The club celebrated International Women’s Day with two fantastic speakers this year.

First up was Sophie McKeever from Waimea College, who we sponsored to attend the Rotary Science and Technology Forum in January. Sophie’s account of her experiences at the annual two week residential programme in Auckland showed just how beneficial and potentially life changing this programme is for senior secondary school students.

Sophie detailed workshops, lectures, visits and hands on learning experiences involving everything from food and nutrition, biomedical science, bioengineering, robotics, sports science, physics, chemistry, applied maths, psychology, innovation, and design, and much more. Sophie was particularly taken with sports science and it is this career path she is now exploring during her final secondary school year. All the best, Sophie!

Next was Netty Butler from the English Language Programme. Netty is the Nelson centre’s new coordinator and told us how we could become volunteers who help former refugees and migrants learn English.

Volunteers receive training before being matched with a new learner of English for home tutorial sessions. Training can lead to a Certificate in ESOL (English for learners of other languages).

Netty, a former science teacher, was most impressed with Sophie. Netty said teenagers, and men and women of all ages who are learning English benefit from engaging in conversational English with local tutors and great friendships can develop as they settle into their new lives in New Zealand.

A new training programme for volunteers begins next week. To find out more, go to: https://www.englishlanguage.org.nz/centres/nelson

Whakatū Rotary members, partners and friends gathered last night at the home of members Birgit Neumann and David Monopli to enjoy a social feast of antipasto, pizza, salata and gelato.

We also celebrated and applauded Birgit as she was made a #paulharrisfellow, acknowledging her work, dedication and passion not only for Rotary but also her community. To say she was not expecting this international Rotary honour, presented by Rotary Foundation Chair Karen Stade, was the understatement of the evening, protesting she did not deserve it! We beg to differ.

We also farewelled back to the England, Rotary club of Romsey Test member Stewart Mitchell and his wife Hilary, who have enjoyed another New Zealand summer with us.

And we were seranaded on the grand piano by Marjorie Power, whose husband Brian is a regular club visitor.

Thanks to Salvito’s Pizza for the delicious pizza slabs and a huge thanks @GelatoRoma who very generously donated two large tubs of their chocolate gelato and lemon sorbet. Delisimo!

Whakatū Rotary members are part of this weekend’s Chin Community’s National Festival, held in Nelson 20-22 Feb 2026.

It’s a great opportunity to meet more members of this incredibly friendly community group and further develop the growing relationship between Whakatū Rotary and the Chin Community of Nelson. We are partnering with the Chin community as they develop a community garden in the Nelson, close to Miyazu Gardens.

Yesterday we provided car marshalling services for the festival’s sports tournament featuring soccer and volleyball at Guppy Park, in The Wood. The day was very relaxed and the matches vigorously competed.

Today the festival continues with cultural events held at Nelson College for Girls, where one of the highly anticipated events will be traditional wrestling.

After enjoying a colourful cultural programme at this morning’s New Zealand Chin conference and national day celebration, Whakatū Rotary members were treated to a delicious Chin lunch.

Co-president Wendy Goode and past president Bill Wagstaff then lined up for photos with Lal Cinzah, the Nelson Cin community president, and several Nelson Chin women, each in their beautiful national costumes. Wendy stayed on to enjoy the afternoon’s programme of traditional wrestling matches.

Welcoming Whakatū Rotary’s youngest ‘member’ Novie, to this morning’s club gathering are members Blair Cameron for Nelson Tasman and Novie’s mum, Deliese Mackay.

Novie is a real early morning trooper – she quietly worked the room, smiled at everyone, listened carefully, gigled in the right places, and enthusiastically engaged in open conversation.

We’re picking her as a future leader of our new generation of Rotary volunteers and members. Now we just have to find a Rotary shirt small enough to fit her!