Presidents Report Monday 2nd February 2026
Hello and welcome to the start of 2026. Our family started this year at speed, with daughter Emily home from London, all her friends visiting, staying, drinking, socializing and after she left, we had a quick weekend in Wellington catching up with more friends. The month of January finished with us moving into our new forever home last Friday and I have managed to set up my computer, connect to the internet and type this for the bulletin tomorrow. Thank you, Ron, for your friendly reminders and interesting read each fortnight.
Many thanks to Mike & Liz & all the offers of help to assist us with our move. The Rotary family is an amazing organization to belong to.
It was a privilege to welcome Jenny Moss to our club last Tuesday evening & I am certain she will be an asset to the Youth & Vocation committee.
I would like to acknowledge Carol Angland who received the King’s Service Medal in the New Years Honors for her services to community and theatre in the South Canterbury community. Congratulations Carol from your fellow Rotarians.
Last Tuesday evening we had an opportunity to hear from Cassandra Treadwell & the incredible work she has achieved for her charity “So they Can”. It was an inspirational presentation including linking with President Linda Baas from the Arusha Rotary Club in northern Tanzania. The Arusha club have been part of the WASH Rotary Action Group to provide sustainable long-lasting clean water, sanitation and hygiene programs to communities in the northern region. Cassandra’s charity is focused on the Burundi area in South Tanzania looking to provide a holistic solution including teaching training, farming to provide food and education for all. The model is to develop a community that is sustainable and provides a help up rather than a help out.
Well, done to all those volunteers who worked yesterday scanning all the tickets for the Greenstone Summer Concert. The photos I have seen looked stunning and Wanaka certainly provided concert goers with an experience to remember. Thank you to John, Nicole and the fund-raising committee for continuing to organize this fund-raising event.
As John said on Tuesday evening, we have a busy next few months for the funding raising committee, with the A&P show, Friday Saturday 13/14th March, Warbirds Over Wanaka at Easter, Crop Competition around the 8th May and I am certain we will be involved in lots of other activities in our community.
The literacy project has had a slight glitch with products not arriving from the UK due to weather and shipping delays before school starts next week. The plan is to now visit schools on Wednesday/Thursday 25/26 February 2026 and hand out the literacy packs. We were fortunate to secure funding from the second round of District Grants and received a bonus of $2560.00 to assist our club with this new project.
I am off to attend District 9999 AGM this evening so I must go and get sorted. Please, if you can support the Aspiring Rotary Club on Saturday 28 February by attending Bush, Balls & Breaking Barriers here in Wanaka.
The Rotary Oceania Summit is going to be in Napier from Friday 20 – Sunday 22 March and Keith & Heather McIntosh would love Rotarians from District 9999 to join them.
I am away this Tuesday evening with more friends arriving from the North Island to visit. Thank you, Alan, for stepping in for the evening & my apologies to those new members who will share some interesting knowledge about themselves.
Tuesday 10 February is committee night and then we have our first Directors meeting on Monday 16th February. We will be back at the Albie on Tuesday 17th March when we hear from Rob Rush Principal Wanaka Primary School.
Welcome back everyone to the start of Rotary for 2026. Keep smiling, laughing and living life to the full.
Kindest regards – Marie
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