President: Sandy Gibson
Secretary: Brian Curtis 01684 565439 Email: briancurtis@gmail.com
Website: malvern rotaryclub.org
Malvern Mercury Number E1 July &August 2017 Editor: Michael Barraclough
Contents
1. Presidents farewell piece
2. New Presidents address
3.&4. Meetings and duties for July and August
5. Committees for 2017 2018
6. Orla Owen pictures
7. Inner Wheel garden party
8. Club service committee
9. International and Foundation committee
10. Mick Wasley Obituary
PRESIDENTS FAREWELL PIECE
After Monday I can no longer write under this title. The year has flown by. I hope you have enjoyed the last twelve months. I certainly have and I must thank each and everyone for all their help and support. Members of Council have been superb. Paul Harris, Brian Curtis, Sandy Gibson, Iain Selkirk, Keith Clingan, Tony Lyons, Bruce Banister-Harding, and Andrew Bartlett, I salute you. I also thank Brian George for running the Golf Day and Brian Curtis for the Pancake Race.
We have inducted two new members in my year with a third deferred to Sandy’s year due to illness.
Sadly we lost two true Rotarians in Graham Chamberlain, he of the infamous quizzes, and Mick Wasley who was the prime mover behind the Club website and the Tree of Light display. It was Mick and Linda who introduced me to Anne to whom I owe so much. In the last twelve months Mick, Paul and I travelled to the Club meetings together during which journeys we heard numerous stories from Mick, some repeatable, others not. A great loss to the Club and Rotary.
I do believe I have made a better job this time around, I was too young in my previous time as President, however some may not agree!!
Finally I hope Sandy has a great year in 2017-18
Barry Jones
NEW PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS.
I should like first of all to thank Barry for the effort he has put in during his second term as President.
A high light of the next year will be the Club's 70th Anniversary. aim to encourage a high level of interest and involvement from all members of the Club and to show our new members how right they were in their decision to join us. So let us make this a year to remember!
Having spoken to members and from a general feel one gets during Club meetings and events, it appears that indicate a happy atmosphere exists which is good for the future and we should rightly applaud ourselves for our best efforts.
The Theatre Project is of great importance this year both as an operation and a fund-raiser. I hope everyone will help make to it a success.
To aid our aim to attract new members the more the people of Malvern see how our activities are of relevance to the town and its citizens the higher our reputation will grow.
I look forward to leading this club through the next year and I am sure that I shall get the support of all members.
SANDY GIBSON (President )
MEETINGS AND DUTIES FOR JULY AUGUST 2017
All meetings start at 7.0 for 7.30p.m. Apologies must be given to Derham Cook 01886 833554 before 10.00 a.m. on the day of the meeting. If you do not send an apology, you will be expected to pay for the meal. Rotarians are reminded that if they are unable to perform their duties they themselves should arrange a ‘stand-in’ or ‘swap’.
JULY 2017
3rd July 2017
No meeting at golf club
Thai Rama restaurant in Colwall with partners
Host Martin Burton
Cashier Bruce.B.Harding
Visitors Mike Barraclough
Steward/Grace Paul Barker
10th July 2017[Buffet]
Committees
Host Basil Dewing
Cashier Richard Chapman
Visitors Mike Cook
Steward/Grace Keith Clingan
17th July 2017[Dinner]
Speaker Malcolm Rolfe - 'Hope and Homes for Children'
Host Ron Earp
Cashier Mike Dunwoody
Visitors Ron Fletcher
Steward/Grace Cyril Furniss
24th July 2017 [Buffet]
Business meeting
Host Paul Kenney
Cashier Brian George
Visitors David Jones
Steward/Grace David Howarth
31st July 2017 [Dinner]
Dinner with Partners
Speaker Mark Jones - "Travelling in Somalia with Monty"
Host Iain Selkirk
Cashier Peter Lucas
Visitors Rex Plimmer
Steward/Grace Tony Lyons
OTHER EVENTS IN JULY
Saturday 22nd July Presidents Barbecue at Val & Brian Georges home
Friday & Saturday 28th 29th July Welland Steam Rally
AUGUST 2017
7th August 2017 [Buffet]
Committees
Host Roger Watson
Cashier Kevin Styles
Steward/Grace Harry Tanner
Visitors Cyril Furniss
14th August 2017 [Dinner]
Speaker District Governor
Host Mike Barraclough
Cashier John Williams
Visitors Bruce Bannister.Harding
Steward/Grace Paul Barker
21st August 2017 [Dinner]
Speaker Jane Patel - CEO of St Richard's Hospice
Host Mike Cook
Cashier Martin Burton
Visitors Keith Clingan
Steward/Grace Richard Chapma
28th August 2017
NO MEETING BANK HOLIDAY
OTHER EVENTS IN AUGUST
FUTURE EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 2017
Setember 2017 [Dinner]
Speaker
Host David Jones
Cashier Brian George
Steward/Grace David Howarth
COMMITTEES FOR 2017 2018
COMMUNITY, YOUTH AND VOCATIONAL.
