After an extended time involving some design changes and structural repairs,  the sculpture - Ngā Manu - once again has pride of place on the Rotary Walkway.  

Kelvin has been following the changes closely and is delighted that it again stands and moves smoothly in the wind. 

Thanks must also go to Terry Urbahn, Arts and Cultural Project Manager, Auckland Council for his  work on shepherding the work though. 

From Unilever to Soap Box Derbys

Although Ian was born in Greymouth he ended up in Christchurch before his first birthday and has thus been a Crusaders fan ever since. After leaving high school at the end of his UE year Ian joined the ANZ Bank and was packing a .38 pistol within 2 months. A stellar career as a general manager in firms such as Unilever, Kelloggs and NZ Dairy Board followed. Wife Cheryl was a Rotarian Ian met 25 years ago and Ian had a long association with the Auckland East Rotary Club. A special memory was attendance at the centennial 2005 Chicago International Rotary Convention, along, of course, with a healthy number of Pakuranga members.

Ian outlined a number of the projects that Auckland East had successfully started including the Soap Box Derby and Seafood Festival Downtown. He was actively involved for a number of years with MUNA-involving 300 year 13 students from Pukekohe to Kaitaia. As a former Pakuranga Heights resident Ian has been welcomed into the Club and brings a wealth of experience and energy.

Citizen Advice Bureaus had their origins in England in 1939, designed to help those affected at the outbreak of WW2 by dislocation and trauma. Started in New Zealand in 1970, with Ponsonby being the first CAB off the rank, it is now established in 80 locations and has 2300 trained volunteers.

Long-time Otahuhu Rotarian and Solicitor Brian Fitzpatrick provided our recent meeting with an overview of the operation of the Pakuranga CAB. Brian has been associated with the CAB for 31 years, continuing his work with the CAB for the last 14 years since his reirement from his legal practice.

The CAB Maori name, Nga Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa, reflects a place for seeking help, solace, and strength. The myriad range of resources available include immigration forms, proof of ID, legal and counselling services, letter writing support and advice on employment and family matters. On the CAB website are 2500 questions and answers and a solutions column is a regular feature of the Eastern Times.

With volunteers like Brian dispensing free confidential independent information, advice and support, the CAB offices nationwide attract 500,000 client enquiries a year. Historically there are a number of Pakuranga Rotarians and their spouses that have supported the Pakuranga CAB over many years, but volunteers are always in demand-application forms are on the website-

 https://www.cab.org.nz/assets/Documents/CAB-Onehunga/CABAC-Volunteer-Application-Form-2025-1.pdf