Wednesday, June 4, 2025
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RYLA Report – May 2022

Guest Speaker Deborah Fletcher, the Club RYLA attendee this year is Auckland based and teaches Dance.

Deborah was one of 15 delegates from Auckland and Northland who attended this years RYLA event that was conducted via Zoom due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Deborah said that they broke off into smaller groups, to better connect and arranged a dinner together in Newmarket to experience some face time.

One of the highlights was a group project to form an NGO Prototype of an Online Market Place for Art and Trade services. The 5-hour project produced some high-quality work that proved very satisfying.

Deborah commented that a younger person can be demoralised by the state of the world and RYLA enabled the sharing with people experiencing the same feelings. Also sharing of past RYLA attendees their current experiences, including Brain Research and work into the community.

Students were particularly impressed with Inspirational Guest speaker Cam Calkoen, who was born with Cerebral Palsy who says his life has been “normal” for him since birth and his life would have carried on in whatever direction he chose to take.

Some quotes from Cam:

  • Life is what we make it and the values needed to achieve awesomeness are simple
  • We need to believe and in doing so, leave no stone unturned. My offerings help you identify these unturned stones
  • In other words, I inspire others to dream big and achieve more!

Deborah said the Group will continue to arrange outings together in the future.

Peter Garnett presented Deborah with a RYLA certificate and reminded her that she was now a member of the RYLA International Alumni and could take advantage of connecting with RYLA Alumni worldwide.

70s Club – What is it?

Bruce Murdoch spoke about the origins of a club lottery based 70’s Club for the benefit of new members. It is an internal project fund raising effort originally named the 100’s Club many years ago by the late Past President Maurice Mitchell reflecting the hope of 50 members purchasing 2-numbers each.
In later years the club averaged 35-members and so the fundraiser was renamed the 70’s Club. Numbers are drawn out of a hat three times a year with cash prizes for the top 3-draws and the balance going on to fund Club Projects. To date the club lottery has raised $50K – $60K.

Maungakiekie Songbird Trust

Creating a Thriving One Tree Hill Habitat.

Guest Speaker Iain Hook has a background in Sales and Marketing updated Members on recent and activities of the Maungakiekie Songbird Trust creation of a thriving One Tree Hill habitat.

Iain who lives locally noticed a decline of birdlife over past years, which he suspected was from combination of pests and reducing habitat

His idea was to establish a halo around Parks and to mobilise the community into enhancing the habitat – “ Bring back the songbirds”.

Iain’s first action was to meet and discuss the concept with the two parks administrators, as their buy-in was and is important.

Cornwall Park Trust Board manages and operates Cornwall Park while the Maungakiekie and One Tree Hill domain is managed by Tūpuna Maunga Authority.

Iain formulated a six-step Business Plan which was socialised to interested parties such as funders. Seed funding was going to be required to provide the free resources to residents in the halo area. A variety of applications were successfully made (and we gratefully acknowledge their support).

  • Auckland Council Community grant program 2020
  • DOC, via their annual community grants fund 2020
  • The halo area overlaps two-local boards: Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board in 2020/21 and Albert-Eden Local Board in 2021.
  • The Tūpuna Maunga Authority in 2021 who look after the Ancestral Mountains
  • The mid-long-term goal is to break reliance on grants and obtain commercial sponsorship, however currently with Covid this is not commercially viable.

Organisational structure:

  • A Charitable Trust was established to run the project.
  • The Trust name reflects positive outcome’ – not narrow focus on just pests
  • Logo: incorporates an icon of One Tree Hill (made of birds). Green to be ‘environmentally friendly.
  • Website: For more details visit the Trust at: https// www.maungakiekiesongbird.nz
  • News updates: On local community newspapers, primarily the Onehunga Community News.
  • Membership:
    • Via letterbox flyers to target “halo” residents. Five-letterbox drops have been undertaken which has resulted in approx 550 current membership base.
    • Signup by registering online and then attend a collection day in One Tree Hill to collect requested resources.
  • Membership represents around 20% of eligible households in the “halo” area. This is a significant result vs other projects that are pest control focused.
  • Resources: Monitoring tools & traps
  • Trap Suppliers: Envirotools, a Wellington based manufacturer, was selected to supply both our rodent and Possum traps. Traps were selected for their ease of use, quality of manufacturer, value for money, and our support of a New Zealand manufacturer
  • Traps: Approx 400 members have received either a rodent and/or possum trap
    • Traps provide a humane kill – certified for this.
    • February 2021: Hanging wasp trap was added to the mix
  • Native trees: are being supplied and they are working with the nursey team at Cornwall Park.
  • Bird feeders: are the top requested item – who doesn’t want birds in the garden ! The sugar-water bottle supports nectar feeders, such as Tui’s, while a hook on the underside of the platform allows you to hang any desired feeder to target a range of other species such as finches.

