Week 21 – “There is Nothing Like a Dame”

Club Visits since July 1                                                         59

Rotary Engagements since July 1                                          154

Official Club Visits with Chicken dinner since July 1                 10 !!

Unusually, on Monday I didn’t have any diarised Rotary engagements!!  However, the heavy load of the previous week put me into catch-up & preparation mode, catching up on all the emails etc from the previous week and preparing for the coming week, so I was in Rotary mode all day.

Early start and heavy day on Tuesday – the General Council of Rotary International in Britain & Ireland (RIBI) meets 4 times a year and two of those are one-day meetings with a 9:00 a.m. in Alcester – so I was on the road at 6:30.  Pretty productive day really & hopefully advancing the cause of Rotary in these islands.  Then a quick hare back down the M40 to catch Northwood School’s Year 10s at The Beck Theatre in Hayes as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival – Macbeth in 30 minutes which they did magnificently – our club is heavily involved in helping with reading & maths and we’re hoping to start an Interact club with them shortly – this what happens when a member is Chair of Governors!  Joan did a great job directing the students in Macbeth – really proud of her & them!

Wednesday was another full day with a morning meeting out in Benson (Oxfordshire) with the District 9 Inner Wheel District meeting – great group of ladies (I was the only man!!) (Note – when Rotary was a male-only organisation, Inner Wheel was started as a group of mainly Rotarian spouses, which remains the largest component of membership).  Decent lunch too, thank you ladies!   

 

And in the evening on to RC Faringdon – almost as close to the Western edge of the District as I am to the East!  Super bunch of people brightening up West Oxfordshire with their own brand of Rotary – splendid, and including a visitor from Bangalore who spent time in our District as part of a Group Study Exchange team 12 years ago.

Thursday I got to meet a Dame – again!! For the second week in a row Dame Marcia Twelftree popped up as Chair of Governors for a school where I was visiting an Interact club – but not just any old Interact club – the charter award celebration for the Interact Club of E-Act Burnham Park Academy.  President Paul and Secretary Sabrina led the group of Interactors newly inducted by RC Burnham Beeches President Neil.  They've already carried out their first project - a food collection for Slough Food Bank, well done to all of the

m  – a smashing evening.

I remember last year doing the rounds of meetings with all of the Presidents-Elect in the District – it being that time of year again my successor Tim Cowling is doing the same this year.  Seems likely that I’ll be helping him out by being an Assistant Governor next year, so it was off on Friday evening to a meeting of the Presidents-Elect in our Orange & Blue areas – they seem like a lively bunch.

Week 20 – Wow – that was a busy one!!

Club Visits since July 1                                                         58

Rotary Engagements since July 1                                          149

Official Club Visits with Chicken dinner since July 1                 9 !!

Despite the fact that I only carried out one Official visit to a club this week, it turned out to be the busiest week for Rotary engagements since the year started in July.

 

Monday was my Official visit to RC Jordans who were celebrating their 33rd year as a club.  Just Winners of Rotary’s Changemaker  award in 2012 they are moving ahead with a purpose.  President Alan is leading a thriving club with big plans for the future, including providing an Assistant Governor for 2014-2015 – well stepped up John Evans (well he will when his leg gets better ).

On Tuesday Joan & I made the quick burst up the M40 to Bicester for the first of two “Children Singing for Children” events of the week.  This year RC Bicester have had to increase the number of evenings they’re offering this really special concert because of the number of primary schools that want to be involved.  Each school choir does a couple of numbers to the delight of the audience and the proceeds are donated to children’s charities.  Special mention needs to be made of the pupils of Bardwell (a school for pupils with complex, severe and profound learning difficulties) – a reminder that the rest of us really need to be grateful!!

Wye Valley School Interact club has a splendid record of service for its own and distant communities and it was a real pleasure on Wednesday to be at the induction of this year’s crop of 13 members under the leadership of incoming President India.  Particularly pleasurable also was the fact that 13 members of RC Bourne End & Cookham turned up to witness the occasion – well done all!

Thursday went by in a bit of a whirlwind – first to the Elthorne-Hillingdon  Inner Wheel craft fair and then on to a less jolly occasion – sadly to a funeral for RC Misbourne Matins founder member Jan Berglund.  An unexpected loss to family & friends but great for me to have coffee afterwards with 10 of the more than 20 club members who attended.  Then on up to Banbury for my second opportunity to hear “Children Singing for Children” again.  Banbury’s event has been going for a little longer and they have 4 nights of concerts, this time with 6 school choirs participating.  Super to see kids attacking the songs with such gusto and making their parents really proud. (Pictures weren't allowed but I sneaked this one off anyay!)

