Rotary Club of Uppingham - Alphabetical Guide to Rotary

Fri, Oct 1st 2021 at 5:19 pm- Tue, Oct 1st 2024 - 7:19 pm

Rotary Guide

ABC Guide to Rotary

An alphabetical guide to the Rotary

Club of Uppingham 

 

Acknowledgements

 

Our grateful thanks to The Rotary Clubs of Crewe, Nantwich Weaver and St Neots from where the idea of this booklet came.

 ROTARY is a world-wide organisation which harnesses the energy, talents and experience of around 1.2 million professional and business people in the service of others.
The Purpose of this pamphlet is to provide a background to Rotary and Uppingham practices and procedures and to define some of the terms that crop up in Rotary conversation. Topics are covered alphabetically. A word printed in bold is the subject of an entry elsewhere in the booklet.

 It started when Paul P Harris (1868-1947), a man born in Racine, Wisconsin, but brought up in Vermont, now practicing law in Chicago and at something of that loose end which can so easily afflict country people alone in a big city, asked himself “why not in big Chicago have a fellowship composed of just one man from each of many different occupations, without restriction as to their politics or religion, with broad tolerance of each other’s opinions? In such a fellowship could there not be mutual helpfulness?’ He invited Silvester Schiele, Hiram Shorey and Gus Loehr, three similarly discontented businessmen from the country, to lunch.

 They met on 23 February 1905 and talked about how they might recreate the mutual co-operation and informal fellowship of village life. The group decided to meet regularly thereafter ‘rotating’ between each other’s offices. At the third meeting, the name Rotary was adopted.

 

Today, Rotary embraces over 35,000 clubs in most countries of the world (196 at the last count). Among them, the Rotary Club of Uppingham, (in this publication, Uppingham or RC Uppingham for short) which received its charter in 2006.  Like all Rotary clubs, Uppingham has a high degree of autonomy while operating within the constitution and by-laws of Rotary International (RI) and Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (Rotary GB&I). Rotary is subdivided into Zones and Districts and Uppingham is in District 1070 of Zone 19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address -  modes of, Among Rotarians. It is customary to address each other by first name even when ostensibly strangers. Only where local culture dictates otherwise, is there an exception

 Annual General Meeting (AGM).   Must be held between 1st April and 31st May. The President and Lead Persons report on their year’s work, the following year’s budget is presented and council members, honorary members, trustees and auditors for the forthcoming year are elected.

 Apologies.   An essential courtesy which ensures that the club does not pay for a wasted meal. Where possible non- attendance at Monday meetings should be notified in advance on the attendance sheet.   Normal cancellations should be with the assistant secretary as early as possible on the preceding Sunday.  In the event of an unavoidable emergency on Monday the member must telephone the Falcon and let the staff there know by 12 noon.   Failure to do this will almost certainly result in a charge being made to the club and subsequently to the member. They should also, where possible, leave a message for the assistant secretary before the meeting.

Areas of Focus Rotary has set 7 areas of focus for the provision of Global and District grant assistance for Club projects, they are:

·         Promoting peace

·         Fighting disease

·         Providing clean water

·         Saving mothers and children

·         Supporting education

·         Growing local economies

  •          Supporting the environment

 Assembly, Club  Club Annual meeting at which the President Elect as the incoming president and the appointed Lead Persons present their programmes for the forthcoming Rotary year. It is a meeting within a meeting chaired by the President Elect and attended by a senior district officer who will not only proffer sage comment but also report back to the District Governor Elect (DGE). Can only follow the District Assembly and therefore comes in May or June.

 Assembly, District.   Annual meeting of all District club officers, committee chairmen and other Rotarians. Part of the process of training and the annual handing down of information from RI and Rotary GB&I to individual club assemblies, takes place on a Saturday morning in May at Loughborough University—the only venue in the District at present capable of handling the numbers involved which have regularly exceeded 500.  However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic the Assembly has been held online for the last 2 years and will be again in 2022.

 Assembly, International   Annual meeting which usually precedes the RI Convention. Here RI officers and DGEs and others plan the work of RI for the coming year. They may also receive some education and training.

