I missed last week’s meeting, so hope it went well and the speaker was interesting – having heard Allan Dippie before, I know he can spin a good yarn!
I attended the Federated Farmers AGM in Balclutha, which concluded with a session with Julia Jones – a lady who does not hold back and says it as it really is!! I have her contact details and would like to try and get her to Wanaka to speak to Rotary – watch this space.
Next week is a chance for all members to have input to the Club as we will be running a Forum, under Catherine Little’s guidance. This is an opportunity to let the Directors know what you like about the Club, and what you think might need change. But let’s try and be positive about this and bring ideas of how change might be brought about, rather than just bitching about the food, or how much volunteering we do, or how the applications for money are dealt with – no one person has all the right answers and proper discussion will help achieve better outcomes.
As this week is Committee week I hope you will be having good discussions so that the Director’s meeting next Monday night is productive too.
The grape picking went very well recently and, in talking to Ian and Fiona, the owners of Aitken’s Folly, they are really pleased with weights and quality of the grapes, so hopefully this will translate into a really good vintage. Well done all those who helped and thank you on behalf of the Club. I will shortly send the final figures to Ian and Fiona for payment.
George Scott, Rod Pemberton, and myself spent a few hours on Saturday splitting firewood – it is not finished, but the pile of split wood is getting bigger!! Some of the pine we split was in very big rounds and a bit damp, so quite heavy to move about, however we had a
good day. Thanks Rod and George.
When Liz and I came home last Wednesday, we had to go to Gore first and then came back through West Otago and over the hill to Ettrick. If you have never done this road before, then give it a try – the view over West Otago from the top of hill is amazing and, certainly from a farming perspective, is absolutely outstanding. The pioneers who settled this part of New Zealand must have had amazing insight into how the country would look when working well, because it really looks splendid now.
I hope you have all received an email with the committee you will be on for the next Rotary year – they were sent out last week. If you have not received notification, please get back to me and I will sort it out. The Committees were organised with John Milburn, Marie Fitchett, Alan Richardson and myself, and there have been some changes made from the present year, so make sure you know which Committee you are on for 2023-24 and who your Director will be.
I hope we get a good turnout for the Forum next week and make it a worthwhile exercise.
President Mike.
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