Week 15 – The nights draw in & the Heavens Open!

Club Visits since July 1                                                         47

Rotary Engagements since July 1                                          111

Official Club Visits with Chicken dinners since July 1                7 !!

Quite noticeable this week how much Autumn is now upon us – it’s begun to get that bit darker that bit earlier – the winds have risen and the leaves have begun to fall in earnest.

But Rotary in District 1090 marches on!  Out to RC Haddenham on Monday – right on the edge of the District a club that knows all about co-operating across borders, with much cross-fertilisation with RC Aylesbury in District 1260.  Instigators & supporters of many District projects (Wheel Appeal, Lunch for Learning to mention a couple) & led this year by President John, who has an appalling line of puns in his repartee!

Tuesday at RC Reading Maiden Erlegh was a delight.  President-Elect Chris presiding in President Tim’s absence (golf in Louisiana being more attractive than the visit of the DG – can’t understand it myself).  A club in rude health with an outstanding track record of growth and community activity – well done all of you!

Wednesday was an largely “internal” day – meetings of our Finance Review Committee (looking at our out-turn for 2012-2013 and budgets & forecasts for this year) and a meeting with our Assistant Governors.  Oh, yes, and I had time to drop in briefly to my own club for the first time since August.

Thursday evening and off to a Membership workshop – like most Rotary Districts in our islands we’re constantly trying to find ways to make sure that we have enough members to keep our Service Projects running, our fundraising topped up.  About 50 of us turned out to talk through ideas on how we can do that.

Friday evening’s entertainment was provided by our club’s annual quiz.  Leading for much of the first half our team (the DG’s Gang) rather fell away in the second half, finishing up second to the etam from RC Pinner who won (again!!).

Back in March, river levels on the Thames were such that the annual World Pooh Sticks Championships had to be postponed to Sunday 13^th October, which turned out to be probably the wettest day we’ve had since June.  Not to be deterred the super members of RC Oxford Spires were there in force, supported by Rotarians from RC’s Banbury, Bicester, Eynsham, Wallingford Sinodun & District and Windsor St George plus the Rotaract clubs of Oxford & Maidenhead with their human fruit machine.  

And the winners?  Actually everyone who turned out, but most notably the truly international individual winner from Australia!  The BBC and ITV were there and the Beeb have already reported on their website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-24516717) & on the Chris Evans show Monday morning.