November 2022

Thank you very much to the club members who came along to Rotary Point to become part of a team to nurture the little native trees that have been planted there. And also to those people who responded to team leaders after the follow up email went out. We now have the basis for the six teams to maintain the plantings and follow on from the groundwork been done by the working group.

 

During the first weekend all teams had a member on site watering and weeding. Thank you from the trees :)

This week, the large rainfall on Thursday alleviates the need for watering but the weeds will have loved the rain also and thrived!!

 

Some teams still need an extra member so if you are keen to help please contact me and I can allocate you to a team that needs an extra pair of hands.

The weeding and watering takes roughly an hour and normally you will only be required to do that in your area once a month at the most.

Thanks again everyone

Pam

Shirley Calvert gave an insight into her 3 terms (9 years) as a District Councillor.  Her goal was to see the completion of the 43 action points identified in the first Cromwell Community Plan 2008.  She considered the Plan her mandate to advocate on behalf of the community.

In her first election campaign in 2013, Shirley identified 3 Waters, The Lake and Foreshore management and Senior Housing as issues the ratepayers were most concerned about.  There was also strong support for maintaining and enhancing the natural environment through native plantings.

Shirley was thrilled to oversee the native plantings at Stewart’s Ferry on Bannockburn Road, which brought together 10 different organisations.  The project that Shirley is amazed about is getting the Lake Dunstan Trail completed, to date some 92,000 people have cycled and walked on this spectacular trail.  

Although no longer a Councillor, Shirley is still working on community projects, one of which is the Chinese Settlement at Old Cromwell Town. This is awaiting funding for resource consent – watch this space!

 

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Bernie McKone spoke about staff shortages affecting all sectors.  He told the meeting that following the Kaikoura Earthquake in 2016 some sole owners hadn’t had a break for 3-4 years.   Bernie put his hand up to go and help along with a few others, they got a lot done, at no cost to the pharmacist, with no bureaucracy.  Three weeks ago Bernie was told about a Pharmacist in Whangarei who had 54 staff, and was open 7 days a week, He flew from Invercargill to Whangarei and spent a week helping out so that the owners had a break.  Many people in the health and pharmacy sector are having to cope with immense stress – as are many businesses in NZ seeking staff. We have to think whether there is anything we can do to help.

It was a surprised Heather who awarded her PHF at the welcoming function of the Bannockburn Arts - Across the Bridge Arts School.

 

It has taken a while to arrange an appropriate time to present this award to Heather but past chair of the PHF committee, Pam Broadhead, grabbed this opportunity to surprise Heather on Monday night. 

 

In presenting the award Pam said"with a big heart and a strong sense of community Heather epitomises the essence of community service". Heathers love and passion for community arts, her leadership of the Cromwell & Districts Arts Council as chair for 16 years, her involvement with'Across the Bridge' Bannockburn Arts Festival, membership of the Bannockburn Community Centre committee, a key organiser of Central Otago's Trashion Show, support of the Cromwell Farmers' and Craft Market and the Cromwell Wine & Food Festival.

 

In 1989 Heather and her then-husband John Olssen, bought land along Felton Road and established Olssens of Bannockburn – the first vineyard in the Cromwell basin. (Now Terra Sancta)

Along with the vines, they planted 8500 trees, shrubs and grasses, established three ponds, and hosted a scarecrow competition, many outdoor concerts and an annual sculpture exhibition.

Heather became the Central Otago Winegrowers Association president, and in 2009 she received an award for ‘Outstanding Service to the Central Otago Wine Industry’. She was the first woman and only the fourth recipient of this award, joining a who’s who of Central Otago wine heritage – Alan Brady, Steve Green and Rolfe Mills.

 

Other awards in recent years have been the 2017 Community Service Award form CODC; a 2018 New Zealander of the Year Award nomination; the 2020 Arts on Tour Annual Regional Arts Touring Award for ‘Best Individual Community Presenter’.

 

Heather’s gifts for bringing people together and encouraging and creating opportunities for others—coupled with her ideas and creativity—have led to great things happening in her community.

Forward-thinking, she constantly strives to see how something can be done better and how best to involve people and resources. Heather is a true community champion, committed to making Central Otago a better place.

 

Applications for the 2023 RYLA have opened and so it is time for us as a Club to start identifying young people who may be suitable applicants for this valuable course.

 

For our new members, RYLA is a Rotary programme aimed at people 20-30 years of age who currently have leadership positions or have the potential to lead, either within the community or at work.

 

RYLA is a week-long residential course and with the formation of the new District there will be two locations next year - one will be held in Queenstown (29^th January – 3^rd February 2023) and one in Christchurch (5^th – 20^th January 2023) and provides the participants with the opportunity to extend leadership skills, assist personal growth, develop new networks and make new friends.

 

The cost of the programme is $900 per person but successful applicants are fully sponsored by their employer or by the Club (or a mix of both).  

 

Young people we have sent previously describe the experience as …..  CHALLENGING/AMAZING/LIFE CHANGING.

 

So if you are part of a business, or know of a business, that would like to sponsor a person to participate in this programme please encourage them to contact me for more information. I am happy to go and talk to them at any time. Alternatively, if you or your family know someone personally then encourage them to apply.

 

There is more information available on the website www.rotarydistrict9999.org   and applications can be made on-line.  I also have more information available so feel free to ring or email me (027 621 3216 and cluanbeag@xtra.co.nz).  

 

Jennie