The End of the Road

The team at at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, with Mount Taranaki in the background. New Plymouth was the venue for the final presentation before the team travelled on on their own to Rotorua.



The last evening was quite an emotional affair, with many Rotarians and friends in attendance - DG David Watt, Mitchell Brown and his wife Fiona, AG Jenny Goddard,
AG Jim Shepherd, DGE Howard Tong and many more.

After the team gave a review of their "Exchange" and what it meant to them, we persuaded GSE Inbound Chair Mitchell to entertain the guests with a Highland Fling - Coached by Marie and dressed by Alex.

The "Blow on the Pie" t-shirt was a parting gift from the team, a long running joke during the trip....

DG David finished off the evening by congratulating the team on their achievements in all aspects of the exchange, Vocational, cultural and social, and remarked on the team's constant and shared humour. After which he presented each member of the team with a personal gift.



Driving and navigating ourselves is a novel experience.....

Could this be the start of a new adventure ?

Nearing the end

We are fast approaching the end of the Exchange and we have been looking back on some of the vocational highlights.
For Neil, one was visiting the Police College in Porirua. Where we all enjoyed joining him for some fascinating insights to police training in New Zealand.

One highlight for Lindsay and Marie was the visit to the Tararura District Council offices in Dannevirke, where Mayor Maureen Reynolds acted as guide and chauffeur for the day.

Maureen also attended the Pahiatua and Woodville Rotary Clubs meeting that night to hear the team's presentation.







Presentations have ranged from the formality of the Parliamentary Dinner and Massey University, shown above, with all the latest technology, to the very informal. Like the front porch of past DG Alastair Osborne's sheep farm below.

Activities

Unfortunately, vocational activities, other than Lesley's, don't offer much in the way of photo opportunities. We can't really publish pictures of Marie and Neil at a court hearing, so on the blog the majority of photo's will be of other activities.
Above you can see the team (looking remarkably relaxed) just before skydiving from 1500 feet.








Another event we attended was "The Golden Shears", the annual sheep shearing championships.

The winning finalists took only 17 minutes to sheer 120 sheep.







We had an opportunity to try for ourselves this week. Marie was our champion, but we don't think 20+ minutes per sheep will get us far.






The Tongaruro Crossing was an incredible experience, on what turned out to be a great day.

Just over 7 hours to cover almost 20Km of mountains, and all 5 made it. No prize for who found it hardest. And it's not the guy on the right!


Alex did find something more appropriate to his speed. Taking the wheel of a 100 year old paddle steamer, the Waimarie, on a trip along the Wanganui River.

Lesley and Rocks

Lesley in her element, studying a pyroclastic flow.

Between this and the trek across the Tongariro Crossing she's had the opportunity to study a wide variety of geological features.








Some at very close Quarters. Like exploring a landslip in the Manawatu gorge.

Hospitality

Marie presenting Maureen Reynolds, Mayor of Dannevirke, with a Glasgow City Council broach. Maureen was our host for most of the day in Dannevirke, and drove us around herself.



On the left are our very own "Tui Girls (and Boys)". Pictured on a visit to the TUI Brewery. A particularly enjoyable cultural visit for Neil and Alex.






With past DG Rodney Wong enjoying a tour around Palmerston North city centre, on one of the warmest days of the trip so far.
In the evening we gave a presentation to 76 Rotarians and guests hosted by the Rotary Club of Terrace End, Wharerata.
Our pronunciation of place names is improving dramatically.

Parliamentary Dinner

Here you can see the team with Mitchell Brown and Marty and Glenn, from the GSE team that visited Scotland, displaying one of our "Survival Bags". Provided by our Kiwi hosts, they contained everything from water to marmite!, pens, notebooks and sun block.
The Dinner was a great success. The team delivered an hour long presentation to the assembled guests. Not bad considering it was only three days into the exchange and they had been going flat out from the moment they touched down.

Porirua visit

Team pictured at Porirua club presentation with President Don. Wonderful hospitality, wonderful people and a smashing buffet (after our presentation, which was much appreciated by the team!) The team also climbed to the top of Kapiti Island (around 1500 ft) through dense forest and managed to see a wide variety of birds native to NZ and other wildlife.

Wellington

Here we are arriving at Wellington airport on Sunday 28 February to a fantastic welcome by the 9940 District Governor, David Watt, Mitch Brown, inbound GSE chair and our host families. Baxter bear also took the chance for a photo opportunity! We were all a bit tired following our long flight, but were overwhelmed by the warm welcome we received.

