We had a change to our usual meeting format today. We invited local business people and others to come along so we could tell them something about Rotary, our Club, the Satellite Rotary Club of Chelmsford City, and the way Rotary and businesses can co-operate to benefit the community. It proved to be a great success. Twenty-three people joined our normal contingent of Rotarians.
Visitors were asked to arrive from noon onward. Club members descended on Hamptons from 11 am to help set up display banners from both our Club and the District.
The main purpose of the meeting was to enable Rotarians and visitors to get to know each other. Every visitor was met at the door and we started simply by standing and chatting in small groups. There was a cash bar run by Hamptons. In our small groups we were able to learn more about our visitors and their businesses and interests and tell them something about our Club and its activities and projects. We also told those who might not be able to attend our Club meetings at Thursday lunchtimes about the Satellite Club, which meets twice a month on Saturday mornings and is much more informal, catering for those with young families. Two of our visitors were from the Satellite Club.
A light lunch was served from 12:30. Stan Keller, the Chair of our Public Image Committee, wanted to show a short video about Rotary but decided to do that while we were still eating to avoid interrupting all the conversations that were going on.
After the lunch we had a series of short presentations by members of our Club about projects they are involved in, including our projects in Pakistan, Sierra Leone and at the forthcoming Chelmsford Frost Fair. Stan explained the different types of Club membership available and Anne Moriaty talked about our Business Partnerships. There was also a short presentation by one of the Satellite Club members.
A representative of BirkettLong, one of our Business Partners, spoke about the services his firm provides and the ways the link with our Club helps them serve the community. We also had a short address by a representative of local charity Kids Inspire, which is supported by our Club and for which we will be raising funds through the Santa’s Grotto we are running at the Frost Fair.
There were further conversations as we all got ready to leave and Club members packed up the banners again. We wait to see how many of those who came might wish to become members or link up with our Club in other ways. We hope we have generated some interest in the Satellite Club as well.