Te Whakaroa Tangata

Te Whakaroa Tangata, is one of the key programmes the Rotary Club of Onehunga – One Tree Hill is sponsoring this year, championed by club member Bill Grayson.

The following is an update from the programme:

Rotarians helps Child Cancer Foundation fundraising

The Rotary Club of Onehunga – One Tree Hill members, haven’t let COVID-19 get in its their way assisting with this year’s Child Cancer Foundation appeal.

 

The club has supported the street appeal for a number of years and last March collected over $1,800 from the good folk outside Countdown Onehunga.

 

This year when members heard COVID-19 was preventing the usual bucket collection, they decided to donate $300 and help out further by posting 7,000 Child Cancer Foundation flyers into local letterboxes. The flyers contain details on how to donate $3 by texting CHILD to 3457 (or to donate more visit childcancer.org.nz). 

Big thanks to Peter Mayow who led the initiative and organised us all.

If you’re not sure how to donate by TEXT, it’s easy, try it! >>>

  1. On any mobile, select new text message.
  2. Type 3457 as the recipient’s mobile number, 
  3. Type Child in the message box.
  4. Hit Send.
  5. You will immediately receive a text reply (see  left).
  6. $3 will automatically be added to your next mobile bill or deducted from credit in a prepaid mobile account.  

Rotary donate Sandpit Diggers to Auckland Playcentres

(Report from Neil Reid)

  Background- several years ago the North Harbour Rotary club conducted a project manufacturing and distributing sand pit diggers and tip trucks for preschool groups on the North Shore – it was said at the time that these diggers provided a degree of development for hand/eye coordination and proved to be a hit with the kids and groups that received them 

The project was coordinated by Past President of the North Harbour club, David Hutcheson. 

 We have worked with David on several projects over the last 15 years or so, he also helped district  by making himself available to be our Rotary District’s representative with Rotary New Zealand World Community Service Ltd (RNZWCS).

Midyear David developed plans for a new project and roped us in to help. At first it was to source materials and later morphed into as an attendee at working days in his garage. 

In October 2021 Neil took to the Board and Club meetings, a prototype digger and asked the club to become involved in a joint venture project with North Harbour club.

The Basis of the joint project was to share the costs, volunteer labour and the finished product.

The commitment was for the manufacture of up to 50 units – currently 20 per club and 5 to be sold to contribute to the costs. 

Our club will look to deliver free of charge 20 units to preschool groups, Kindergartens, play groups and the like in our area and west Auckland with an emphasis on the Auckland Play Centres affiliated groups .

One of the goals of our present (2021/22) Governor Grant Smith is for clubs to work together on projects.

Covid-19 disrupted the construction process but with careful planning we were able to get the job done. Several members were involved in the planning and construction process, and with the component parts completed they came across town to Paul Jenner’s house where they were painted. Back across the bridge for assembly returning completed and distributed by the team under Peter Mayow direction Well done team – this was a good example for how Rotary clubs can get things done together.  

Rotary presents: 2021 Annual Onehunga Student Awards

Each December the Rotary Club of Onehunga – One Tree Hill proudly presents its annual awards to students attending local Onehunga schools. We congratulate every student for their steadfast work and leadership skills demonstrated within their schools and our  community.

This year the awards were presented to club members by fellow Rotarian and Principal of the Onehunga High School, Deidre Shea. This year many schools had to streamed their ceremonies to the students who were studying from home due to COVID-19.

The Rotary Club commends all recipients in spite of the additional challenges facing them this year. It is fascinating to see these children at such young ages with aspirations, that  years ago, many wouldn’t have contemplated.

FRED MCKEEVER AWARD ($1,000)

Onehunga High School: Nisha Murugan 

MCKEEVER AWARDS ($500 each)

St Joseph’s Primary School: Shaylin Mua

 

Oranga Primary School: Serenety Sagapolu

 

Te Papapa Primary School: Saw Yo Har Than

 

Onehunga Primary School: Sela Tengange

 

Onehunga Primary School: Kaleb Sagisagi

 

Royal Oak Intermediate: Martin Villamu

HASKELL AWARD ($2,000 each)

Onehunga High School: Gabriella Manu

 

Onehunga High School: Isaac Nair

 

Onehunga High School: Keta Tutu’u

 

 

WALLS AWARD ($1,000)

Onehunga High School: Theresa Faifo

 

AWARDS HISTORY

Fred McKeever  Memorial Scholarships

Frd McKeever (b. 21st Jan 1915, d. 31st Dec 1998).