Mike Barraclough (Chairman)
Paul Barker,
Mike Cooke, Basil Dewing,
Mike Dunwoody, Ron Fisher,
Paul Harris, David Haworth, Peter Lucas,
Harry Tanner, John Williams.
INTERNATIONAL AND FOUNDATION.
Ron Earp, Ron Fletcher,
Cyril Furniss, Brian George,
Barry Jones, David Jones,
Paul Kenney, Stan Keysell,
Tony Lyons, Greville Megson,
Rex Plimmer, Kevin Styles.
CLUB SERVICE
Andrew Bartlett,
Bruce Banister Harding
Martin Burton,
Richard Chapman,
Derham Cook,
Roger Watson.
COUNCIL
Brian Curtis,
Keith Clingan,
Iain Selkirk,
Paul Harris.
ORLA OWEN
You will recall the two missives that we published from Orla Owen about her experiences in India. She said that she was intrigued to find out what it would be like to celebrate Christmas away from home. These pictures show some of the pupils with whom she was involved and their colourful dress and cheerful faces tell their own story. As Orla said, “it was not my average Christmas and one I will never forget.”
INNER WHEEL GARDEN PARTY
Some members with friends, partners and other Rotarians enjoying the Inner Wheel garden party held at Rushpool Cottage by kind permission of Martin and Jenny Burton.
CLUB SERVICE COMMITTEE
Plans for 2017-18
Our focus will be on 5 elements this year
Membership - House Keeping – Fellowship – Communication - Speakers
Membership
We will focus on
Expansion – Monday + Satellite
Environment – Programme and atmosphere
Retention – “Once we have found them, never let them go”
Programme
Mentoring
We now have 4 new Rotarians. During the coming year we would like to propose we have 2 membership meetings to foster new people into the fold of Rotary. A meeting with all the new members will be held to listen to their thoughts on Rotary and any question they might have on the running of our club
House Keeping
Derham will continue as house officer.
We will aim to put in place a small number of club stewards to ensure that the PA equipment etc is always set up.
Remember Apologies – the greatest cost of being a member is the dinner we have each Monday, so please ensure any apologies are given to Derham within the usual time-scales as failure to do so will incur the cost of the meal which will be sought from the offending member.
Communication
Webmaster – Andrew Bartlett has managed to get “administrator” status to our web site, so will try and pick up where Mick had been doing a splendid job.
Social Media – we aim to drag ourselves into the 21st century and use Facebook as a medium to communicate with the outside world. More about this as our plans are fleshed out.
The Mercury – Mike will continue to produce this in a revised format, sending it as as an attachment to an Email. We will also place a copy on the club website.
Speakers
Roger is our speaker secretary for this year and is already filling our speaker slots with a mix of charities/good causes and speakers of interest. Along with suggesting events or activities you would like us to consider, please also contact Roger with suggestions of speakers that you think
would be of interest.
Andrew Bartlett Chairman,
Club Service 2017/18
INTERNATIONAL AND FOUNDATION COMMITTEE
Summary of programme for 2017-18
Support for Hope and Homes, Mercy Ships and Shelter Boxes and Great Malvern School and its twinning with Tanga School in Tanzania if approached and if funds are available at end of year. It goes without saying but support for End Polio Now will continue.
We shall be holding another clothes collection in the Autumn to support Malcolm Rankin for his charity, which uses and sells clothes in Uganda so please start searching for clothes that you haven’t worn for a couple of years.
