Bulletin Feb /March 2010
Bulletin for Feb / Mar 2010
Rochdale Rotary Club
President Elvet Smith
Date Programme Time
18 Feb ‘Our Namibian Education’ E
B & A Redmond
25 Feb Laurel and Hardy Video L
President Elvet
4 Mar Games Evening E
Castleton Bowling Club
11 Mar ‘A week in the life of a school nurse’ - Karen Wilson L
18 Mar John Holder (cricket umpire) E
25 Mar Keith Banks L
1 Apr ‘Flying for fun’ – John Cannell E
Quiz Corner
1. Is it true that drivers in Paris are not insured for accidents on the road around the Arc de Triomphe?
2. What is the only oscar winning film with no women speaking in it?
3. What came first, the savoy cabbage or the Savoy Hotel?
4. Is it true that you are not supposed to eat mince pies on Christmas Day?
5. What is the most popular computer password?
Next Council Meeting
At Elvet’s house on Tuesday 9th March, commencing at 7.30 pm.
Life Boxes
Last Thursday, 11th February, Stan Fielding’s team of volunteers ( 10 in number ) returned to DHL, Queensway meeting at 6.30 pm having duly signed in and donned our Rotary tabards were taken to a new area on site.
Dr Pam, Vincent and Pritt (members of Denton and Audenshaw Rotary Club), explained that DHL required our old area and that all the Life Box items had been shrink wrapped and moved to the new area. The evening was spent ascertaining what we had, labelling it and moving them on pallets so order could now come out of chaos and packing in future would be more efficient.
Dr Pam explained that she had receive an email from a Club member who was holidaying in Barbados and after several emails to DHL, Virgin Airways etc 159 life Boxes and 3 boxes of water purifiers were flown out to Miami by Virgin Airways ( their charity arm of Virgin Unite). From Miami they were going by sea to Haiti and on arrival were being in the control of a local doctor who is a Rotarian. Pam thought they were due to be arriving any day now in Haiti.
Rtn Derek Heywood
President’s Remarks
‘A good team going’ is the first thing to say with many events and projects being considered for the next 12 months. Already my charities (Samaritans and Petrus Day Centre) have been given £1000 each to expand their very worthwhile Rochdale activities.
It’s been a very snowy winter and it disrupted plans to have a mega charity presentation evening on 7th Jan. However as it turned out it was rather nice to have separate events. Denis Skelton of Petrus nearly missed the last train and I nearly pocketed Peter Crabbe’s cheque after presenting it to him in a photoshoot. There was good publicity made of these on Rochdale on line and Observer. More stories needed from members please!
Renata Caso was presented with her Hopwood Hall Apprentice award £300 at her families Unisex hair salon Pepi’s in Chadderton. My VP John Cannell had ankle damage and was a wobbly Sassenach so I drove him over to meet Renata. I was conscious my driving needed to be spot on and I got a bad start when the windscreen became heavily misted as I was doing hands-free phonecall - still battling with control of my red Jetta! John was very forgiving and nothing was bumped into. At the salon Pepi took one look at me and offered me a haircut but time was too pressing! Renata has lots of plans for her future including obtaining a teaching qualification and I’m sure she has a successful career ahead.
Our succession of Presidents continues to go well with David Smithard agreeing to be Second VP after Joan Elbourn. He has recently retired from his medical consultant post and obviously wants to keep other things flowing as a change from his battle with Rochdale’s stubborn kidneys.
Speakers recently have impressed; our Rotary MP Paul Rowan gave us an upbeat talk on Rochdale and the future. His involvement with Rheumatology and musculoskeletal medicine was obviously very absorbing for me.
There are great differences in provision of care for arthritis sufferers in the UK. Locally in the Pennine acute trust serving a population of 800,000, there are just 4 full time Rheumatologists and allied health professional-physios. There are smaller numbers of specialist nurses and occupational therapists than is the case elsewhere in the UK. Counterbalancing this, patients do have very good access to all the latest approved expensive drugs for their arthritis.
