Speaker Meeting (Zoom), 6pm

Mon, Nov 9th 2020 at 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Speaker: Rotary District 1100 Governor 2020/21, Chris Firth


Is it possible to summarise a 6,000 word* joint presentation in less than 250 words?  I’ll have a go.

DG Chris Firth (Rotary Club of Royal Wootton Bassett & District) wants us to consider where we as a Club are now and where we want to be in the future.  We should ponder 3 words, he said, change, collaboration and communication.

Change.  Due to Covid the pace of change that Rotary is undergoing is like nothing ever seen before.  Some of the changes are good and we may want to continue with them in the future.

Collaboration.  Clubs should share and do more together and an umbrella website, or a “landing place”, covering all the Swindon clubs would be a good idea worth pursuing. 

Communication.  Rotary is extremely poor at promoting itself.  We must improve our PR and learn how to use social media to our best advantage.

At the conclusion of his 40-minute talk the DG invited his “virtual chauffeur” to say a few words so for a further 5 minutes or thereabouts Nick Parker informed us of all the many events and initiatives that the RWB & District Club is doing whilst normal meetings are suspended.

Finally, the DG had some news of interest to us.  Sadly, he said, our former member, PDG Peter Hayman, was admitted to hospital last week following a fall injuring his head. He has been discharged today and is being cared for at his home by Denise.  Secondly, Lynda Morse (E-Club of West of England) is to be appointed Assistant District Governor for the Greater Swindon Area.

Done it, 244 words

*Do the maths – apparently an average speaker talks at the rate of 130 words per minute

'What We Do' Main Pages:

Children's bereavement charity Wiltshire Treehouse is based in Swindon

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A Partner Club is a Rotary club that supports ShelterBox's work in disaster relief by donating over £2,000 in a Rotary year

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24th October is World Polio Day

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From Rotary Club local heats to national finals, Rotary Youth Competitions in a range of creative areas let young people’s skills flourish.

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Brighter Futures launched their Radiotherapy Appeal in 2015. Today, 7 years later, a ribbon cutting ceremony has taken place at the Great Western Hospital

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£1286 has been sent from our Emergency Disaster Fund to the Disasters Emergency Committee UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN APPEAL

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Rotary’s second major donation, of £208,000, was handed over on 7th July 2021 when local Rotarians visited the Great Western Hospital to view the build progress of the nearly completed radiotherapy unit.

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A brief summary of our Rotary year ending 30/06/2023

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Giving money and support to the people in Swindon & district who need it most

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We went to the races in March. It was a meeting with 10 races, 8 riders in each. It wasn’t at Epsom, or Haydock Park, or just up the M4 at Newbury. It was, of all places, in Wanborough Village Hall.

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"In musical entertainment Swindon punches way above its weight. Some of the youngsters we've heard tonight will go on to make a name for themselves"

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The Rotary Club of North Wiltshire (the name was changed to the Rotary Club of Swindon North in 2008) received its charter from Rotary International on 28th September 1966

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Rotarian Terry Williams' remarkable and unique fund raising effort, living in a ShelterBox emergency tent for a week in the Market Place, Highworth

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