Venue Hunting

Just off to see what may well be our choice for the Rotary International District 1090 Conference for 2014. Where we going? Well you'll just have to wait and see! (or sea - clue!)

(Weather was gorgeous - very picturesque!)

Making Up & Meeting a Fellow DGN!

Visiting the Rotary Club of Vashon Island (Washington State, USA) this morning, delighted to find that the speaker was my fellow DGN, Ezra Teshome from District 5030. Ezra talked of the tremendous work that 5030 has been doing in providing wells for 28 villages in Erza's native Ethiopia. Vashon Rotary are separately working for clean water in Guatemala and are sponsoring climbers on a Mount Rainier climb in August.

Forward Planning - for 2014?

Amazing how far ahead you have to plan these days - we've just had a first get together for our Conference Committe for 2014 - yes, nearly three years away - great bunch of people - looking forward to working with all of them - and thanks to Chairman Jean for hosting us all - what a star!

Gobsmacked!

I suspect I'm one of many Rotarians for whom the award of a Paul Harris Fellowship comes as a complete surprise, little short of a shock as a matter of fact. A particular honour coming from my fellow club members for which I feel undeserving -now all I have to do is live up to it! Many thanks to all the members of RC Elthorne-Hillingdon for recognising me in this way.

Conference 2014 - Already?

Been out looking at venues for 1090 Conference - where have we been? where are we off to next? well that's a secret! Will let you know when we've come to a decision.

End in Sight for Assistant Governor

It's quite odd, really, Rotary runs its year from 1 July through to 30th June.; so we're coming to the end of the year and it's time to hand over the reins to the next person. Except because we're a well-planned organisation the last few weeks have been spent in detailed actions putting everything in place for the next year. So it now feels like the old year is already done and the new year has already started.

Because I'm moving on to be District Governor Nominee, my "zone" of clubs is now being supervised by a new Assistant Governor, who is now making her way round participating in the final planning stages for all her clubs - except that, of course, they still feel like MY clubs! Joan will do a terrific job as AG, so much so that two additional clubs have decided to swap zones and come and join Yellow - welcome to Gerrards Cross & Misbourne Matins.

I wish all of you terrific success in 2011-2012.

The Assembly Season

We've now started on the Assembly season. Rotary has to be one of the most switched on organisations in terms of succession and management planning. With a change of President every year, each club has to be positively forward-looking and ready to take on the challenges that having a new leader (and possibly a new team) with new ideas. Imagine a plc changing their CEO every year! But it works and it works because Rotarians know that, whatever their individual stylistic differences, we're all working to a common goal - Service above Self.

So good luck to all the incoming Presidents - my club has its Assembly tonight where our incoming President Norman Jones and his team will be presenting our programme for the Rotary year starting 1st July. Good luck Norman!!