30/06/2003 - Topic: Italian Evening At Monday's meeting, the last of the Rotary year, the club enjoyed an 'Italian Evening'. The chef at the Deganwy Castle Hotel prepared a sumptious Italian meal which was followed by fun and games on an Italian theme. The International Toast was made to the Rotary Club of Milano Cà Granda. Pictured is President Chris Sweeney at the Aquabox depot in Wirksworth, delivering the final boxes for this Rotary year. Conwy have filled 57 boxes this year - a record for the Rotary District? This weekend, members will again be organising and manning two bars at the Blue Grass Festival, an event that has become a main fund raiser over the years. Money raised from this event goes to a wide variety of causes both locally and throughout the world. Next Monday's meeting, the first in July, will be 'Handover', when the incoming club president, Rotarian Richard Davies, assumes office.
23/06/2003 - Topic: Meeting on Wednesday instead - Boat Trip 65 members and guests enjoyed a beautiful summer's evening cruise on the river Conwy, with a tasty buffet supper. Pictures of the event will be published shortly. Apprximately £140 was raised towards Ty Gobaieth, the new children's Hospice being built in the locality. Next week's meeting, the last of the Rotary year, will be a fun evening on an Italian theme!
16/06/2003 - Topic: Club Assembly incoming president, Rotarian Richard Davies introduced his team and plans for the coming Rotary year, beginning July 1st The current president, Rotarian Chris Sweeney, reported that a total of 57 Aquaboxes had been filled this year, in addition to the two Aquabox 30's that had been donated by Somerfield PLC. This enables a staggering 69,300 litres of dirty water to be purified for drinking. The boxes have been sent all round the world, including Iraq, Sierra Leone, the Cameroons and Ghana. The president thanked all the club and various organisations and local businesses who have supported the campaign. Next week's meeting will not be held on Monday, but instead will be on Wednesday 25th, when a pleasureable cruise on the river Conwy with buffet supper will be enjoyed by members and guests.
09/06/2003 - Topic: Strategic Tourism Growth At its meeting on Monday, Conwy Rotary Club welcomed Mr Tim Manson from Conwy Council as the guest speaker, to talk about 'Strategic Tourism Growth'. This initiative, created by the Welsh Tourist Board, has £2 million worth of grant money available and is aimed at continuing to develop Llandudno and Conwy's lead in tourism business. The emphasis is on attracting fishing/cycling/walking groups, together with other groups who have not been typical visitors to the area. Other funding projects include the cycle route from West Shore to Conwy, Conwy Quay, Deganwy Dock, Llandudno pier development and the theatre site. A major project is the redevelopment of the Llandudno railway station which will involve integrating coach, bus and rail travel to Llandudno. Tim was able to answer a wide variety of questions concerning numerous developments in the area. Mr Manson was thanked for a highly informative and interesting talk by the president, Chris Sweeney. The International Toast was to the Rotaract club of Hamilton-McMaster in Canada. President Chris informed the club that their Internet project to help in Rotary's goal to eradicate Polio from the world now raised $500 per year, with numbers, and therefore money raised, increasing steadily. The Rotary year is drawing to a close and the president is anxious to fill the remaining Aquaboxes; all that is now required is a variety of good, clean second-hand clothing. Details are available on the club website at www.conwyrotary.org. Next week's meeting is the club assembly, at which next years president, Richard Davies, and his team of incoming officers will outline their plans for the year.
02/06/2003 - Topic: Peter Glover President Chris Sweeney introduced the speaker at Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel. Peter Glover, who is a member of the Rotary Club of Knowle and Dorridge, in the Midlands, is interested in military history, and gave an account of the formation of the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment during WW2. He then followed the career of one officer in the regiment, from his first operation in Italy in 1941, to the fiasco at Arnhem - being captured there for the second time and managing to escape again. He was thanked by Alan Swinson. The president announced that the proposed trip next Monday to the Anglesey Brewery had been cancelled, and that the club would meet at the hotel for a meal. He also stressed the urgency of the need for Aquaboxes, following the recent disasters. There were none available in store, and he asked the members to get more filled as quickly as possible.
19/05/2003 - Topic: Thomas Torok The speaker at this Monday's meeting was Thomas Torok. Originally from Szeged in Hungary, Mr Torok's passion in life is wine, and he gave a fascinating insight into the history of wine making, and the things to look for in a good wine. He will be attending another meeting shortly, to complete his talk, when the club will be having an Italian Evening. President Chris Sweeney thanked him, and confirmed that the meeting on the 9th June would be a trip to the Anglesey Brewery, and that the trip on the River Conwy had been arranged for Wednesday, 25th June, and that ladies and guests were invited. Any profits from the event would go to the Hope House appeal. There is no meeting next Monday (Bank Holiday), but the speaker on 2nd June will be Peter Glover.
12/05/2003 - Topic: Business Meeting/AGM Monday's business meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel was followed by the AGM, at which the officers of the various committees reported on the results of the year's efforts. President Chris Sweeney was pleased with the club's achievements in the local community and also internationally. The major project had been in the filling of Aquaboxes, and he noted that these had been featured on TV being unloaded at Baghdad airport. In the community, Ian Trevette reported on the club's part in the reorganisation of the Guide Dogs for the Blind, and various fund raising activities. The president mentioned that the sum of œ360 had been collected at Tesco last Monday for Ty Gobaith, which brings to over £14,000 the contribution of Rotary clubs in the district to the Hope House appeal. He also mentioned that the total raised by the movement nationwide over the past 10 years for Hope House was over £250,000, much of it from the district. The club agreed to sponsor two young local people - one hoping to spend her gap year teaching at a school in southern Africa, and the other wanting to join a sail training ship for experience. It is hoped to be able to arrange some outdoor activities over the summer months, including a visit to a brewery and a trip on the river.
