Being Golf Mad Brings Life to a Great Idea

Rotary Club of Porirua Sundown Club’s golf-mad president, Gordon Beattie had an idea. The club had been visited by the local Wellington Free Ambulance representative Andrew Dunning, who had talked about their community initiative, Operation HeartBeat, designed to make Wellington the leading Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) -survival city in the southern hemisphere.

Life-saving Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) are being placed all around the city, and Gordon’s idea was to run a Golf Competition to raise money to fund three AEDs – one at each of the golf courses in Porirua – Titahi, Pauatahanui and Judgeford. Teams of four were invited to enter the competition, and sponsors were found for each of the 18 holes (6 at each club).  This sort of competition had never been held before – with all three courses involved, so there was a lot of interest from local golfers.

A project manager, David Stewart,  from the Rotary Porirua Sundown club was appointed to co-ordinate all of the activities, from catering, sponsors’ signage and communications to rostering of volunteers.  The local newspaper, Kapi Mana News, came to the party with sponsorship, by providing full page adverts and editorial coverage over several weeks. Noel Leeming kindly matched the Club’s contribution to a prize table.

Seventeen teams entered the competition, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all who participated. Most of the club’s members were involved in some way – either on the day at the registration desk, scoring, running the sausage sizzle or co-ordinating logistics with the sponsors and the groundsmen; other tasks included the design of the advertising, website pages and an online newsletter to participants.

Tom Campbell, father of Michael Campbell (who won the 2005 US Open) said, “It was the most well-organised competition that I’ve ever been involved in!”

The three AED’s are located so that they serve not only members and visitors of the golf courses, but are available to the local community, in case of an emergency – supporting a wide range of people.

Website: www.poriruasundown.rotarysouthpacific.org

Lowdown

The Rotary recreational fellowships include the International Fellowship of Golfing Rotarians with the closest 'chapter' being in Australia (see http://agfr.org/ )  With so many NZ Rotarians golfing and so many Rotary clubs holding golfing events why is there not a NZ 'Chapter"??

For more about Rotary Fellowships go to: HERE

Porirua Sundown Rotary’s Visit to Takapuwahia Marae

Rotary Club of Porirua Sundown members attended the Waitangi Day February 6 celebration at Takapuwahia Marae, in Porirua, New Zealand. The group was there as guests of the Mayor of Porirua Nick Leggett, who also invited new migrant families who have moved to the area from overseas.
 

The ceremony started with a welcome (or powhiri in Maori) on to the marae. Rotarian Pania Houkamau-Ngaheu began with the exchange of calls (karanga) which clears the spiritual pathway for the ancestors of the host and visitors to meet. We were then challenged by a warrior who laid a leaf on the ground. The leader of the menfolk picked the leaf up to show that we came in peace. The women were led into the wharenui (meeting house) first, followed by the men. There were a series of speeches and waiata (songs) in Maori, followed by the traditional greeting (hongi) for the hosts (tangata whenua) to greet their special guests. Then there was a welcome in English and an interesting history of the Ngatitoa tribe.

The interior of the whare was decorated with traditional carvings with woven wall coverings.

It was a very interesting visit and a great opportunity to experience the local Maori culture. All of the visitors really appreciated the opportunity to visit the marae on such a significant day.

8 year-old Family of Rotary member a Christmas wrapping star

Rotary Club of Porirua Sundown President Gordon Beattie’s grand-daughter Sophie Beattie, from Cyprus Point, Lytham, UK visited Porirura city (north of Wellington, NZ) on her Christmas holiday. This eight year old helped raise over $8,000 (4,200 pounds) at the Rotary Club of Porirua Sundown’s Christmas gift wrapping fundraiser in the local shopping mall at North City. The money will help local causes.

Sophie Beattie wearing her grandfather Gordon Beattie’s Rotary Club of Porirua Sundown presidential chain of office and cap.