What is Rotary all about?  Click on the rotating wheel above.

The Rotary Club of Launceston 

Visiting Rotarians and their partners will receive a very warm welcome at any of our meetings - please advise the secretary via the contact form.

For details please click on JOIN LAUNCESTON ROTARY CLUB 

St Giles' cheque for ShelterBox

At a recent meeting of the Launceston Rotary Club Trish Shanks of the St Giles Women’s Guild told members of the history of the Guild which was first formed in 1952, now meets once a month on a Tuesday evening in Coronation Hall and has a membership of 40.

They enjoy a wide range of activities including visiting speakers that vary from flower arranging to policing and also enjoy visits to local places of interest.

Every year, in January, they decide on which charity they are going to support and this year they saw the television reports on Haiti and the pictures that showed that ShelterBox were already in country.   In addition this was a Cornish Charity so it was selected as their charity for the year.

By holding a ‘Bring and Buy’ sale and a Village Fete, at which Rotarian Richard Ilsley gave a talk and presentation about ShelterBox, they raised a magnificent £515.

Trish handed this cheque to Rotary President Bill Maddock who thanked her for her talk and asked her to take the thanks of Rotary and ShelterBox back to her members.

Vehicles for Kosova

Once again members of the Rotary Club of Launceston are actively involved in helping those less fortunate than ourselves living abroad.  A Mercedes mini bus adapted for use by the disabled is being prepared ready to be driven the 2000 miles or so to Kosova where it will be used for the benefit of the disabled community in and around Gjakova.  Club members in conjunction with local fire fighters are also helping to finance the cost of taking a Dennis fire appliance to Kosova.

For full story click here

Club Changeover

On Monday 28th June the Rotary Club of Launceston thanked outgoing President Paul Smith PHF as he handed the reins of the club over to incoming President Bill Maddock.

Outgoing President Paul (left) congratulates new President Bill

Victorian Market 2010

"The sun shines on the Righteous" said the Mayor Councilor Paul O'Brien as he opened the Victorian Market 2010 on Saturday 26th June.  The sun shone and crowds thronged around Launceston Square as the Local Charities and Organisations manned their stalls and sold their wares.  The award winning Town Band played as magnificently as ever as the Twinners made their crepes and the Town Band volunteers filled the air with the aroma of bacon butties.  A great day was had by all thanks to the organiser Rotarian Ray Ripley.

The grand opening of the Victorian Market with Organiser Rtn Ray Ripley, Mayor and Mayoress Councillor and Mrs Paul O'Brien,  Rotary President Paul Smith with the Launceston  Town Crier Rob Tremaine

For more photographs of the day click here.

President's Night 2010

Saturday 19th June 2010 saw the 2nd President's Night for President Paul Smith.  As he neared the end of his second year of office Rotarians and their guests gathered at the Trethorne Leisure Farm for a sumptuous meal, good wine and hilarious entertainment.  The evening was topped off when Past President Neville Helme presented President Paul with a Paul Harris Fellowship for Paul's long service to Rotary in general and to the Rotary Club of Launceston in particular. The Paul Harris Fellowship is the highest award that a Rotary Club can present to a member.  Congratulations Paul.

Past President Neville presents the award to President Paul

Rotarians at the President's Night

For more photographs of the evening click here

What does Rotary do Internationally - click on here to view a video 

What do we do in the Launceston Club! Click here to get some idea.

Club Newsletters Click Here

District 1290 Overseas Project Team (Video - click here)
To donate direct to ShelterBox  please click on the boxes

 

Rotary Citizen of the Year

A recent meeting saw a guest speaker at Rotary's weekly meeting.Cynthia Downing came to the club and told members of her voluntary work with the sufferers of Dementia since 1984 and more recently with the setting up of the Launceston Memory Café.

At the conclusion of her talk Rotary President Paul Smith presented her with a cheque for £400 for the Memory Café and then sprang a surprise on her by presenting her with a silver salver as the Rotary Citizen of the Year 2010.