28/04/2003 - Topic: RAF Valley Today The speaker at Monday's meeting was Merv Clackett, who is the General Manager of BRAMA, the Anglo-American firm which runs RAF Valley, in Anglesey. After retiring as a Squadron Leader in the RAF, he remained involved in aircraft engineering, and took over his present position a few years ago. He gave a brief history of the airfield, from its construction in 1941 as a fighter base for the defence of Liverpool, to its present function of training fast jet pilots and instructors for the RAF and the Royal Navy. It is also the home of the Air/Sea rescue helicopters of 22 Squadron. The majority of the staff at Valley are local civilians employed by BRAMA, and they are responsible for the maintenance of the airfield and its 75 aircraft, catering, transport, airfield aids, warehousing and emergency services. He was thanked, on behalf of the members, by Eugene Garvey. President Chris Sweeney announced the filling of another 4 Aquaboxes, bringing the total, so far, to 32, with more to be filled. There is no meeting next Monday, which is a bank holiday, but the club will be collecting at Tesco Stores in Llandudno Junction in aid of Hope House on that day. The meeting on Monday, 12th May at the Deganwy Castle Hotel, is the AGM, and all members are urged to attend.
14/04/2003 - Topic: My Year in Malawi President Chris Sweeney opened the meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel on Monday evening by announcing that the number of Aquaboxes so far filled, or promised, had reached 28. Also, the Stroke Association had announced that the recent day's effort, withRotary's help, had resulted in 123,800 blood pressure readings nationwide. He then introduced the speaker, Kate Palmieri. Kate Palmieri, a former pupil at Ysgol Aberconwy, had raised enough sponsorship from people and organisations, including Conwy Rotary Club, to go to Malawi for a year as a volunteer teacher, under the aegis of the Project Trust charity. She was based in the capital, Lilongwe, and taught at a school run by the Nazarene church. Dressed in a beautiful African dress, she described some of the difficulties she met, including the rigid class system, the famine, and the occasional indiscipline of the children. But her overall feeling was of love for the people she met, and she hoped to be able to return there some day. She is currently studying Geography at Lancaster University, and then hopes to take a further degree in teaching. She was thanked by Margaret Trevette. There is no meeting on Easter Monday, and the speaker on 28th April will be Merv Clackett, who is associated with the maintenance of aircraft at RAF Valley.
07/04/2003 - Topic: Daphne Richardson - Personalities President Chris Sweeney opened Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel by thanking members for the support given at the Stroke Awareness event at Tesco store on Saturday. Nearly 100 people had their blood pressure taken by health professionals at Llandudno Junction, and the numbers reported elsewhere in the county were similarly high. Following the success of the club's visit last year to the Rotary Club of Dublin, it was agreed to consider another visit abroad later in the year, and members were asked to suggest possible venues, and to include the possibiliy of an overnight stay. The speaker was Daphne Richardson, who described herself as a retired secretary, but is also a writer. Her association with Llandudno began during the war, when she was evacuated from London. After the war she returned to London and took a secretarial course, and, with her middle European Jewish background, she took a job at the West London synagogue, where she was secretary to a succession of Rabbis, including Hugo Grun and Lionel Blue. She married the organist and music teacher Arnold Richardson, who was not Jewish, and became involved with a multi-faith group, where she met a Carmelite prior. She went as a voluntary worker to Aylsford Priory for one month, and stayed for 13 years as secretary. She was thanked by the president. The speaker at next week's meeting is Kate Palmieri, who will describe her experiences during a year in Malawi.
31/03/2003 - Topic: Membership Development Evening Representatives from 10 Rotary clubs in North Wales attended a seminar at the Deganwy Castle Hotel on Monday, hosted by the Rotary Club of Conwy, and presented by Tony Cotton, who is the chairman of the District 1180 Membership Services Committee. They discussed the issue of attracting new members, and what changes might be needed to achieve this. Vice-president Richard Davies proposed the vote of thanks. President Chris Sweeney reminded the Conwy club members of the Stroke Awareness campaign, with members and nurses attending at Tesco stores in Llandudno Junction on Saturday. He also warned that there would be a need for as many as 1000 Aquaboxes in the wake of the Iraq war, and he announced that the £250 raised in the raffle at the recent Charter Night would be earmarked for that purpose. Another 4 boxes had been filled, and would be taken to the storage depot on Wednesday. The speaker at next week's meeting will be Daphne Richardson.
24/03/2003 - Topic: Charter Night (Friday 21st) Last Friday saw the celebration of the 65th Charter Anniversary of the Rotary Club of Conwy at The Deganwy Castle Hotel. President Chris Sweeney welcomed 85 members and guests, who enjoyed a party atmosphere, with contributions from guest speaker Mr Nigel Broadhurst, Commercial Director of Somerfield PLC and Rotarian John Bird, the District Governor for Rotary International District 1180, of which Conwy is a member. Highlights of the evening included the award of The President's Cup, given each year to a club member who has made a significant contribution in the club. Rotarian Ian Trevette, the Community Services Chair, was this year's recipient for his efforts in involving the club in many service projects and the founding of a group for the Guide Dogs Association - a collection for which raised £1,000 at Tesco last week. The president had also organised a surprise for Rotarian Garth Mann, who was honoured by being made a Paul Harris Fellow (PHF). Several members of his old club in the Midlands were present to see him receive the award, including John Quinton, who had introduced Garth to Rotary. The PHF is awarded to people who have made an outstanding contribution in furthering Rotary's aims. Proceeds of the raffle will go towards the clubs 'Aquabox' efforts; 20 of these water purification boxes have been filled so far this year and with the situation in Iraq, there is a desperate need for more to cope with an anticipated refugee crisis. Next week's meeting commences at 6.30pm and is a district 1180 membership development seminar.
17/03/2003 - Topic: Keith Jones - Health Service Management President Chris Sweeney was pleased to hear that club members were able to help the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association to raise nearly £1000 at their collection on Saturday at Tesco store in Llandudno Junction. By coincidence, the treasurer of the GDBA was the guest speaker at the meeting on Monday, but he was talking about the way in which the NHS was administered, and the changes that have taken place in the years since he started his career in management. Keith Jones, who is a member of the Llandudno Rotary club, was Chief Executive of the NHS in Manchester, based at the University Hospital, with a budget of £275 million. He pointed out that the NHS is the largest single employer in the whole of Western Europe, with over 1 million employees, and it is hardly surprising that there are problems. Patients expect more, and better, treatment, and are more liable to take legal action, but he said that most complaints were dealt with without going to court. He was thanked by Rotarian Bernie Rish. The next meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel is on Friday, when the club celebrates its annual Charter night. There is no meeting on the following Monday.