Lend with Care is a ‘crowd-funding’ exercise helping entrepreneurs in the third world. We have invested £425, lent £690 to 17 entrepreneurs, helping 472 family members and the creation of 40 jobs. An increase of £150 in our investment and a donation of £50 to the organisation will be sought as it relies entirely on donations to meet all its running costs.
Support for Tools for Self Reliance started earlier this year will continue with the support of Bradford’s for the ongoing collection of old tools and there was a one day collection at B&Q. A trailer full of tools was taken to the branch at Crickhowell. However a local branch is being set up at British Camp by Martin Blamire.
Following an excellent talk by Jenny Houghton from 'Send a Cow' a couple of months ago we propose to support her this year. Further investigation of the Ugandan Orphans Project she mentioned where £370 would feed one family for a full year will be carried out to see how we can help.
A Film Race Night fund-raising event will be held in Colwall Village Hall on the 1st December.
We shall also be holding our Annual International Dinner.
The cost of this programme is estimated to be £ 2270
Tony Lyons (Chairman)
Mick Wasley 16th October 1941 – 12th May 2017
Mick was born in Redditch, the son of four children, the youngest of whom was his sister Pat who died 12 years ago. The Wasley family was full of police personnel. Mick's grandfather was a p0lice inspector in the force and his great grandfather had come to Upton as a police constable, third class and later returned as inspector. We have photographs of him astride a horse and sporting an empty eye socket, which was the result of some fracas with a member of the public who had not willingly abided by the law. Now two more members of the family are in the force.
From his early youth Mick had two passions: music and maths. He was lead choir boy at his local church and made all his aunties cry when they heard his beautiful soprano voice. Of course he retained his love of music and sang in various adult choirs. His last choir at Redditch was The Primrose Choir and they sang regularly to raise money to fund the wonderful Primrose Hospice in palliative care work. Kay Hadley, Mick's friend from school, was the choir's musical director and she and Mick retained their friendship until his death, When we moved to Upton, Mick joined Hanley Voices and for a while managed to sing in both choirs until for some reason they both began to rehearse on the same night which prompted him to make a choice of the more local one.
Mick gained a scholarship to the County High School in Kingsnorton but only managed one term as he was so travel sick on the school bus every day, his parents had to withdraw him and then he went to his local school. He enjoyed school, particularly Latin, French and maths but could not wait to leave to join the air-force. He was plane crazy. He had pictures of planes in his study, masses of plane literature, a plane finder on his Ipad and every time a plane crossed the Ham where we lived together , he was outside with his binoculars. He was very happy in the air-force, a member of the RAF band, playing the cornet, and a load master which gave him an opportunity to use his maths to the full He was the neatest packer of suitcases I have ever seen. I suppose the skill came from much practise – he had travelled the world many time over and if you know how to pack a plane, I expect a suitcase is no trouble at all. Another interest was birds. When he was recently allowed home from hospital for a few days, his first inspection was the bird table and the feeding stations to ensure that all was present and correct. He had a great many bird books and again the fieldglasses were useful for the purposes of recognition.
Mick was the world's best at volunteering. He was web-master and committee member and stage erector for his choir; he did power point presentations for anyone who had a job interview pending; he minuted the minutes for an investment club of which he was a member and of course he was responsible for Tree of Light and the Malvern Rotary Club Website as well as being on the theatre group committee. Our neighbours came to him for help and advice which he was always ready to give (even if he was guessing!) and he loved a project or problem to solve.
When his life became less frenetic he spent time puzzling over cryptic crosswords and playing 'Words with Friends on his phone, although he complained bitterly that it allowed words which normal Scrabble did not and used American spellings which was unforgivable. He played with people all over the world so he was still travelling from his armchair.
Mick’s wife was a secretary in the RAF when they met and had two lovely children, Alison and Mark. Mick was also particularly proud to have a grandson, Charlie. They often spent time together making model planes and drones and flying them on the Ham outside our garden, until they came home because they had lost them! I was expected to find them which I usually could because they had what I call a 'Man Look' I am still looking for things now and if I were to admonish him for 'storing' things in weird places, he would surely reply,”it's a gift.”