Stories

Rotary Matamata has been serving communities near and far since 1922. We are planning formal and informal celebrations, a book, media coverage and more. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more information and please email us if you have any ideas or historical material you would like to share.

 

It was to a very reluctant wife a number of years ago that I mentioned that, for a fund raiser Rotary Matamata could host a seafood dinner. It could be at our place and she could do the cooking! On writing this I can understand why she was reluctant. However, over the years I managed to wear her down and, with the intervention from another Rotarian, I set about offering the night to help support the Rotary club funds. I didn’t want it to be just Rotary members, as Rotarians give constantly throughout every year, so I started asking around to see if there would be some interest. 

 

 I joined Rotary in the early 1980s. In those days our regular committee meetings (which are held after a Rotary meeting, usually at a Rotarians home) where called “Fireside meetings”. One of the highlights for Gail and I as hosts is suppertime when we get to relax and chat after business has been attended to. On occasions we would serve Lamingtons, some of which were actually sponge rubber!! It was very interesting watching the initial reaction as Rotarians tucked in, then peals of laughter as some got real Lamingtons. One member politely put his bite into a napkin and then into his pocket! The late Don Stanley was recalling this with some of us not so long ago.
For me the heart of Rotary is our local working bees and projects. These are always great fun. The first one I recall doing was laying foundations for the Intermediate School swimming pool. Bending up reinforcing steel and tying it together. Another was the Skate Park which the late Les Greenwell led with such passion. Since then I have always tried to participate. That’s the great thing about Rotary, you can participate in areas that interest you. 

Rotary Matamata has always strongly supported our town's youth providing many opportunities for individual development. However, Matamata’s young people, and their parents, are frequently not aware of what is available. So here, we provide a one-stop shop of what is on offer. Please click the links provided for more information or contact us if you would like to know more.

 

 

Lt-Rt David Hulme, Amandine Gerlache, Wade Linnell and Job Bruins
Rotary Director, David Hulme, was delighted by the support given to Rotary and Cure Kids. “We must give particular thanks to our fantastic business community who donated very generously this year” says David. “Each and every business that we visited gave a little something and, even if they didn’t want a cupcake, they still dug deep for the cause. This year saw a significant increase in the amount raised which was over $2,600.”
Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbours, friends, leaders and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

My sister, Stéphy was a Rotary Exchange student to Mexico two years ago and really enjoyed the year. It was a very positive experience for her and made me think I would like to do the same thing. I wanted to experience a different lifestyle; school, food, culture, scenery and be able to compare this with my life in Belgium. This would help me make decisions in my future life.

 

I love sports. Everything. Especially volleyball, running, wake-boarding and water skiing. But most of all I love skiing. I joined the Scouts when I was six-years old and in 2018 became a Scout leader.

 

My sister Stéphy is 20 years old and I have a younger brother, Arnaud who is 15 years old. Stéphy is at university studying bioengineering. My dad Danny, is a baker and our family own two patisseries. My mum Myriam is the manager. I occasionally work in the patisseries and also do some babysitting to earn money. 

 

I love travelling. In 2017 I went on a school trip to Burkina Faso to do volunteer work with the Red Cross, building and decorating a school for children from 7 to 15 years of age. The children were very happy but did not know any other life. However, it was shocking for me to see such poverty. The music and dancing were very interesting.

 

I have had holidays with my family in; Poland, Spain, Mexico, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco and Iceland! But, my favourite place is New Zealand! One thing I love about doing an exchange is being able to live with New Zealand families and really experience life in this country. It is completely different to just having a holiday.

 

My school day in Belgium is from 8.30am until 4pm except for Wednesday when I finish at 12md. I attend a Catholic College in Dinant of about 500 students. My cousin is a maths teacher there and she takes my brother and I to school. It is about a 15-minute drive. Next year I will study economics, maths and English as my optional subjects. My favourite is economics and last year I received a merit award in this subject! As part of my schooling next year I will also do a Red Cross First Aid and Resuscitation course. 

 

I look forward to meeting many people, making new friends and having lots of different experiences here in New Zealand. I am willing to try anything! My host families are very important to me and I am very grateful to them and to Rotary for giving me this experience. I am sure this year will be very important in my life.

 

 

 

When Richard Metcalfe suggested Merv King was worthy of celebration due to his half century of service to Matamata Rotary, Merv matter of factly said it’s easy. “All you have to do is stay alive” he laughed! “Rotary has rewarded all our lives beyond all measure and being part of such an organisation has been an honour and a privilege. Anyway, I can’t stop now, my wife Janet has got out of the habit of cooking on a Tuesday night so what would I do for dinner?!”

 Hi I’m Alice. I have been a member of the Matamata Rotary club for 2 years. 
 

I was first introduced to Rotary when I was at Matamata College by my Grandad when I got the amazing experience to head overseas as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student. I was selected to travel to Belgium for a year. It really was life changing. Being an exchange student showed me a different side of how people live and I believe it prepared me in the best way possible when heading in to university. 
More recently I was also chosen to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) – This was a week-long course which gave me new tools to take into my professional career. It pushed me to the outside of my comfort zone but I would do it again in a heartbeat! 
 
