Annual Report 1983-84

HASTINGS ROTARY CLUB

President’s Report for 1983/84 Rotary Year

During the past year as your President I considered the main aim of this Club was a YEAR OF SERVICE THROUGH FELLOWSHIP

As a Service Club we agreed to respond to the dual challenges of our City’s Centennial and our Club’s 60th Anniversary.

Thank you fellows for your support of the Centennial Gala and the Centennial Golf Classic. These were our main fund raising projects for the year and proved to be very successful.

Some highlights of our other success stories are:-

1.   Following up on D.G. John Webb’s requests that we do something positive to help overcome youth unemployment our Vocational Committee arranged jobs for 2 young people. The two concerned were found apprenticeships, and supervision will continue during the four years of their training.

2.   Continuing on the theme of young people our Youth Committee continued the sponsorship of 2 young people to Outward Bound. This is an ongoing project and I’m pleased to report that the Auction produced over $700 for next year’s candidates.

3.   Young people again featured in our Club adopting the Matched Twin Exchange for the first time. We said farewell to lovely Kim and were pleased to welcome Michael Pike and Jason Smith as the Club’s front runners in this new scheme. We were very proud of the way they reported to the Club along with their itmes [items]!

4.   Old typewriters is next on my list. Don Patterson asked members to hunt out any old models. These were for use in Tonga.  We provided 4, plus $100 for conditioning and freight.  Don was able to find another 15 from this district and has been able to organize the sending of 19 to the Tongan College.

While it may appear our activities were focused on youth this was not entirely the case.  Recently a subsidy was approved to the Red Cross to purchase a telephone answering machine so that the Meals on Wheels Service could be monitored.

And the list went on ….…  However I do not propose to bore you with a list of all our good deeds as self praise is no recommendation.

At this point I would like to have a commercial.  I think it was in 1979 or 80 that our Club set up the Hastings Rotary Charitable Trust.  Members have been encouraged to deposit funds on an interest free basis.  The income generated has been accumulated so that major projects can be undertaken.

2.

You will remember our sponsorship of Mark Wimsett.  Recently Sir Edwin dropped a note to me advising that his deposit was to be treated as a donation.  I know others have also taken this action and I would commend this to you.

To Committee Chairmen, Directors, Club Officers, Programmers, Compadre Max and his adorable typiste, Venue Committee men, all Club Members, thank you for your support.

Peter W L Young
PRESIDENT

HASTINGS ROTARY CLUB

CLUB SERVICE COMMITTEE

Report for 1983/84 Rotary Year

It has been my pleasure to have been Chairman of the Club Service Committee for the past year.

We are extremely fortunate in our Club in that we have a membership of fellows who are so willing to assist in the weekly running of the Club.  This results in our Club running like clockwork each week for the benefit of all members.

As Chairman of the Club Service Committee, I can only say that I have enjoyed my year because of the ready assistance and support I have received from members of the committee.

I would especially like to thank Max for his guidance and assistance throughout the year, furthermore, his weekly newsletter I know is appreciated by each member of our club.

To our programme committee, many thanks for organising a variety of speakers throughout the year.  A special thanks must go to Brian Usherwood who stepped in as Convenor of the Programme Committee following the resignation of David Green.

Our Venue Committee are to be thanked for the task they perform each week in setting up the room for our meeting, their efforts are appreciated by us all.

Sergeants at Arms for the year were outstanding in their ability to extract fines from members, as well as being one of the highlights at each weekly meeting with entertaining stories or fines.  On behalf of the members, thanks to convenor Jim Redgrave and the other Sergeants for performing your demanding weekly duties in such an entertaining manner.

To other members of the Committee, Marshall – Ted, Attendance – Keith, Cashier – Bill, Hosts – Gordon and Dick, Fellowship – Eric and Gordon my thanks for the job you have done throughout the year.

Our Club’s 60th Birthday was one of the highlights of the year which was organised by the Convenor of the Entertainment Committee, Charlie Trask.  For those who attended it was an enjoyable occasion.

Secretary – Frank and Treasurer – Colin, are as efficient as ever in carrying out their respective duties.  The Club is grateful for the time and efforts they both put into these positions.

To all the other members of the Club Service Committee, I would express my thanks for the work you have done throughout the year.

Finally we acknowledge the leadership of President Peter during the year.  Peter has had a busy year with his business and other commitments but he has always ensured that we have had an enjoyable year of Rotary.

J Mills
CHAIRMAN, CLUB SERVICE COMMITTEE

23 May 1984

HASTINGS ROTARY CLUB

COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE

Report for 1983/84 Rotary Year

This Committee during our 1983/84 year displayed what is expected from Rotary “Fellowship”.

