My Journey in Rotary
We were treated to newly inducted member Mark Bond’s presentation to us last week including his Rotary journey so far.
“This is the 3rd Rotary Club I have been with” started Mark “which are Melbourne Garden City, Belfast and Papanui.”
Mark’s father joined the Timaru Club and he was dragged along as well. In 1979 he transferred to Christchurch which he found a bit of a challenge to fit into. In 1982 Mark was sponsored by the Papanui Club into RYLA and then joined Roterac. “I made many good friends in those days” smiled Mark.
In 1989 Mark moved to Auckland but was still dragged along to Papanui Rotary when in Christchurch. In 1996 he then moved to Melbourne and met a bloke who took him along to a local Rotary club which had an interesting “no alcohol” approach.
Mark then returned to Christchurch in 2001 to join a law firm and became a partner in 2005. He also joined the Garden City Rotary Club at that time.
In 2009 he took some leave and decided to take a break from Rotary around the time of the earthquakes. “I eventually decided to re-join and here I am” he laughed.
Mark has been very grateful for the fellowship that both his parents also valued and feels he has some big shoes to fill but is willing to do his best.
“My law firm manages everything to do with property” he explained. Mark runs a busy team and is also a Board Member of Aged Concern which focuses on celebrating what they contribute.
This includes managing a very active property market which included dealing with the incredible growth in EQC plus, more recently, managing the effects of Covid-19 on property activity.
“Late last year there was a rise in values but since then we have experienced major changes in regulations that require much greater attention to compliance and diligence” noted Mark. He also noted that there has recently been a greater number of listings but still a shortage of stock which makes it a sellers’ market.
Like Hill St Blues, Mark’s advice at the present time is: “Be careful out there” as the quality of repairs and workmanship in the past was extremely variable and often did not require consent. He also strongly recommended that you obtain a report from a structural engineer before pursuing any purchase.
In addition to enjoying time with his two boys aged 16 & 18, Mark is also kept busy as the Code of Conduct Commissioner at many levels of cricket and has become involved in Canterbury Golf to boot. His interests include playing golf, and dabbling in the kitchen. Watching his boys play hockey is also high up on his liked activities list.
Ken thanked Mark for his interesting talk and we look forward to the wide range skills and experiences including those with Rotary that he brings to our Club.