Singapore Stopover

Half-way there and relaxing in Singapore. Found "Raffles" and once we are better dressed we will go back to try the proverbial "Singapore Sling".


Just trying to be tourists.













Quite adventurous - took a ride on the Singapore Flyer, largest observation wheel in the World.

Tremendous views of the city and surroundings.

Final Presentation at Ardrossan and Saltcoats

On Thursday 11th February the team gave there pre-departure presentation at the Rotary Club of Ardrossan and Saltcoats in the Club's regulary venue, the Lauriston Hotel.
The club members were joined by District Governor, Andy Slater, District Foundation Chairman, Jim Morton, and guests from 12 other surrounding Rotary clubs.

All the guests enjoyed a meal before being entertained and amused by the team, who were all in good form. Pictured above at a more serious point in the proceedings.

DG Andy wished them luck and said everyone who has met them is looking forward to their reports and tales of their adventures on their return. He then presented each team member with their Alumni Pins.

Baxterbear was in attendance and very well behaved, for once.

The Arran Malt

Busy with the final preparations, Baxterbear was up early to meet the Arran Ferry and Celine Tetu from the Distilery in Lochranza.
Celine was delivering some bottles of "Tha Arran Malt" for the team to take out to New Zealand as gifts...or should that be bribes?

Wednesday 3rd February.
Lesley, Alex and Baxterbear visited the Rotary Club of Queen's Park, Lesley's sponsor club, to report on the team's preparations for the rapidly approaching visit to New Zealand.


President Donald Ramsay welcomed their guests, and he and the other club members enjoyed the double-act presentation. The visitors were asked for a promise that, after their adventures, they would return to the club to tell about the experiences, well those that could be talked about!

Meet the Team

The Team Photo

On the grounds of Glasgow University, with Kelvingrove and the Science Tower in the background.

Dressed in style by Slaters and photographed by Ian Watson, Glasgow City Council's photographer, the GSE Team for 2010 are now ready to cross the World.

Only a month to go so it's time to learn more about the Team, here they are:-

Alex

I'm Alex Blair, team leader and currently assistant governor in district 1230. I have 11 clubs in my area. Nine are on, or close to, the coast of the Firth of Clyde and two are on islands, Arran and Bute.

I worked in the telecommunications industry for 35 years, but now I run a small Environmental Trust specialising in local community improvement projects. I also have fun doing a little film and TV extra work and teaching basic computing.
I'm married to Kate and have two daughters, Gillian (34), Fiona (32) and a grandson Daniel (11). I'm something of a perpetual student. After working as an engineer for most of my career, I changed track, graduating with a degree in Psychology and Computing from the Open University in time for my 50th birthday.

I live in Kilwinning on the river Garnock. It was the first fording place upriver from the sea and where building of the local Abbey was first recorded in 1171. Today there is growing speculation of links between Kilwinning Abbey and the Holy Grail.

In my younger days my main interest was sailing, all around the west coast of Scotland, one of the most beautiful cruising areas in the world. Now, my principle hobby is curling. I also edit a Journal for Largs & North Ayrshire Family History Society. My own family history research has taken me back through five generations, mainly fishermen, and all of these Blair's born within a 15 mile radius of my home.

From what I've heard, and impressions gained from New Zealanders I've met, the Scots and the Kiwis appear to have a similar sense of humour and a shared love of live. I'm looking forward to discovering this for myself.

Sponsor Club: Ardrossan and Saltcoats

Web Site: www.three-towns-rotary.info

Lindsay

Hi, my name is Lindsay Eddleston. I am 31 years old, and I'm from Kilmarnock, a small town in Ayrshire, which is just a short distance away from the birthplace of our national poet Robert Burns, and approximately 20 miles south of Glasgow.

I currently work for Glasgow City Council, Scotland's largest local authority, as a Human Resources Officer, and have been in this role for over three years.

My job largely involves providing a strategic and advisory function to the various service HR teams across the Council. This includes ensuring that the Council is compliant with employment legislation, and reviewing our policies and terms and conditions in line with best practice. A key aspect of my role is to provide professional advice, guidance and support on key HR areas, such as absence management, employee relations, equality and diversity, recruitment and retention and workforce planning.

I have worked in the HR field for 7 years, largely in public sector organisations, and I very much enjoy the variety that my job brings - no two days are the same. I am currently a Chartered Member of my professional body, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and hope to upgrade to Chartered Fellow in the next 2-3 years.

