Outgoing President Monique and new Incoming President Jim

Derek Gee's Poem:

Monique thought she couldn’t be
the president of Rotary
But now she has, and done it well
She says she’d like another spell

She likes to boss the men around
And if we’re silly Billies
she says she’ll get her needle out
and tattoo all our…. arms about

Roger Froe’s the nicest here
that’s cause he often buys me beer
He’s always smiling, never shitty
and says “I come from Lisbon City”

He takes our money, keeps the books
and than he reads the roll
He’s so much bigger than he looks
This man from Portugal

Pete Smith runs a law firm
We all know what they do
They make a lot of money
out of folks like me & you

I’m just a poor old pensioner
So if he wants to sue
I’ll end up in his paddocks
picking up his horses poo

Dave Butler loves his Beemer
He thinks it’s rather sleek
But see his windscreen sticker
and you’ll find that it’s antique

He’s given up the drawing board
Decided to retire
with feet up on his suppliser
sitting by the fire

Mike Angland has a Beemer
the top end of their line
This year he was our sergeant
the master of the fine

Don’t ever trust a sergeant
They’re slimier than snakes
They’ll try to find a fine for you
no matter what it takes

Don’t talk to sergeants at the bar
Don’t sit by them at table
But dob your fellow members in
whenever you are able

This year saw captain Greybeard
appear on our TV’s
Being chased by lots of coppers
but he dodged them all with ease

They chased him down to Devonport
in his Amphibi Jeep
Where he splashed into the water
and drove off into the deep

Shirley Wakeling is a gem
She always does our flowers
And when you see the work in them
it must take hours & hours

She sets them in oasis blocks
to keep them nice & wet
They really do her credit
and we’re deeply in her debt

Theo’s really down to earth
he never struts or poses
He earns an honest living
growing lots & lots of roses

He takes them off to market
to sell them at their peak
But the prize of Van Liers roses
is his lovely wife Monique

Graham’s been around some time
He’s not a new arrival
He’s chosen as his project
doing schools Trees for Survival

Wife Karyn does the Soapbox food
Some lovely things she makes
And they have us round to their place
for a breakfast of pancakes

Craiger is a builder
a laid back sort of guy
He gave a great talk to the club
on Rotary & I

His seconds name’s Harshimer
What sort of name is that
I’d make a joke about it
but he may knock me flat

There’s one that I must mention here
At all club functions he’ll be there
Enthusiasm hard to match
that one of course is Peter Hatch

Tom Pearce has a camper van
That’s really very flash
It cost a bloody fortune
but Tom isn’t short of cash

I spoke to him the other day
when he’d been for a spin
He said I need a bigger one
to get more woman in

John Ritchie is a businessman
He very seldom cusses
He must be good at what he does
He’s got 600 buses

With Kerry Mac & Angie Babe
they make the Soapbox flow
Its just as well they do it
cause that’s where we make most dough

Simon runs this whole complex
He’s quite an up and doer
He overseas some big events
like fights for David Tua

He works in close with Bonifants
to get us special deals
But this must be his weak point
cause they’ve just priced up our meals

In my last Poetry reading
I had a tale to tell
of Jack Riddell & Domenic
and how the two might gel

For Domenic from Italy
and Jack was there once too
Had Hankie Pankie in his Tankie
during World war II

To say that they’re related
we’ll never know I fear
But have you ever noticed
that they both have too much hair

Bob Benzie loves his Rotary
He’s always bright & sunny
But since they made him treasurer
the clubs ran out of money

I don’t know if that’s really true
or if the system sux
But for the last 2 months or so
he’s owed me 60 bucks

Jim Annison a man of class
His company makes things of glass
and mirrors for above your bed
that won’t fall down & hit your head

Tonight’s a special night for Jim
Our president will now be him
The chain of office around his neck
Tell bob to write me out my cheque

Tonight we have a plumber here
Goes by the name of Lance
Don’t turn up when he says he will
He’ll lead you quite a dance

He’ll always give you some excuse
the way that plumbers can
I really would have been there
but the wheel fell of my van

Now there’s a man with the perfect head

Rod Stevens off his crutches now
You may have heard him boast
He’s just obtained a contract
to deliver rural post

He’ll drive around the countryside
And when the day is done
we’ll all have had our letters
and our junk mail by the ton

Rosemary is a pharmacist
dispensing pills & balm
I always thought a pharmacist
was one who read your palm

She recently joined Rotary
And if it’s her intent
to stay the course, I think some day
she’ll be our president

Terry Hodges is a wag
A travel man he is
He organizes trips for folk
by land and air and sea

He’s going to be our sergeant
And when we’re fined, you’ll see
he’ll want to add insurance
Airport tax and GST

I hope I Haven’t bored you
by going on too long
Believe me that my poetry
is better than my song

For those of you not mentioned
I beg you, don’t dismay
I’ll get to know you better
And there’ll be another day
when I sit at my desk again
some poetry to write
But in the meantime boys & girls
I bid you all Goodnight

Monique and the Rotary Saints

Youth Development Programme

Outgoing President Monique’s Speech:

Dear fellows and friends, I like to welcome you all tonight to such a special occasion. I like to welcome our Assistant Governor Stu Davis and his wife Lynn. Great to have you here tonight. I like to welcome all of our guests and friends and a very warm welcome to our honorary members especially John Watkins who has not been well on his feat and still found his way here tonight. It is lovely to see our Rotary Family so close together.

