Bill and Deb Robinson – Rotarians with plenty in the tank.
Cambridge’s Bill Robinson will soon step into a pivotal Rotary International role that will have been two full years in the planning.
On July 1 of 2021 and 2022 respectively, Bill was named Rotary’s District Governor nominee, then District Governor elect for District 9930. From July 1 a year-long position as District Governor takes effect when he succeeds Te Kuiti’s Kevin Forgeson.
A lead-in that doubles the term of office is viewed by Rotary International as necessary for District Governors designate to fully get to grips with their role, and to enable them to familiarise themselves with their district.
In Bill’s case, that is District 9930, one that is centred in the heart of the North Island. In it lie 49 Rotary clubs, one Rotaract club and a soon-to-be revived Interact club at Cambridge High School.
“That is in the process of being reinvigorated,” he said. “It took a bit of a hit during Covid but we’re getting it back on track.”
While it sounds like a large number of clubs, Bill said it that as districts go it is quite modest. District 9930 falls within Rotary International’s Zone 8, which encompasses thousands of Rotarians in 20 districts across Australia, New Zealand and 14 Pacific countries.
The sheer scale of Rotary’s activities, and the need for operational cohesion is part of the reason for the long lead-in. During that time, Bill has visited clubs across his district and has attended training in both Australia and the United States.
He moves into the District Governor role as changes are rippling through the international organisation. After many years of male dominance, this year’s world president is Canadian Jennifer Jones, the first woman to head Rotary International. Clubs all over the world have growing numbers of female members. New Zealand, he said, is doing well in that area.
Covid sped up another area of change, one that saw meetings shift to online platforms. That has in part informed Bill’s choice of theme for his year and the conference he will host in May 2024 – sustainability.
“As I see it, sustainability encompasses everything… from the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra to sustaining ourselves and our mental health,” he said. “There will be less printed material for those coming to the conference. Instead, it will be about lanyards and QR codes that direct people to a website. We’re busy working on that now.”
Bill is also involved at committee level in running a Regionalisation Pilot for Zone 8, likely to run across three years. Rotary International launched a similar pilot in its Great Britain/Ireland zone about 18 months ago – the idea is to explore ways Rotary can streamline its operations, thereby saving money that can be better used in its many projects.
Bill’s experience makes him a strong candidate for the task. Born in Gisborne, he became a farmer after travelling extensively for seven years. Prior to retiring in 2019, he managed a deer stud outside Cambridge.
He joined Rotary after witnessing the benefits offered to young people through the student exchange programme, both with his own daughter who travelled to Australia and when he and his wife Deb, hosted several international students.
He has been on District 9930’s RYLA committee (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) since 2007, and its co-chair since 2008, and was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship in 2015 for his services to RYLA. In 2011/12, he was president of Cambridge Rotary.
Bill is unworried about the hard yards that lie ahead.
“A good Rotarian is a busy person. As far as Rotary is concerned family comes first … family, then work then Rotary.”
