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Club News
16 August 2026
To ensure your content is included in the next bulletin, please send it to rcpnbulletin@gmail.com by 9am on SUNDAY

Our Duties 19 August
Please note that these may differ from previous notifications

Desk 6.45 - Rick Hughes
Greeter 6.45 - Tamaris Livera
Set up/Pack up - Yon Yi Son
Kaikohau - Brenda Lazelle
Opening Thought -Jo Douglas

Introduction - Spencer Petherick
Thanking - David Shackleton

Parting thought- Marc Rand
Reporter - Geoff Smith
Photographer - Tori Triegaardt
Guardian 6.45 - Jeff Lee

Our Speakers this week are:  

 

Phil McCarthy ( Anglican Services) and

Jacob Smythe (Red Cross)

As a club we regularly donate goods for the refugee's pantry supplies. This is a presentation about where it goes and why.  The topic is                                     ‘Refugees settlement programme.’

                                     President David
 

Dear Rotary friends,

 
Grand night out
We are coming up to a particularly busy period in our club, with the Grand Night Out and the Radar Awards coming up fast in October. The GNO is a major fundraiser for Port Nick and a decent proportion of the club is involved in organising it. It has many wonderful elements: the auction; the surprise of the restaurant; and the cocktail party. And it feels good to support Wellington's amazing restaurants. A hearty thanks to Paula and everyone on the Projects Committee for all your work. It is a mammoth task. It is good having newer members Simon, Aparna and Iona involved. 
 
 
Radar awards
A salute also to the Radar team for setting up these news Awards and a breakfast to recognise the 'unsung heroes' in our community. This is taking our Rotary club to where it truly belongs: to people who don't think they are doing anything special when without them they would leave big gaps. Radar is a way we can recognise Award winners and show we know that their work matters to all of us. Thanks Steve and team. 
See you on Wednesday bright and early.
 
Have a good week. Ngā mihi nui, David
The future looks good
Meetings, speakers and events coming up 
  • 19 August - Phil McCarthy & Jacob Smythe- Refugee Settlement Programme
  • 23 August - Lifting the Lid on mental health Global Grant briefing 2-4pm Deets TBC
  • 26 August - Shona Riddell - Writer and podcaster - Lighthouses
  • 27 August - Book club - Theme - Australian literature
  • 2 September - Vice Chancellor Professor Bryony James - The vision for Te Herenga Waka
  • 9 September - Fiona Smith & Simon Warburton - New member presentations
  • 16 September - Dr Melanie Young - Osteopathy and voluntary support for children in need
  • 23 September - Club Forum
  • 7 October - Simon Douglas - Automobile Assoc. The transport issues facing NZ now and into the future
  • 14 October - RADAR awards
  • 21 October  (Wednesday evening) 2026 Grand Night Out - No breakfast meeting

2027

  • 21 April - Goal Setters Awards at Te Papa. Early notice for your diary entry

A GRAND NIGHT OUT

is a special night in the Rotary Calendar

An update of the event Wednesday 21 October……….

We now have 18 restaurants who have confirmed their support who will each host a table of 8 people for a 2-course dinner without charge, but guests pay for all drinks consumed, and any other food.
 

Boulcott Street Bistro, Cable Top Eatery, Coene's, Cuba Street Tavern, Floriditas, Loretta, Fratelli, Le Bouillon Bel Air, Liberty, Logan Brown, Monsoon Poon, Noble Rot, Novotel Wellington, Rydges Wellington, Salty Pidgin, Shed 5, The Regal, Thistle Inn.
 

A fun and exciting fundraising evening, offering guests an exciting night out.  A “blind draw” is held when guests find out where they will be dining for the evening. Tables are matched with a venue, by drawing out a venue name from one hat and a table name from another hat.

GET A GROUP TOGETHER MAKE THIS A SPECIAL NIGHT
FOR YOU, YOUR FRIENDS, AND THE CHARITY
Watch this space for an update of Auction items…

 

Big Hats High Tea

We braved the weather and joined the Hutt Valley Rotary Club at their fundraiser for The Life Flight Trust. If there had been a prize for the biggest hat, Brent would have won it.  Sheryn Shackleton won the very generous first prize in the raffle, and it was lovely to catch up with Anne Hare again. We all had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

 

 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT….
The Dwell Housing Trust

Elizabeth Lester, CEO of Dwell Housing Trust, discussed Dwell's approach to housing vulnerable people, including individuals moved off Wellington's streets. She noted that finding around 30 homes for 35 people took roughly six months, and contrasted this with city council-run community housing, which she said faces greater difficulty managing tenant mix due to them operating at a larger scale. 

Read more...
Zealandia by Scott Langdale

Scott Langdale is a Geoscientist, though primarily in his capacity as a Zealandia Volunteer, he gave us an engaging overview of Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne. He discussed the valley’s original state - full of large native trees then its traditional uses, early European settlement activity, gold prospecting, burning the native trees for farming, and later its important function as partof Wellington’s waterworks via the two dams which supplied Wellington water for 100 years.

Read more...

Weekly Meeting Duties August

If you are going to be away, please record you absence here Many thanks

 

August 19 

Phil McCarthy/

Jacob Smythe

August 26
Shona Riddell
  

Desk

Rick HughesRichard Brodie  

Greeter

Tony RobinsonSteve Lawton  

Setup/pack up

Simon WarburtonSophie Miller  

Kaikohau

Brenda LazelleNicole Barker  

Opening thought

Jo DouglasCameron Dittmer  

Introduction

Spencer PetherickAparna Dubey  

Thanking

David ShackletonBill Day  

Parting thought

Marc RandRoss Buxton  

Reporter

Geoff SmithJulian Bateson  

Photographer

Toni TreigaardtPaula McKnight  

Guardian

Jeff LeeEverard Aspell  

 

NEW: Rotary Predator Free Waterfront Trapping Schedule

Rotary Predator Free Waterfront Trapping Schedule 

    

Attached is the trapping roster to take us from May - August 2026

  

Please Text Fraser Ebbett (WCC) 021 765 694 when you arrive and leave the site

            

9-May

 

Jo Douglas & Steve Lawton

     

23-May

 

Noel Winsloe & Ross Buxton

     

6-Jun

 

Jeff Lee & David Shackleton 

     

20-Jun

 

Marc Rands

       

4-Jul

 

Paula McKnight & Dennis Small

     

18-Jul

 

Jenny Flannigan-Tong & Howard Tong

    

1-Aug

 

Brent Gerrard & Rick Hughes

     

15-Aug

 

Dawn Sanders & Peter Whittington

    
            

As always please swap if your allocated date doesn't suit.  

   

Many thanks to all for helping out with this important club project.

  
Kaikohau (Expression of hope)
        Nau mai ngā hua
        Nau mai ngā pai
        Nau mai kia nui
        Kia hāwere ai
        Tihei mauri ora
       
         Welcome all things that have grown
         Welcome all things that are good
         May they be plentiful and abundant
 
Port Nicholson Rotary Board Members 2026/7
President                        David Barnes
Treasurer                        Nick Duncan
Community Services     Marc Rands
Club Services                 Ross Buxton
District Liaison               Brent Gerrard
Lifting the Lid                 David Shackleton
Secretary                       Jo Douglas Membership                   Nicole Barker
Projects                          Paula McKnight
Youth                              Tori Triegaardt     
Past President               Nicole Barker
President Elect              Nick Duncan

If you have feedback for the Editors, or content you would like included in the club bulletin, please send it to rcpnbulletin@gmail.com by 9am on Sunday to ensure its inclusion.