10/03/2003 - Topic: Business Meeting Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel was a business meeting. Among the items discussed was the forthcoming nationwide Rotary involvement with the Stroke Awareness campaign on Saturday, April 5th, when club members will be helping medical professionals to measure the blood pressure of shoppers at Tesco's store in Llandudno Junction. The President expressed his appreciation for the efforts of local organisations and individuals in filling 14 Aquaboxes so far, with another 4 partly full. If you and your neighbours would like to fill a box, then contact Chris Sweeney on 572121 for a printed list of the preferred contents - nearly all of which are surplus items stored away and never used. The speaker next week will be Ken Jones, a member of the Llandudno Rotary club.
03/03/2003 - Topic: Antiques Quiz - Mr Stewart Coxon Members' knowledge of antiques and collectables was tested at Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel, when Stewart Coxon and Kath Jones challenged them to identify, date and value items. Stewart, who is a member of the Rhos-on-sea Rotary Club, first became interested in antiques at a very early age, when he helped to dismantle the family Anderson air raid shelter after the war, and discovered a silver groat of 1425 amongst the debris. Since that time he has accumulated so much more, that he is about to open a shop to sell collectables in Llandudno Junction, to add to his normal business of providing security services. The winner of the quiz, with a very low score, was the team led by Margaret Trevette. There was no prize on offer, but the raffle prize was won by Kath Jones. President Chris Sweeney thanked the speakers. Ian Trevette, who is the secretary of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, asked for volunteers to transport those blind people and their dogs who would be collecting at Tesco stores on Saturday, 15th March. Next week will be a combined council and business meeting, at which details of the forthcoming Charter Night on Friday, 21st March, will be finalised.
24/02/2003 - Topic: Carol Fisher - The Stroke Association President Chris Sweeney welcomed guests and Rotarians from five local clubs to a special meeting on Monday, to hear a talk by Carole Fisher. She is the Education, Training and Information Officer for the Stroke Association, and she was briefing the members about their part in the forthcoming Stroke Awareness Day. She began by explaining the causes of strokes - smoking, fatty foods, excess salt, lack of exercise and high blood pressure are factors which cause blockages or haemorrhages in the body, leading to parts of the brain being affected. The condition is more common in older patients, but happens even in young children. The Stroke Association is a charity which has been in existence for over 100 years, having developed from the Society for the Prevention of Tuberculosis, and the Chest, Heart and Stroke Association. It provides support to families and to the 400 affiliated stroke clubs throughout the UK. Rotary clubs have undertaken to help by distributing leaflets, and manning Blood Pressure monitoring points on April 5th. The Conwy club will be at the Tesco store on the day. She was thanked by Ian Trevette. Last Saturday evening, the president held an 'AquaBox Party' at his house, at ahich 4 boxes were filled. A total of eleven have now been sent to the store in Wirksworth, ready for despatch around the world. The club still seek individuals, businesses and organisations who would be willing to fill a box provided by the club. Next Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel will be a talk by Stuart Cox on antiques.
17/02/2003 - Topic: "The Eyes Have It" At last Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel, Rotarian Bryan Allport showed excerpts from several videos relating to his profession, namely optometry. He pointed out that there was an incorrect belief amongst some people that failing eyesight was a natural and incurable part of the ageing process. Whilst glaucoma is an age-related condition, it can be treated - but its symptoms appear so gradually that detection is only possible through an optical examination. Simple things like clearing furniture, painting doorframes contrasting colours to the doors, wearing wide-brimmed hats to provide shade, are all methods that can make a significant difference to those with failing eyesight. Bryan continued with videos about laser treatment and of progressive lens design. The videos were interspersed with questions and discussion. He was thanked by the president, who was particularly grateful that the videos did not go into graphic detail! President Chris Sweeney announced that the club will shortly acquire another 40 Aquaboxes as part of its push to help provide pure water to those in need in various parts of the world. The club would welcome any individual, group or business to help in filling these boxes; very few things required in the box need to be new so there isn't any need for financial outlay. If you would like to help, please phone 01492 572121. At next week's meeting, Carol Fisher from The Stroke Association will be speaking about Rotary's nationwide campaign for blood pressure testing, which will take place on April 5th.
10/02/2003 - Topic: visiting Ambassadorial Scholar At this Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel, the speaker was Jami Paper, an Ambassadorial Scholar from Statecenter, Iowa, in the United States. She was accompanied by her sister, Juli, who is on holiday in this country. The scholarship, sponsored by Rotary Foundation, has enabled Jami to study at Bangor University for an MA in music, to add to her degree from the State University of Iowa. Part of her course includes the study of Celtic music, and she is also studying sign language, so that she can teach music to deaf children. She ended by singing "Let there be Peace on Earth". President Chris Sweeney thanked her, and then revealed that he had been on the internet with her home Rotary Club in Iowa, and they had sent her greetings. He then proposed the toast to the Rotary Club of Ames Morning in Iowa. An additional 2 Aquaboxes have been filled and despatched, one by a member of the club, who took exactly 4 hours to assemble the items and pack the box, at a cost to himself of less than £5. The club has agreed to purchase another 5 boxes.
03/02/2003 - Topic: Automotive Recycling President Chris Sweeney proposed the international toast to the newly formed Rotary club of Senayan, in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the weekly meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel. The speaker was fellow Rotarian John Somerville, who runs the car disposal facility in Llandudno Junction. He gave an illustrated talk about the new E.C. regulations which are now in force governing the handling of scrapped cars. Using newly acquired equipment, each vehicle has to be stripped of all liquids - fuel, oil, brake fluid and windscreen wash before being crushed, and, under newer regulations to come into force soon, all glass and plastics will also have to be removed. This process is called the Depollution of End of Life Vehicles, and will be compulsary. He was thanked by the president. The speaker next Monday will be Jami Paper, an American exchange student who is studying at Bangor University.
