In Gear | Rotary in Southern New Zealand Issue 2 | Page 58

Lynette Wilson

| Assistant governor 2016-17

Timaru urban clubs and Next Rotary Generation (NRG)

PROFILES

For new District 9980 assistant governor Lynette
Wilson, Rotary’s been very much an integral part of
family life since her husband first joined a quarter
of a century ago.
Much like Lionel, a former 9880 district governor,
Lynette has embraced the many opportunities
afforded her to serve through Rotary – especially
where she’s spotted a chance to promote and
nurture young people.
She joined Rotary officially in 2009, after being
a member of Inner Wheel for 13 years. Before
becoming a Rotarian, she’d also served alongside
Lionel as a district Rotary Youth Exchange
Committee member – for which she received the
first of her two Paul Harris Fellows – for eight years
from 2001. She received her second PHF as district
governor’s partner.
Lynette’s strong affinity for young people included
chaperoning teenagers on several North Island
Rotary Youth Exchange tours and escorting 40
outbound students from all over New Zealand to
Frankfurt for their year away abroad in 2005.
That passion for giving young people a go,
encouraging a positive attitude and supporting
them to reach their goals was the ultimate catalyst
for Lynette signing up with the Rotary Club of
Timaru, which she went on to lead as president in
2014-15.
A club highlight during her presidency was winning
the Trustpower Community Award for the Rotary
Youth Driver Awareness Programme run in South
Canterbury secondary schools.

Lynette’s also served as club chair, and then director,
of the Youth Committee, along with stints heading
the Foundation and International committees, as
well as leading the Combined Clubs (Timaru, Timaru
North and Temuka-Geraldine) Committee for the
Rotary Youth Programme of Enrichment.
She’s also chaired the club’s Charitable Trust, and
the RJ & CF Moyes Trust, both of which provide
financial and mentoring support to many deserving
groups and individuals.
As assistant governor, Lynette sits on the District
9980 Membership Committee, and oversees the
Rotary Club of Timaru and Timaru North.
A highlight of her role so far is supporting former
Rotary Youth Exchange student Jessica Hewitson
establish a Next Rotary Generation (NRG) club,
under the auspices of the Rotary Club of Timaru.
Lynette also brings to her assistant governor’s
role a strong network of contacts from around
the globe having attended countless national and
international events as a Rotarian in her own right,
and in supporting Lionel in his senior leadership
roles.
Those professional and personal development
opportunities have included attending district
governor training in San Deigo, two world
conventions, in New Orleans and Sydney, District
9910’s conference in New Caledonia, a membership
conference in Canberra, South Pacific PresidentElect Training, together with numerous other Rotary
event.

Page 58 | In Gear - Rotary in southern New Zealand - District 9980 | www.rotarydistrict9980.org