members, the third-longest established club in NZ. I served as president for the 2002-2003 year.

Don’t think of me as a Scot from the south; rather a boy from the East Coast. Yes, I grew up in Gisborne, the first place in the world to see the sun each day.

Workwise, two paths really – civil engineering first, before going into the ministry. Much of that time has been in the industrial mission sector, bringing me to Wellington on secondment in 2006, for a year! I never returned and I now love Wellington.

I’m married to Diana, a registered nurse, and we have three adult children in Wellington.

My interests are in sport most especially, a lot on TV, but participate in competitive running – especially half marathons.

Club History

In the 1960’s, when Rotary was rapidly expanding, Ron Harrison, the Wellington Manager of New Zealand Breweries, with headquarters in Molesworth Street, called a meeting to establish a new Rotary club. With the sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Wellington, the Rotary Club of Wellington North came into being on 18 November 1965 with 26 Charter Members, whose names are listed on page 7. The initial Club gathering took place at midday in the Battle Bar of the Waterloo Hotel to enjoy conviviality and then adjourned to the Dining Room for the first meeting. Ron Harrison, as the first president, occupied that role for the next 18 months.

Covid-19

The Board met by Zoom, and agreed to trial a club members link up by Zoom. This has been trialed and now experienced by a majority of club members.

For some of you it will be meat and drink; for others a bit scary - however, no pressure, but it may be an occasion to become familiar with this now key way of communicating during the rahui (lockdown).

The purpose of it is to allow us to see and speak with one another, in a modified version of a Rotary club meeting that we are used to on a Thursday lunchtime. Features of the session will include a reflection, notices, happy dollars and where feasible, a speaker, as we all are full of stories since lockdown. We will also include some catch-up time.

Rotary Oceana has kindly allowed us to use its Zoom account. Club members will receive a reminder and access link prior to meetings. Guests of members will be welcome using the same link .