Around the world, Rotary members train people to become resources for their community, offering networking activities, advice on new business development, and mathematics and financial management training.
President Tim Orrell
Secretary
Shirley Stratton
Treasurer
Graham Evans
Hosted by President Tim - welcome home!
Guests: Dennis Jackson
Chris Dentice
Opening thought:
Chris gave a thoughtful reflection on how fortunate we are to enjoy good food, good company and the friendships Rotary brings. It was a timely reminder of the privilege of belonging to a Club where service and fellowship go hand in hand.
Parting thought:
Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence.
Raffle winner: Sue Scutter
Dinner menu: Pea and Ham Soup, followed by Chicken Casserole, Beans and Broccoli, Potatoes and Fresh Salad
Graham
Scribe Cherie
Chris
Derek
Rod
Notices
President Tim
Thanks to Paul and Roger for taking the reins and helping to keep things running smoothly in Tim's absence.
Correspondence with the Multicultural Education Campaign group who applied for funding. They are looking for volunteers to support their Festival – 18 October. Members are encouraged to lend a hand and demonstrate Rotary's practical commitment to community service. Contact Tim for details.
Ronald McDonald House cooking
Ronald McDonald House cooking duty on 27 October is up on ClubRunner for people to sign up. We could do with one or 2 more volunteers. We encourage new Members to have a go - it's a wonderful experience.
Charter Night
Next week is Charter Night. This is a celebration of the date of the Club's inception and is a dressy, special occasion. The Club Services Committee is coordinating arrangements from 4.30 pm.
Members are encouraged to support this special occasion as we celebrate our Club's history, achievements and ongoing commitment to service. Partners are very welcome; final chance to register today.
Golf Tournament
12 November is the date of the Club's charity golf match. It requires a team effort to run it, but many hands make light work of it. Tasks will be on ClubRunner - please sign up to help out. Please consider sponsoring a hole or donating an auction prize.
Club Xmas party
The Christmas party will be at Southwards on 10 December. It will be a fabulous night, with a dress-up theme to be advised. Partners are most welcome, and we collect gift vouchers for Kāpiti Women's Centre to distribute.
Rotary Foundation Fundraising Dinner 2 November
Come enjoy a delicious meal and a conversation with Past International President and Chair-Elect of the Foundation, Gordon McInally and wife Heather. $90 a ticket. Starts at 5.30pm at the Wellington Club, 88 The Terrace. Theme: Kilts and tartan, or black and gold.
Club Services Committee Members please be at the hall by 4.30pm on Thursday afternoon to set up.
Linda
Women's Expo
Please note the date of 1 November for the Women's Expo and pop in, even for 10 minutes, in Rotary attire to chat to people.
Ross
Rotary Roadie Foxton Beach
Plans are progressing with approximately 28 people expected.
A dress-up barbecue is also being discussed, offering another opportunity to enjoy fellowship while celebrating the contribution of Rotarians.
All members are welcome, and friends and guests are encouraged to join in the fun. Ross has organised a guess the shells in the jar – for members to take part in, even if they are not going on the roadie.
The Kāpiti Fly Fishing Club has a free event coming up, Take a Kid Fishing. 31 October and 1 November at Winstone Lakes Ōtaki. Thanks to generous sponsors for making this a free event. Please encourage families you know to register, and think about taking your kids or grandkids along. To book a session, go to:https://www.kapitiflyfishing.org/kids-fishout.html
Derek
Derek shared information about a generous opportunity to support apprentices through funding for essential tools, the Sue and Jack Leslie Trust. Members are encouraged to identify apprentices who live and work in Kāpiti and who might benefit from this assistance. This is a fantastic opportunity for Rotary connections to help young people develop their skills, build confidence and progress in their chosen trades. Applications can be directed to Derek.
Richard May
Delicious Christmas puddings are on sale again. $26 each. $9 from each sale goes into our coffers to help fund our work. Contact Richard at richardmay1945@outlook.com or use the sign-up sheet at meetings. Please spread the word to family and friends to increase orders.
Dave Edwards
Dave raised the importance of continuing to grow our membership. Members are encouraged to think about people in their networks who might enjoy becoming part of Rotary. Please think about a photo for your CR profile.
Members may be asked to provide or update their photographs and details.
Doug
Wood for Good
Update: Another successful day saw deliveries in the morning of 10 cubic metres of firewood from El Rancho, Golf Club and Kokako Rd, and a tidy-up of the site at El Rancho before we start splitting there again.
