Timaru North Rotary - 17 September 2026

President John Keenan welcomed all especially Guest Speaker Kevin O’Sullivan and his wife Sheila as well as club Members’s partners.

 

- President John advised of the recent passing of Lorna Hayman, wife of former Club Member Don Hayman.

- Artarama was successfully completed. John thanked Robbie Jackson for taking charge of this project and also thanked the members who helped on Sunday to take down the display.

- Polio Plus is still going and hopefully nearly completed. Still some cases showing up in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Nearly all done!

- Rotary Meals – Proposal is to have just a good standard meal but no dessert. A List is handed round with proposed Menu’s. All Members present ticked one meal option they would least choose.

- Meet The Candidate is organised for Wednesday 21^st October26 at the West End Hall.

Candidates standing in this year’s election are being contacted now, the event will be advertised to the public in the Timaru Herald and The Courier.

 

Dale Davey updated all present about Bookarama.

Lists were tabled for Members to put their names down for days they can help. All hands-on deck are needed for Bookarama. Contact Dale if you can help.

 

Most books to be sold for $2.00. Bookarama Posters were tabled – take the big ones for the Collection Boxes and hand the smaller ones out to shops etc around town.

 

Bookarama 2026, Trinity Community Centre
Set up: 5-8 October from 9.00am
Sale:   9-11 October from 9.00am
Boxes for garages - to be deposited 28 Sept and picked up on 5 October
at the hall
Trestle collecting: 5 October
There are gaps in the schedule - if you are available to help with any
of these, please email Dale (quaver@snap.net.nz)

 

Special request: If partners of Bookarama workers could help with providing something for lunches for the 3 sale days? I will arrange morning/afternoon tea drinks and goodies as in the past.

 

Speaker Bill Weir said he will take the opportunity to speak about his days at Timaru Boy’s High School since we have a former Headmaster of TBH at our meeting tonight. Bill said “Times were different” during his school days. Most kids used a pushbike or walked to school, but he did mention Club Member Don George who by Bill’s description lived within sight of the school but attended TBH as a Boarder! Teacher Bruce Ledley was in charge or sports and was keen on athletics, something Bill did not fancy. This teacher was also known to send boys who did not pay attention and talked too much out into the hallway near the Headmaster’s door! Another story mentioned was when Six formers shifted the Mini belonging to one of the teachers into a strange parking position! Times were certainly different. All in all, Bill said he has good memories of his school days at Boys High, good teachers and good schooling. But Bill also mentioned that not much emphases was set on economics, accounting and administration, something he could have done with later in life being in business. 

 

Sergeant Robbie and Corporal Gavin made their round and managed to collect a gold Coin from all of us and topped up with a good story from Robbie.

 

The giving:
The Raffle was drawn by Sheila O’Sullivan and won by Tom with number 8

 

Guest Speaker:
Noel Crawford introduced tonight’s Guest Speaker, Kevin O’Sullivan, a former Head Master of Timaru Boys High School who is going to talk to us about Jack Lovelock an Old Boy of TBH who became an Olympic Champion and an Academic (Medicine).

Kevin always had a special interest in the life of this TBH Student and did a lot of research into his life and catalogued the considerable collection of Trophies and other related items that is held at Timaru Boy’s High.

Jack’s family moved from the West Coast to Temuka and then on to Fairlie where Jack started school then won a scholarship to attend TBH where he did very well, academically and in sports.

On to University, from there gained a Rhodes Scholarship and then stayed in England for more studies and became established as serious competitor in middle distance running. Jack qualified for the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, made the final in the 1500m race but no medal and in the following years continued to produce outstanding results in major 1500m and Mile races. Then in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, he produced an outstanding run over the 1500m and won the Gold Medal against a world class field. Kevin had an old film handy and showed us the actual race how Jack won Gold in World Record time of 3:47.8 Minutes.

After that Jack completed his Medical Studies, married Cynthia from the USA, they had two children (daughters?) and lived in New York. In a tragic accident Jack lost his life in his early forties.

Kevin brought along several trophies and special collection items from the TBH Lovelock Collection for us to see. A Stopwatch showing the time of Jack’s Gold Medal run, an original program from the Berlin Olympics, even a Boxing Trophy that Jack won! But the main Trophy to admire was the actual Gold Medal from the 1936 Berlin Games, a sizeable solid gold medal! Must be worth a Bob or two! All part of the “Lovelock Collection” at Timaru Boy’s High, biggest known collection about Jack Lovelock’s achievements and his life. Also, at TBH is a Statue and the Oak Tree (Lovelock Oak) to commemorate Jack as a former student.

 

Thanks: Dale Davey thanked Guest Speaker Kevin for his interesting address and schooling us up on some Timaru Local History.

 

President John thanked all that contributed to tonight’s Rotary Meeting and reminded Members of the coming events – Bookarama and Meet The Candidate.

Then closed the Meeting.