International projects with Pakistan and Uganda have been presented at club and Mo Sarwar and Shahzad are showing great energy and enthusiasm for charities close to their hearts. These are large projects to provide schooling and water supply to poor people and links with the overseas Rotary clubs are being forged. David Acton’s bags are growing and developing. Mike’s befriending project expands and I am pleased the club has such innovative members.
Congratulations to Christmas parcels team led by Mike Tomkinson with lots of thank you cards still coming in. Falinge school are through to the District final of Youth Speaks and Ravi Sharma keeps close tabs on events. Do go to Frodsham to support the school if you can. Book group continues to expand my mind, the latest book chosen by Emma Buckley being ‘The time travellers wife’ a tale of a man with ability to move back and fore in time but not able to change events-very frustrating! His wife was incredibly tolerant!
Potential new members are coming to the club regularly and this next year will be the big push to make our club modern and attractive. Visitors will be able to meet Rochdale’s very own Test cricket umpire on March 18th. John Kay has been as usual at the vanguard of things with a virtual Rotary club, one minute spiel on ‘What is Rotary’ and online charitable donations the latest ideas.
I’m looking forward to the club’s walk over Brown Wardle headed by John Cannell and his link with Wardle school has paid off. Also, Games night at Castleton Bowling will get us away for another informal evening. Anyone played shuv happenny? I’ve got some real happennies too!
On a personal level the Rotary family has gathered around to help Liz and me recently and we have both felt stronger knowing we have so many caring friends around. Thank you all for your kindness.
President Elvet
Sounding Brass & Voices
The advert below will appear in the Rochdale Observer on 17th April and 1st May. We hope this will assist us in pulling a full house for this event. The Gracie Fields Theatre has a capacity of 680 and we need it full. Each member is expected to play their part in selling 6 tickets. These will be issued to all members in the next couple of weeks. We need to sell at least 300 tickets to break even so please sell your allotment as soon as possible. Chris and Martin will be monitoring sales on a week by week basis with club members and all the retail outlets. We also need sponsors for the programme, so please send any names to John Kay or Ian Madeley. Posters and hand outs will be available soon for members to advertise locally.
Rtn Tom Hobson
Advert for Sounding Brass and Voices
Rochdale Rotary Club Presents
Sounding Brass and Voices
A Charity Brass Band Concert
at the Gracie Fields Theatre
Sunday 9th May at 2.00pm
Featuring The Co-operative Milnrow Brass Band, Wardle Anderson Brass Band,
and the Rochdale Girls Choir
Over 100 performers
Tickets £12 if booked in advance
£15 on the day. Chidren under 12 free
Available from Touchstones, Sandifords Gallery Drake Street, Molesworth Bright Clegg, Octagon House Yorkshire Street.
Dates for your Diary
• 27th February – ‘Thanks for life’ - District 1280 collection at Tesco Supermarket in Rochdale (with Rochdale East).
• Monday 8th March - Book group at John Cannell's (53 Thimble Close) - 7.30pm. Book is Trans-pennine Heritage by Keith Parry.
• 12th March – Mayor’s Charity Ball - £35 per ticket including Opera North. Tickets available from John Kay and Touchstones reception.
• 21st March – Spring Charity Walk
• 17th April – Stroke Awareness Day (blood testing session to take place at Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre).
• May 9th Band concert at Gracie Fields Theatre.
• RIBI Conference Bournemouth April 16th - 18th 2010
• March 7th the Youth Speaks Final at Forest Hills Frodsham with the Regional Finals in Liverpool on March 14th.
• Next District Council Meeting will be 7pm for 7.30pm on Wed 24th March 2010, at Swinton Park Golf Club, East Lancs Road, Swinton M27 5LX.
Hopwood Hall Most Improved Apprentice Award Presentation
On Tuesday the 26th of January, President Elvet and myself invaded 'Pepi's' hair dressing salon in Chadderton to present winner Renata with her cheque of £300. Her father was somewhat surprised to see us, but to soon relaxed whilst we took some pictures and made the presentation. In fact he offered Elvet a free haircut before we left!! (he declined...)
Renata is a confident young lady and a capable hairdresser. Her ambition is to complete her course and then become a tutor for training newcomers to the profession, a task I'm sure she'll achieve, before establishing her own business.
VP John Cannell.