Outside of work I enjoy playing badminton and going to the gym, and I regularly participate in Body Combat classes, a blend of martial arts and aerobics that originated in New Zealand. I am also a keen reader, and enjoy going to concerts, comedy shows and the theatre.

I am looking forward to finding out more about New Zealand's culture, way of life and traditions. I am also interested to learn about employment rights in New Zealand, and how HR practitioners apply these within organisations.

Sponsor Club: Bothwell and Uddingston

Marie

My name is Marie Gannon and I am 31 Years old. I have been living in Glasgow for the last 12 years although I still consider a small island in the North West region of Scotland as my true home. I was born and brought up in a village called Portree on the Isle of Skye. Skye is renowned for its rugged landscape, breathtaking scenery and peaceful way of life. My mum and big brother are still living there and it is my dream to move back one day.

I graduated in 2000 with a BA in Community Arts and went on to study for a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management. It wasn't until I took an opportunity with VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas), working and living in Russia, that I discovered my niche in the professional world. I have been a Learning and Development professional for the last 7 years and currently am the Senior Development Officer for Youth Justice Services in Glasgow City Council's Social Work Department. My remit includes - identifying training needs, designing appropriate training solutions and the delivery of training courses and seminars. I thoroughly enjoy my job and like working for Glasgow City.

Outside of work I enjoy being energetic with a passion for hill walking, running and mountain biking. I also love experimenting in the kitchen and enjoy both cooking and baking.

During my time in New Zealand I hope to meet fellow Youth Justice professionals and share best practice about the ethos, interventions and outcomes. I hope also to learn more about the country and share in some of the amazing cultural experiences that New Zealand has to offer!

Sponsor Club: Kelvin

E-mail: Marie.Gannon@sw.glasgow.gov.uk

Lesley

My name is Lesley McLellan, I'm 29 and live in Glasgow. I grew up in Greenock which is approximately 30 miles to the west of Glasgow and is famous for its industrial history of shipbuilding and sugar refining.

I chose to study geology at the University of Glasgow due to a keen interest which developed from a childhood hobby. I subsequently obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Geotechnical Engineering to broaden my skills available to the industry. So far my career of approximately 7 years has taken me from a multi-national corporation to an independent consultancy, during which time I progressed from graduate engineer to project manager.

I am currently employed by Glasgow City Council as a Geotechnical Engineer Officer and thoroughly enjoy contributing to an organisation which develops the city in which we live. On a day-to-day basis I conduct geological and geotechnical assessments for roads and parkland areas. My work includes the assessment of ground instability above old mine workings and, foundation design. I am both office and site-based. I love that my job involves outdoor working although I'm frequently standing ankle-deep in mud in the pouring rain.

Music is my main passion amongst many things. I'm an active person, enjoying the gym, badminton and, lately, gardening. I thoroughly enjoy being creative and have recently taken up jewellery-making.

I consider this to be a unique opportunity to share my skills and develop new ones to apply to my career in the future - both technically and personally. New Zealand is famous for its active geological processes and will therefore be an exciting place for me to learn first-hand about aspects of my profession. I am honoured to be part of the GSE program and cannot wait to embark on this opportunity of a lifetime.

Sponsor Club: Queens Park.
Web Site: www.queensparkrotary.com


Neil



I am Neil MacDougall. I'm 30 years old and a police officer based in the town of Kirkintilloch on the north eastern outskirts of Glasgow. I live in Glasgow with my partner Zoe, but I'm originally from a small village in highland Perthshire called Dunkeld. My parents still live in the village and I have two brothers and a sister who all stay in various parts of Scotland. My eldest brother is also a police officer, a detective sergeant, and my father, who is now retired, was one too - so policing is the family business.

When not patroling the streets of Glasgow, I enjoy outdoor activities, including hillwalking, golf, and my favourite pastime, snowboarding - and I head for the slopes at every opportunity. I also like to try new activities where possible, so I am up for giving most things a go.

I have been a police officer for over seven years and have performed a variety of roles in that time including, response policing, public order duties, plain clothes drugs units and working on murder enquires. I am currently a community police officer with specific responsibilities for two villages, which presents a different set of challenges from working in Glasgow city itself. I enjoy the operational, front-line aspects of the job, which are both challenging and rewarding, but also look to work with our partner agencies and develop strategies to tackle the issues in the community and wider area.

Having taken the opportunity to travel in the past, between studing and joining the police service, I am very much aware of of the benefits travel can bring. In addition, I look forward to the unique opportunities for personal development available through the GSE and to making the most of this experience.

Sponsor Club: Kirkintilloch