Whanganui and Whanganui  North Rotary Clubs are jointly sponsoring Saskia Knight for RYLA 2023

Whanganui Rotary Club are pleased and proud to be jointly with Whanganui North Rotary Club sponsoring Saskia Knight for the 2023 RYLA camp in January.
Saskia is presently a student studying veterinary science at Massey University. This is part of the process of fulfilment of her long held ambition to have her own veterinary practise. She gives the impression of being someone who is prepared to put in the work to achieve her aims.
At the time of the interview Saskia was on summer vacation from University. During this time she has linked up with "CookieTime" which is an organisation that sells cookies around Christmas. She will earn an income while the company will donate $200,000 to charities in NZ. 
She has set herself the target of beating their previous sales record (about 8000 buckets of cookies) and to do this has set up her own distribution network with outlets at various place in different towns. She is doing the delivery work herself. 
The interview was interrupted twice by cell phone calls from the people she is supplying asking for advice with a couple of situations. She dealt well with them and was apologetic for the interruption. She comes across as a natural manager.
 
Whanganui and Whanganui  North Rotary Clubs are jointly sponsoring Saskia Knight for RYLA 2023 Frank Gibson 2022-12-13 11:00:00Z 0

AG Graeme Prince talks about the Centurion Club

The following is the text of the talk given by AG Graeme Prince to Whanganui Rotary Club on 28 November 2022
 
For several years after I first joined Rotary, like many others, and probably like several Rotarians in this room, I believed that we were all paying vast amounts of subs which were disappearing somewhere overseas, never to be seen again. 
Sadly, there are still many who have been Rotarians for much longer than I, who still seem to firmly believe this.
I needed to know what was happening with all of this money so I started talking to other Rotarians and looking online and I soon discovered how wrong my assumption was.
I discovered The Rotary Foundation - the very large charity arm of Rotary International and I read up about it.
I discovered how clubs could get their money back through District and Global Grants. I found that my subs were, in fact, being used after all - for projects which covered the very reasons why I joined Rotary in the first place - to try and help make a difference.
My research was encouraging me to make the Rotary Foundation my charity of choice. Why? .... Outside of Rotary I was already donating small amounts every year to a selection of causes. These mainly  involved youth and children. 
Guess what! When I looked closer I found that the Foundation, in some way, was covering every one of those causes that I had been supporting and the Rotary Foundation had the ability to add my small amounts into something much larger and very worthwhile. 
Look at what Rotary, and in particular, your club has been able to achieve for the new Wellington Regional Childrens Hospital and look at what North has been able to achieve for Orthopedic Surgery in Tonga.
So, our subs were being put to very good use after all and I was left thinking that because of this, instead of believing I was paying vast amounts in subs, I was now feeling that I wasn't paying quite enough to make the personal difference I wanted to.
Then I came across the Centurion Club - an avenue to make a small, regular contribution to the work of the Foundation with the satisfaction of knowing that I personally would be belping to make a difference. 
Centurion Club membership costs $100.00/year or if you pay $150.00 the Foundation benefits $150.00 but you can claim $50.00 back as a tax rebate.
Not only did I join the Centurion Club, but who would have thought back in my early years as a Rotarian that today I would be sitting on Martin (Garcia)'s District 9940 Foundation Committee and promoting the Centurion Club.
I really believe that the Centurion Club makes a lot of sense. The Foundation really needs the help of every Rotarian to help us achieve the goals and dreams that we each have as members of this great organization.
The Rotary Club of Whanganui - your club - has about 7 current Rotarians who are members of the Centurion Club. That's a great help and I would encourage more of you to think about what I have said and please read the handout. Think seriously about making the Rotary Foundation your charity of choice and in doing so please simply write your name on an application brochure and hand it to me. I will do the rest for you.
 
