MERRY CHRISTMAS - Inner Wheel District NZ293 - District …innerwheelnz293.weebly.com/uploads/9/5/8/3/9583612/...Nola Ardern about the actual delivery of Days Girls packs to Taveuni

NZ293 DISTRICT MAGAZINE

November 2016

MERRY CHRISTMAS

to all Members and their loved ones from District NZ293 Executive

From District Chairman Denise White Leadership with Learning Already we are nearly halfway through the Inner Wheel year. It has been both a pleasure and a great learning experience to have visited eight of the ten clubs in the District. It is always interesting to see what is the same and what is different in each club. I have found it quite inspiring to more fully appreciate the scope of some of the projects that are being undertaken in the District by individual clubs. It was particularly interesting at Matamata club to see where the regular sewing bees happen as they support 'Days for Girls'. Because they have been supporting this project for over two years they have their systems well and truly steamlined. The speakers at the recent District meeting were very varied. It was great to hear from Nola Ardern about the actual delivery of Days Girls packs to Taveuni Island in Fiji and of the girls’ delight. Then in the afternoon we heard from Celia Stone about Irlen's syndrome. I am sure that we all went away with a greater understanding of the visual perception challenges for many people who have this syndrome. We also heard how if diagnosed early much of the difficulty in reading and improved perceptions of the world around us can be assisted with special coloured lenses. Then Clare O'Higgins inspired us with detail of Look Good , Feel Better. I look forward to clubs in the district finding a way that they can assist this organisation in either a practical or financial manner (or even both) in the New Year as we continue to 'Touch a Heart'.

Chairman Denise with Clare O’Higgins from Look Good Feel Better

First Vice Chairman Carole with Celia Stone—Irlen Syndrome

Treasurer Margaret with Nola Ardern from Days for Girls

Silky Pillows have again been taken to Whakatane Hospital for use after breast operations. We have a trusty band of workers who help with this - not all of them are Inner Wheel members, but we keep hoping they might join us. September was our International month, so as we always have plenty of food that night, everyone was asked to bring a friend and tell us about that friend’s most memorable travel. That worked well. We have asked these people again to our meetings, but so far without success. We enjoyed DC Denise's visit and we all learned lots about the Manual, online. Melbourne Cup night, our usual fundraiser, happened, and we banked some money. The jackpot couldn't have gone to a more deserving person. Thank you Opotiki "girls" for your continued support.

SITUATIONS

Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to serve your District. Follow in the footsteps of amazing women who have volunteered in this field for more than 40 years! Enquiries made so far have been disappointing and we need your help to keep us on the road.

Only 4 meetings each year, 2 at the time of District meetings. Travel costs paid

Shared food - tea and coffee supplied

Great company

Make new friends

Unfortunately no remuneration

Seeking keen, active, qualified women for the following positions –

1st Vice Chairman 2nd Vice Chairman Treasurer ISO Editor

Apply now on appropriate form to the District Secretary – [email protected]

We remember those who have past away recently.

Tenderly we treasure the past

With memories that will always last.

Tauranga Central have continued with their monthly meetings and have had two fascinating speakers in recent months. In July we were visited by Dan from the Graeme Dingle Foundation which is focused on improving the lives of at risk children through their Kiwican, Stars, Project K and MYND programmes. Their vision is “transforming young lives forever” and they are always on the lookout for mentors for the Project K programme which appealed to some of our group. September saw us visited by Kylie and Julie from BOPSASS (Bay of Plenty Sexual Assault Support Service) which is a charitable trust providing vital support to victims of sexual abuse. The statistics around sexual assault are frightening with 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men assaulted at some stage in their lives. The BOPSASS team have a drop-in clinic and a 24 hour phone lined manned by qualified counsellors. They can then help with medical examinations and ongoing counselling. The other highlight has been the induction of our four new members and we are enjoying the enthusiasm they are all bringing to the planning of our main fundraising event scheduled for April 2017 – watch this space!