 Assembly, Rotary GB&I   Second stage of the RI ­- Rotary GB&I -district-club cascade of information for the coming Rotary year. Held in late March or early April. Attendance is by invitation only and is usually restricted to District Officers.

 Assistant Governor (AG)  District 1070 has nine of these elected officers; each AG keeps a parental eye on a group of clubs in a designated area on behalf of the DG. Uppingham is in Area 3 of District 1070.

 Associate Membership.  Introduced across Rotary in 2014, this is a scheme whereby persons may become associate members rather than ’Full’ members if they are unable to commit to regular weekly meetings or as an introductory period before Full Membership.  Associate members pay a reduced subscription but do not have all the privileges of ‘Full Membership.  In our Uppingham club the period of Associate membership will be restricted to the first Rotary year of membership ie will terminate on 30 June following initial enrolment.  Associate Members have no voting rights; the fee will be £25 paid pro rata from the date of joining. 

Attendance.   Was once a thorny subject but is now relaxed and unrecorded: there is no longer a set minimum number of meetings which must be met to maintain membership. Those who cannot attend their own club in a particular week are encouraged to visit another to ‘make up’ for their absence and so maintain their attendance record and contribute to wider Rotary fellowship in the process. Attendance at certain Rotary functions also counts: Charter evenings, district councils, conventions, conferences and club events and project work are all examples.  Attendance is a complicated question and readers are directed to the Club Constitution Article 9 and 12 for the definitive answer.

 Away Visits     Better known in the Uppingham Club as Scatter Visits qv.

 Badge, Name   A great help when a number of visitors are expected or when visiting another club i.e. whenever you are likely to commune with anyone who does not know you.

 Badge, Rotary   The ideal is to wear it all the time. It is amazing how many conversations start as a result. Lapel badges come in 12mm and 15mm sizes in pin, clutch or screw fixings; new-style “brand” badges are now also available. There is also a 7mm dress badge for dinner jackets. The secretary can supply additional badges on request and on repayment. In addition, you may well see a past-president’s badge which has a faux-diamond centre and sometimes the special badge (bronze or gold coloured) of the Paul Harris Fellow..

 Banners   The exchange of banners is a Rotary tradition. Like heraldry, a banner is often a visual representation of an aspect of a club or its name, its history or the area it represents. The exchange between visitor and host gives expression to Rotary fellowship. Uppingham now has an extensive collection of banners given either by visitors or brought back by members who have visited other clubs. See the back page of this booklet.

 Business Account  The Club’s own monies (as opposed to charity monies) are held in a Business Account with Barclays Bank Ltd (20-45-45 ac 83164764); all expenditure from the account by cheque or electronic transfer requires dual authorization;    

 Business/Council Meeting Held once per month as a combined meeting.  Council meetings are a requirement under the Club’s by-laws and constitution but due to the relatively small size of the Club it has been decided to hold the required Council meeting in conjunction with the monthly Business meeting.

By-laws  Club By-laws are published on the Rotary GB&I web-site  INTRODUCTION (rotarygbi.org) and may not be changed; they govern the operation of the Club. A very recent enactment by the Council on Legislation has permitted Clubs to amend functions governed by the By-Laws providing they are covered by the Club’s own By-Laws/Standing Orders.

 Calendar The Rotary year runs from1 July to 30 June, At the end of June it is all change throughout the world and the annual cycle begins anew.

 Charity Account The entirely separate club account in which money raised for charitable purposes is held. In common with the Business Account, the Charity Account is held at Barclays Bank Ltd (20-45-45 ac 53089827); dual authority is required for all withdrawals and payments.

Disbursements are in the hands of the Club Council after consultation within the Club. The President will often announce that he/she intends to support a particular charity for the Year.

 Charitable Trust  The Rotary Club of Uppingham Charitable Trust administers the Club’s charitable endeavours; 4/5 Trustees are responsible for administering the Trust.  The Trust is registered with the Charity Commission reg no 1153799 and with HMRC for the purpose of reclaiming tax paid through the medium of Gift Aid.

 Charter  A formal document issued by the RI President in the United States to mark the formation of a new Rotary club.

 Charter Night  Uppingham holds an annual Charter Night in June to celebrate the Club’s birthday, unlike many Clubs, but very much in accordance with our informal focus, the night is usually an informal barbecue format party.   Many Clubs make their Charter Night a major formal occasion with “black tie” required.