27/01/2003 - Topic: Neville Hortop - The building of Conwy Castle The speaker at Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel was Neville Hortop, who is a guide at Conwy Castle. He gave a very interesting account of the historical background to the building of the castles in North Wales, and of the people involved. Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech castles were all being built at the same time around 1284, and the administrative headquarters was in, what is now, the Vicarage car park in Conwy. It took 1300 men over 4 years to build Conwy, and, after advertising in Chester, Oswestry and the Marches for settlers, there were 400 English living in the town by the end of the century. He was thanked by Alan Smith. The president, Chris Sweeney, had earlier welcomed Wendy Smith as a guest to the dinner, and had asked Rtn Bernie Rish to read a letter from Kate Palmieri, who had recently returned from a year in Malawi. She will be speaking to the club about her experiences later in the year. The speaker next week will be John Somerville.
20/01/2003 - Topic: Mid year Review/Bus Meeting At the business meeting on Monday at the Deganwy Castle Hotel, members discussed the achievements of the club in the first half-year of the current presidency. A video was shown of the Rotary International scheme to sponsor 70 students at 8 universities world-wide in a 2 year course in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution. The club agreed to donate œ200 to the Polio Plus campaign - a small sum, compared to the $80 million needed next year to continue the battle to eradicate the disease from the world by 2005. It was also decided to add œ50 to the œ450 donation from Somerfields for the Aquabox project, and purchase 2 Aquabox 30's - each of which is able to purify 33,000 litres of water in disaster areas. The speaker next week will be introduced by Alan Smith.
13/01/2003 - Topic: 'Fill in' Unfortunately the speaker was unable to attend at Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel, so the club attended to some business matters, and then listened to Rtn Garth Mann's reminiscences of his three years as a Police cadet in Birmingham in the 1960's. President Chris Sweeney thanked him, and read a card which he had received from Rtn Ann Williams in New Zealand, thanking the club for the hospitality shown when she visited the area last year. Next Monday will be a business meeting and mid-year review. The club's team will be meeting St Asaph Rotary Club away in the next round of the District Quiz on Thursday, 30th January. Members intending to support the club are reminded to book their meal in advance.
06/01/2003 - Topic: Alan Hourihane - computer programming President Chris Sweeney welcomed members to the first meeting after the Christmas break. Rtn Hubert Hughes introduced the speaker - his son-in-law Alan Hourihane, who is a computer programmer. He works from home, but with a small group of other home-based programmers in different parts of the world. They produce graphics for applications such as medical imaging and astronomical data manipulation. Rtn Bryan Allport proposed the vote of thanks. The president announced that he had received letters of thanks from Abbeyfield, Derwen Deg and Conwy Womens' Aid, for the club's efforts over Christmas, and had received a cheque for £450 from Somerfields for the purchase of Aquaboxes. The Aquabox given to Ysgol Aberconwy had been duly filled and sent into store, ready for despatch. The club was now looking for other businesses and organisations to fill boxes. The speaker next week will be the chairman of the Rotary District Membership Services Committee, Tony Cotton.
16/12/2002 - Topic: Club Christmas Dinner This Monday, the members and guests enjoyed another Christmas dinner, after which the president, Chris Sweeney, announced that the proceeeds of the raffle in support of Conwy Womens' Aid, went towards the purchase of 25 pantomime tickets for disadvantaged children locally. He also revealed that Kwiksave-Somerfield had donated 10 Aquaboxes to the club, and it was now up to local organisations to contact the club with a view to filling them. The president then thanked the management and staff of the Deganwy Castle Hotel for their service during the year. The next meeting will be on January 6th, when Hubert Hughes will introduce a speaker. A Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to all 'surfers'!
09/12/2002 - Topic: Derwen Deg & Abbeyfield - Christmas Dinner President Chris Sweeney welcomed over 50 guests to the meeting on Monday evening. These were members of Abbeyfield and Derwen Deg, with their helpers, who had been invited to the annual Christmas dinner and carol concert at the Deganwy Castle Hotel. After a traditional meal, everyone was entertained by Ad Hoc, under their musical director, Ray Stythe-Jones. The evening closed with everyone singing popular carols. The singers were thanked by the president, who reminded the club members that the draw of the raffle for Conwy Womens' Aid would take place next week at the club's Christmas dinner. The proceeds of the raffle would be used to take children to the pantomime.
02/12/2002 - Topic: John Capper - Winemaking Vice-President Richard Davies was in the chair for the weekly meeting on Monday at the Deganwy Castle Hotel. Before the meal, he proposed the international toast to the Rotary Club of Kinshasa Kingabwe, in Congo. This club is one of seven in the Congolese capital, each meeting at the same venue on a different day of the week. He reported that the club had acquired 2 new Aquaboxes for filling, and David Rogers announced that he had addressed the assembly at Ysgol Aberconwy, and that the pupils had enthusiastically agreed to fill a box. He will meet with students again soon to explain the details of the filling. Other organisations are currently considering acquiring a box, which, when filled with emergency items, will be sent out to disaster areas to help relief work. The boxes, which cost £40 each, will be provided free by the Rotary Club of Conwy if necessary. The recent collection outside Tesco store in Llandudno Junction raised over £1300, which will be shared with the Rotary Club of Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr. The generosity of the public is much appreciated, and thanks are due to the management of Tesco. Richard Davies then introduced the speaker. John Capper is the treasurer of the Conwy and District Wine Circle, and he gave an account of the history of wine making, which possibly dates as far back as 10,000 years. While he was speaking, he was also putting together the ingredients for a gallon of home-made fruit wine, and he then invited his audience to taste a Vermouth which he had made previously. He was thanked by Brian Pickles. The meeting next Monday is the annual Christmas dinner and carol concert given by the club to Derwen Deg and Abbeyfields, starting at the earlier time of 7pm. The local Ad Hoc singers will give a recital of carols and other Christmas music.
