Fab Four nonagenarians’ big shoes need filling

Standing (left to right): DG Brian Tuck, Merv Brown

President Felicity Anderson and  Albert Birss
(seated) Brian Kissin and Eric Grainger

Rotarians Albert Birss, Merv Brown, Eric Grainger and Brian Kissin have more than 200 years of service between them.

The “Fab Four” as they have been dubbed by their peers, are members of the Rotary Club of Takapuna in Auckland, part of District 9910.

Now in their ‘90s, they have still been doing as much as they can and attending meetings when able.

To acknowledge their years of work, the four men were recently each presented with a unique and special commendation letter from the Rotary International President Kalyan Banerjee and New Zealand’s own past RI President and now Rotary Foundation Chairman Bill Boyd.

Rotary Club of Takapuna President Felicity Anderson says it is special for any club to have people like Albert, Merv, Eric and Brian, let alone have one person dedicate so many years to voluntary work.

“However, like our Fab Four I believe that people do want to help each other out,” Felicity says. “Many say they haven’t got time and that life’s too busy these days. But these guys had families too. They had to navigate North Shore’s early roads and in the first 30 years didn’t have the benefit of the speed of communication through email and cellphones that we have today.

“What they have achieved for North Shore is remarkable. Now we want younger people to rise to the challenge to make sure we carry on what they have started.”

Merv Brown joined the club when it was founded in 1953. He had eloped to North Shore with his late wife, Jill, after returning from the war. He later received a King’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air.

Merv was there when the Rotary first helped Takapuna Grammar build its first gymnasium and then the club launched a project, with its committee chaired by fellow Rotarian the late Trevor Roberts, to bring the first YMCA to North Shore in 1956.

He was President when the club started building the Hauraki Scout and Guide Den for children in the then booming, new residential area.

It was about that time too that Albert Birss joined the club and he was President in 1963 when Brian Kissin and Eric Grainger joined.

Albert is well known locally for helping local schools with Rotary’s Trees for Survival programme. That’s where pupils are encourage to grow native tree seedlings using the compost delivered by Rotarians and to later to help plant them out in places like Mahurangi inlet.

But he was also part of the team that helped establish Abilities North Shore in 1959 to give people living with disabilities meaningful work and an income.

Albert has been married to Marie for 68 years this year and over the years they hosted numerous international exchange students and they help run an annual golf fund raising tournament.

Eric Grainger and his wife Kathleen will be remembered by many for opening their farm in Torbay between 1980 and 2000 to more than 12,000 North Shore kindergarten and primary children so that the youngsters could see lambs, the tractor, shearing, horses and the sheep dogs.

Eric’s service with Rotary also saw him Chair the Pakuranga Health camps for 14 years and then the NZ Children’s Health Camp Board. He was the Chair of the Auckland Children’s Appeal Trust for 15 years and saw it amalgamated with Ronald Macdonald house. He then became a trustee of that organisation and later established the Ronald Macdonald Bequest Society in 2006. He only retired as chair of that trust last year – when he turned 90!

Eric and Kathleen also hosted dozens of exchange students from all round the world and Eric became heavily involved in the organisation of the scheme.

Brian Kissin, a former Takapuna Grammar old boy, came home from the war on a hospital ship. He too has been there for fund raisers, like beach digs and musical extravaganzas and Rotary projects like the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) and Genesis Science, Rotary Youth Leadership and Challenge camps for young people.

He has also been Takapuna’s story teller and the person who has welcomed new people into the club over the years.

“They have all quietly worked hard and Takapuna and North Shore have a lot to be grateful to them for,” Felicity says. “The biggest compliment to them would be if more people joined the club and helped us continue their work.

“The club has plans for artisan-style night markets in Takapuna on Thursday nights during the summer to raise funds for its work, to also build a children’s playground and to give some elderly people who really need it a bit of a hand to do some chores for them in the run up to Christmas.

“Then there is also literacy and water projects in the Pacific Islands we would love to be able to do.”

Felicity says the Takapuna club has been selected by Rotary International as one of only 200 clubs worldwide to be a pilot “Innovation and Flexibility” club.

“This means we are able to modernise the way we operate. Weekly meetings will not be mandatory, we are able to widen membership and use social media and other e-communication to do our work. Busy working people need to be able to connect and turn up to work at prearranged times.

“But Rotary is not all work. It’s about meeting like minded people and having fun too. Over the years Albert, Merv, Eric and Brian have been all over New Zealand and parts of the world with Rotary. They’ve enjoyed great friendships through Rotary.”