In the same year that Rotary Matamata celebrates 70 years of service a new Rotary-sponsored club has been chartered in Matamata.
On 27 August Matamata College Interact, led by Co-Presidents year 12 students Brooke Dunbar and Patrick Roskam, held a celebration to launch Matamata College Interact at Matamata Fire Station.
Over 60 people attended the event that featured Caitlin Papunui-McLellan, New Zealand’s youth speech maker at the 2015 Anzac Day ceremony at Gallipoli. Brooke said “We were very grateful, and honoured, to have Caitlin, a bright and extremely motivated young woman, speak at our function about opportunity, chance, choice and change. It was the highlight of our celebration and her kōrero (speech) was very relevant to our club and very interesting to listen to”
Interact (International Action) is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young people aged 12 to 18 years that provides young people the opportunity to organise and participate in fun and meaningful service projects both internationally and in their own communities.
Interactors have already starting working on their first international project, a Book Drive, collecting books for distribution to schools in developing countries. Donations can be made at any of the drop off points in multiple businesses around Matamata. Look out for their posters or see their Facebook page.
(Story from Matamata Chronicle)