Fred McKeever was a prominent Onehunga businessman who Iived all his life in the town and joined the Rotary Club in December 1950.

Fred pass away in 1998 at the age of 83 years and in his Will left a considerable sum for the benefit of students in Onehunga schools.

In the early days Fred used to be a delivery boy on a bike delivering groceries around Onehunga. When Kingsford Smith flew from Australia in on 10th Nov 1928 Fred, then aged 13 cycled out to the old Mangere airport on his bike.

Fred owned owned McKeever Transport, a trucking business, in Onehunga which grew to a fleet of 10 vehicles. He also served on the Onehunga Borough Council and was strongly committed to the Rotary movement.

Fred joined the Rotary Club in December 1950 and held the record of 100% attendance. He was made Club President in 1970-71 and became a Paul Harris Fellow in 1995. He was a bachelor but still managed to provide hospitality to 230 members and their wives during his Presidency.

His generosity is acknowledged and many young people in Onehunga have benefitted by being recipiants of the Fred  McKeever Memorial Scolarship.

Fred left $125,000.00 to be invested for 21 years; the income in that 21 years being applied to “Scholarships of $500.00 each” to pupils at Onehunga Primary, Onehunga High School, Royal Oak Intermediate and St Joseph’s Convent and provided the Senior Citizens Service Club with 10 electric blankets per year. Scholarships now include the Oranga and Te Papapa Primary Schools.

At the end of 21 years the original four schools mentioned and the Senior Citizens Service Club Foundation receive the capital funds being $25,000.00 for each of the four schools and the Senior Citizens.

The annual Fred McKeever awards are now supported by the Onehunga – One Tree Hill Rotary Club Trust.

Alan Haskell Memorial Education Trust

Alan Haskell (b. 15th Nov 1926, d. 9th Sept 1991).

Alan Haskell was born in Onehunga and lived and worked here all his life.

In 1951 Alan started Trafalgar Hardware which was a well-known hardware store near Tin Tacks Corner, Onehunga. Alan’s life was notable for service to the community, particularly through service on the Board of Onehunga High School, including a term as Chairman.

Alan became a Rotarian in 1957 and served as President of the Onehunga Rotary Club in 1969/70 and District Governor in 1985/86. Alan was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow in 1986, a Justice of the Peace and was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal.

The Rotary Club of Onehunga in 1991 formed the Alan Haskell Memorial Education Trust to pay tribute to his service to the community and further local children education by way of the Trust.

 

Dennie Walls Endeavour Award and Cup

Sydney Denham (Dennie) Walls (b. 20th Jul 1910,  d. 20th Oct 2001).

This award is presented each year to an Onehunga High School pupil who inspires others with their effort, determination and perseverance to achieve his or her best despite the barriers presented and reflects Dennie’s own determination to succeed.

Dennie and his sister would catch their horses every morning on the family farm at East Tamaki, ride by horse to the station, catch the train to Newmarket then walk to Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls’ Grammar respectively.

During the depression, Dennie managed to get an apprenticeship with a chemist and once qualified, worked hard all his life to run a successful business as a Pharmacist. Dennie formed a partnership that began Walls and Roche Pharmacy in Royal Oak.

Dennie left a Trust to benefit people in our community. Every year this award is presented to a student who inspires us with their effort, determination and perseverance to achieve his or her best despite the barriers presented.

Dennie Wall’s generosity is greatly acknowledged by the community and by the many Onehunga students who have benefited from his gift.

2021 Rotary Christmas Puddings Are Ready to Go

The Rotary Club of Ellerslie Sunrise is delighted to confirm the Christmas Pudding Project for this year is ready to go.

This is the ideal project to bring in funds to enable our Club to continue its support of our local community.

Each $20 (incl GST) pudding returns $5.00 to our club that can be used on a project of our choice.

Since 1988 over $2 million dollars from Christmas Pudding sales have been raised for Rotary Community projects throught Rotary District 9910 Clubs.

Please email your order to Peter Mayow at: mayows@gmail.com

Te Tai Tokerau Tamariki Mental Wellbeing (Project)

Mental Health is particularly prevalent in Northland.