 Citation, President’s      An award made annually (in the name of the President of RI) to any Rotary Club, meeting specified objectives and criteria in their programmes over the past Rotary year.

 Classification Constitutionally, every Rotarian represents within the club his or her own particular calling or profession. Theoretically no other person representing the same profession could join until recently when pressures on recruitment led the Council on Legislation 2001 to simplify the whole thing and decreed that up to 10% of a club’s members could occupy the same classification. However, classification is now widely disregarded in the more relaxed approach of 21st century Rotarianism.

 Clusters is a new concept being put into service for the first time in 2021 whereby groups of 4 districts are formed across Rotary GB&I which co-operate at all levels for the benefit of all.  District 1070 is in a cluster with 1060,1210 and 1220.  The first major event due to test the concept is the PETS for 2022/3.

 Committees see Lead Persons/Chairs

Conference, District      Every District in Rotary has one every year. The District 1070 conference is an annual event and has recently been revised to be held in March or April.  It brings together hundreds of Rotarians and wives, husbands or companions for an always enjoyable mix of business and pleasure. It is the DG’s event and he will invariably make every effort to invite one or two distinguished speakers. Representatives of the Presidents of RI and Rotary GB&I also contribute.

 Conference, Rotary GB&I  The national event held each year in April. District conference RI officers are elected.  Uppingham is entitled to send two voting delegates.

 Constitution, Club  The Club Constitution is a standard document throughout Rotary; it is published on the Rotary GB&I web-site INTRODUCTION (rotarygbi.org)   and may not be changed; it governs the operation of the Club

 Convention,  RI      The annual International Conference takes place anywhere in the world in May or June, with 20-30,000 participants, but not in the same country for more than two consecutive years. Each club is entitled to send one voting delegate, plus one for 13-27 members and another for 28-62 members. But as many as care to go are welcome. The first Rotary convention was held in Chicago in 1910.

 Council,  Club   The group which manages a Rotary club and its members; the Uppingham Council consists of the 5 Club Officers and 4 ordinary members elected at the Club AGM who may serve for up to 3yrs.  In  RC Uppingham the Council meeting is normally held concurrently with the Club monthly Business meeting but a special meeting may be called by the President when required.

 A Club member may appeal a decision of the Club to a Council meeting provided he/she gives appropriate notice in accordance with the Rotary Club Constitution.

 Council,  District     The district parliament. A 4 monthly evening gathering at which district officers report and business matters are dealt with. There is usually some sort of presentation on a topic of interest. Members may attend but only our nominated members (President and Secretary) have the club votes

 Council on Legislation  (COL)  The triennial international gathering which discusses and decides on Rotary rules and practice.  Each district worldwide is represented by a past DG.

 Countries RI and TRF view the constituent countries and islands of the UK as separate entities which has a perverse advantage when approaching Global Grants as we can initiate a Global Grant within the UK with a Host club in say England and an International partner in say Scotland.  One or 2 of the districts in Rotary GB&I can even sponsor a Global Grant from within the District because they straddle national borders!

 District   Every Rotary club in the world lies within one of 530 districts. Some are geographically extensive and cover tracts of ocean and perhaps several countries. Our District 1070 is one of 25 in Rotary GB&I. The District has an extensive Team providing leadership and administration in support of Rotary’s aims.  All Rotarians are encouraged to offer themselves for service at district level. Their contributions are always greatly appreciated.

 District Governor (DG) The highest post in the district carrying responsibility to the RI board for its supervision. The office is held for one year (and could be renewed for a maximum of a further two years) but preparation takes rather longer. Apart from the frequent route through Assistant Governor (three years during which election to District Governor Nominee (DGNE) takes place) and District Governor Elect (DGE, one year), there is always a background of substantial club and district service. Also part of the preparation is a February week in USA, where the world’s DGE’s gather to meet the next RI President and discuss the programme for the year ahead. Apart from presiding over district affairs, he or she will visit every club or local club grouping at least once, giving modest homilies the while, and also is expected to speak at many club charter events.

