Following the training session for Presidents-elect in Auckland in March, our respective incoming Presidents (Karen Clarke for RC Christchurch North and John Driscoll for RC Ashburton) made contact and talked about what could be done to help the Christchurch club. It was suffering in a number of ways – members with houses, homes, property and businesses ruined (or all of the above). One of their number, John Laurenson, whose personal property was stricken, was also the Principal of the 1400 pupil Shirley Boys High School - very badly damaged by the quake and required to co-locate with Papanui High School. They did not have a regular venue for meetings any more, and many of their members were struggling even to attend weekly meetings and meet basic costs like meal fees and Rotary dues, much less find fund raisers for their annual projects.
At the same time, the Rotary Club of Ashburton,( a town located 100 kms south of Christchurch and relatively unaffected by the immediate effects of the quake,) was looking for some meaningful ways to help in the city. We were reluctant to put money into places where it might be “swallowed up”, but wanted to get something going to directly assist earthquake victims. This seemed like an ideal opportunity, so the association began.
As soon as Christchurch North settled into a new venue for its meetings, Ashburton sent some members to visit those meetings, to swell their numbers and find what might help them most. These visits have become a regular feature every 2-3 weeks, and we have also had the Christchurch North members come down to one of our meetings, at our cost. We have added a surcharge to our weekly meal fee so that a fund is accumulating to further subsidise some costs for Christchurch North.
Ashburton has agreed to fund a number of the sister Club’s major projects for 2011-12, including the School Honours Roll Project and the Annual Golf Tournament. We will also provide manpower for these events, as the Christchurch Club is still only able to have about half its members attend at any given time. We have helped them sponsor nominations for the Technology/Science Forum in Auckland, and are about to work with one of their schools to arrange a whole school farm visit to Mid-Canterbury (the best farming district in New Zealand, of course!)
Both Clubs see the association as an ongoing process, looking to the longer term and providing support over the foreseeable future. To that end, there is now a good communication base between the current and future administrations of both groups, and some firm friendships have already been established. The moral support, as well as the physical and financial help, is proving to be just as important as anything really, and both Clubs are enjoying the extended contact with fellow Rotarians.
From Ashburton’s point of view, it is certainly true that we have had few projects over the years that are as satisfying as the opportunity to see direct and specific benefits to others after the traumatic events of the last year. We intend that this will continue!
Don McLeod
Immediate Past President
Rotary Club of Ashburton