CI Times Weekly | Current Issue 262 | 04 August 2008
Rosie – CISNOC’S new Secretary General
Rosaline Camellia Blake BEM – some woman this lady certainly is. For years now she has become the face of the Cook Islands both locally and internationally. In fact you cannot think of Te Punanga Nui without thinking of Rosie. You cannot think of women’s activities without thinking of Rosie. Nor can you think of sports without thinking of Rosie. Stretch your minds into other aspects of life in the Cook Islands – traditional, church, pageants, constitution celebrations, VIP receptions, protocol, fund raising for all sorts of endeavours, politics – you see the beautiful, vivacious and smiling face of Rosie.
She achieved widespread recognition for her past valued contributions receiving a BEM in 2003 but since then she continues to lift the profile of the Cook Islands to greater heights through her representations at international sporting ventures namely the South Pacific Games in Palau, the Golden Oldies World Netball Tournament held in May 2005 and the Cook Islands Successful bid to host the South Pacific Games next year.
Rosie was the Chef de Mission for the Cook Islands Team to the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 and was appointed Interim Chair for Oceania Women in Sports in the same year. For a while in 2005 she was the Acting Head of Agriculture an office she undertook with unsurprising verve and efficiency.
Soon she is to join our sports team to the Beijing Olympics winging their way out on Sunday, and this time, as the General Secretary of CISNOC. Rosie just keeps adding to her strings of achievements quietly and gracefully. In April this year at the Annual General Meeting of CISNOC her name was put on the table and she received the unmitigating support of the National Sports Federations. At that point she became the first woman to take over an office long accepted as a bastion of male dominance.
I, my wife Tuaine and our family, my staff at the Opposition Office and my colleagues in the Opposition extend warm and sincere congratulations to Rosie as we all continue to marvel at her string of amazing achievements. Well done Rosie, enjoy the Beijing Olympics to the full for you deserve it and be sure to return safely.