 District Governor Elect (DGE)     Next year’s DG formally elected to that post at the RI Convention. He or she will have been a District Officer and, for 12 months, the District Governor Nominee,

 District Grant  Awarded by Foundation through the District Foundation committee to a Club project which satisfies one or more of the criteria for areas of focus. To qualify for a grant the Club must have completed a Memorandum of Understanding which details the conditions attached to the grant by The Rotary Foundation and have 2 members qualified Grants Management (normally the President and Foundation Lead).  Training is given at District Assembly but since 2019 has been online due to the effect of Covid-19.

 Dress code   Uppingham has a casual dress code apart from occasional formal events.  Many clubs require jacket and tie.

 “End Polio Now”  Is the Rotary campaign to eradicate polio from the world; it has been running since 1986 and in that time Rotarians around the world have contributed $2 billion dollars to the campaign.  Rotary is the major non-governmental sponsor of the campaign along with UNICEF, the WHO, the US Centre for Disease Control and governments around the world.  Only 2 bodies have given more to the Polio Eradication campaign: the US govt and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  When the campaign began there were 350,000 cases of polio annually – in 2021 there have been only 2 by October and these were both in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Polio is now endemic in only the afore-mentioned 2 countries. Uppingham has supported the campaign since our charter and contributes the target of $55 per Rotarian member every year.

Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) is the Foundation scheme to encourage individual donations from every Rotarian every year. EREY is internationally popular.   The Club encourages members to donate £4 per month to Foundation which with the benefit of GiftAid makes £60pa a substantial part of the $100 obligation.

 Examination of Accounts Our accounts are examined annually by either one (if professionally qualified) or 2 Rotarians and certified as such to both the Club General Meeting and District Treasurer.

 Fellowships    There are several world-wide fellowships which bring together Rotarians who share a common enthusiasm. Among them are:

·         Rotarians of Amateur Radio

·         International Caravanning Fellowship of Rotarians

·         International Computer Users Fellowship of Rotarians

·         International Curling Fellowship of Rotarians

·         International Fellowship of Cricketing Rotarians

·         International Fellowship of Cycling Rotarians

·         International Esperanto Fellowship of Rotarians

·         International Genealogy and Heraldry Fellowship of Rotarians

·         International Golfing Fellowship of Rotarians

·         IFR Home Exchange

·         Medicine./Health Vocational Fellowship

·         International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians

·         International Fellowship of Rotarian Musicians

·         The Rotary Retro Automobile Fellowship of Rotarians

·         International Fellowship of Scouting  Rotarians

·         Rotary on Stamps

·         International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians

Contact details may be found in the current District Directory

 Foundation    is the Rotary movement’s own charity. It dates back to 1917 and the vision of Art Klumph, president of the then International Association of Rotary Clubs, predecessor of Rotary International. It got a fillip in 1947 when Paul Harris died and much was contributed to Foundation in his memory. Today Foundation finances many Rotary programmes including Scholarships, VTT and Global and District grants.

 Because UK residents cannot covenant gifts direct to the RI Foundation (which is governed by US tax laws), Rotary Foundation UK has been set up to qualify for Inland Revenue reimbursement under Gift Aid.

 Rotarians are also encouraged to name the charity’s Endowment fund as a beneficiary in their wills. Tell Foundation in writing that you have done so and you become a Benefactor. Within Uppingham we undertake to fund our individual donation obligation ($100 pa) through our fundraising activities; this undertaking is recognised in Club Standing Orders although a proportion of our members take personal responsibility for this donation.

 Founder members Those who started the Rotary Club of Uppingham in 2006.   

 Four Way Test   Because of who they are and because they openly subscribe to Rotary ideals, Rotarians can be in the public spotlight. Hence the Rotary four-way test to enable each Rotarian to measure up to our ideals as well as clause 2 of The Objects of Rotary: 

1.     Is it the TRUTH?

2.     Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3.     Will it build GOODWILL AND BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

4.     Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned? 

In many overseas clubs the 4-way test is recited, almost as an act of faith, at each club meeting.

