Hey everyone
Well unfortunately we had to start our evening off on a sad note when President Alice announced the sad passing of Harry Russell. We all stood for a minutes silence to pay our respects to a true gentleman. Harry was a true Rotarian in every sense. Joining Rotary in July 1975, he was a Rotarian for 47 years and gave freely of his time wherever possible, especially with his strong involvement with the Lincoln Students.
Below is the last photo I have of Harry, when we visited the Gallery in Te Aroha. Love that smile.
Please see below an article supplied by Peter Vossen about Harry's involvement with the Lincoln Students.
Lincoln Student Hosting Programme
Matamata Rotary has had a close working relationship with Lincoln University for over 38 years.
Records show we first started hosting students in President Ian Wills year as president in 1983/84.
It all started when the Te Kuiti Rotary Club had been hosting Lincoln students and contacted
Harry Russell to ask if Matamata could help out on an annual basis. Harry Russell had attended Lincoln University in 1942 on a 2 year Agricultural Diploma. Then added another 3 years studying high country, mixed cropping and dairying eventually graduating with a Diploma in Valuation/Farm Management so who better a person to take on the role every year for over 30 years. Thank you Harry.
Every year usually 2 groups of Lincoln students venture up to the North Island to visit various agriculture operations. It is part of their final graduation year. The very first farms that they still visit today are the McKenzie Family Trust Farm on Mowbray Road, Waharoa and Cambridge Stud.
Initially all male students, but in recent year a gradual change to a significant portion of female students.
The money raised from billeting the students over the 38 plus years has raised approx. in excess of $100,000.00 for our Rotary Club who in turn give this money to various organisations and charities including 10% to our Inner Wheel Club annually.
Well as this evening was our Gin Tasting evening, President Alice Clothier gave us a brief overview of the Rotary Fellowship of Gin - yes there is such a thing. I will let you research it to find out more, but besides enjoying Gin, they also do a lot of good work.
Fred Barrett introduced our speaker Hamish, who enveloped us in his world of Gin. His is an avid distiller of Gin and he and his wife Donna started collecting Gin around 8 years ago and now have a collection of some 1211 bottles. There are over 5500 different Gin's around the world, with over 145 different Gin's made in New Zealand by around 60 different licensed distillers.
Gin was first made in the Netherlands in the 16th Century. For Gin to be true, it must contain 38% Juniper Berries and you can then add any number of flavours you like. It's all trial and error.
Below, Hamish sharing his wisdom with a backdrop of the Rotary Fellowship of Gin on the big screen.
Hamish Bought along a small Still and a variety of ingredients to have a closer look at and to explain the workings of the Still.
Our members had 10 different Gin's to sample and I think there were a few who may have found a new favourite. Thanks to Miranda Thompson and her team for organising the fun evening with an extra happy David Parker who won the raffle.
Leonie Tisch thanked our speaker in fine fashion and gave an appropriate Gin quote as the parting thought.
