South Wairarapa Rebus Club

At our next meeting on Friday 27 September members will hear from John Reeve who spent his professional life as a regulatory toxicologist and risk assessor in NZ Government service. Risk assessment covers pesticides, veterinary medicines, human exposure to foreign chemicals that find their way into food and natural toxins such as those produced by plants and marine species. He was accepted onto the WHO roster of expert toxicologists in 2011 and was leader of the New Zealand delegation to the Codex committee on contaminants of food from its inception in 2007. This committee establishes food standards for toxins in foods in international trade. His talk will include some tales from his working life including toxins in honey and some food additive concerns together with some insights into what went on to combat a blackmail threat to put compound 1080 into infant formula.

At our August meeting Trudie Jones, Manager/Coordinator at the Wairarapa Resource Centre in Masterton, fascinated members with stories from her seven years with the Centre since it started. Now in King Street, Masterton, the Centre has a three pronged mission: reducing waste going to landfill, providing inexpensive secondhand goods for sale and preparing their volunteer staff for employment. As evidence of her success in the latter role we learned that a total of 66 volunteers had progressed from training in the Centre to paid employment, 65 of whom were still in their jobs. That is a noble contribution to the Wairarapa community. Volunteers learn skills in the shop. Volunteers assist with estate disposals on site. Volunteers are used to disassemble old small appliances and electronic equipment to recover and recycle valuable parts and materials. Copper is salvaged from old electric cords. The shop itself is full of bargains, not the least of these is Trudie herself. Her enthusiasm was magnetic.

The South Wairarapa Rebus Club meets in Greytown at the South Wairarapa Working Men’s Club on the fourth Friday of each month. Anyone in the retired age group who may be interested in our activities is welcome to come along to a meeting as a visitor.  Contact David Woodhams 06 306 8319.