President 2024/25: Murray Gillespie
Secretary 2024/25: Jan Northrop
Club Website: http//www.rotaryngamotu.club
Apologies for dinner meetings by 12.00 Noon day of meeting
to John Pitman:email: jpitman@xtra.co.nz
Apologies: Tony Bird,Gary Brown,David Brownson,Myles Derry,Dennis Eales,Sally Morch,John Pitman,Ian Smiley
Guests: Trish Betts, Don Cowie and Cheryll Sharrock
Fines
The meeting opened with Simon Northrop questioning how well members knew details of
Pukekura Park and its history and landmarks.
Rob Green- Heritage Taranaki
Rob Green of Heritage Taranaki was introduced to up date us on Taranaki Heritage Month(4 October -6 November)which the Club has supported in previous years. He gave some very interesting background on some of the forthcoming events and particularly recommended the annual panel discussion (5 October) which always generates informative and thought provoking
themes.
He was thanked by Des.
President Murray introduced the main speaker Richard Wishnowsky, Rotary Community Leader for our area of the pilot Rotary Scheme.
The Scheme aimed at helping Clubs and Rotary members in general find a way forward to halt the decline in membership and grow Rotary in different ways. Growth and Change are the themes as Rotary Membership is currently in free fall. “There is no silver bullet “ - the position is a very difficult one and the solution must come from individuals and clubs, looking outside the conventional structures and attitudes. But individuals and clubs are not alone - there are specialists available to help, advise and provide resources. The regionalisation pilot is still a work in progress but there will be 70-80 specialists in place.
Richard as our Rotary Community Leader will act as a facilitator, a totally new role, as clubs create a growth plan.
“Success is not an accident. Planning for it is vital”. As a Rotary Club we need to change our emphasis on how we are seen - we need to increase impact (advertise our success, work with other clubs),expand our reach (offer to help local businesses),enhance participant engagement (new members must be shown to be valued) and increase our ability to to adapt (stop letting traditions become barriers).
Adapting and changing can be confronting but the future is in our hands.
Jan D thanked Richard for his thought provoking speech.
President Murray gave a brief update on Club matters .
He and Myles are still waiting to meet with the Council representative to conduct due diligence on the proposed Centenary Project.
At our last business meeting, there was a Zoom meeting with the manufacturers of the Air
Fresheners - part of our next business meeting will involve drawing up a list of potential
companies/contacts to be involved.
Some members will be taking part in the annual MS street collection on 13-14 September. Still awaiting details from the organisers.
At the last Directors’ Meeting, Ruth Nicholls from RYDA updated us on next year’s programme in Taranaki. The Club hopes to provide 6 volunteers for the courses in New Plymouth for the week commencing 7 April.
RYPEN - schools generally on board but is still a work in progress.
National Science Forum - information on proposed candidate has been received.
President Murray closed the meeting by thanking speakers ,guests and members for attending.
