Week 38 Part 2- Saturday – has to be “Another Brick in the Wall” really!

Rotary Engagements since July 1                              254

After the excitements of Friday’s great start, could we keep it up – knew the programme was extremely strong, but just how strong would it be?

Got off to a great start with our own Lisa Morris taking us through the changes to Grants from the Rotary Foundation this year.  Clear and concise she did a fantastic job with what can be such a dry subject.  Really demonstrated how we’re using funds for the benefit of communities at home and abroad, supporting super projects selected by our clubs.

Then into what turned out to be a really emotional section of the programme. Cystic fibrosis sufferer & double lung transplant survivor Richard Burbedge took us through the story of his life and how, from an increasingly low ebb, the gift of a transplant has completely transformed his life and how he’s looking forward to his impending marriage to his fiancé Laura.  Not a dry eye in the house!

Following closely afterwards we heard from a very determined lady, Naomi Riches.  All sorts of challenges faced in her schooldays because of her partial sight until she was talent spotted for the GB rowing team.  Then the extreme disappointment of a mere Bronze medal in Beijing and her fight to get back into the boat and then go on to triumph in the 2012 London Parlympic Games.  All the sweeter that it happened at home, and for us, in our District at Dorney Lake.  Showing the re-run of the triumphant row had us all on the edge of our seats .  What a super start to Saturday!

Back after coffee we assembled the massed ranks of the club Presidents for 2013-2014 in a wonderfully disorganised "wave-past" - thanks lads & lasses for your leadership this year.  And then the District Chairman of our sister organsisation, District 9 Inner Wheel. Beryl & her team have worked wonderfully well in the 90th year of their movement and have been a real pleasure to work alongside.

Then we heard from a smashing group of dedicated health service professionals who form our Vocational Training team who leave for Uganda on 29th March to train midwives to help reduce the incidence of infant and maternal mortality.  Such a brilliant group of volunteers led by our own Gillian Pearce.

They were followed by our visiting Rotary Scholars who explained how they will use their masters degrees to further Rotary's ideals in their chosen path after study.

We then welcomed Ben Mee to speak to us.  A fantastic story published in “We Bought a Zoo” and taken to the silver screen with Matt Damon as Ben, was retold to us in such a personal, engaging, funny, tragic way.  I think we could all have listened to Ben for twice as long, but we needed to move on (not least so that we could get people off to their coach trip to visit the eponymous zoo).  At his book signing Ben proved so popular that he ran out of books (he brought 200 with him!) and had to send more back with the coach when it returned.

But before we let them off to see the animals we enjoyed the Countess of Carnarvon, I guess you could say First Lady of Downton Abbey, or rather of Highclere Castle where filming for the series takes place.  The Countess focussed on the subject of her recent book and her predecessor, Lady Catherine, who led a fascinating life early on in the 20^th century.  Again her books proved popular at lunchtime. 

So ended a pretty damn perfect morning.  Followed it with lunch with something over half of the Presidents for 2013-2014 in our District.  Really good to see all of them, they’re such a great team – but frankly I thought the hotel let us down with a very mediocre meal and very poor service – words were had will be again – the TripAdvisor review is waiting ratification!

Afternoon off for all of us was very welcome before heading back to the Riviera for our reception with Julien and Sue laying on drinks for us all before we tucked into a splendid meal –it’s not often that the food gets a thumbs up from 500 people, but the guys at the centre did us proud

We’d themed the party as Blue & Yellow – Rotary colours - some of the folks really took us up on the challenge, which you’ll see from all the photos.  The caricaturists really did their stuff and Partydown played a really tight set, pitching the selection brilliantly for the audience – crowded dance floor from the first to last number and during the band break as well!

 

Week 38 “Oh what a Circus, Oh What a Show”!! (Part 1- Thursday & Friday)

Rotary Engagements since July 1                              254

Well what a week that was!  The culmination of many days of work spread over almost 3 years – yes I’m talking about the Rotary District 1090 Conference 2014!

Joan & I set off for Torquay on Thursday morning – uneventful journey arriving at lunchtime – our final meeting of the conference committee – everyone in great spirits anticipating the onslaught – jobs still to do of course – packs to the hotels, set to be built etc etc.  Followed by a very pleasant dinner – the calm before the storm!

Friday morning took me over to the conference centre for a sound check and a preview of the set, which looked great even though at that stage it was still a work in progress.  Updates from DGE Tim & Linda with their progress down from Heathrow with our President’s Representative Ed Futa - he arrived at Heathrow at 5:45 a.m. – rather him than me!  And then on to the first official duty of the conference – a drinks reception for the guests of conference – great to see all of them, but particularly to make Ed’s acquaintance and see a couple of my fellow DGs, Dave & Anne Sadler and Simon & Jackie Kalson making the journey down for the weekend. 