Rotary District 9910 is in the early stages of gaining a Rotary Foundation Global Grant to fund a three-year initiative to enable children to be more resilient and better cope with the stresses of life today.

Rotary will sponsor and work with Cat Levine to help her deliver her “Think and Be Me” messages to schools in Tai Tokerau. Tai Tokerau is the northernmost education region of New Zealand and includes the Far North and Kaipara Districts, as well as urban Whangarei and semi-rural Marsden and Ruakaka.

1-Introduction.mp4 from Stephen Wheeler on Vimeo.

In September 2021 Feelings for Life Charitable Trust was launched by Cat to enable businesses and individuals to help fund Cat’s presentations to schools, many of whom find funding the well-being of their pupils near impossible. These presentations are a great way to set our tamariki (children) up to understand their feelings while the Trust provides a mechanism for the Corporate sector and kind individuals to give back to the community.

information Video from Stephen Wheeler on Vimeo.

Project information

The project idea was conceived by a member of the Rotary Club of Onehunga One Tree Hill and will be managed by the Rotary District 9910 project team.

Rotary District 9910 Project Manager: Keith Day, email: krday@outlook.com

Project Lauch video

Project funding

Rotary Club of Onehunga One Tree Hill: $50,000

Rotary District Designated Fund: $200,000 (awaiting approval from The Rotary Foundation).

Other sources: $160,000

DONATIONS FOR THIS PROJECT can be made to:

Rotary Bank Account: 02 0400 0009047 04

Code:                        Tai Tokerau

To receive a tax receipt:

Email Bruce Murdoch (Treasurer): bbmurdoch@xtra.co.nz

  • Name
  • Address
  • Contact number

 

World Polio Day 24 October 2021

Rotary and polio

 Polio

Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a paralyzing and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in some parts of the world. Poliovirus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in hours. It can strike people of any age but mainly affects children under five. Polio can be prevented by vaccines, but it is not curable. Unlike most diseases, polio can be eradicated.

PolioPlus

For more than 30 years, Rotary and our partners have driven the effort to eradicate polio worldwide. Our PolioPlus program was the first initiative to tackle global polio eradication by vaccinating children on a massive scale. As a core partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary focuses on advocacy, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and awareness-building.

Rotary members have contributed more than $2.2 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.

Polio Today

When Rotary and its partners formed the GPEI in 1988, there were 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries every year. Today, we have reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent, and just two countries continue to report cases of wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Because of the efforts of Rotary and its partners, nearly 19.4 million people who would otherwise have been paralyzed are walking, and more than 1.5 million people are alive who would otherwise have died. The infrastructure we helped build to end polio is also being used to treat and prevent other diseases (including COVID-19) and create lasting impact in other areas of public health.

 Challenges

Rotary and our partners have made tremendous progress against polio, but eliminating all cases is going to take even more progress and perseverance. Afghanistan and Pakistan face unique challenges, including political insecurity, highly mobile populations, difficult terrain, and, in some instances, vaccine refusal and misinformation. With sufficient resources, the commitment of national governments, and innovations that improve access to remote areas, we are optimistic that we can eliminate polio.

 

Ensuring Success

Rotary has committed to raising $50 million per year for polio eradication. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1, for a total commitment of $150 million each year. These funds provide much-needed operational support, medical workers, laboratory equipment, and educational materials. Governments, corporations, and private donors all play a crucial role in funding.

 

Rotary in Action

More than 1 million Rotary members have donated their time and money to eradicate polio, and every year, hundreds of members work with health workers to vaccinate children in countries affected by polio. Rotary members work with UNICEF and other partners to prepare and distribute informational materials for people in areas that are isolated by conflict, geography, or poverty. They also mobilize to recruit fellow volunteers, assist in transporting the vaccine, and provide other logistical support.

 

Celebrity Support

Rotary has a growing list of public figures and celebrities who support our fight against polio, including Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; actresses Kristen Bell and Archie Panjabi; actor and wrestling superstar John Cena; supermodel Isabeli Fontana; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu; action-movie star Jackie Chan; actor Donald Sutherland; boxing great Manny Pacquiao; pop star Psy; golf legend Jack Nicklaus; conservationist Jane Goodall; premier violinist Itzhak Perlman; Grammy Award winners A.R. Rahman, Angélique Kidjo, and Ziggy Marley; and peace advocate Queen Noor of Jordan. These ambassadors help Rotary educate the public about the disease and the fight to end polio for good.

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