This week Kaikohe Rotary was delighted to host District 9910 Governor Elaine Mead and her partner, past Governor Peter Garnett. We were joined by our Waipapa Rotarian friends on a warm evening at Kaikohe Bowling Club, despite the cold outside.

Elaine told us Rotary has to be adaptable. Some clubs meet on-line. Some meet on Sunday afternoons in the pub. People come to Rotary for a wide range of reasons and there are many reasons why they keep coming back. She asked Rotarians - in one word - what they liked about Rotary. There were numerous answers: fellowship and community among them. 

Keeping and attracting members is a challenge. But by being dynamic and innovative Rotary can meet that challenge. She said many clubs - including Kaikohe - used Zoom and other technologies to keep functioning during the lockdown, showing that Rotary can adapt to changing times.

And while we are struggling with an ageing membership, Elaine reminded us that we need to get the message out: there is no wrong age to join Rotary.

Before she spoke Elaine presented our own Liz Henley with an award for Assistant Governor of the Year- a well deserved recognition for one extraordinarily hard worker.