Followed by lunch with the same group and then on to what turned out to be a brilliant curtain-raiser for the conference, our Inner Wheel District 9 session, with Joan as the simply amazing speaker on the subject of Inspirational Women, Isabella D’Este (1474-1539), Nell Gwyn (1650-87), Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764), Elizabeth Vigee Le Brun (1755-1842), The Bronte Family (Charlotte 1816-1855, Emily 1818- 1848, Anne 1820-1849), Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928), HM Queen Elizabeth II (Born 1926) (you’ll need to book her to speak to you to know more about themJ). 

Gripped the audience and left us feeling we’d like to know more about each of them – always a great thing.

And so over to the Riviera International Centre (remind me to tell you how good they are – so professional) for the start of the show.  Good reaction to the set reveal and opening music – “We Can” (LeAnn Rimes) and then off we went. 


We were welcomed by the Leader of Torbay Council Julien Parrott who shocked some, well, me for certain, by the extent of the background briefing he’d dug out – quoting stuff I’d written back in July last year and noting that we’d first been to Torquay in 2011 – scary!

You never know how the President’s Rep is going to go down – what they’re going to say – how they’ll be received – needn’t have worried – Ed went completely against what we were expecting – didn’t use a script or any of his slides but just talked about the things he found inspiring mixed in with stories of people he’d met who were achievers in terms of helping others – tying in wonderfully with our theme and giving us a dream start.

Next up we should have had James Lancashire, Outward Bound instructor, mountain climber, TA Major.  Unfortunately, the Army decided Friday was debrief day and he was unable to come.  So we turned to Alan Wolstencroft from Banbury, one of our members who has been making things happen in Sierra Leone for 9 years, building schools and improving the lives of kids in that war-torn country.  As usual he was humbling for the rest of us mere mortals – the extent of his commitment and dedication is awe-inspiring.  Having just completed a new 4 classroom block he’s now working on another, with a completion date of May, before the rains come.  Delighted to say that by Sunday morning, a promise of a loan had secured an early start to what will undoubtedly be another fantastic achievement for Alan.

A video showcasing our achievements within the District took up the next half hour, with a whistle-stop roundup of projects that our clubs have been carrying out.  More than 25 clubs in the District submitted information and the whole thing was put together by Lisa Hunter and fronted on the day by Julia Collis – lots of great feedback from delegates – nice warm glow!

Finally in the afternoon, Bob & Megs Wilson came to talk to us – a bit about Bob’s footballing career and a lot about The Willow Foundation, the charity they established after their daughter died tragically early in her early 30s.  The charity provides special days for similar young adults for whom this could be a last opportunity.  Very emotional stuff.

After dinner, we were back in the Riviera for an absolutely superb concert.  Kicking off with the Camborne Town Band who did 45 minutes of great brass band music – really well put together and impeccably performed with the highlight for many being the battle of the zylophones featuring two 15 year olds.  

We ended with nearly an hour of the Chivenor Military Wives Choir – yes we recognised some of the ladies from the TV programme and they were a great conclusion to a pretty damn perfect day.

Stories from Saturday & Sunday will follow soon – promise!

Week 37 Variety is the Spice of Life!!

Rotary Engagements since July 1              244

Started the week with the District Meeting of Inner Wheel District 9.  Always welcoming, the ladies took me through their equivalent of our Rotary District Council meeting, followed by lunch – all very civilised!

And in the evening we were off to Bracknell for the Annual 5 Clubs Dinner – a black tie affair involving the clubs of Ascot, Bracknell, Crowthorne & Sandhurst, Easthampstead and Wokingham.  Great idea, getting all the clubs together for a single celebration, with entertainment by a lively group of senior singers.

Wednesday we had an outing of my own club, with around 50 of us taken round the Queen’s Gallery exhibition of works by Giovanni Castigliano (no I’d never heard of him either, but it was very interesting) and the paintings given to the Queen by members of the Royal Academy.  It’s fair to say that the letter generated much of the comment, the majority being unfavourable, but if the purpose of art is to cause debate, it certainly succeeded!!

Thursday our Membership team held a workshop for around 50 relatively new members within the District which generated a good deal of discussion on how we make our organisation even greater.

 Saturday Joan & I had a double bill, firstly with a very high standard of entries in our District’s Young Musician final – we look forward to seeing the winners, both sponsored by RC Ascot, as was one of the winners in the Youth Speaks final, at the Regional final in Maidstone in a couple of weeks.

And on to Windsor for the RC Windsor & Eton club’s President’s Night, held in the very splendid surroundings of the Guildhall, where we ate with the Kings & Queens of England looking down on us.  I’m sure they found their position in doing so entirely appropriate! 

Sunday evening found us back in Reading at the Hexagon Theatre in the company of the audience enjoying an evening of singing from children at primary schools in the Maidenhead area, organised jointly by the clubs of Ascot & Wokingham.  More than 300 children on stage, singers & musicians, with a programme of songs about food – fortunately refreshments were provided at the end! (Wasn't supposed to take pictures, so don't tell!)