25/11/2002 - Topic: "My Year as Mayor" - Huw Roberts The guest speaker at this week's meeting was Councillor Huw Roberts, a former Mayor of Conwy. Huw gave a brief history of the position, beginning with the first Constable of the town, who was also Mayor, around 1284 up to the present day. The town Council comprises 15 unpaid councillors representing the various wards of the area. The position of Mayor is rotated among the wards, so that all areas are represented. Huw also mentioned the Walled Towns Friendship Circle, which now has over 140 towns around the world as members and touched on some of the many opportunities during his year in office to visit various organisations that benefit the community in different ways. Huw was thanked by Rotarian David Rogers. President Chris Sweeney introduced the week's International Toast, to the Rotary Club of Wanganui Daybreak, a club in New Zealand, and read correspondence from clubs in France and Israel, the two previous toast recipients. He also mentioned the 'Rotary Awareness Week' to be held in February where the focus will be on Rotary clubs throughout the UK and Ireland trying to raise £1,000,000 to help complete Rotary's greatest accomplishment - the eradication of Polio from the world. UK citizens are fortunate that immunisation is well established here, but it is important to recognise that this crippling disease that attacks the young and vulnerable is still only a plane ride away. So far, over 2 billion children have been immunized against Polio. Members of Conwy Rotary Club will be collecting at Tesco this Friday and Saturday, with funds going to a variety of good causes, including a trip to see the pantomime for children of Aberconwy Women's Aid and a Christmas Dinner for members of Derwen Deg and Abbeyfield. If you, your business or organisation are able to support the club in filling or purchasing an aquabox, we would like to hear from you!
18/11/2002 - Topic: "The Man from the Sanitary" The speaker at Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel was Mr Frank Youd - popularly known locally as "The Man from the Sanitary" - who was, until his retirement, a public health inspector in Conwy. He traced his career from the 11 years of training and work in Manchester, when they were called Sanitary Inspectors, to his days in Conwy, and recounted many amusing stories. The old days, when they were all powerful, are over, and their activities have been fragmented into various different departments, with the virtual disappearance of the profession. The vote of thanks was given by Alan Smith. President Chris Sweeney announced that the Booze Tombola in Conwy, scheduled for the 8th December, had been cancelled, because it could not be made to coincide with the arrival of Father Christmas, owing to the time of the high tide! A donation has been received from the Llandudno Retirement Association for the purchase of an Aquabox, and it is now up to any local organisation or business to contact the club with a view to filling it. The speaker next Monday will be Cllr. Hugh Roberts.
11/11/2002 - Topic: Business Meeting President Chris Sweeney welcomed members and guests to a business meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel on Monday evening. David Rogers' guest was Mr Roland Ward, headmaster of Ysgol Aberconwy, and the other visitor was the District Governor of Rotary District 1180, John Bird, who is a member of the Llangefni club. The various officers presented their reports, and discussion followed. International chairman, Garth Mann, reported that the two Aquaboxes taken by his church were nearly full, and it was noted that David Rogers was soon to be speaking to the assembly at Ysgol Aberconwy, with the object of getting the students interested in the project. Margaret Trevette, who is chair of the Vocational committee, mentioned the "Coping With Life" series of CD's for schools. Chairman of the Community service committee, Ian Trevette, mentioned that the dinner for Derwen Deg and Abbeyfields would be starting at 7.00pm on 9th December, and that over 50 guests would be attending for a pre-Christmas dinner and a carol concert to be given by the local Ad Hoc singers. It was agreed that the club would again support Aberconwy Women's Aid in paying for tickets for disadvantaged children to attend the pantomime, and that the club should be able to raise sufficient funds from the Booze Tombola in Conwy on 8th December to cover the cost. District Governor John Bird then addressed the club. He praised the club for joining with other clubs and organisations in promoting the concept of service. He mentioned the Ironman Triathlon and the Disabled Games, and particularly the efforts to get the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association functioning again in the area. He stressed the importance of the Polio Plus scheme - the disease was so very nearly eradicated world-wide, and any let-up now would be tragic. Water Aid and Stroke Awaredness were two other projects to be considered by clubs, and the search was on for future Group Study Exchange students - this coming year to Alaska, and next to Australia. He was thanked by the president.
04/11/2002 - Topic: Problem Solving in Design This week's meeting at The Deganwy Castle Hotel brought two visiting Rotarians on a 'scatter night' from the Rotary Club of Llandudno. Rotarians Keith Jones and Chris Tew were welcomed to the club. The International Toast was given by the vice-president, Rotarian Richard Davies to the Rotary Club of Kiriat Tivion, District 2490 in Israel. He was congratulated on his pronunciation of Hebrew town names by Sergeant-at-Arms, Rotarian Frank Ranson. The president thanked Rotarian Ian Trevette for organising a collection at Tesco's on behalf of the Guide Dogs Association, at which an impressive £785 was raised. Many thanks to the generosity of local shoppers. A progress report was circulated about the student at Limuru Agricultural College in Kenya who the club sponsor as part of their international service commitment. President Chris Sweeney gave a brief presentation about problem solving and the design process, as the scheduled speaker was unable to attend the meeting. Next week's meeting is a business meeting, at which the Rotary District 1180 Governor will be present.
28/10/2002 - Topic: 2nd round of the District Quiz In the absence of the president, who was attending the Prestatyn club's Charter Night, the vice president, Richard Davies, welcomed the guests to the meeting on Monday evening at the Deganwy Castle Hotel. A specially warm welcome was given to Anne Williams, who is a member of the Rotary Club of Plimmerton in New Zealand, who brought greetings from their president. Also present were the president and 6 members from the Rotary Club of Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr, who were there to cheer on their quiz team. The District quiz a is knock-out event entered by all clubs in the area, and won by Conwy a number of times in the distant past. This second round contest against Llan/Pen, who did very well last year, turned out to be a nail biting affair, with the lead changing every few minutes, and only being settled in the final round, when Conwy emerged as the winners. The vice president thanked the quiz master, Ian Trevette, and the others who acted as time-keeper and scorer, and congratulated the winning captain, Garth Mann, and the gallant losers. The club council meeting has been deferred until Thursday evening. Next week, the speaker will be Helen Thompson.
