There was an excellent turnout of Pakuranga Rotary members for its annual changeover of officers.
At a very enjoyable event at the Howick Club on June 23, outgoing president of the past two years, Allan Vester, talked of the events and achievements the club has held and marked over the past 12 months, in its 55th year.
The charity golf day in support of Hato Hone St John Ambulance “went well”, and there was mention of other events and causes which the Rotary Club of Pakuranga supports such as Diwali, Dictionaries in Schools, Cans for a Cause, Trees for Survival, Vege Pods, live theatre outings, and Guess Who Is Coming for Dinner occasions.
As he signed off as president, Vester thanked the club members for their support and said he enjoyed the past two years as the leader.
The new president is Gerald Patterson, an experienced community leader through his membership on the Howick Village Association’s committee, and he’s also a previous president of Somerville Rotary.
Life membership was awarded to Geoff Sharland, who has been a member of Pakuranga Rotary since 1977 – 48 years.
Sharland spoke with heartfelt gratitude saying Rotary has been hugely significant in his life for decades and he had got so much out of it including many lasting friendships and professional associations.
Malcolm McLagan also handed over the club’s briefcase to new secretary Joan Swift.
Guest speaker Maurice Williamson, the former longtime MP for Pakuranga and incumbent Auckland councillor for Howick, opened by saying it was the 15th time he’s addressed the club since the 1980s.
His speech was in two parts – starting with the upcoming local elections in September-October, for which he encouraged everyone in the room to cast their ballots, and not necessarily for him, as the voter turnout in this ward is usually around 40 per cent.
“If you don’t vote, you haven’t got the right to grizzle,” said Williamson.
The second half of his talk, using plenty of graphs on a screen, was a sobering message that the country’s debt levels are on an alarming upward trajectory.
“We have to live within our means, because we can’t afford it,” Williamson said, in relation to the nation’s ability to pay back its loan debts.