 Fund Raising    Not the ‘be all and end all’ of Rotary life — the notion of ‘service’ has higher priority - but nevertheless essential if we are going to do some of the many things we want to do. At Uppingham we have settled to down to a fairly regular cycle of events: 

·         Aug – Flower Show

·         Nov – An entertainment evening

·         March – Eyebrook Walk

·         Nov/Dec – Christmas Craft Fair

·         April – President’s Night 

New ideas for raising money are always welcome.  These events also serve to project the Club in the public eye and are thus a valuable recruiting tool.

Uppingham’s decision to fund  EREY obligations from General fundraising makes it essential that all members pay a full part in our fund-raising activities within their capabilities, skills and knowledge.

 Gift Aid  A welcome gift to our charity funds from the Chancellor who allows us to reclaim 20% tax on all charitable donations in cash or kind made by UK tax payers; a recent further relaxation allows us to reclaim tax on cash donations of less than £20 received during collections etc without rendering a donation certificate.  GiftAid has become a substantial contributor to our charitable funds.  As part of GiftAid we are able to claim a refund on tax for all cash donations to our charitable trust of less than £20 without detailed record keeping under the GiftAid Small Donations Scheme.

 Global Grants  Provide support for major charitable projects (min value $30,000) which meet Rotary’s areas of focus.  A Global Grant can triple the individual clubs project funds but Global Grants have been a victim of their own success which has led to a reduction in the level of grant support from the Rotary Foundation World Fund in the recent past. A Global Grant must have a Host partner in the locality of the project and an International partner.

 At Uppingham we have participated in several Global Grant projects: we partnered with other District 1070 clubs in providing a fleet of motorbike ambulances for Mbale in Uganda, we subscribed to a Rotary GB&I global grant to equip the operating theatres of the new Mercy ship and we are in the final stages of completing a project to convert a derelict dispensary building into a model maternity unit in Bomani, Kenya as the International partner.

 Handover   At the end of June or the beginning of July, Rotary worldwide is passing on the batons of DGship and presidency. Gongs are exchanged, thanks expressed and inspirational speeches spoke. Pictures of a multitude of  handshakes descend on local editors’ desks.

 Host    An essential club function in which we all participate as and when appropriate. The host should arrive by no later than 7.15, greet and host the speaker when he/she arrives, introduce him or her when it is time for the presentation and propose the vote of thanks at its conclusion

 Inaugural Meeting   The meeting, usually marked by a dinner to which all clubs in the district send representatives, which precedes the presentation of a Charter to a new club, Uppingham’s was in June 2006. Membership numbers at the inaugural meeting must be stable and in the region of 25; all must be committed to joining and none can leave without disturbing the delicate Charter processes. Those concerned will be founder members of the new club,

 Induction     The ceremonial induction of a new member is done by the President incanting one of several prescribed forms of words. The new member will be presented with a Rotary badge, name badge and, hopefully, a copy of this book.

 Inner Wheel   The autonomous organisation which has its origins in a club formed of Rotarian wives in January 1924. The Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland came in 1934. Uppingham, as a fully equal and diverse club does not have or need an Inner Wheel Club.

 Interact   An organisation set up by Rotary in 1962 for youngsters of 14-15 years old. The name is a contraction of international action. There is no Interact club in our area. It was the success of Interact that led to the formation of Rotaract.

 Lead Persons   Due to its modest size Uppingham appoints Lead Persons to pursue its projects and service commitments rather than work through the normal Rotary service committee structure; Lead Persons are appointed for: 

·         Community and Vocational Service 

·         International Service - to meet overseas needs and foster international goodwill and understanding.

Youth Services which covers such functions as Youth Speaks, Young Writer, Young Chef and Young Musician 

In addition, the club has various members who are given roles to concentrate on particular areas of Rotary e.g. Family, Foundation, Communications and PR as well as for each major Club event.

 Leave Of Absence     A way which allows someone anticipating extended absence to remain a member of the club in spite of his or her inability to attend meetings. Members requiring leave of absence should apply to the council (via the President or Secretary) in writing. Leave of Absence will normally be granted automatically to any member who signs out on the Club attendance register for business or personal reasons. Leave of absence is a condition of eligibility for a proxy vote at the club SGM in December in cases where a member is unavoidably absent though illness or business.

 Logo The Uppingham logo (see front cover) was designed to be used to identify all forms of club communications. The town badge is used by kind permission of the Town Council. However, this is not an official Rotary emblem – the official emblem is shown at the head of the front page and can be found in suitable downloads for use in the RI Brand Centre.

