First Female RIBI President in 2013-2014

Absolutely delighted that Nan McCreadie has been elected to lead RIBI in 2013-2014, and that her election was by a clear majority of those voting. Well done Nan - I look forward to our year of service together!

Thanks for Life 2011 (End Polio Now)

It's February!! Time for Rotary's annual Thanks for Life month. This year we've been out planting millions of purple crocuses around the country. In Hillingdon we've got 10,000 spread aorund 5 schools and on Hillingdon Hill.

Crocuses are usually white, yellow or purple. The eleven hundred bulbs we planted are all purple and there’s a good reason for that. It ties in with the reason that we’re hope they’ll come out every year in February – well actually we’re hoping they’ll all be out by February 23. Why that date? Well that date is "Rotary Day - Thanks for Life", a project involving the clubs and members of Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland (RIBI), to highlight the humanitarian work of Rotarians with our number one goal of helping to eradicate polio throughout the world. Our 10000 bulbs were provided by the Rotary Clubs of Elthorne-Hillingdon and Uxbridge. So that’s why the date, but what about the colour purple?

The nearest we ever get to the Polio disease is that we get innoculated when we’re babies so that it’s never going to be a problem for us. We may also get a top-up dose along with something else when we get other jabs when we travel to places outside Europe (or North America). But for people in Continents like Africa and countries like India % Pakistan, Polio is still something that may cripple them for life. When kids in these areas get immunised they get their little finger dipped in a purple dye. So the purple colour represents hope for these kids that we hope won’t catch Polio. Rotary have been working with the World Health Organisation and other agencies to try to eradicate Polio for more than 25 years. And we’re winning. In 1985 there were 1,000 cases every day – in 2010 there were less than 1,500 in the year. But unless we get to zero, it’ll keep coming back. Two-thirds of the cases in 2010 were in two countries that had been free of polio for nearly ten years – because people caught it from visitors from infected areas.

Service Above Self!!

Incredibly proud of the members of the Rotary clubs in our "zone" - truly living up to the Service Above Self motto of our great organisation. These last couple of weeks our intrepid colleagues have been braving the weather to stand outside supermarkets and trail round the streets with a Santa float.

To me, doing this turns out to be a Win, Win Win. Seeing the wonder and joy on the faces of little kids brought out to see Santa (and bigger ones too) would be worth it on its own, but we collect hundreds, nay, thousands of £s for good causes (Post Xmas Update - Pinner & Elthorne-Hillingdon collected £7,500 between them for their charitable causes!!) . Oh, and just to cap it all, it's tremendous fun and excellent exercise!!

Well done all and a Merry Xmas & Happy New Year to all.

Believe in good service - it still exists!

No idea whether Ackerman are Rotarians, but they certainly follow the 4way Test! Edward (my grandson, 6) was given a Colour by Numbers set which transpired to have a wrong coloured pencil in it, clearly a QA fault, but sadly not to his liking! I followed up by letting Ackerman know of the deficiency and they're a) sending him somthing by way of apology and b) taking it up with their suppliers. Kind of restores your faith in human nature really. Well done!!

Hats Off to Young Public Speakers!

Last night (Thursday 2 December) the Combined Rotary clubs of Hillingdon (Elthorne-Hillingdon, Pinner, Ruislip-Northwood & Uxbridge) hosted the local rounds of the Intermediate and Senior Sections of Rotary's Youth Speaks at Swakeleys School, competing for a place in a further round in the New Year. Teams from Douay Martyrs, St Helens, & Vyners schools contested the Intermediate section and from Douay Martyrs, Swakeleys and Uxbridge College the Seniors.

Presenting the prizes, Deputy Mayor Cllr Mary O'Connor (MBE), warmly congratulated all the students participating and stressed the importance of confidence in public speaking for their futures. Both sections were tightly contested, with the winners emerging as St. Helens "A" in the Intermediate section for their views on "Happiness" and Uxbridge College again triumphed in the Senior section with their provoking "Guns don't kill people, Rappers Do". We wish them well as they move on to wider opposition.

In the UK, "Youth Speaks" is Rotary's jewel in the crown for young people to gain confidence & progress in their abilities to deliver arguments persuasively and with assurance. For information go to www.hillingdonrotary.org.uk.

Rotaract Coming to Hillingdon?

Really pleased last night with the positive response by the clubs in our "Zone" (aka London Borough of Hillingdon) to setting up a joint Rotaract club. Bigger turnout than expected and really positive attitude towards getting it done. Lots of good ideas and enthusiasm and a big thank you also to District Rotaract Chair Eleanor Cracknell and Rotaract Liaison Officer Mike Ware.

Pnner Panto Evening Tonight - Brrrrrr

Well, the weather's turned festive - hope all the good people of Pinner turn out tonight for the Pinner Panto Evening. I'll be there with Rotary colleagues from Pinner, thanks to the good offices of Baker Pearce we may even be able to keep warm as we seek to widen the knowledge of Rotary locally.

"A Rotary club gives us an opportunity that no social, political, or specialized business club can do. It is strong on the human side; it stands for the individual, unfetters them, appeals to their originality, brings out their latent powers, and puts them at their best by extending them the full measure of his confidence and appealing to the best that is in them — 'service not self.' ”
(From Glenn Mead - Rotary International President - January 1912 - and the message is just as strong almost 100 years later)