With this year’s theme in mind, members of Ahuriri Inner Wheel Club adopted ‘Hazel’s Quilt’ as a service project. Hazel (78) has spent her life in the care of Ideal Services and relies on her caregivers to help her enjoy life. One of the things she loves most is painting but this was becoming costly as Hazel is a prolific artist producing a new painting each week. When Hazel needed a new bed cover, painting on fabric and creating a quilt seemed a good way to achieve two things at once.

Handed a set of hand painted squares with explicit instructions on which order to put them together Ahuriri set about sewing and ironing and the quilt is now complete and ready for an Art Club exhibition in late November.

The look on Hazel’s face when she saw the work in progress really epitomises the true meaning of IIW President Oluyemisi’s theme – we have truly touched Hazel’s spirit and in return she has touched ours.

The value of Inner Wheel isn’t what we as members gain but in the value we add to the lives of people all over the world and when our hearts are engaged to serve those in our communities less fortunate than ourselves the rewards are often far greater than we can imagine.

‘Great things are done by a series of small things brought together’ Vincent van Gough

All pinned and ready to go! Nearly there! All done—Hazel and her quilt!

“Touch a Heart is more than a philosophy of the mind, it is a philosophy of the Spirit.”

While we continue to focus on caring and friendship amongst our members, the Inner Wheel Club of Western Napier finds time to support ongoing good causes and charities as the need arises. Our long standing “Hospital Dolls” scheme has been running for 26 years with a total of 6639 calico dolls being gifted to the HB Hospital for the children’s ward. They are still in demand so we keep stock up by having enjoyable “dolly stuffing” days – brain surgery included! which encompasses our members enjoying fun and fellowship along with community support. Many members have taken up the challenge of knitting lovely colourful “Trauma Teddies” for the Ambulance service, Pacific Island disaster areas and also wherever needed within NZ to bring comfort to children in distress. We continue to support the Napier Women’s Refuge with gifts of toiletries collected at our meetings, and the Napier Family Centre benefit from regular donations of toys and new and pre-loved clothes for those in need. The monthly sales table at our meetings continues to be a source of funds for the Charities account, especially the October one which was beautifully displayed with a Christmas gift theme which proved most profitable. This, along with our annual catering contract for an Art Deco Bowling Championship and our yearly garden party fundraiser enables us to make monetary donations on quite a regular basis. One group that we have supported for some years is the local Children’s Deaf Resource Centre. We gift them the funds to hire a bus and driver so that they can have a great day out on a farm. All our projects bring us together as a club in friendship whilst helping our community. A win win situation. Long may the Inner Wheel turn.

We had a very interesting and informative speaker from “Foster Hope Waikato”. Foster Hope is bringing “Hope” to those in care. There are more than five thousand children in foster care in New Zealand. Many of the children taken suddenly into care are CYFS children and often arrive at their new placement or foster home with only the clothes they are wearing. Foster Hope’s goal is to make sure each foster child has a pack containing essential items. These packs ensure that the children do know people care. The packs are divided into age groups, 2 -5, 5 -7, 7 -11, 13 -16 and 17 year olds receive a starter pack to go flatting with sheets, towels, crockery etc. The children receive items containing shampoo, soap, tooth brush, toothpaste, combs, facecloth, undies, books and often a soft toy. One girl was heard to say to her sister, “bags I use the toothbrush first”, she had never had her own toothbrush! Pyjamas are added to the pack once the age of the child is known. Once a year there is a fundraising appeal for new pyjamas leading up to winter and these are donated by many businesses and organizations. Donations from the public or groups like Inner Wheel help Foster Hope purchase items for these packs. This allows the caregivers to focus on the emotional needs of the children. These packs and items are stored in a big warehouse where the public can take clean clothing or soft toys that have been washed as well as clean books. We have also been knitting Teddies for St John Ambulance who use them to give to sick children when they travel in an ambulance and can be taken into hospital with them. We have donated some of these Teddies to Foster Hope for their back packs.