 Meetings Like almost all Rotary clubs Uppingham meets weekly and in our case in the evening. Rotary clubs have traditionally met at lunchtimes but the change in work patterns has led to the trend towards evening,  ‘twilight’ (early evening) and breakfast time meetings (a practice not uncommon abroad). Some lunchtime clubs have regular evening meetings during the month as well.  We no longer require Rotarians to meet any set requirement for attendance or even to dine when attending a Club meeting.

 Members  People become Rotarians by invitation and for many different reasons. Sometimes meetings are set aside with a view to inviting potential members but every Rotarian is encouraged to have possible recruitment in mind whenever going about their daily work and leisure.  Ideally, one or more potential members will he invited to an Open Meeting where the aims of  Rotary are explained. Potential members can also be invited to a few regular meetings so that they can become acquainted with Uppingham and its members, and vice versa. If they are interested in joining, they complete an application form which once signed by a sponsoring Rotarian, is brought to Club Council. All being well, a classification is allocated and the name is circulated by the Secretary to club members for acceptance. Any objection must be registered in writing within ten days and objectors must be prepared to state their reason to the council. In practice, some informal soundings will usually reveal any potential objections before an application reaches an advanced stage. 

Who might be a potential member?, Any man or woman in a professional, managerial or executive capacity who wants to put back something into society whilst enjoying fellowship and good company. They must be over  twenty-one years of age and enjoy a reputation for high ethical standards in their business or profession.  Rotary is also open to those who have retired.

 Members, Honorary. Honorary membership is the highest distinction that a club may bestow and should be conferred only in exceptional cases, on persons who have rendered some distinguished service compatible with Rotary ideals; it may not be conferred upon an active member by the members of one’s own club.

Honorary members are exempt from paying admission fees and dues, have no vote, and are not eligible to hold any office in the club.  Such members do not hold classifications but are entitled to attend all meetings and enjoy all the other privileges of the club.  No honorary member of a club is entitled to any rights or privileges in any other club, except for the right to visit other clubs without being the guest of a Rotarian.  Individuals may hold honorary membership in more than one club .

 Prospective honorary members should be proposed, seconded and have received the full support of all club members before they are approached regarding their acceptance

 Mentors    Each new member is allocated a Mentor whose responsibility is to ensure that the new member is introduced to and involved in all of the activities of the Club. This is usually the Proposer of the new Member.

 Mission/Vision Statements

 Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change across the globe in our communities and in ourselves.

The Rotary Foundation helps Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty.

 Motto  Service above self     It says it all.

 Object of Rotary, The 

1.     The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service,

2.     High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society.

3.     The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business and community life.

4.     The advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

 Officers, Club   The President, Immediate Past-president. President-elect, Secretary and Treasurer are the club officers. They are elected at a Special General Meeting (SGM) held in December. Secretaries and Treasurers may serve for up to five consecutive years.

 Open Meeting    A specially arranged meeting, where Rotary is explained to one or more potential members.

 Paul Harris Fellow (PHF)    A Paul Harris Fellowship is a donor recognition level which is earned by donating $1000 or its equivalent to Rotary Foundation. In Rotary GB&I, and certainly in Uppingham, a PHF is bought by the club, using points accrued as the result of Foundation donations, and bestowed as an honour for exceptional service.  The recipient, who is entitled to wear a special badge and a gong with a blue and gold ribbon, may or may not be a Rotarian but he or she will certainly have done something in accordance with Rotary ideals that is worthy of recognition.

 PETS      An acronym for President Elect Training Seminar. All Presidents- elect in the district are invited, indeed expected, to attend the annual PETS which usually takes place on a Saturday morning in March or April. Here they will have the opportunity to meet their colleagues and their future DG and prepare for office by talking about such things as recruitment, the club assembly and the induction of new members. Hopes and aspirations and programmes for the Rotary year ahead as well as matters of common concern are also likely to be discussed.  In 2022, PETS will incorporate several Districts as the concept of clusters is put into widespread operation for the first time.