Thank you all for being with us tonight.

Tonight on this special evening we have and Induction to do. Don Satler will be our 30th member.

Rotary Induction:

As Rotarians we have the privilege of inviting business and community leaders to become members. Expanding membership increases our ability to serve. It helps our Rotary Club fill representation of the Business, Vocations and Professions of our local community. Each new member brings a range of experiences and recourses that can strengthen Rotary and enhance the Fellowship that Rotary offers.

Don Satler you have been invited to join the Rotary Club of Waitakere City because we believe you possess the qualities and character and leadership, and have met the requirements of active membership. As a Rotarian you will become more connected to your community, work with others in addressing community needs. You will interact with other professionals and develop leadership skills. You will be joining a Rotary Club that has provided Service above Self since 1970 and Rotary International which celebrated its 100 years of Service above Self on February the 23rd 2005. Today you are joining an organization that has 1.2 million members in 30.000 clubs in more than 162 countries.
As a new member of this club you will join a Service Committee in which the clubs activities and projects are planed. There are 4 service committees!!!!

Vocational
Community
International
New Generation Youth Rotary uses a classification system to establish and maintain a vibrant cross-section of the community’s business, vocational and professional interests among members and to develop a pool of resources and expertise to successfully implement service projects.

Your Classification describes either your principal business or professional service of the organization that you work in.

As a chosen representative of your vocation it will be your responsibility to interpret Rotary, its ideals and its activities to others of your calling who are not members. We will present you with a Name Badge and your Rotary International Membership Pin. Please wear your Name Badge at all Rotary Functions and the Rotary Pin at all times. It will help to let the community know that you are indeed an active member. Your Membership Kit has information about our club and Rotary. It also has your Membership Certificate and the 4 way test, which is:

Is it the Truth,
Is it fair to all concerned,
Will it build good will and better friendship,
And will it be beneficial to all concerned.

I call upon you to welcome you to Rotary.
Please allow me to present you with your Name Badge and International Rotary Pin.

I also like to call forward your Sponsor Bob Benzie. Waitakere Rotary is a small, active club and as we welcome you, we also welcome your partner. We hope that you enjoy the Rotary experience and start celebrating Rotary from now.

I call upon Past President Derek Gee to propose a toast to our club and Rotary International.
Please stand and welcome our new Member.

As you recall, last year on this day, we had only 22 members. Through the enormous effort of our club, we have gained this year 8 more prime members.

Names:
Gary Nisbet
Simon Wickham
Craiger Hagesheimer
Angela Brown
Rosemary Langham
Jim Brown
Bob Langlois
And Don Satler

What a great achievement.


This time last year, Derek could not wait to put his heavy chain around my neck. I was scared and nervous, being not sure if I would make a good president.
Well, the time has passed so fast, and I received great support and help from my Directors and every Member in our club.
I would like to express my sincere thanks for the dedication and encouragement that my club gave me.

Moniques Board of Directors

I thought I needed to crack the whip to get things happening. I was wrong!!!
I received such great support from everyone that I feel quite sad now to pass my president chain to a man.

As Terry mentioned, we were very busy this year.
Our first Oktoberfest was a great success. Thank you to everyone involved especially Terry who did most of the organizing and Peter Hatch who came up with some great action prizes.

The Soapbox Derby cars did race again, which also was a great success. A special thanks to Kerry and John Ritchie and everyone in our club that helped with the event.

Fellowship was great this year and Peter Smith organized some good speakers. Thank you Peter.

Graham Nicholson did a great job with Trees for Survival. Quite a large number of members participated and helped the kids to plant 720 trees. Thank you Graham.
And thank you to all the new members;
You are doing a great job.

The theme for this year was,
SERVICE ABOVE SELF
Our club has served the community
Our club has served Rotary
And our Members have made our Club THE BEST IN THE WEST
I was proud to be your president

And now, Jim Annison, would you please come forward.
It is now time to pass on this flashy chain and everything that goes with it to you.
I hope you will enjoy your year as president as much as I have
I wish you all the best.

Our Musical Entertainment for the evening

The Three Tenors singing in harmony

Right-click here and choose 'Save target as' to download
a short video of the Three Tenors singing

Jim Annisons Speech coming soon.
Page still under construction.

Guest Pictures Next >

 For last years Rotary Change Over Night click here