Rotary Conference

Jim and I attended Rotary District 9940’s Annual Conference held in Taupo, NZ. We accompanied Hutt City Rotary Club President, Allan Brown and his wife Trish, Ambassadorial Scholar-Jaretta Richey from Texas and Youth Exchange student Max, from France.

The opening ceremony included a tribute to ANZAC Day (26 April). It was quite impressive to see how fully this country embraced its history and remembered its fallen soldiers.

Presentation highlights included a theme of action to assist in ending domestic violence in New Zealand and information on the Shelter Box Project, which, began with the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard, UK.
Unfortunately too soon after learning about the Shelter Box Project a natural disaster struck Myanmar. Coincidently one of the Rotary members at Hutt City recently visited Myanmar and presented on his experience there. This certainly does bring the disaster closer to home. The Hutt City Rotary Club has already raised funds for two shelter boxes to aid those in Myanmar. Check out the website and donate to an excellent cause: http://www.shelterbox.org/home.ht

And what’s a rotary conference in Taupo without a Mardi Gras party? And what’s a Mardi Gras Rotary Party without men in tights? A hysterical night!