21/10/2002 - Topic: Impromptu slideshow and quiz President Chris Sweeney welcomed members to the weekly meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel. Among the business matters discussed were the arrangements for the help to be given by members to the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association on Friday, 1st November, at their Tesco collection. Also, it was announced that the 4 Aquaboxes acquired by the club had already been allocated to organisations for filling, and it was suggested that any business or group that would like to fill an Aquabox should contact the club on 572121 for details. Garth Mann announced the quiz team to meet LlanPen next week at home. Owing to indisposition, the speaker had to cancel, and Bryan Allport stepped in with a slide show of pictures taken in his days as a member of Round Table, some showing current Rotary members as they were 25 years ago. He finished off with a quiz. The president thanked him.
14/10/2002 - Topic: Llanwrst Almshouse Vice president Richard Davies welcomed visiting Rotarian Brian Pescott from the Llanishen club, and his wife - guests of members Ian and Margaret Trevette. He then introduced the speaker, Darren Hughes, who is the Strategic Development Officer for the Museum Trust that runs the Llanrwst Almshouses. The almshouses were set up in 1610 by the colourful Sir John Wynn, in thanks to God for his recovery from a near fatal illness, and possibly as a way to buy himself a place in heaven. With room for 12 men from the locality and a warden, they were given basic food and clothing and a small allowance. The buildings were refurbished in 1851, and women were allowed in for the first time, with a matron to attend them. The matron was paid £5 a year for cleaning the rooms. In 1927 the almshouses were renamed after Sir John Wynn and continued in use until they were condemned as unfit in the 1960s. Thankfully they were not pulled down, and were taken over by the Museum Trust in April 2002, and there have been over 3000 visitors in the 6 months since opening. One room has been furnished in the 1610 style, and one as it was in the 1850's. One of the prize possessions, recovered from the museum in Cardiff, is the old Llanrwst Town Hall clock, dating from 1706, a work of the famous clockmaker John Owen. He was thanked by Bryan Allport. Ian Trevette reported on the successful meeting on Saturday, at which it was agreed to set up a Conwy branch of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. He thanked the management of the Deganwy Castle Hotel for their generosity in providing the venue and refreshments to the 28 people present.
07/10/2002 - Topic: Speaker - Hugh Edwards Local solicitor Hugh Edwards, who has been a part-time Deputy District Judge in Manchester and the north west for the past 7 years, was the speaker at the evening meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel on Monday. He explained that the title of District Judge has replaced that of Stipendiary Magistrate in England, but that the old title was still used in Wales. Lay magistrates normally sit with a legally qualified clerk. Payment had only been made to magistrates since the early 18th century, and the first such court had been set up in the house of the magistrate in Bow Street, London. The first in Wales was in 1840, in Merthyr Tydfil. Mr Edwards pointed out that the vast majority of offences were tried in the magistrate's courts, the more serious being referred to the Crown courts. There were now only 8 courts in North Wales, whereas 30 years ago there had been 31. He enlivened his talk with a number of amusing anecdotes, and the president, Chris Sweeney, thanked him. On Saturday, at 3pm, the club will host a meeting of people interested in setting up a branch of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association in the Conwy district. The speaker at next week's meeting will be Darren Hughes, who will give a talk about the Llanrwst Almshouses.
30/09/2002 - Topic: Wine Tasting President Chris Sweeney welcomed members and guests to the meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel on Monday evening. The guests included ladies, the president and one member of the Llandudno Rotary club, and the speaker, who is a member of the Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr club. The meeting was a Wine Tasting evening, and the theme was Italian wines. Michael Vick, who works for James Fearon Wines in Holyhead, explained the complexities of the wines of Italy, with samples from vineyards in the very north of the country, to those in the extreme south, pointing out the subtle differences of flavour and body obtained by the different grapes and different fermentation methods used. The fact that there are over 2300 different varieties of grape in Italy, and that the flavour of each depends on where it is grown, explains the wide choice in Italian wines. He was thanked by Alan Swinson. Community Service chairman Ian Trevette reminded the members of the meeting on Saturday, 12th October, at the Deganwy Castle Hotel, at which it is hoped to form a branch of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, and took names of those who would help with the transport of people attending. The Conwy Rotary club is being helped in this venture by the Rotary clubs of Llandudno and Rhos-on-sea. The president mentioned that the Aquabox project was under way, with one member reporting that his church members had already taken two boxes to fill. The speaker next week is Hugh Edwards, a local solicitor, who will talk about his career as a part time District Judge.
23/09/2002 - Topic: Trip to the Orme Mines This week's meeting was an excursion to the Bronze Age Copper Mines situated on the Great Orme in Llandudno. Previously thought to be mines dating from the 18th & 19th centuries, the Bronze Age dating was only discovered as recently as 1987. This discovery, the only one of its kind in Europe and the largest in the world, contradicts the previosly held opinion that the Bronze Age started in the Middle East and spread westwards. What had previously been a pile of rubble has now been excavated to reveal entrances to mines that date back 4000 years. Members were shown some of the stone and bone tools that would have been used by the early miners - some as young as 6 years old - to extract the malacite from the surrounding limestone. The malacite was then ground by hand and smelted to produce copper. The coastal location of the mines is thought to be very significant; Bronze is made by mixing copper and tin and the largest tin producing areas were in Devon and because much of the land would have been forest, sea travel would have been the only viable option. Their website is http://www.greatorme.freeserve.co.uk Members had a very enjoyable visit and buffet supper and the President thanked Rotarian Bryan Allport for organising the evening. Next week's meeting will be at The Deganwy Castle Hotel, where members and guests will be given a tutored wine tasting.
16/09/2002 - Topic: Quiz versus RC Caernarfon Monday's meeting at The Deganwy Castle Hotel saw the Conwy Rotary Club playing the Caernarfon club in the first round of the District 1180 quiz. After a keenly contested competition, Conwy were victorious, the final score being 89 - 69. As part of the club's community service programme, last week, members took several patients from St David's Hospice at Home on a trip to Plas Newydd. On Sunday, several members of the club assisted at the 2nd Annual District Disabled Games, held in Chester. About 150 young people took part in the games, which were deemed a great success. Next week's meeting will be a trip out to the Orme Copper Mines. Members will meet at 6.45pm at the mines. Supper will follow the tour.