Inner Wheel Matamata members turned out with energy and enthusiasm recently to hone their stock sorting, rag-cutting and retail skills in the town’s Opportunity Shop. As they did last year, IW members were responding to the call from the district’s Victim Support Group which was hoping to raise much-needed funds through a week’s stint in the shop. Being sparse in numbers, VS depended on practical help from a number of quarters, including Inner Wheel. Several members, including Lesley Stanley – pictured sporting VS colours – were happy to help and their support was very much appreciated by VS, which provides a 24/7 crisis support service for victims of crime and other trauma.

Over the last few months we have enjoyed some very interesting speakers. Nola Arden, President of Otumoetai Rotary spoke of her visit to Fiji and Days for Girls. In July we all had a most enjoyable lunch at Trinity Hotel for our Change Over Meeting. August our speaker was from Health Consumer Trust and in September on Macular Degeneration. October was a General Knowledge Quiz followed by chatter, laughs AND Chocolate Fish! Who could ask for more? Members attended the District Meeting in Rotorua and later this month we look forward to hosting members here in Tauranga for the District Meeting. This month we also start selling tickets for our Christmas Cake raffle. It's that time of the year already! Later this month, yet another of our members will celebrate her 90th birthday. Happy, Happy Birthday Joyce from us all.

INTERNATIONAL INNER WHEEL OBJECTS

To promote true friendship

To encourage the ideals of personal service

To foster international understanding

Hamilton East has concentrated on friendship and supporting some older members of the club during past months. During the Winter months of June, July and August, our meetings were held in the afternoon finishing with afternoon tea and travelling on frosty nights was avoided. We have continued with our visits to St. Joan’s Hospital to see residents recommended by the staff to provide company and a chat. The knitting group has met monthly and cot rugs have been donated to St. John to use in the ambulances. More rugs are to be donated shortly when we have a speaker from “House of Grace” which is a place for unmarried mothers and their babes. Our catering at the beginning of the year and monthly raffles have provided funds for quite a number of charities. Among these is our annual donation to Peachgrove Intermediate School to enable 2 students to attend School Camp. A visit to the Movies to attend an Andre Rieu Concert screened live was very much enjoyed during July by a number of members. A speaker from St. John’s Ambulance provided a great deal of information on all the work done by them from early history to training of cadets, to the alarms for the elderly living alone. One of our new members, Maria Roberts who has recently retired gave us an enlightening talk on what it had been like to be a Duty Manager at Waikato Hospital for 25 years. A Duty Manager in this position has oversite responsibility for all going on at the hospital and also of the Hospitals of Te Kuiti, Tokoroa, and Thames while on duty. Another of our members demonstrated Reflexology. Raewyn Hemphill gave a fascinating demonstration of this practice which has been a part of her 40 year career in Sport Massage and various other types of massage including Japanese. We learn how the sole of the foot is linked to different parts of the body. The member who received this demonstration found it hard to keep awake!

One of our interesting speakers over the past few months was Sara Whibley who undertook her Duke of Edinburgh award over the past year. For one of her challenges she helped with the silky pillows that we make for the Rotorua Hospital. Sara made 60 silky pillows—a great effort!! She attended one of our club meetings where she spoke about her life. At the end of this year Sara leaves Western Heights High School and is going to university to study engineering. Sara is the granddaughter of one of the club’s past members. The club also had an interesting speaker from the Salvation Army. Along with a monetary donation, members donated women’s toiletries and products to the Salvation Army’s Women‘s programme. The club featured in an article in the Rotorua Daily Post in their support of this project. The club continues to make silky pillows for the local hospitals as well as making regular donations to St Chad’s and Rotorua Hospice.

Napier club had a wonderful day recently as the montage of photos above shows. Members filled bags of toiletries that they had collected over the past three months and 55 bags were completed for the Women’s Refuge. They also invited former members who are not able to come to the club’s official celebration later this month. It was such a happy day and also a very busy one!