Rotary Youth Drive Awareness (RYDA)

The Club is a supporter of RYDA. Club members accompany school groups for the day of the RYDA programme. This is the premier road safety education program for senior high school students (aged 16–18) in New Zealand, focusing on changing attitudes toward driving risks. Sessions are delivered by Road Safety Education, and feature interactive workshops covering speed, distractions, and passenger safety to curb youth road accidents.

Rota Pacific

On Tuesday, we met as President Warwick noted in his address six Rota Pacificers from Fiji and Samoa. They each introduced themselves to us.

They were Tera Narayan, a communications officer for an intergovernmental organization with the Pacific Community. She is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Super East, and its flagship program is the Rotary Pacific Water. 
 
 We then heard from Ilaisa Katonibau from Nausori sponsored by Nausori Rotary who works for the United Nations Development Program as a now specialist, which is a monitoring innovation and learning specialist for a public finance management project, which is funded by the European Union.

Next Rota Pacifica was Loma Ripley from Apia in Samoa. She is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Apia. She manages her family business and as well as that is working in the agriculture field, as she believes that Samoa needs to work on food sovereignty. This was a big issue that happened during Covid 19, where there were a lot of delays in shipments. 

Then we heard from Meri Delai a financial markets deluxe specializing in the FX forward market with Westpac Fiji. She is sponsored with the same club as Ilaisa, 

After Meri, Vasiki Lesianawai spoke to us, She works for the Unit Trust of Fiji as a business engagement officer for an investment company, meaning she looks after all the 149 corporate clients for the company. She is sponsored the Rotary Club of Silva Peninsula Sunset.

The final Rota Pacificer to speak was Harley Cronin, a graduate from University of Auckland. He has had a number jobs since University. He is looking forward to RYLA and is excited to see what the secrecy and the mystery is about next week. I doubt that he will be expecting any or all of the evolutions that will take place next week.

The OTHC music room was our breakfast venue – for Scott’s traverse of  European travels, so that his La Scala feature could be followed by a choral performance. Highlights of Scott and Debbie’s cultural and sporting tour ranged from Berlin, to London, Portugal, Le Quesnoy, Milan and Spain. 

Slides opened with the Brandenburg Gate, with Scott noting how Germany fronts up to all aspects of its history, with the scarred Berlin Bunker repurposed as an Art gallery – then the nearby, expansive  monument to the murdered Jews of Europe. Lords in London represented another aspect of history, with the highlight of Martin Crowe’s portrait being unveiled in the Longroom on the occasion of the 150^th test, in a series ultimately won by NZ!

Le Quesnoy, celebrating the WW1 achievement of a town liberated without any destructive bombardment – thanks to the bravery and ingenuity of NZ soldiers, is the only NZ museum outside our country – featuring a range of most notable human stories. Scott particularly noted Winiata Tapsell who returned to live at Maketu and fathered 21 children! Portugal also brought memories of home – as a small country on the edge of Europe, looking out to sea, while the Spanish territory of Madeira is a volcanic island, the size of Singapore.

Lucia di Lammermoor was the opera performed at the extraordinary La Scala venue, with a storyline that takes the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet to new heights!

Then 22 of the 66 member OTHC choir had made an early start to their day, to provide the treat of a classic Renaissance/Baroque item, most ably conducted by Diana Rhodes with a solo flautist and John Scott on the grand piano – a generous donation to the school by Harvey Alison.  

Meeting videos……….

Scott’s address - RCON Meeting 'The Road to La Scala' 18Aug26.mp4

https://youtu.be/gaacratrFg8 

Musical item - RCON Meeting Choir 18Aug26.mp4

https://youtu.be/f6hKhY-2Zg4