09/09/2002 - Topic: Peter Holloway President Chris Sweeney welcomed the speaker to this Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel. Peter Holloway has just had his first book published, and he gave a fascinating talk about how, and why, he wrote it. The book, Desert Wings, is about his uncle 'Sam' Weller, whom he never actually met, but he became suddenly interested in his own family history, and discovered this hero figure, hidden away. Peter's grandfather flew as an observer in the First World War, and was shot down 6 times, but survived to tell his grandson, Peter, about his son - Ft. Lt. Arthur Weller DFC, the subject ofthe book, who flew Hurricanes during the Second World War in the North African campaign. He was killed in action. He was thanked by Ian Trevette. The president had earlier proposed the toast to the Rotary Club of New York, on the anniversary of the September 11th disaster. Garth Mann gave a report on the club's help at the Ironman Triathlon at the weekend, and Ian Trevette outlined the plans for the club to help the Guide Dogs for the Blind, starting with a collection at Tesco on Saturday, 5th October, and then by hosting a meeting the following Saturday at the Deganwy Castle Hotel at 3pm, at which Rotary clubs in the area will meet with Guide Dog owners and helpers, to try and establish a vigorous local organisation. The president closed the meeting, reminding members of the outing for St David's Hospice patients on Wednesday, and the help at the Rotary sponsored Disabled Games at Chester. Next week's meeting is a round of the District Quiz, when Conwy play Caernarfon at home, and the following Monday will be a visit to the Mines on the Orme.
02/09/2002 - Topic: Colin James - The Jaipur Limb President Chris Sweeney welcomed members and guests to the dinner at the Deganwy Castle Hotel on Monday evening. He first introduced Maroulla Stephanides, who works for BBC Radio Merseyside, is a member of the Liverpool Rotary Club, and is the PRO for the Rotary District 1180. Colin James is an assistant governor of District 1180, and a member of the Southport Links club. He had visited India many times as a railways enthusiast, drawn by its 40000 miles of railways, but he then became involved with the Jaipur Limb Project. This organisation, supported by Rotary, was started by an orthopaedic surgeon in Jaipur, who devised a way of providing artificial limbs cheaply and quickly to the thousands of people who had lost legs due, mainly, to accidents, but who couldn't have access to treatment. The technique he invented, using agricultural drainage pipe and rubber, has spread to Africa, Asia and Central America, where landmines, snakebite and crocodiles add to the numbers seeking help. Because the majority of patients are poor, they cannot travel vast distances to get help, and Rotary has used its influence and funds to establish Limb Camps, and some more permanent centres, all over the world where needed. As an example, technicians, many of whom are themselves amputees, travelled from Jaipur to a camp, and within 10 days had made, and fitted over 600 limbs. In India, over 80% of patients suffered road or rail accidents. A short video of the Jaipur Limb Project was shown, featuring the centre set up in Kampala, Uganda. The president thanked the speaker, and reminded the members of some events in the near future, starting with help at the Ironman Triathlon this weekend, the trip to Plas Newydd with patients from St David's Hospice next week, and the Disabled Games on 15th of the month. The speaker at next week's meeting will be Mr Peter Holloway, who will talk about the research involved in the writing of his new book, Desert Wings.
19/08/2002 - Topic: Day visit to The Rotary Club of Dublin Five members from Conwy Rotary Club ventured across the Irish Sea to visit the Rotary Club of Dublin last Monday. The Dublin club was the first Rotary Club in Europe and was chartered in 1911. Conwy's President, Rotarian Chris Sweeney, presented his Dublin counterpart, Rotarian Ken Hunt, with a club banner and a commemorative plate of the Conwy Tunnel Walk and received a copy of the minutes of the first Dublin club meeting in exchange. Members listened to a presentation by an American student studying at Trinity College, who was part of the Rotary Foundation scholars programme. Under this scheme, selected students can undertake higher study at a University in a different country and in so doing, learn something of the culture of that country and help to promote world understanding. District 1180 of Rotary International, in which Conwy is situated, frequently host students at Bangor or Liverpool Universities. There is no meeting next week due to the Bank Holiday, the next meeting being on 2nd September at The Deganwy Castle Hotel, where Colin James will speak about the Rotary Jaipur Limb project.
12/08/2002 - Topic: Aqua Box information evening The meeting on Monday at the Deganwy Castle Hotel discussed the club's plans to promote the filling of Aquaboxes as the main project for the year. President Chris Sweeney played a video tape produced by the Rotary Club of Wirksworth in Derbyshire, who conceived the idea a decade ago. The boxes contain a water purifying facility, and are filled with a variety of everyday items which are essential in the wake of a disaster brought on by war, flood or earthquake. More than 10000 boxes have been sent out so far, and it is hoped that the club will be able to attract sponsorship from schools, churches and other organisations and businesses locally. Next Monday, there will be no meeting at the usual venue - instead, members are travelling to a meeting at the Rotary Club of Dublin. Those not travelling to Dublin will attend meetings at neighbouring clubs. The following Monday is a Bank Holiday, so the next meeting is on 2nd September, when Garth Mann will introduce a speaker.
05/08/2002 - Topic: Surprise, surprise!! This meeting was billed as an inter-club quiz with members of the Rotary Club of Liverpool. However, much to President Chris Sweeney's surprise, it was actually an inter-club evening with members from the Rotary Club of Stockport, including the President's father-in-law, Rotarian Granville Jones PHF, himself a Rotarian of some 40 years standing. The President's surprise continued with the unexpected arrival of his wife - whose birth had been announced at the Stockport club. Members of both clubs enjoyed a challenging quiz and the opportunity for fellowship. Thanks were given to the club secretary, Rotarian Brian Pickles, for organising the surprise in conjunction with the Stockport club. The International Toast was given to the Rotary Club of Rancagua Cachapoal, Chile. Rotariann Garth Mann reminded the club of the need for volunteers to help at the IronMan Triathlon on September 8th. Funds raised by Rotary clubs throughout the area will go towards the new Hope House Hospice. The fine weather contributed to an enjoyable barbeque held at the president's house last weekend, with some 50 members and guests in attendance. Thanks are due to all who helped make this fund raising event so successful. Next week's meeting will be an Aqua Box information evening for club members.
