2023-24 programme

Planning ahead

Our meeting today was devoted to a discussion of our future activities, including the structure of meetings. We have already relaxed our dress code.President Francis said that this was the last time we would see him at a Club meeting wearing a suit! We will look for more secular forms of grace with which to start our meals. (After the meeting one member suggested that we put the Thought for the Day in the place of the grace.) The reporting of apologies and visits to other Clubs at each meeting will be abandoned. The Loyal Toast and the Rotary Toast will be retained.

We agreed that, instead of the various committees discussing their own projects and then reporting to the Council and the next Business Meeting, the projects should be discussed by the whole Club at the Business Meetings so that all members are involved and the pool of people aware of what is going on and able to help is increased. Our successful Santa’s Grotto will continue as one of our major projects for this year and possibly expanded.

The meetings on the third Thursdays of each month will not take the traditional form. Arrangements have already been made for the third Thursdays in July, September and November to be visits to Sanctus, a local charity supporting homeless people. On the third Thursday in August we will hold a garden party at Anne Moriaty’s house. There are various suggestions as to what we should do on the third Thursday in October and other third Thursdays going forward.

When we have speakers they will be asked to restrict what they say to about twenty minutes, which will allow for a prompter finish.