DG Vidya spoke on Tuesday.
 
Vidya shared a personal memory of past RI President Bill Boyd who died recently. He noted that Bill Boyd was recently presented with the Royce Abbey Award which he regarded as a signal award having known Royce Abbey personally.
 
Vidya noted that there are plans for a memorial to Bill at the forthcoming District Conference in Rotorua in May.
 
Vidya commented on a number of Rotary programs that impact us.
 
He discussed a water project in the Dominican Republic where clean water was provided, which lead to current President Stephanie Urchick developing the theme  the theme "The magic of Rotary” for her year.
 
Vidya noted speaker emphasizes the importance of inner peace and peace scholarships during challenging times. He commented on a project in India is where 90,000 women sold into in effect slavery were brought back into the workforce in a year.
 
Vidya talked about the positive growth of the district, with three new clubs beifg formed and significant new member additions.  Vidya stressed the importance of intentional club formation and membership growth. He shared an anecdote about asking guests of his club to join Rotary, which led to two new members in their club.
 
 Vdiya went on to talk about the concept of an action plan for each project is introduced, with examples from various clubs. He stressed the importance of community involvement and the impact of successful projects on membership growth.  He touched on a number of projects in the region including projects to clean drains in Fiji, disposal of plastics and the use of health checks to gain feedback from members about projects undertaken
 
Vidya spoke of the regionalization program. He stressed the importance of embracing regionalization and the benefits of recent training sessions.  He mentioned the involvement of district community leaders and the positive impact of the training.
 
Vidya highlighted the upcoming joint conference in May, focusing on growing Rotary, public image, and youth development.

 

 

In addition to DG Vidya Nand we welcomed Rotary Youth Exchange Student Melanie Helgeson who spoke to us about her home country Denmark and her experiences in New Zealand.

 

Melanie is a 16-year-old Danish-American girl from Denmark on exchange in Auckland, New Zealand. 
 
Presently she is being hosted by Deeanah Winders from the Remuera Club and is attending St Cuthberts.
 
She enjoys handball, guitar, baking, and traveling, and has a big family with many cousins.
 
 Melanie told us about Denmark's flat landscape, cold winters, and coastal location, as well as its population and size compared to New Zealand.
 
Melanie shared some fun facts about Denmark, including its invention of Lego and being the second happiest country in the world.
 
She told us of her travel experiences, cultural immersion, and personal growth in New Zealand.
 
She has enjoyed her travel around NZ, particularly Queenstown, she is enjoying her school, the subjects she is taking, cultural activities including learning Te Reo, and travel trips.
 
Melanie told us of her gratitude for the hospitality extended to her and her desire to continue exploring the country before returning home.

 

Melanie and Kalle.