Weather improves & so does my mood!

Yes, wonderful what a couple of decent weeks can do.  Temperatures are now getting back to the sort of thing we'd expect for this time of year and with that has brought a general felling of well-being and happiness!

Last time I wrote I talked of the foul weather we had for our Incoming Presidents Training (PETS).  Because we had a few people miss the session we ran a "mop-up" session this week when about a dozen came together for a re-run of the material led by me, our District -Governor for 2014-2015 Tim Cowling & District Secretary Greg Wilkinson.  Seemed to go well and hopefully most of our guys are now set up for next year.

The previous weekend we went up to Harrogate for the annual Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland (RIBI) conference.  Stirring stuff - a combination of great & inspiring speakers, including Tim Smit from the Eden Project, Simon Weston & WHO's Bruce Aylward.  And great news for Our Rotary District 1090 - one of our nominated groups was selected as a winner of a Young Citizen award and we won three, yes, three national awards, for development of Interact Clubs (Rotary for the 12-18's), for having the best online presence as a District (over 28 others) and for our newest club, Maidenhead Bridge the honour of having the best club  online presence (over more than 1800 others).  Nothing like a bit of pride to send us off feeling good!!


Oh, & yes, there was something else.  On Wednesday 10 April I officially became a grumpy old man - becoming a state pensioner.  So off I went to our Rotary meeting as normal, to find that nothing was normal at all.  Began to smell a rat when I saw a few familiar cars in what was for them an unfamiliar place and was greeted by 100 people who'd arrived for my surprise birthday party surreptitiously organised my by wife Joan and super family (daughters Jo & Emma, son-in-law Alex and grandson Edward).  Friends from most areas of my life were there and we all had a great time.  I shall remember it for a long time.  There's a couple of pictures here and more on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=one_set72157633256140812

Now into April - but winter's still here

Actually today seems like it might be a little warmer than of late.  For those reading from outside the UK we've been suffering a prolonged spell of cold & dismal weather in what seems like a never-ending series of windy and perishing.  (I appreciate that for those from further afield this is nothing out of the ordinary!).

So, what's been up since last month? Well my club visit count is up to 52, just 11 to go now - still appreciating the warm welcome I receive and beginning to feel like I have a reasonably good grasp on most of the District.  Also had the great pleasure of meeting one of the speakers lined-up for our Conference next March - Naomi Riches - gold medal winner in the Mixed Sculls at the Paralympic Games - super lady - great company.

Almost two-thirds of those who will be leading their Rotary Club as Presidents attended our President-Elect Training a couple of weeks ago, braving the March snow (told you we'd had it bad!) - a terrific group of people looking forward to a fantsatic year starting July 1.

My club, Elthorne-Hillingdon, had its' annual weekend away the same weekend - to Stratford on Avon, which was pretty in the snow - we found the crocuses that RC Stratford upon Avon had planted 2 years ago for End Polio Now!

We went away for Easter to the Isle of Wight which was nice & relaxing - still b****y cold, but a nice break.

And then this weekend I've been mailing all 530+ of my fellow District Governors Elect to try & persuade them to join District 1090 in raising funds for Polio Eradication from July to October.  I'll be talkkinmg more about this over the coming months.  Amazingly good email address list I was sent - only 3 bounces out of 534 - well done Rotary International!