Roadshow Week 10

We are closer to home this week - exploring the Manawatu clubs. First up Palmerston North , one of the larger clubs in the district with 85 members. Palmerston North Rotary Club was chartered just weeks before my own club Wanganui, in 1924.

Ken Rush updates the club on a major project , the Kahuterawa Native Bush Restoration and Development Project

The Kahuterawa Native Bush Restoration and Development Project is a partnership between Department of Conservation, Linton Army Camp, Rotary Club of Palmerston North and Palmerston North schools, namely Palmerston North Boys High School, Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School and others. I am very much in favour of partnership projects such as this one as a vehicle for raising the profile of Rotary in the community and as a means of finding potential new members.

Next up was Milson, a vibrant club with a good spread of ages and home of Past District Governor Glen Caves who introduced me in a style unique to Glen. In my formative years as an engineer in Palmerston North I worked with Pat and Michael Higgins, in those days the sons in D. Higgins and Sons, and learned a great deal about bituminous sealing from them. Pat is a member of this club and was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to the contracting industry.

It was a delight to catch up again with Pat Higgins, now Sir Pat, at Milson Rotary Club

With Christine Jones, also a former President of the club, and current President Andrew Sievwright.