The members determined at the first meeting all meetings would be held on the first Monday at 5.15 pm and this time proved a wise choice because of the support received.

The work began at Landmark by the previous Committee relining, painting and wallpapering a front bedroom was completed by September 1983.

Many excellent ideas to raise money were presented by members but because the suggested projects would require support from other members of the Club, the Directors correctly decided, because of our Club’s Centennial project, to leave these ideas to the next Committee.

My Committee’s involvement in the Fantasyland Gala, with the responsibility of games, proved very successful and the support from members apart from those who never attended a committee meeting, 100%, plus assistance from Rotoract.

The events organised were the knock down a Watties Can (cans kindly donated), the throwing of darts at envelopes containing money, throwing of coins into bottle tops to double your money and golf chipping into a drum.

We were able early in 1984, with support from Mrs Ida Boag, of the Old Folks Association, to entertain two elderly gentlemen aged 94 and 84 to a Club luncheon, and but for a breakdown in communications, would have been able to entertain more.

On Sunday 8 April members of my Committee with the support of Robbie, his wife Ngaire and Ally McKay, were hosts to a group of over twenty pensioners who were first of all taken for an hour’s drive around Hastings, Napier and Havelock North, followed by a sing-a-long (pianist David Harris) and afternoon tea.  Because of the obvious enjoyment for this type of afternoon by both the elderly folk and also those who assisted, we would recommend this year’s Community Service Committee endeavour to organise another afternoon.

The culmination of our year was a most enjoyable function in May with our wives at Gordon’s restaurant.

I thoroughly enjoyed my year as Chairman of this Committee and my involvement with Directors because of the support received and the comradeship generated.

D. J. W Burns
CHAIRMAN

HASTINGS ROTARY CLUB

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE COMMITTEE

Report for 1983/84 Rotary Year

During the year no substantial projects were promulgated due to the Club’s involvement in the Centennial project.

The Papua New Guinea project not completed by the previous Committee was finally resolved, thanks to the efforts of Ian Lawson.  Freight was arranged at hopefully little or no cost to the Club for the stationery, books, etc to be landed and delivered to the point of distribution.  Owing to the lack of suitable shipping this project has been somewhat delayed, but I am grateful to Paul von Dadelszen and the previous International Service Committee for their efforts towards the project.

This year International Service’s emphasis was the City Centennial and all Clubs throughout the World that had the name Hastings were corresponded with.  Eleven Clubs were contacted and four replies were received.  One from the village of Hastings on Hudson near New York, USA sent a proclamation from that City as well as a historical history of the town.  This was very much appreciated by the Club.

This Committee was also involved in the Fantasyland Day project and may I express my grateful thanks to our members who gave their time.  A most enjoyable day was had by all who took part.

The only disappointment this year has been the poor attendance at meetings.  Out of a Committee of seventeen no more than six attended any meeting.

My thanks to those members and their wives who accorded us the hospitality of their homes for meetings.

R Walker
CHAIRMAN, INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE

June 1984

HASTINGS ROTARY CLUB

VOCATIONAL COMMITTEE

Report for 1983/84 Rotary Year

Vocation is an easy word to say and understand.  To create projects and apply it to a committee as in the Rotary sense is not easy.  However with an enthusiastic team of fellows who made up only part of the full committee we had our first meeting.

The new members felt that better results will be gained by having our meetings at 5.15 pm rather than the traditional fireside meeting.  The main aim of our Rotary year was the Gala Day at Windsor Park.  Members approach to this was generally good with the result being that our Committee achieved its goal in fund raising.  This was a very worthwhile Club project and with the amount of time taken up by it no others [other] major projects were undertaken by us.

We were most disappointed not to have had a representative in the GSE team to Japan.  We as a committee worked very hard and had two very good candidates.

I feel I must make mention of the apparent delay by district 993 in advising Clubs about these GSE visits and the short time we had available to us to promote the visit.  There is on record a letter from the Hastings Rotary Club to the District Chairman recording our regret at the time factor allowed to Clubs and requesting an answer as to why no further visits will take place until 1986.  I do commend this project to future Vocational Committees.

A very successful project was started in January 1984 when two unemployed youths were guided into apprenticeships.  It will be the responsibility of future committees to report on their progress.  This is a very easy project to carry out and one that falls into the request by the DG in his address to the Club, that Rotary try and help unemployment in their district.

We completed our year with a short meeting and dinner with our wives at a very good Chinese restaurant in the eastern end of Heretaunga St (no commercials please).  I would like to record my sincere thanks to all Committee members for their support.

