The Japan Disaster - closer to home

Japan's a wealthy country - right? So why should we help them - let them help themselves! You could think that but let's just slow down a little here:

• current estimates have well over 10,000 dead
• close to half a million people are in shelters
• it's winter and it's snowing

But typically, Rotary charities like Shelterbox are already on the ground with help. And Rotary clubs around the world are clubbing together to help clubs locally. "I have reports that Rotary clubs have begun to start planning projects for immediate help," says Rotarian Noriko Futagami. "Unfortunately, there are many Rotarians and families who haven't been able to be contacted. Rotarians in Japan worry for their safety". So these are Rotary family members who may not be returning. Futagami-san, we hear you!

Paving The Way

Spent a very satisfying morning with fellow members of our club laying a new access path at the Hillingdon Mencap Pool. Lovely spring morning, ideal for a bit of manual labour! We identified this project as something we could usefully do back in the middle of 2010 and applied for our very first Rotary District grant to help with 50% of the cost. Back in October we cleared the area and had our materials delivered in the February half-term (because the pool is on a special school site we can only get deliveries in the holidays).

As with all good building projects the team doing the work differed somewhat from the team that estimated the job, so we'll be back during Easter holidays when we've had some more materials delivered to let us finish the job! (Actually we've made the path a bit wider than orginally planned so that wheelchairs can comfortably go down it when it's used as an emergency exit).

Good fun, good craic, and a feeling of satisfaction for a job well under way.

Looking Ahead

It's the time of year when Rotarians start thinking about the next Rotary year. Changing President every year means a new crop of participants at our Presidents Elect Training Session. And ready for their year were the incoming Presidents of the current Yellow Zone clubs, apart from Paul Hagyard who was busy attending a family wedding - proving he's got his priorities right - Family first, then work, then Rotary!

It's a challenge and a responsibility leading a club and I wish them all well for the coming year. They have a hard act to follow with the current incumbents - but I'm sure they're up to it!

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!!