 President     A club’s number one. The President serves for one Rotary year although it is not unknown for some to serve a second consecutive term; a second term after an interval is much more frequently encountered. The President presides over the club, its council and its affairs, and will also represent the club outside. He or she therefore has a full but necessarily brief opportunity to stamp his or her personality on it.  In some clubs, members become Presidents on a Buggin’s turn principle dictated by the order in which they joined. This approach often produces some reluctant heroes.  Uppingham elects its President, initially as President-elect, at the SGM in December 18 months before he/she takes office.  

 Past President (PP)  One who has served previously, or, the last President is known as the Immediate Past President (IPP) and would respectfully be addressed as such.

 President Elect Next year’s President who will deputise for the President as required. Sometimes referred to as the first vice-president in other clubs.

 President’s Night is perhaps our main social evening of the year organized by the Club President, normally at the Falcon Hotel, with a dinner, speaker or other entertainment; it is also one of our major fund-raising opportunities of the year.

 President Nominee Elect (PNE)  known in some clubs as Junior Vice-President (an obsolete term) elected in Dec to become President in 2 yrs.

 Raffle  Within Uppingham we normally hold a weekly raffle.  All proceeds go into the club’s general account and may be transferred to the Club Charity account if not required for Business purposes

 Regalia Things like bells are used in the conduct of meetings. More importantly are the ‘Chain of Office’ necklaces and ‘gongs’ which enable club  officers the world over to be identified, worn with pride, displaying that they are “in charge” of regular club meetings and as identification when attending other  important functions such as Charter Dinners.

 Rotaract    An organisation set up by Rotary in 1968 for young people of between 18 and 30 years old. The name is derived from Rotary in action. At present there are no Rotaract Clubs in Rutland although a new initiative with the National Citizens Service may result in an increased flow of young persons into Rotaract.

 Rotarian Action Groups are groups of Rotarians with special interest or knowledge in specific areas for instance Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASRAG), Malaria (RAM-global) or the environment (ESRAG) – there are many more which can be revealed by a simple Google search.

 Rotary International (RI) The organisation of which every Rotary club is a member. Until 1922 it was the International Association of Rotary Clubs.

The President of RI has reached the top job after many years of service to Rotary. He/she is appointed by a RI Nominating Committee (by 31 January) but only after a consultation process in which individual clubs may put names forward (by 31 December). The office is held for one Rotary year. The next RI President will be Jennifer Jones, of Canada, who will be RI’s first female president.

 RI has a Board of Directors comprising seventeen members:

·         the President,

·         the President Elect,

·         six from North America (USA, Canada, Bermuda and Puerto Rico),

·         one from Rotary GB&I and its near European zone partners in Zone 20

·         two from the Mediterranean region (Europe. North Africa, Middle East),

·         two from Asia,

·         two from South America,

·         one from the region described by the Antipodes and South Africa

·         and one additional member from one of these areas as designated by the board.

 

Each is elected at the RI Convention and serves two years. 

 Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (Rotary GB&I) — and the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Our area is anomalous for historical reasons and has been in existence since 1914, when the British Association of Rotary Clubs came into being. The Rotary International Association for Great Britain and Ireland succeeded the BARC in 1921 and was renamed RIBI in 1938, ours has been the only Rotary region to have its own organisation interposed between constituent districts and RI. Within Rotary GB&I  there are some 44,000 Rotarians in some 1700 Rotary clubs in 25 districts. As part of the general change of governance in Rotary from 2022 the Governing Council will comprise the Rotary GB&I officers, 6 representatives of the DGs and 6 individual members nominated for their specific skills.

 As part of the ongoing governance changes, the RI Director for Zone 19 & 20 now acts as Chair of the association of Rotary GB&I as long as he/she comes from that part of the two Zones which constitutes Rotary GB&I; in the event that the RI Director comes from another part of Zone 20, the Chair is elected separately.

 Rotary Young Leadership Award (RYLA) An award and training scheme run on a District basis for aspiring young leaders in commerce or industry; a  candidate must be sponsored by a Rotary club to attend and on conclusion will be awarded a certificate of completion but above all will have enjoyed a very worthwhile week’s training and fellowship.  Uppingham sponsored its first RYLA student in 2014.  There is now a Young RYLA held in the Peak District for 13-15 year olds.

