Rotary Bulletin - Meeting Thursday, 1 February 2024
President Don welcomed members to the New Year meeting.
In President's Time:
- Don advised that a meeting night visit was being planned to South Pacific Sera (Jeremy's former workplace) at Kennels Road in Washdyke, then adjourning to the Richard Pearce Tavern Armadillos Restaurant for a meal. Good attendance was requested as we plan to receive two Paul Harris Fellowship awards, but please keep this plan to ourselves until the awards are presented.
- Geoff Cloake advised a planned member (family) evening visit (in lieu of our NEXT scheduled meeting on 15 February) from 5 pm to 7 pm at C Play on Caroline Bay. BBQs are available, so we would have a bring-your-own picnic tea, then a tour around the new playground facilities led by CPlay volunteer Roslyn Fauth, and some of the younger members can have a swing or a slide. Owen Jackson may also be there to thank the Clubs for their financial help towards the new playground development. The Timaru Club and the Temuka Geraldine Rotary Club will also be invited to attend.
If the weather proves unfavourable, we will send out a note a day before, and we will adjourn back to the Richard Pearce Tavern Armadillos Restaurant.
- Peter Prader updated us about a successful and popular (timely) JR McKenzie Youth Trust funding round, which provides financial help to families in need with school uniforms and shoes. $9,930 was paid out with Family Works $4,250 and 4 schools the beneficiaries. TBHS $1,500, TGHS $2,140, Waimataitai $1,140 and Grantlea Downs $900 distributed.
- Trevor Johnson advised of the 4WD trip which is planned for Saturday, 16 and Sunday, 17 March. This involves a trip to Macreas Mine at Palmerston on Saturday, overnight in Dunedin City, then a Sunday on the Tieri Gorge train. Trevor took names from those who will travel and attend this trip so that bookings could be made. A 4WD vehicle will NOT be required this time, but participants will need to arrange their own accommodation.
- Geoff Cloake discussed a planned member (family) evening visit (in lieu of one of our scheduled meetings) to C Play at Caroline Bay. BBQs are available, so we would have potluck tea and then a look around the new playground facilities. Some of the younger members can have a swing or a slide. Date to be confirmed.
- H2H: Thursday, 29th evening (in lieu of our meeting), please come to Richard Pearce Tavern by 6 pm to collect your H2H duties and vests and stay for a restaurant meal if you wish. The Hadlow to Harbour fun run event is scheduled for Sunday, 3 March, only 4 weeks away now. John requested that all available members are requested to help out for a few hours that morning. All members will be given a task unless they advise John they are overseas and unavailable. Please put this date in your diary. You are welcome to rope in family or friends to help, as many members cannot assist this year – please let John know their details.
- Don advised Members that Selwyn Crawford had been in hospital but had gone to the Croft on Park Lane a week ago to live. He now cannot speak but would appreciate visitors who can call in to have a quick visit and chat with him about stuff in your world.
3 Minute Speaker
- Bill Weir spoke about town milk farmers who tendered as a group to take waste products from DB Breweries at Washdyke. Their malted barley waste is an excellent stock food product and good for stock health. The brewer's grains help with a beautiful coat on cows as well as stock health improvement. The other advantage was that people could buy milk and get drunk! Years ago, Seadown farmers drove to the Brewery to collect their supply while others took trucks. Each was allocated a collection time, but there were some differences when some got in early and took more than their allocated share. The downside of this arrangement was that at the time of year that stock feed was most wanted, DB shut down for winter maintenance work, a time when there was less demand for beer products!
- The giving
Guest Speaker Adrian drew his own lucky ticket #39 to take home a bottle of fine red wine!
- The taking
Sergeant Harley Smithson did the collection from members and used Bookarama products to match a book to a fine. Colin Clemens took away "You Know You Are Over 40 when", Bob Austin's "Cars of the 40s and 50s", Derek Coupland "The Racketeer", Bill Weir got "Siege" as he is a Trump fan, Trevor Johnson got the "Fordson Magazine", Noel Crawford "The science of sheep", John Gibson went "Fishing", David Hewson "Farm Tractors", Gavin Craig got "Utes and Pickups" as he cruises around in a Ute, and Peter Prader was awarded the Senior Citizens Survival Guide".
- The giving
Trevor Johnson has replaced Bob Austin as the regular lucky punter and had the lucky number 98 to take home this week's fine red vintage.
- Guest Speaker
Tony Brien introduced our Guest Speaker, Adrian Findlayson, the Brewing, Quality, and Utilities Manager for the Washdyke DB Brewery. Adrian has been at DB since 2000, after he left Uni. He first worked in the laboratory, then in Production, then in a stint at Monteiths Brewery in Greymouth, and then back to Timaru in 2006 for 7 years in Production. At that time, Production was at a low ebb with one shift; over time, volumes increased with exports to Australia via Prime Port and up to two daily shifts. He then spent three years in Ethiopia (one of the fastest growing economies in the world) on a huge brewery new build, then 3 years in Vietnam where the 90M population like drinking, like our 1970s' big drinkers! The Vietnam project was 50 times the size of our Washdyke Brewery.
Adrian told us the Brewery was built in 1970 by 60% shareholder DB Breweries and 40% shareholders of the two Southland Licencing Trusts, who still control the liquor industry in the deep south today. They run a continuous brewing system, one of only 5 plants in the world, which was the reason Heineken brought DB to learn this technology; Heineken is a family-owned company.
In the early days, beer was distributed directly to hotels by bulk road tankers, then later by more efficient kegs. Production averaged 100 stainless steel kegs per hour; quart bottle crates are still produced, and a steady demand for these continues. ABC still recycle quart bottles at Washdyke and at Lion in Auckland. Craft-style beers, Cider, Hi and Low Alcohol and No Alcohol drinks are a new trend. They still produce Double Brown cans.
40 people work each production shift, mostly in packaging. 1/3rd of Production is exported, mostly to Australia. 6T of malt is used per brew, barley is sourced locally, and hops are mostly from Motueka, with some from Geraldine. Sugar is also used in Production. 1/3rd of surplus yeast is recycled into the next production batch. The balance of the surplus yeast used to be supplied to Sanitarium in ChCh, but that opportunity ceased after the ChCh earthquakes when the site closed, and the Marmite plant relocated to Auckland. Surplus yeast is shipped out for sale and reuse. Spent grain, which contains no alcohol but still has heaps of proteins, so a good stock feed is still a good side hustle.
Adrian said DB has made a substantial investment on the site in recent years with a focus on producing for the South Island market due to increased freight costs to the north. Sustainability has been a focus with electric forklifts introduced with steam from Pioneer Energy next door, who now feed their boilers with wood chips, replacing DB's old coal-fired boilers, and investing in wastewater treatment and composting of waste products.
VoT: Colin Clemens proposed the vote of thanks and acknowledged the riveting presentation Adrian had talked us through. He said members like nothing better than to talk about Rugby, Racing or particularly Beer!
President-Elect Don closed the meeting with a reminder to members of the matters he had raised early in the meeting and the special gathering at RPT on the 29th to collect your H2H duties and vests.
The next meeting is two weeks hence and on Thursday, 15 February, at CPlay on Caroline Bay.
EDITORS NOTE
No rostered at meeting duties 15 February due to CPlay outing.
Geoff Cloake has swapped Colin Clemens' 15 February Chair's duties.
Please check the roster below to ensure you arrange and complete your following meeting duties, and log an apology if you will be absent.