~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well we all new that something was up last week, when President Jane Belton donned the chains and took to the microphone. Jane had a very special announcement to make. One of our longer standing members Fred Barrett, was attending his last official meeting with us as he and his lovely wife Ces have shifted to Cambridge.
President Jane gave us a bit of a rundown of Fred's involvement with the club over the last 37 years including being Director of the Service Projects committee when we planted 100 Kauri Trees, Club President 2003/2004, Rural Urban evening, Polio Plus, Swim Marathon and many many more. Fred began his involvement with Rotary after being part of a group Study Exchange to Sweden.
Jane then called upon District Governor Nominee Ken Smith, to present Fred with a Sapphire Pin, for his outstanding years of service to the Rotary Club of Matamata.
President Jane then presented Ces with a bouquet of flowers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our speaker for the evening was District Governor Nominee and Rotary Foundation Chair Ken Smith. Ken began by giving us a bit of an overview, growing up on a farm at Kiwitahi and of his career in the Police Force, which he joined in 1976 as a Motorcycle Officer in the Ministry of Transport.
Ken Joined Rotary in 1988.
As Foundation Chair, Ken briefed us on the many different opportunities we have to give, within the Rotary framework and expressed the importance of supporting these Rotary Programs and Projects to the best of our ability and the difference that we can make by doing this.
Ken also brief us on the Rotary Disaster Grant, which District 9930 was able to apply for after Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked havoc on the Hawkes Bay. All of these different things are made possible by the generous giving of Rotarians to the Rotary Foundation.
Ken encouraged us all to continue being generous, as our club has been in the past to help Rotary "Create Hope in the world."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the Membership Committee
We have a major 'younger adults' membership drive on April 9th. This will be a finger food event so we are swapping the catering arrangements between the first two Tuesdays of April.
- 2 April will be a club night but a meal will be served
- 9 April 'Meet and Greet' with finger food
Meet and Greet evening format:
- Meeting will run from 5.30pm as usual
- Short talks from alumni
- Rolling carousel
- Short promotional videos
- Suggestions/ideas board
How you can help:
- Think about young adults who you could bring and get them to register here, or you can book them in through the phone line
- Let me know if you know of any alumni who would do a short talk at the event
- If you are on FB PLEASE!!!:
- go to our page and like our event and click 'Going' - if you are
- Share our event post
- On the evening please make a point of introducing yourself to all our guests and ask them what they would like from Rotary.
- Encourage them to add a post-it to the suggestions/ideas board.
- Consider buying a drink for our guests. My budget will pay for their food but will not cover bar costs
- Keep in mind this is what we are offering.... Ten Reasons to Join Rotary
Please let Michelle Tanner know if you have any suggestions or questions.