Sponsored Slim

Before...........................After

Mayor of Launceston Paul O'Brien (left) challenged Rotarian Peter Casey to a sponsored diet.  The weigh in was at Launceston Hospital on 26th January 2010 and the two 'contestants' returned for weighing on the 17th May.  The Mayor had lost an impressive 33lbs, but Peter pipped him to the post with a loss of 40lbs.  The sponsored diet was to raise funds for the Launceston Town Band and Rotary Charities.  Those who have already promised sponsorship are now being chased for their money.  Anyone who did not sign a sponsorship form, but would like to help is asked to contact Peter Casey

Launceston Rotary Disabled Sports Day

Working in partnership with Launceston College the Launceston Rotary Club ran its annual Disabled Sports Day on Sunday 9th May using the grounds and facilities of the College.  Gateway clubs from across Cornwall were bussed in to join in a series of 'It's a Knockout' type games and enjoy a lunch of burgers, hotdogs etc kindly donated by local butchers and bakers.  Photograph above shows the participants enjoying one of events.  For more photos see the gallery.

Group Study Exchange Team visit from Venezuela

The Rotary Foundation's Group Study Exchange (GSE) programme is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for business-people and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers.  The visiting GSE team from Venezuela visited the Launceston Club on 27th April and are seen here exchanging banners with Rotary President Paul Smith in the presence  of the Mayor and Mayoress of Launceston Councillor and Mrs Paul O'Brien.  Also pictured is one of the visitors Corina Sotilla Koifman who was presented with a birthday cake to celebrate her birthday the following day.

Launceston Rotary link with Launceston Tasmania to plant trees

Pictured left to right - District Governor Ken Edmonds, RIBI President David Fowler, and Launceston Mayor Paul O'Brien

The Rotary Club of Launceston have linked with the Rotary Club of Launceston Tasmania to plant trees on the same day as a mark of friendship between the two clubs and as an example of the International nature of Rotary.On Friday 26^th February the President of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland(RIBI), David Fowler and his wife Daphne traveled to Launceston, Cornwall to join the District Governor of the Cornwall and West Devon areas, Ken Edmonds and local Rotarians from Launceston to plant a 'Cheals Weeping Cherry' (Prunus Kiku-Shidare-Zakura) in the grounds of Launceston Museum at Lawrence House.

Mayor Paul O'Brien joined the group and after the planting they all enjoyed some light refreshment.  On the same day, in the grounds of a National trust property – Franklin House – in Launceston, Tasmania, the local Rotary Club there planted a Copper Beech.Amongst the invited guests in Tasmania was Alderman Tony Peck who was the Mayor of Launceston, Tasmania when the then Mayor John Barnes visited Tasmania at the end of his year of office.

David Fowler, RIBI President said, "This is a Friendship Tree Planting in the true spirit of Paul Harris who founded Rotary 105 years ago and I am delighted to be involved."

Thanks for Life - Polio Eradication

During Thanks for Life Week the 'Go Global Gang' at Launceston College gave presentations each morning to the Year Assemblies telling the students about the campaign, by Rotary, to eradicate Polio from the face of the planet.  These presentations were the lead up to a Non Uniform Day on Friday 26th February.  They were joined on the Thursday by local MP - Dan Rogerson who added his voice to the appeal and explained how important it was to try and eradicate this terrible disease.  He made his donation to the Polio Campaign then went on to receive from the children their work following Red Hand Day, when the children petition to end the terrible enslavement of children to be child soldiers.  The 'Go Global Gang' are pictured below giving their presentation.

As of 2nd March a total of £1520 had been raised by collections at Tesco and in the town square and by events at St Catherines Primary School, St Giles Priamry School and Launceston College.  Another event is planned later this week at St Stephens Primary School and the students at the College are currently running a 'Guess the number of Sweets in the Jar' competition.  Thank you Launceston and most importantly thank you to the young people of Launceston.

In the next 30 days..

06/09/2010  Club Weekly Meeting -  Fellowship followed by Committee Meetings.  
13/09/2010  Club Weekly Meeting -  Business Meeting.  
20/09/2010  Club Weekly Meeting -  Weekly Meeting.  
27/09/2010  Club Weekly Meeting -  Weekly Meeting.  

Last Meeting

30/08/2010 Topic: Bank Holiday - no meeting