The highlight of the evening was the retrospective of the Ross Craig Oncology Awards that was introduced by Richard Solomon, and Professor Chris Print.

 

 

 

Richard gave us a small history of the awards noting our club's focus on health and education which led to the establishment of the award and partnership with the University of Auckland.  He noted the award's evolution from pediatric oncology to encompassing all areas of cancer care and research.

Richard noted the renaming of the award in 2015 to honor Ross Craig's legacy and the increase in award amount to $18,000 per awardee in 2023. He emphasized our clubs pride in contributing to cancer care advancement through the partnership with the University of Auckland.

 

Richard acknowledged Brian McMath's exceptional work in championing the award and nurturing relationships with the university.

 

We then heard from Professor Chris Print who introduced the three speakers for the evening Rosalie Stephens, Howe Mao and Lilly Rae-Brownlie who are each previous awardees of the Ross Craig Oncology Awards.  Each of these speakers, Rosalie, Howe and Lilly each gave the meeting personal comments on their careers since their awards which for each emphasised the benefit and support that they had received in their careers which without exception have been spectacular from your editor's perspective.

 

To showcase the Ross Craig Oncology Awards a booklet has been produced that provides a summary of the awards and updates us on the the careers of the recipients.

 

That is being separately circulated to members.

 

Finally at the close of the retrospective Chris Print was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow Sapphire award.

 

 

 

 

Te Pae Ma'u was the recipient of the Harold Titter MAPPAS award for the top student graduating from the certificate of Health Science at the University of Auckland.

She spoke to us to offer thanks for our clubs support of the award and the support that the award will be providing to her in her studies.
Te Pa Mau comes from Hamilton, attending a Maori full immersion school. She noted the certificate of Health Sciences is a bridging course for Maori and Pasifika students aiming to study medicine.
Te Pa Mau said she benefited from the course which helped her adapt to English-taught classes and provided a supportive environment.

Te Pae talked about her  journey through the certificate of Health Sciences, which she initially found challenging but ultimately beneficial.  She said the course helped her feel proud of her Maori and Tongan heritage. She then spoke of her current studies in Biomedical Sciences and her future goal of becoming a doctor.
Te Pae concluded by thanking ourclub for it's support and the opportunity provided to her.

 

 

Members will recall that the awardee this year of the Rotary Club of Newmarket Hauraki Gulf Environment Award was Karla Butcher.

 

The following is the text of her letter of thanks.

 

Dear Rotary Club of Newmarket,

Thank you for selecting me as the beneficiary of the Rotary Club of Newmarket 75th Anniversary Hauraki Gulf Environment Postgraduate Award. I am extremely honoured and grateful to receive this award. I am heartened by the interest of your organization for my research, as I share your passion for conservation, a deep love for the Hauraki Gulf’s environment and its preservation. Funding conservation and biosecurity is a forward-thinking act of generosity, and I deeply appreciate the trust extended by the Rotary Club.
Education in conservation and ecology has been my life’s aspiration. I have dedicated years to this passion, fascinated with the intricacies of the Hauraki Gulf’s ecosystems. I visit many of them each year with my father to restore my connection with the land and ocean. My fondness for the islands inevitably sparked a passion for protection and conservation. I was guided to focus on biosecurity through my degree in Biosecurity and Conservation, where the adage “prevention is better than cure” was rigorously explained and evidenced. My master's will bring attention to a preventative measure.
The funds generously provided will go towards the analysis of the potential pathway of potting mix and pot plants. Using eDNA (environmental DNA, which sheds as organisms move through their environment), we will determine if there is cause to be concerned by the scale of movement of potting mix around the Gulf for restoration plantings and recreational use. The funds will also go towards my further education and career development in bioinformatics, which will enable me to process and code the information returned by the eDNA analysis. Other expenses, such as travel and materials, will also be covered by the award.
The above analyses would have been impossible to complete without this award and will immeasurably improve my thesis. The quality of my masters is an essential progression for my career in the conservation of offshore-islands.
I wish to extend my gratitude again for this award, it means a great deal to me.
Sincerely, KV Butcher

 

We welcomed at our meeting new support team members Patrick Dean, Penelope Geortzen, Andre Kraakman and Johnson Liu. Not able to be present was Kelly Marie.

 

    

 

All of these new support team members have been RYLArians and see the worth of membership of Rotary.  The support team forms part of the pathway to full membership of Rotary.