AG Graeme Prince talks about the Centurion Club 2022-11-30 11:00:00Z 0
PDG Martin Garcia talks about the District RI Foundation Frank Gibson 2022-11-30 11:00:00Z 0

BeyondWater 2022

Sharon Crean, her husband Pete along with John Stacey who are all Rotarians  are cycling from Cape Reinga to Wellington to raise funds to build school toilets in East Africa. John’s wife, Sarah is driving the support vehicle

Sharon and Peter are Kiwis and this trip will be part of a larger venture that will take in Australia and the US.

Whanganui Rotarians Neil and Chrissy Boyd have kindly offered to accomodate the cyclists at their B+B for the nights of the 28 and 29 November that the team will be in Whanganui.

On their rest day the cyclists gave a short talk about what they were aiming to achieve. Click on the link below to see a short version of this talk

Cyclists Against Poverty 

BeyondWater 2022 Frank Gibson 2022-11-29 11:00:00Z 0

Jessica O'Connor

Whanganui Rotary Club members and guests were treated to something special at their meeting on 14 November.
 
The club sees it as part of its mission to support the young talent of Whanganui. 
Jessica O'Connor started performing in shows at a very young age and realised that this is what she wanted to do with her life. Jessica has an obvious natural gift for expressive singing. But talent is rarely enough and she has shown that she has the discipline and determination to put in the hard work of rehearsal and practice.
 
Jessica is proudly supported in her personal musical journey by tutor and friend Marie Brooks.
Jessica O'Connor 2022-11-18 11:00:00Z 0

Manukura GPS

Manukura GPS
 
Sam Ward is Whanganui born and bred.  He left Whanganui City College in 2010 with little idea of what he wanted to do. 
He enjoyed sports so he did a Bachelor Degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Massey University followed by a Teaching diploma which included a section at his old school in 2014. Upon completion he was awarded a position at Ōtaki College. 
At Ōtaki Sam saw a high dropout rate and it was not seen to be cool to do well. Sam saw a lot of unrealised potential. 
In 2018 Sam felt he had been hit by a bolt of lightning. A year eleven boy from a supportive family who had numerous friends took his own life. Sam was visibly moved when he related this part of his story to the Whanganui Rotary Club.
Sam had learned something of the emergent change model of building organisations and saw how this could be applied to the situation he was faced with.
He looked at different approaches. Successful approaches were built upon and unsuccessful ones were ditched. In effect Sam was developing a new way of building a learning environment. Sam formed his group around a nucleus of senior boys who had shown good leadership.
The group needed a name. The boys voted on the name. Manukura GPS translates into English as "To lead". GPS emphasises the importance of knowing where you are and where you want to go.
The group is voluntary and includes all ages. Older boys provide example and guidance to younger members while younger boys also advise the older boys.
Sam's work is doing came to the notice of Inspiring Stories as a result of which he won an "Extraordinary Young New Zealanders Impact Award". 
Two of Sam's students accompanied him to Whanganui and they described how the project runs.
Caleb Smith described the weekly schedule.
Every day starts at 7:30 am. Punctuality is expected. A few seconds lateness earns the group a set of press-ups.
Monday has the group in a circle discussing the weekend or holidays. 
Tuesday is Haka practice.
Wednesday is devoted to fitness and strength. Upon completion the boys clean themselves for the day showing respect for themselves and others.
Thursday is devoted to games and team building.
Friday  the boys do community service and fund raising activities for various local causes.
Whitiana Cameron spoke about their mantra - PALM
P = Participation, be on time, be the best you can be
A = Attendance
L = Language, 10 press-ups for every swear word.
M = Mana - how you dress, how you smell, how you conduct yourself.
The effect on the school was dramatic but Sam wanted more than just feelings. He wanted numbers and the numbers tell a powerful tale.
Achievement in NCEA has improved by 10 %
Attendance has improved by around 15%
Pastoral incidents have dropped by 50%
Most importantly the students want to be at school.
Manukura GPS 2022-11-14 11:00:00Z 0
Opening of new wing of Wellington Childrens Hospital Frank Gibson 2022-11-10 11:00:00Z 0