Masterton South Rotary is very visible and active in the community

The Masterton South Rotary Singers having fun and entertaining everyone at the same time.

President Rob Cameron and Marilyn Bouzaid of the Rotary Club of Masterton South showed Denise and I around several of their projects which not only provide community amenities but also bear the Rotary logo.  The Club has completed some ambitious projects.  The Kids Own Playground erected by the Club is the biggest I think I have seen and is still maintained by the Club.  The Mini Golf course is a very good earner of revenue for the Club's charitable activities, as is the weekly Car Boot Sale. The flagpoles north of the town bear a Rotary sign as part of the 2005 celebration of the centennial of Rotary.

The playground is a great example of community collaboration after David and Lesley Esau saw a playground while travelling in Texas and shared the idea with their Masterton South Rotary friends.  A key part of the design was the involvement of local children.  A great project principle - find out the needs of your community, in this case the children in particular, and work with the community to meet their needs. With the support of the Masterton District Council and after a year of planning and fundraising by Rotarians and other community-minded people, the playground was erected in one week by volunteers working in shifts.  No other playground in New Zealand had been designed and built like this.  

President Rob Cameron, Marilyn Bouzaid and DG Martin
at the Rotary Kids Own Playground in Mastertonjects

Masterton South Rotary has other projects in the planning stages - a bike park where children will learn to ride their bikes and become familar with road safety and transport rules; and they are planning to plant out an island in the middle of a lake in the local park.

The vibrancy of Masterton South Rotary also played out during the evening Club meeting when we were advised that they had four recent new members and then a large singing group of Rotarians entertained us in two sets of songs.  What a great evening!

I also ran into Freya Kerr for the third time in a week as I had met up with her at a District Club Development meeting and last week, when as RYDA Co-Chair and Masterton South Rotarian, she accepted the Australasian Gold Award from Road Safety Education Ltd for Community Collaboration.  And I also met up again with Marilyn Bouzaid whom I met at Wellington airport when their RIYE student, Laura, arrived from Switzerland.  Laura was also present last night with her new NZ father and sister.  So I think you get the picture - Masterton South Rotary is a very active Club at both Club, District and community levels.

A special thanks to President Rob Cameron who took us out to Pukaha Mount Bruce where he volunteers.  Well worth a visit to see the birdlife, forest and eels.