The
Royal Society of New Zealand - Rotorua Branch
Promoting Excellence in Science & Technology
|
Promoting Excellence in Science & Technology
|
|
|
Our primary role is the promotion of science in the Rotorua area. This reflects our status as a Regional Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Our
main activity is holding a series of regular meetings each year, normally on the
fourth Wednesday of each month from March through to November. The venue is the
Rimu Room, the main lecture theatre at Te Papa Tipu Innovation Park, 49 Sala St,
Rotorua time 7.30pm. The
meetings cover a range of scientific and technological topics, often including
social implications. While the topics we cover at the meetings have a definite
lean towards regional issues, we still cast our net very wide. The usual format
is an address followed by time for questions and discussion, with an opportunity
for informal discussions and a cup of tea/coffee at the end of proceedings.
Occasionally we link a weekend field trip to a meeting. We
set out to provide an impartial forum for discussing contentious issues of
science and technology. We cater not just for scientists, but also for the
interested public. Membership is open to all those who support the objectives of
the Society, and presentations are aimed at mixed scientific and lay audiences. Visitors
are welcome to our meetings and we are especially pleased to see senior school
students. Come along and see and hear for yourselves. If you want to join up and
pay a modest subscription you will receive regular notices of meetings and at
the same time help keep our programme going. The bigger our membership, the less
the restrictions are on our choice of speaker – we can then afford more
speakers expenses. For
some of our meetings we join forces with other societies around Rotorua,
according to the particular topics. Apart
from our meetings, we have some other activities. Each year, since its
inception, we have been involved along with other parties in mounting the Bay of
Plenty School Science Fair. We also occasionally get involved in submissions
relating to pending legislation, national reviews of fields of research, or
draft district plans. Subscriptions are $20 for an individual or family and can be paid at monthly meetings or by contacting the secretary – Lloyd Donaldson at Scion. Jonathon Harrington President |