29/07/2002 - Topic: Polio Plus The speaker at last Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel was past District Governor Harry Griffiths, who is a member of the West Wirral Rotary club. He is the contact member in District 1180 for the Polio Plus campaign, and he showed a video of the progress so far in the campaign to eradicate the disease from the world. So far it has cost almost 500 million dollars to free 150 countries from the scourge, but there are still 10 countries where it is impossible to enter due, mainly, to wars. This year the budget is 80 million dollars, but there is still doubt whether the programme will be completed by 2005. Mr Griffiths then answered questions from the members. He was thanked by Rotarian Brian Pickles. The club agreed to give a donation to BLISS, the national charity for newborn children, in support of Sally Williams, who is doing a sponsored walk from Prestatyn to Cardiff this week, arriving in Conwy on Friday and leaving on Saturday morning. President Chris Sweeney reminded members of the Barbeque on Saturday at his house, starting at 4pm.
22/07/2002 - Topic: Business Meeting Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel was a business meeting. Rotarian Ian Trevette, Community Service Chair, thanked the members for their work last weekend, distributing 2,250 organ donor registration forms at Tesco's. Thanks are also due to the staff at Tesco and their customers. In approximately four weeks time, the club will learn how many of these forms have been completed and returned. Details of other community service activities in the near future include involvement in the Ironman Triathlon, at which Rotary will be raising funds for the new Hope House hildren's Hospice, a visit for patients of St David's hospice to Plas Newydd, involvement in the Rotary 1180 District Disabled Games and practical support for the Guide Dogs Association. Details about the club barbeque were also circulated. Rotarian Margaret Trevette, the Vocational Service Chair, outlined the planned event to publicise the award winning Rotary 'Coping With Life' series of CD's for schools. The third CD 'Coping With Citizenship', which was recently launched by the Prime Minister, follows the success of 'Coping With Bullying' and 'Coping With Family Change'. The CD's have been distributed free of charge to all schools in the area and Conwy Rotary Club are hoping to run an awareness event for all schools in Conwy LEA. Rotarian Alan Swinson, International and Foundation Chair, made the International Toast to the Rotary Club of Singapore, who are involved in many similar projects within their local community. Conwy club will be holding an 'AquaBox' meeting for members on 12th August. AquaBoxes contain water purification equipment and are sent throughout the world following disasters man-made or natural. The club will be hoping for sponsorship from local businesses and organisations so that they can send a significant number of AquaBoxes this year. Over £600 was raised for good causes by members manning the bars at the Blue Grass Festival. Members also agreed to support financially the 'Zulu Warriors' visiting the Rotary district, and to make a donation to support a Youth Theatre group in Conwy. At next week's meeting, our newest member, Rotarian Meirion Jones, will give a job talk.
15/07/2002 - Topic: Bowls v Probus The annual bowls match between the Rotary and Probus clubs was held on Monday evening at the Vardre Bowls club. The contest was rather spoiled by the persistent drizzle, but the result was never in doubt - a near whitewash of the younger Rotary team. The trophy has never left the care of the Probus club since the event was started, but the friendship and enjoyment of the 50 members and friends present made it worth while. The catering this year was by the Rotary club, and the President, Chris Sweeney, thanked those responsible. Next Monday there will be a business meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel at 7.30, and two of the matters to be discussed will be the arrangements for the Barbeque on Saturday, 3rd August, and the forthcoming visit of the club to the Rotary Club of Dublin on 19th August. Members will be on duty outside Tesco this week distributing Organ Donor cards.
08/07/2002 - Topic: Croquet / Putting competition with BBQ Monday's meeting at the Deganwy Castle Hotel was a sports evening, held on the lawn of the hotel, and followed by a barbeque meal. Boule and putting were followed by an introduction to the ancient game of croquet, explained by the secretary and playing captain of the Llanfairfechan North Wales Croquet Club, Georgina Llewellyn and John Hunt, and member, Eric Roberts. It was agreed to arrange a visit to the Croquet Club next year. President Chris Sweeney thanked the members of the club who had helped with running the bars at the Blue Grass Festival over the weekend, and reported that a substantial sum of moneyhad been raised for charity. He also wished to thank Brian Roberts, of the Mainland Garage in Llandudno Junction, for the use of a van to transport the barrels of beer. The meeting next week, continuing the sporting theme, is the annual Bowls match against the Probus Club, to be held at the Vardre, starting at 6 pm. The catering will be organised by Alan Smith. Members will also be involved with the distribution of Organ Donor cards at Tesco on Thursday, 18th July.
01/07/2002 - Topic: Handover President Eugene Garvey welcomed visiting Rotarian, and past President of the club, David Thomas to the meeting on Monday evening at the Deganwy Castle Hotel. He then introduced a new member, Meirion Jones, who has recently moved to Conwy from Wrexham, where he was a member of the Erddig club. Eugene's last duty as president was to transfer the jewel of office to the incoming President, Chris Sweeney. The new President thanked Eugene for his leadership over the past year, and passed on his Vice-Presidential badge to Richard Davies, before calling on members to discuss the coming year's programme, which includes a variety of fund raising projects and other activities that will benefit the community, commencing this weekend when club members run the bars at the Blue Grass Festival. To reinforce the international aspects of Rotary, he introduced an 'international toast', this week to the Rotary Club of Lahore Garrison, Pakistan. He then surprised members by announcing that, subject to weather, the meeting next week would be a croquet match or putting competition on the hotel's lawn with a barbeque meal to follow. Future meetings include a visit to the Rotary Club of Dublin and a wine tasting evening - the new President wants to ensure that in addition to the club living up to Rotary's motto of 'Service Above Self', members enjoy themselves!