Passionate Petone provides plenty

Warwick Johnston - who is our District
Community Day Project Convener

Well - I feel like Jenny and I have just returned from a 'P' party!

A passionate President Pam from Petone presided over plenty of participating members in a packed cafe in Petone's main street enjoying plates of nibbles, plonk and pontifications.  OK Howard, that's enough!!

But this Club is one of those great 'PAVS' I was mentioning yesterday. 

Great people, heaps of activity and a great venue!!  And with real passion!

President Pam and Tui

Some of President Pam's notes tonight included the following:

• Alan Stevens has emailed our International youth exchange student, Tim Fabling, with best wishes for Christmas from us all and has suggested that Tim might come and share about his experiences with us - soon after he gets home on 14^th January.

• Thanks from ATC for the $1000 we have just donated to help three cadets with flying courses they have been selected for over the holidays

•  We are helping fund Pacific Pres Elect from Rotary Club of Rarotonga

• A little article in today’s Petone Herald about our nomination of Peter Foaese for RYLA (Rotary Youth leadership Award) for the five day course at end of January.

Neighbourhood Support Group receiving a
$4,000 cheque - with Community Constable
Dave Tweedale and Richard & Sophie Jackson

• Now to what Tui aptly described as our Rotary Gift of Giving. At our AGM last week we agreed to make various donations before the end of this year. And I would like to firstly present the Chairperson of The Britannia House Committee, Maureen Freeman, with a cheque for $2000 that we would like to see go towards paying off the loan for the van for our Petone Home for the Elderly.

• Secondly, I would like to invite Helen Kelland, who as well as being Ron and Tina Wickes daughter, is the fundraising manager for Te Omanga Hospice to accept a cheque from us for $5000 – for the training of medical staff in the use of the computerised patient management system, Power Pen

• Thirdly, three grocery bags of gifts for children, and a few for some Mums, for the Kokiri Womens Refuge.

• Fourthly, Warwick has been doing some great background work again with Pak N save – organising packets of Christmas mince pies for the Petone Foodbank and grocery vouchers for the Jackson Street Health Centre.

President Pam receiving congratulations
for a fine end of year gathering - this Club
has such a generous spirit - a real asset
to the community of Petone

• Fifthly, a year ago we had started to look at ways of getting Neighbourhood Support and Community Patrols set up in Petone, with the help of our local Police. We helped host a public meeting in May 2010 and sponsored and paid for the cost of Incorporation and membership of the national Community Patrol organization. Our own Rotary member Tui Lewis has in fact been the one who has done the most to get things moving.

• We have agreed as a club to donate $4000 towards the cost of the Petone Community Patrol car and we are prepared to organize a fundraising movie night (in January) to hopefully get the full amount of $6000 raised. We expect to see the Rotary emblem on the car and we look forward to a long term relationship with our newly appointed Community Constable, Dave Tweedale, and know that with Richard and Sophie Jackson as coordinators we will go onwards and upwards with this project.