A Kiwi and a Kiwi Yeoman Warder added colour to the annual District Conference held in Whakatane.
 
The conference held at Acacia House was attended by 60 members of District 37.  South Pacific Area Director Karen Murphy from Brisbane, Australia attended as the International Representative.

The highlight of the conference was the installation ceremony of the new District Team held during the Conference dinner.  Karla Hammond (Whakatane) was pinned as the new District 37 Governor, Shona Browne (Opotiki), Lieutenant Governor and Sammy Wilson (Whakatane) Secretary/Treasurer.

The Conference was opened on the Friday night by one of Her Majesty's Royal Yeoman Warders who is now retired from guarding the Tower of London and is living in Papamoa.  Patrick Nolan, a New Zealander, is the only non-British person to become a Yeoman Warder, more popularly known as a Beefeater. 

Orini, the kiwi which has been sponsored by a local family, was due to be released over the weekend and Karla was given the task of holding him while he was given a Maori blessing before being released at Kohi Point, a picturesque lookout point between Whakatane and Ohope Beach.

Guest speakers for the conference were:
Sally Webb, a Leadership Coach, has been both a life and career coach for over 20 years.  Her presentation was titled ‘Changing Tack: The Only Thing We Can Be Sure of is Change’, and was a highlight of the weekend. Sally has had 20 years leadership experience in governance and management in health, education and voluntary organisations. She has been a Board Chairman, a CEO and has many years experience as a consultant involved in training, coaching and facilitation with individuals and organisations. Learn more at www.sallyw.co.nz

Elena Keith of The Pindrop Foundation told the Conference attendees that the Foundation was set up to raise awareness and funds for cochlear implants (bionic ears) and to draw attention to issues relating to hearing loss. Mrs Keith suffered severe hearing loss as a child and was profoundly deaf in one ear before she was 30. She decided to have a cochlear implant and spoke on how regaining her hearing has changed her life, marriage and relationship with her children.
 
Mrs. Keith gave a hands-on presentation of the new Listen Up programme which promotes healthy hearing for young teens.
She gave a demonstration of what happens to the very fine, sensitive hairs which transmit sound within the cochlear when they are exposed to loud noise.  Using pipe cleaners, she waved them through the air very fast, simulating what happens to cochlear hair during strong vibrations.  When she finished the pipe cleaners were badly damaged and could not be straightened which is exactly what happens to the cochlear hair when exposed to loud noise. Learn more at www.pindrop.co.nz