Mangawhai Probus Club

 

March AGM and bus trip
In March the club had a very enjoyable bus trip to Couldrey House at Wenderholm where the group was entertained and informed about the various owners of the house and the history around it.

The annual general meeting was also held there. Jim Wintle was voted in for a second term as president, Gaylene Lawrence as secretary, Beve Smith treasurer, Ron Lawrence immediate past president, and Barry Lumsden will organise guest speakers.

The bus then took us on to The Esplanade Hotel in Devonport for lunch and a visit to the Naval Museum in the afternoon.

Student speaker impresses
Our April meeting was back at base in Mangawhai. The mini speaker was Jacquelin Caisley, a very eloquent Year 13 student from Westlake Girls High School. She has taken part in the ANZ RSA Cyril Bassett VC Speech Competition in the last two years. She delivered the speech she also performed at the Takapuna Anzac Service on April 25. Cyril Bassett was the first New Zealander to win the Victoria Cross in World War I and the only New Zealander to be awarded the VC in Gallipolli.

Two weeks at UN conference
The main speaker was Sally Smith who has spoken at the club previously about sailing to Antarctica. Sally spoke of her experience last year spending two weeks in New York at the United Nations. She is a member of the Business and Professional Women’s Club and is on the national executive. This was a meeting of 4,000 women from around the world who attended the Womens Empowerment Sustainable Development Commission on the Status of Women. Between 20 and 25 New Zealand women attended and there were 450 events during those two weeks that they could take part in.

The object is to put pressure on the United Nations who in turn put pressure on governments to honour what they said they would do: Japanese women were lobbying for greater involvement in decision making in the aftermath of the earthquakes. African women worked on stopping forced marriages and preserving the human rights of women and girls within the family unit.

Those assembled were able to hear from the Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon which was a highlight of the programme. The New Zealand government has put Helen Clark’s name forward as the next Secretary General. Sally advised this will be the first time a democratic vote for the position will be held and it is the first time to have women candidates.

The goal is that by 2030 there will be equality for everybody on earth and there are 17 sustainable goals to be achieved. Two main objectives were taken away from this conference – the need to involve youth more and to make sure no one is left behind.

n Next meeting: 2pm Thursday May 19, Senior Citizen Hall, Fagan Place, Mangawhai Heads. Mangawhai Probus meets every third Thursday in the month. If you require more info or transport please contact Ron and Gaylene Lawrence 431 5617 or Beve Smith 431 5777. All visitors are welcome.