G ROBSON
Chairman Vocational Committee 1983/84

HASTINGS ROTARY CLUB

YOUTH COMMITTEE

Report of 1983/84 Rotary Year

For most of the past year all Committee meetings except April and May were very well attended, at least 75% or more in attendance.

ROTORACT:  The Youth Committee maintained a good liaison with Hastings Rotoract this year there being only two meetings where a Rotarian did not attend.

Hastings Rotaract had a very successful and active year under President Lynda Heywood.  Some of their major achievements were; Lynda Heywood was the winner of the Michael White Shield for Service for the six months prior to June 1983.

25 June   Woodchop
25 June   Telethon
27 August   Demolished a fence
10 Sept   Woodchop
10 Sept   Gardening
8 Oct   Gardening
8 Oct   Sports weekend – Gisborne (District Function)
29 Oct   Beer Festival
13 Nov   Marshalling at 4 wheel drive Rally.

Doug Speers is the present holder of the trophy 1983.

5 Feb   Rotary Golf Classic
18 Feb   Gardening for the Girl Guides
25 Feb   Rotary Fantasyland Gala Day
3 Mar   Car Wash
5 May   Car Wash
2 June   Apple Bagging
6 June   Polar Bear Swim

The trophy is given out every six months and is due to be given out at our Birthday Dinner which will be in July.

In addition to this they won a calculator due to their fund raising efforts for the Spirit of Adventure. They bought and donated to the Plunket Society two child safety car seats.  They have donated a colour television, a high low bed and an elevation wheelchair to Ward 10.

The proceeds from their beer festival supplied a talking typewriter for the blind.

GOLF TOURNAMENT:  Another very successful event took place in February.  Sponsorships from our own members plus a few new ones all helped towards the $2000 odd dollars profit that went into the Fantasyland Project Fund.

Special thanks must go to Don Patterson for his efforts towards the successful day.  Without his knowledge of golf I would have been floundering.

2.

FANTASYLAND DAY:  Our stalls providing drinks and selling of the donated cakes was very successful, over $1000 being raised from same.  Many thanks to all members for their fine efforts on the day.

RYLA:  Rotary Youth Leadership Award.  A small panel of three chose Diane Lowes and Joanna Wake as this year’s two Ryla awardees.  Both girls are members of Hastings Rotaract and have reported that they both gained a lot of confidence because of the course and will of course, speak to our Rotary at some suitable time.

OUTWARD BOUND:  Another very successful auction was held this year with much gratitude going to Rex McLay who was the only auctioneer.  It was disappointing to see the low attendance of members present on that day.  However, the Youth Committee wish to thank all those who did attend for joining in the spirit of the thing and raising some $700 for at least two sponsorships to Outward Bound later this year.  The two candidates away in the past year were Tony McGruddy, Michael Young.  Also Alan Robson attended – he was supposed to have gone the year before, but an accident prevented this.

TWIN EXCHANGE:  This has been so far a very rewarding exchange and most successful.  We had a selection panel and our two chosen candidates Jason Smith and Michael Pike were matched by District Committee with Anthony White and Brett Cranfield.  Both of these boys live in Sydney.  Our boys went to Australia for the first term of this year and at present the Australian students are here at school for the 2nd Term.  The Australian boys return home in August.  This has been a successful exchange and I do recommend that the incoming Youth Committee continue with the Matched Twin Exchange again this year.

STUDENT EXCHANGE:  Our Club did not select a student this year for the one year exchange due to participation in the Twin Exchange Programme.

During the May holidays Youth Committee billeted six overseas students from the South Island.  Most enjoyable meeting these overseas students.  They appear so much more mature than our young ones.

GENERAL:  Youth Activities Week.  During September we had someone to speak to Rotary about Youth each Tuesday beginning with Outward Bound, then a talk from a Youth Aid Officer followed by the Hastings Boys High School oratory group and finally a talk from Rotaract.

Graeme Sullivan a member of Hastings Rotaract was selected from the RITZ team to Australia this year and the Youth Committee recommended to Directors that $50 be donated towards his blazer.

Youth Committee also recommended that $100 be donated to HB Asthma Society to sponsor a child in a new comprehensive swimming programme.

We had two dinner meetings with our wives during the year, the first early on at the Hastings Golf Club at which the District Governor attended, and the other in March at the Canton.  They were both very well supported and enjoyable.

In conclusion I would like to thank all members of my Committee who made my year as Chairman go very smoothly, we had great co-operation and support whenever requested.

Sandy Struthers
CHAIRMAN, YOUTH COMMITTEE