Find friendships and purpose at Rotary

ere is a range of projects, jobs and activities to be part of when you join Rotary.

Old people meeting up for hours on end is a perception of Rotary clubs that Kathy Webb is kicking to the curb.

e Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise has swift meetings and many young members on-board – but Sunrise and fellow surrounding clubs still want more to join.

“People perceive Rotary clubs as old people – that’s not the case at all.

“We’ve got many younger members in our club – and surrounding Tauranga sub-region clubs are looking for younger members too.”

Many facets ese days Kathy says Rotary clubs have many facets and projects that appeal to those young, t, feisty and full of get-up-and-go!

“We all do some really meaningful projects. Our Sunrise club has a very active environmental committee who work with younger volunteers to do plantings and pest control.”

Being involved in this work could have you anywhere from on the paperwork trail, logistics, fundraising, through to being on the end of a spade on planting day.

Kathy says Sunrise has quick, weekly break-‘fast’ meetings. “We meet 7 in the morning and we’re gone by 8, because we all work.”

Lifelong friends

e potential to make lifelong friends is high. “If you belong to a rotary club, you really create relationships with people that last much longer than club life.”

Moreover, Kathy says Rotary members achieve that amazing feeling of giving back to not only their own communities, but some abroad too.

“Collectively, we’re able to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to charitable organisations – and we do this by hosting projects to raise the funds to pass on.

Giving back

“Tauranga Sunrise’s two agship projects are e Great K Valley Cycle Adventure, coming up on March 12; and our biennial high-level art auction, e Treasured Art project.”

All our clubs support international projects, Kathy says. “Sunrise supports reads Across e Paci c, where we work with women in Vanuatu to help them learn to sew their own clothing, and facilitate shipping over books donated to Vanuatu. So it’s about giving back – and creating fellowship.”

To join a Rotary club, see their advert on this page. Merle Cave