 

For me, the highlight of my time in Rotary was in 2001 when, in my Presidential year, we hosted a fund-raising dinner for the New York Fire Department after the 9/11 attacks. The generosity of people and the amount of money raised was very special.

I was raised in a rural part of Auckland with my parents owning a free range chicken farm.  I played lots of sports in my younger days namely netball, tennis and badminton. Employment was in secretarial roles with the Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac), ACC and NZI.
I travelled extensively to the UK (worked in hospitality for a year), Europe and Canada before being married in 1987 and moving to Matamata in 1991 where we have been dairy farming since and raised two sons and a daughter.

The event was held to help raise funds for five Matamata College students – Ollie Morton-Farrelly, Te Aorere Wharawhara, Olivia Goodwin, Mollie Allison and Conor Goodwin – who have all been selected to represent New Zealand in various volleyball events around the globe this year.
 Under the hammer of the incomparable John Price, and the organisation of David Hulme, the auction was a big success, raising more than $4,500. Rotarians from Morrinsville, including 2019-2020 District Governor Peter Maxwell, and Te Aroha joined in to increase the fun and add competition to the bidding.

I was born and raised in Te Poi on a farm that now has the fourth generation farming it. I was educated at local schools and started my working life at Stanley Construction, Matamata, as the first women to do a joinery apprenticeship in the Waikato. I have gone on to work in farming, newspaper, manufacturing and currently work for a local business called Mimico as their Warranty Administrator. 

My mother was the first lady to join the Matamata Rotary club, so this was how I was introduced to Rotary. I decided a few years ago that I wanted to be involved in a community service group, so naturally went for Rotary. 

My first introduction to Rotary was in 1960 with an RYE (young men in the workforce) exchange to Norway - a working passage there and a long drive home. I joined Matamata Rotary in 1988 – when our daughter was on a Rotary Student Exchange.

I have a pastoral farming and land development background including meat and wool production in the King Country and Waikato, as well as a later involvement in dairying. I have also had farming interests in Hawkes Bay, Canterbury and Australia, as well as 32 years in both management and governance of large scale charitable corporate farming. Latterly I have been involved in commercial and residential property development. I have an ongoing leadership role in my local (Tirau) Community Church.

I am a Matamata born and bred local, although I did escape overseas and to the bright lights of Auckland for a number of years. I have 2 sons, Jake who is 27 and currently living in Toronto and Luke, 25, a project manager in Auckland. My partner, John and I live on 15 acres just on the outskirts of town.

I am a practicing dentist in Matamata since 2004. A Malaysian by nationality, I am married to Santhy and have 2 sons. It was in 2015 that a patient of mine asked me to consider joining Rotary Matamata.

I was 30 years old when I joined Rotary Matamata and it was a decision I have never regretted. Even though I was the youngest member for some years, our membership today is now much more diverse in all areas. 

Throughout 2019 Rotary clubs around the world are celebrating the 30^th anniversary of opening membership to women and in February Rotary Matamata went all out with a specially themed ‘pink’ evening to mark the occasion. Prior to 1989, the worldwide service organisation had been a male bastion but for more than two decades prior to the initial introduction of female members, numerous clubs on different continents had petitioned to open the membership criteria to all regardless of gender. In 1991, Gaye Belton became the first female member of the Matamata Rotary and today her daughter Jane is one of our 11 female members. Two female Matamata Rotarians talk here about the organisation they belong to and what being a Rotarian has meant to them.

Matamata Rotary were among millions of Rotarians reaching out on World Polio Day 24^thOctober, to raise awareness and funds for polio eradication. Sometimes referred to as Purple Pinkie Day because, in developing countries, a child’s little finger or ‘pinkie’ is painted purple to avoid them being revaccinated in mass polio vaccination days. Purple was certainly on display in Matamata last week.

Matamata Intermediate School students showed their support with a purple mufti day following a talk from Matamata Rotarian and District Polio Chair Michelle Tanner about the disease.

 

Matamata Rotary is in the heart of the Waikato’s dairy farming region and always looking for ways to support their local community. One way we have been able to do this is to support the work of the Waikato-Hauraki-Coromandel Rural Support Trust. 

At Rotary Matamata we have a dream that Matamata will one day have a walkway that goes around the whole town. We have for many years worked towards this. In 2015 we established the Peria Road Reserve Memorial Grove and planted 100 kahikatea trees to commemorate 100 years since the First World War.

On 14th February 2018 we opened the adjoining section the Stanley Farm Lane walkway. Read the full story, courtesy of the Matamata Chronicle.

The best in potato growing gathered for the annual Spud in the Bucket competition.

This story was featured Rotary Down Under

 

Rotary Matamata’s second annual Concert by the Lake event is being hailed as a success with organisers now looking for ways to draw an even bigger crowd in 2017. Almost 300 people attended the concert, which was held on the property of Rotarians Peter and Ineke Thissen, in Matamata, New Zealand.