More than 250 District Rotarians (and some from neighbouring Districts) turned out on Friday to collect for Children in Need at Heathrow Airport.  I'm told that the day raised more than £20,000 which is a terrific effort and a great advert for our members and our movment!

Complete change of style for Friday evening at RC Pinner’s Bollywood evening.  Populated by more than 350 guests, the sold-out event went with a real bang(la).  Entertainment by Dance Asia & Ashanti Strings contributed to an evening with a difference raising funds for Polio Eradication and other charities.

Off early on Saturday for a blast down to Dartmoor – well Dartmoor Zoo specifically to meet the man who “Bought a Zoo”, Benjamin Mee.  Such a nice man with a real passion for his animals and their conservation.  His dedicated team of staff & volunteers  are a real treat to talk to – oh and the animals are pretty cool too!

And on to a meeting of our conference committee in Torquay who are gelling as a real powerhouse of organisational ability (I have to say that!) followed on Sunday morning by a visit to the Riviera Centre for a reality check on what we’ve got planned for March – happily all going well!!

(PS the picture on the right is from the zoo, it isn't one of the committee on the prowl)

Week 19 – Looking towards the Future!!

Club Visits since July 1                                                         57

Rotary Engagements since July 1                                          137

Official Club Visits with Chicken dinner since July 1                 9 !!

Just the one club visit this week, but more than that to report……

A rare engagement-free day on Monday was followed on Tuesday by a visit to the now 61 year old RC Beaconsfield.  Very pleasant evening led by President Henry who declined the club’s suggestion of applying to be District Governor in 2016-2017!  Valuable discussion on productive use of the internet as a tool for publicity and recruitment.

Another rare event on Wednesday – a visit to my own club!  Extremely glad to be back with my fellow club members for the evening.  Paul Desai spoke to us about his work with educationally disadvantaged young people around the Hammersmith area.  Nice to have someone else doing the talking!

Friday, Saturday & Sunday were spent at Horwood House, near Milton Keynes, for the Rotary Foundation Seminar & Institute for Great Britain & Ireland.  Good to spend time with some of my fellow District Governors in these islands and those who will succeed us, together with an impressively committed group of enthusiastic Rotarians dedicated to making the lives of others better – a great way to spend a few days.  Much of the discussion was about how we make Rotary more relevant to ensure that we can attract those who will take the movement forward through our second century.

We were also delighted to hear UK Secretary of State for International Justine Greening (no relation!) say that as a fellow Rotarian (RC Putney) she was proud to announce the immediate release of £100 million to help with the eradciation of Polio.

Week 18 – After the Storm!!

Club Visits since July 1                                                         56

Rotary Engagements since July 1                                          132

Official Club Visits with Chicken dinner since July 1                 9 !!

Well that was a bit of a blow, wasn’t it!  Actually round our way we were extremely lucky with generally very few fallen trees (although I did see a few more around the golf course).

So once the wind had abated Monday morning it was off to RC oxford for lunch.  Celebrating their 90^th anniversary in February.  Still more than 50 members strong a more traditional club, still meeting at lunchtime and still in the heart of the city.  Under President Jenny planning a bit more activity than of late and focussing on the need to renew their membership.

Monday evening our intrepid club darts team set off on what will hopefully be a longer journey this year in the District darts competition.  Having said that we will need to play rather better than we did that night, losing a closely fought match 3-2 to RC Princes Risborough.  Every leg was close, every match was close and so the 1001 was our downfall.  And for once, double 1 only featured twice during the evening.   

Must do better when we play Maidenhead “B” at the end of November – lose that one & we’re out!  (Maybe our captain will be sufficiently recovered by then to spur us along).

 

Tuesday at RC Crowthorne & Sandhurst under the leadership of President Tony this year.  Please to see the club making its’ way back and gaining members – always a pleasant thing to be noticing!

Wednesday my club celebrated its 35^th year, with dinner at the Ruislip Conservative Club (strictly apolitical gathering – it’s just a venue – OK!).  RC Pangbourne Past President Richard Anderson provided the entertainment with his amazing array of unusual objects for us to guess the purpose – thanks Richard for a splendid show.  Our own David Thorpe was presented with a richly-deserved Sapphire Paul Harris award – well done David!!

Thursday we had our second meeting as the Dsitrict Executive for Rotary District 1090.  Lots of useful stuff taken forward a little we hope & already looking towards the next eyar and trying to fill all our vacancies.

Lowlight of my weekend was being present for an absolutely abject performance from Watford FC losing 3-0 at home to Leicester.  The highlight however, was being at my grandson Edward’s first ever swimming gala for his swimming club.  He set a personal best in the butterfly but suffered from being the very youngest in his group – he’s still only 9 but was up against all the 10s & 11s because his birthday is 31^st December – he may have to get used to that!