In the afternoon, we successfully split, all apart from 1/2 dozen big logs, all the wood at the Airport. The pleasing thing for Doug was at the end of each shift, the sites at El Rancho and Kāpiti Airport were enthusiastically tidied up by the 2 groups that helped us on the day, Corrections in the morning and Paraparaumu College Language group in the afternoon (who were also given 3 cu m of firewood to take away.)
Many, many thanks to those who assisted.
We can now move forward on pine trees at Fytfield Place and gums at Pekapeka.
Eddie
Golf for Good
It has been busy on the mini golf course over the school holidays, with lots of families attending and strong icecream sales. Thanks to everyone who has signed up for shifts, please continue to support this important venture. If you have not yet done a shift and would like to learn, put it in the WhatsApp group and an experienced Member can sign up with you to show you the ropes.
Urgent: we need volunteers for both shifts on 17 October - please sign up if you can help. Consider bringing a family member or friend.
A busy day on the mini golf course
Wood for Good working bee
Dave
Sue
Gary
5 minute speaker: Sue Taylor
Sue shared an introduction to Victim Support and the important services it provides to people affected by crime and traumatic events.
Her presentation was a reminder of the many ways individuals and organisations contribute to the wellbeing of people in our communities, particularly during difficult times.
Guest speaker
Dugald J entertained the crowd
Tim, Dugald and Sue
Vince in bouncer mode
Guest speaker: Dugald Matheson
Musings of a retired District Court Judge
Dugald was sworn in as a DC judge on 25 March 2011, based at Whanganui Court until 2023.
Dugald outlined the demanding schedule of serving on the bench, arriving at court by 7am to manage an enormous paperwork load and working late into the evenings or utilizing two monthly reserve days to draft lengthy decisions.
A typical Monday Family Court list consisted of tightly scheduled 15-minute conference blocks, spanning Issues Conferences, Directions Conferences, and Prehearing Conferences designed to organise cases before multi-day defended care hearings.
Evidence in Family Court relied on sworn written affidavits followed by cross-examination, while preliminary conferences often ordered psychologist or social worker reports that could delay proceedings for months. To avoid full trials, the Judge conducted 1.5-hour settlement conferences for informal dispute resolution alongside ongoing "box work" processed outside active court hours.
On Tuesday criminal list days, the Judge presided over roughly 70 defendants facing charges ranging from burglary, theft, and assault to drug and traffic offences, encouraging early guilty pleas to minimize court backlogs. Sentencing options ranged from a discharge without conviction up to imprisonment, with serious offences adjourned for probation, cultural, or restorative justice reports.
Defended bail applications proved particularly time-consuming and stressful, requiring immediate decisions while weighing statutory detention grounds against the presumption of innocence. The Judge expressed frustration over victims of domestic violence defending abusive partners in court, as well as high rates of name suppression granted to celebrities, advocating that public figures should face equal accountability. Clearing these massive dockets of 55 to 65 cases per day regularly left judges feeling physically and mentally shattered.
Wednesdays were split between Youth Court in the morning and Mental Health Court in the afternoon. In Youth Court, a collaborative team of police youth aid officers, social workers, and lawyers focused on rehabilitation rather than re-victimizing youths from impoverished and abusive backgrounds, successfully reducing active court cases from 25–30 down to just 6.
In the afternoon, His Honour visited Whanganui Hospital's psychiatric unit to review applications for compulsory community or inpatient treatment orders, where direct conversations with patients frequently revealed severe mental frailties and delusions.
Thursday focused on half-day family violence protection order disputes and child custody (care and contact) cases, where decisions were delivered orally on the spot for self-preservation and efficiency.
Fridays often involved serving on a nationwide electronic Duty Judge platform, addressing urgent ex-parte ("without notice") applications for child uplift by Oranga Tamariki or emergency protection orders. Sitting judges handled up to 16 complex applications per day, reading through affidavits often exceeding 100 pages, to address a nationwide volume that exceeds 1,000 emergency filings every month.
Dugald’s role also encompassed travelling the "mountain circuit" to Taihape and Taumarunui, presiding over court in Marton.
In conclusion, the Judge’s reflections present a candid, behind-the-scenes look at a 12-year tenure on the bench, capturing both the personal strain and systemic pressures of administering justice in New Zealand. While the relentless volume of cases spanning high-capacity criminal lists, urgent child welfare applications, and complex family disputes highlights significant societal challenges, the narrative balances these hardships with positive elements of the role, including impactful youth justice collaboration, the pace of mountain circuit travel, and strong collegiality.
Sgt Vic read a charming poem, a favourite of his dad's
The poem: Dust if you Must by Rose Milligan
Thanks very much to Cherie for the excellent notes and Ross for taking photos.
This week:
12 October: Board meeting, Ocean Rd meeting room
15 October: Charter Night - partners welcome - cut off today!
