Monday's Meeting was quite momentous as we were privileged to host our District Governor Vineeta Nand from the Rotary Club of Suva. Vineeta was assisted by our Area Governor, Joyti Singh. We also had present representatives from several other Rotary clubs - Aviv, and his daughter Jessica, Palti from the Rotary Passport Club of Melbourne, two from Mt Eden Rotary and some 20 from Auckland East.

STARSHIP DONATION:  our Cluster Group - chaired by Auckland East's Graeme Emerson, $15,000 was donated to Starship Hospital to provide a paediatric shower hoist. Graeme, Secretary Alister Burry and I made the presentation to Orthopedic Surgeon Andrew Graydon and Starship's CEO, Rose Rees-Owen, last week.

PASSPORT CLUBS & EDUCATION IN CAMBODIA:  next, Aviv Palti explained the concept of Passport clubs of which his club is one. Amazing - based in Melbourne, they meet by Zoom and provide schooling for a vast number of Cambodian youngsters from offshore. After years of educational blackout during the Khmer Rouge regime these Cambodian youngsters are thirsting for knowledge and over some 11 years Aviv's Club has produced remarkable scholastic results. A fascinating concept that is receiving local governmental support. Wonderful for us to learn of this modern way in which help can be given from afar. Please see below the link to the invitation to join our next monthly meeting where Celeste Mergens, Founder of Days for Girls will be our guest speaker. 

VINEETA NAND, DISTRICT GOVERNOR:  true to her background of being the British High Commission's Political and Communications Manager for many years, Vineeta gave us a very polished and informative overview of Rotary's activities in District 9920. Of particular interest to us was confirmation of the success of the Oxygen Project and that, thanks to Rotary, New Zealand medical and dental teams continue to visit and carry out fantastic work in the Fiji Islands. What a great pleasure for us to host Vineeta - we wish her a most successful and enjoyable year as our District Governor and, if at all possible, please, take up her invitation to attend her Rotary Conference in Fiji next April.

RESIGNATION - PAM WORTH:  I am very sorry to advise that Pam, our Community Director, has resigned her membership. We wish Pam well in her other endeavours.

Bryan

2 November 2023