Visit of RIBI President

Lunchtime meeting
It was a great honour for the club to welcome the President of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland to our meeting.  President Ray Burman talked passionately about the Rotary movement and how it had influenced his own life.  For example, long before he became a Rotarian, when he was a young 'bobby' on the beat, he benefited from a Group Study Exchange, during which has was sent to Rio De Janeiro for 6 weeks. 
He went on to underline the importance of our continued support for 'Foundation', (the umbrella for all Rotary International charities).  It has a huge and vitally important impact around the globe.  Ray said we should be proud to be members of the greatest service club in the world and emphasized the need for us to go out and broadcast the great work we are doing, from Polio Eradication, to the support of local charities such as Hop-Skip and Jump.
Pictured below is Bob Barrett (President of Swindon Thamesdown RC), Martin Grieves (District Governor), Ray Burman, Richard Everitt (our own President) and Jan Blankenstein (President of Swindon RC):

After lunch
After our meeting, Ray took the time to meet up with Paul Heaphy (Mayor of Wootton Bassett), and Owen Collier (Town Crier) and is pictured, with others, at the War Memorial: