Outgoing Te Awamutu Rotary president Stephen Cox with community award winner Noldy Rust and his wife Bev.
Noldy Rust was presented with a community service award at last month’s annual changeover at Te Awamutu Rotary Club.
The retired farmer’s contribution to the dairy industry was recognised along with his extensive community involvement in other areas. He was among those who established Smash (Smaller Milk and Supply Herds) in 2010 to help dairy farmers with smaller operations run successful businesses.
Noldy and his wife Bev ran a 59ha farm at Te Pahu until they retired to Pirongia. Noldy now works in real estate in Te Awamutu and is involved with several community organisations, including the Pirongia Rugby Club, the Te Awamutu Light Operatic Society, and Stay Well, an organisation that carries out free health checks for farmers.
He was described at last month’s event as a ‘taonga to our Te Awamutu and Waipā community’.
The meeting also saw Hugh Baxter, father of Ōtorohanga mayor Max Baxter, made an honorary member of the club. The annual Te Awamutu Rotary Log of Wood award was presented to Ross and Carol Turner.
Te Awamutu’s Gill Johnston was officially handed the reins as incoming club president at the meeting. She follows Stephen Cox, who said in his outgoing president’s report that with the support of his board, he had achieved many of the successes he had set as goals.
“My objectives at the beginning of the year were to increase membership, expand our reach, enhance participant engagement and increase our ability to adapt.”
He spoke about achievements linked to the club’s biodiversity exercises at Lake Rotopiko and the expansion of the club’s relationship with the NZ Wetland Trust. The club has also succeeded in terms of adapting to challenges facing the community, he said, including homelessness, mental health, flood damage and poverty.
“We have engaged speakers and made donations to charities whose work revolves around those less fortunate than us. The $15,000 to the Hawke’s Bay Flood appeal is a case in point.”
Gill Johnston said one of her aims as incoming president would be to continue to increase membership.
“We need younger members, and we need diversity,” she said. “We will continue to do more around the Rotary Youth programmes, which will include working closely with Te Awamutu College.”
She said club members would continue with work at Lake Rotopiko, the Urban Miners and the annual Santa Parade, and would work with the Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce to put together the Black Friday Blowout.
The event was also attended by Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan, District 9930 district governor Kevin Forgeson and assistant governor Johnny Dryden.
Outgoing Te Awamutu Rotary president Stephen Cox and incoming Gill Johnson standing behind Hugh and Justine Baxter. Hugh Baxter was made an honorary member of the club.
