Bulletin July / August 2010
ROTARY CLUB OF ROCHDALE - President: John Cannell
July / August 2010
CLUB SERVICE DUTIES
Date President Finance
15 July Hobson Howard
22 July Howorth McArdle
29 July Lucas Kay
5 Aug MacKay Madeley
12 Aug Messum Sarwar
19 Aug Reid Namushi
Apologies for absence
Please advise Keith so that he can adjust catering numbers accordingly on telephone 01706 376343 or e-mail keith.banks4@btinternet.com
Also, may we politely request that members who wish to have vegetarian meals please inform Keith Banks if they are attending. This is because all vegetarian meals in future may have to be paid for by the club whether the member attends or not.
In Keith’s absence, please contact Chris Bryning on 01706 650053.
Next council meeting
At John Cannell’s house on Tuesday 9th September, commencing at 7.30 pm.
Next International Meeting
Please note that the date of the International Committee meeting has been changed to Thursday 19th August 5.30pm at the Masonic Hall before the Rotary meeting.
Joan Elbourn
Dates for your Diary
• 12 Sept – Craft Fair.
• 22 Oct – Charter Night.
• 4 Dec – Morrisons Bag Packing.
• May 2011 – next GSE visit.
www.rotaryrochdale.co.uk
Please visit the new website.
Art and Craft Fair – Sunday 12 September (10 am till 4pm)
Can you please help in one of two ways?
Firstly, as we are not having a Tombola this year, we are instead holding a "Great Raffle". We have applied for and obtained the necessary licence - if you can think of any unusual/exciting prizes please let me have details by Sunday 17th July. Examples of what we have to date include:-
• 30 minute flight in a light aircraft.
• chauffeur driven "Pennine Drive" in a 50 year old XJ open top Jaguar.
• set of bedlinen made to fit your bed.
• 25% Discount on Redwood School "Enterprise Zone" Jewellery.
• family membership for One year of the Rochdale Canal Society.
• Meal for 2 at China City.
• 20% off Plants at RMBC Bowlee Garden Centre.
Secondly, if you have contact with any artists or craft people, please suggest that they have a stand at the Town hall the cost of which is £30 for one table or £45 for two tables. Contact Sheila/David 01706 631188 or email acton.sheila@btinternet.com
David Acton
Date Programme Time
15 July Focus Interview E
22 July Bob Chadwick – ‘Job talk’ L
29 July Derek Heywood E
5 Aug Robert Namushi E
12 Aug To be Arranged L
19 Aug Emma Buckley E
26 Aug Social Evening – Meal Out E
2 Sept President John
‘The Isle of Man’ L
President’s Remarks
Well here we are at the start of another Rotary Year, another President, Vice President and 2nd Vice President, all looking forward to the year ahead.
Nigel Danby, who visited our club on the 17th of June at our Assembly as representative of the Assistant District Governor, sent us a very complimentary report. Now we must meet or exceed our targets – I’m sure that with the support of you all that we will.
Our handover evening at the Castleton Bowling Club was a Good Night, with ideal weather. Mike Lucas won the bowls, soundly defeating the New President in the final. The supper was well up to the usual standard with several going back for ‘seconds’. I hope that VP Joan will approve a similar evening next year.
As announced previously, my chosen charities this year are Christie’s and the Migraine Action Association. My reason for Christie’s is that I strongly believe that this is one disease that desperately needs all the help it can get. The new radiotherapy unit in Oldham will be our prime target. The MAA is a little known charity, despite being around since 1958, which helps migraine sufferers. Mine started in my early teens but went undiagnosed for some 10 years. One in seven of the population has migraine – so on that basis, there are six of us in the club….
Our first big event is the Craft Fair, on Sunday September 12th. David Acton is already well advanced with his plans to make this year’s event bigger and better and will be seeking support from everyone soon.
By the time you read this, those of you present on the 15th will know too much about me. I hope I will still have your confidence and support after this revealing evening!
Congratulations again to Brian Cunliffe who recently became an honorary member.
Camelot – Many Thanks
Many thanks to Rotary for a brilliant day out at Camelot. The students were all smiles the next day and want to go again! The staff enjoyed it too which was a welcome relief from the sadness we are all feeling (NB this was due to the sad unexpected death of a young member of staff - Ed). Please pass on our thanks to all.
Carole Finn – Redwood School
Message from Secretariat and Treasurer
Members will recall that at our last AGM, a resolution was passed regarding a charge being imposed on members when a meal apology has not been given. This will come into effect from 15th July and the Assistant Secretary, where appropriate, will send out an invoice to the relevant member. If you cannot attend any meeting, then, to avoid a charge being levied, please advise the Assistant Secretary Keith Banks, or in his absence Club Service Convener Christopher Bryning.
A Grand Day Out. - Llangollen
We arrived early at the Masonic (08:30 hrs) to have a trip into Wales. Thirty of us waited anxiously for the coach that was to take to Llangollen and the International Eisteddfod.
We arrived there soon after 11:00. This was my first visit to the annual event and my first time in Llangollen since my teens, when the family enjoyed holidays in North Wales. Once through the entrance, the international nature was immediately apparent, with strange tongues being heard – and not only Gaelic! Apart from people from Europe, there was evidence of African, South American and Indian peoples too.
Apart from the music, which was everywhere, there were many organisations vying for publicity, including Rotary, the Lions and many others, making for a colourful, dynamic spectacle.
We all wandered off in roughly the same direction – clockwise around the site – to make sure we could find the tent where we would be eating later. Bill advised us to be there in good time to ensure a seat. We soon identified the aforementioned tent, and then our group gradually merged into the crowd, to meet up occasionally at different tents, before finally returning to the hospitality tent around 12:15.
We were certainly in good time – in fact almost the first there! We then found out that the introductory speeches would start at 13:00, and would last 30 minutes before we would see any food…. But it was nice to sit down, and we spent the time exchanging notes and planning the afternoon’s activities.
Just before 13:00, the dignitaries arrived. Apart from the President & Vice President of the local club, the district 1150 DG was there and also the newly installed RIBI President, Jim Moulson.
During the pre-lunch speeches, the list of visiting clubs was read out, including two from Australia. But when Rochdale was announced, the assembled multitude was somewhat taken aback when most of the 34 of us rose together! We will be remembered… And our table won the wine competition, with 5 bottles!
The lunch was excellent, and lasted until 15:00. IPP Elvet took me to task for being somewhat retiring and not wearing my ‘gong’, so after we had more or less finished eating, I plucked up courage and approached the head table and the Head Man. He was very nice, and we exchanged a few words. He was pleased to hear that I’d just returned from Dunoon but disappointed that I hadn’t been at the RIBI presidential handover at nearby Paisley that same weekend. We look forward to seeing him at our Conference in the Isle of Mann in September.
We again went our separate ways after lunch. Sue and I spent some time in the main pavilion, seeing some impressive dancing and then made our way into the town, where we spotted Mr & Mrs Kay enjoying an ice-cream – after that big lunch!! The evocative smell of a steam engine then drew us to the station, where Sue allowed me a few nostalgic minutes, before we made our way back to the Eisteddfod. Our last stop there was at an outside stage, where a young lady by the name of Elin Fflur was singing, accompanied by a keyboard and a guitar. I later ‘Googled’ her and learnt that she is well known in Wales, has been singing since she was three, and now also works for the local radio station. She was very good indeed.
And so back to the coach, where we dozed our way home, after very Grand Day Out. Thanks, Bill!
President John.
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