 Scatter Visits  These are sometimes part of our annual programme when a month contains five Mondays. Membership of Uppingham means that you are welcome at every one of the 35,000+ Rotary clubs throughout the world. Indeed, to be able to visit another club is one of the great rewards of Rotary. It is customary to convey our President’s greetings to the club you visit. If you are treading a new path, you may also exchange banners.  Establish your bonafides by wearing your Rotary badge (and name badge if you have it). Uppingham will look forward to hearing a brief report when you return. There is a slot in the weekly agenda for the purpose.

 Scholarships.  A Rotary Foundation programme which finances, through a District or Global Grant, a period of post-graduate study for a young person in an overseas country in one of the Areas of Focus (qv). A scholar will normally have a Rotarian counsellor and sometimes live as a guest of a Rotarian family. He or she will also undertake speaking engagements at Rotary club meetings in both the country visited and on their return home.  Foundation has funded over 350,000 scholarships and spends $7.5M on them each year making it the largest non-governmental scheme of its type in the world

 Special General Meeting (SGM)   Normally held on the first Monday of December (it must be held before 31 December) at which the audited accounts for the previous Rotary year are presented, the incoming President is confirmed, the President Nominee Elect and the other officers for the following year are elected. Nominations for office (proposed, seconded and countersigned by the candidate to signify consent) need to be submitted to the secretary in writing by no later than seven days beforehand.

 Standing orders Detail the club procedures, rules and regulations which are particular to the RC Uppingham; they can be found on the Club website

 Subscription   Uppingham members pay for  their meals as appropriate by BACS transfer to the Business account.

 An annual subscription is levied, currently £110 pa per member, payable in full in advance of 30 Jun each year, or by instalments agreed personally with the Treasurer: the subscription covers our:

·         dues to Rotary GB&I (including a contribution to RI)

·         dues to District 1070 including the annual Capitation fee 

·         and our own club running expenses

new members are first enrolled as Associate members which attracts a reduced subscription.

 Sustaining Member is a Rotarian who undertakes to donate$100 individually to The Rotary Foundation every year.

 Tabards    The club has a number of bright yellow tabards available for outdoor duties; all sport the Rotary logo and act as a valuable recruiting as well as identification tool.

 Transfers   Any Rotarian moving to a new area or wishing to change from, say, a lunchtime to an evening club may be proposed for membership of another club by his present Club secretary. There must be exceptional circumstances why a Club would not accept a member who wished to transfer. It always makes sense for the aspirant member to attend two or three meetings of the new club before pursuing an application to join. Once formalities are completed, no induction ceremony is necessary.

 Trustees The Club elects/confirms 4/5 trustees of the Charitable Trust each year at the AGM; the Trustees have the responsibility of ensuring that the club complies with all relevant charity law as required by the Charity Commission.  The Trustees are the signatories to the Club’s bank accounts.

 Uppingham,  Rotary Club of, Chartered in 2006 meets at the Falcon Hotel, Uppingham every Monday at 7.30pm except on Bank holidays

VTT - Vocational Training Team A vocational training team (VTT) is a group of professionals who travel to another country either to learn more about their profession or to teach local professionals about a particular field. Rotary Foundation district and global grants all support VTTs, but each grant type has different requirements.

 Youth Exchange Arranges periods abroad for young people. The idea is not to fund holidays but to give suitable youngsters of from 14 years old upwards an opportunity to travel and benefit from time spent in a foreign country staying (usually) at the home of a Rotarian. The stay can be short (two weeks) or as long as a school year. District 1070, which is the level at which the scheme is administered, naturally offers reciprocal arrangements for young people coming from Overseas.

 Youth Services covers such competitions as Youth Speaks, Young Chef, Young Writer, Young Musician etc.  Uppingham sponsors teams from local schools in the Youth Speaks competition and members are active in running Young Writer and Musician.  Kids Out also comes under the auspices of Youth Services but Uppingham does not participate in this programme due to lack of demand from the local schools.

 Website Uppingham maintains a Club website at www.uppinghamrotary.org which contains details of programmes, projects, past and future events, club rules and regulations, Charitable Trust accounts and reports and the President’s Plan and Report.  Links are available from the Club website to District 1070, Rotary GB&I and RI websites all of which contain invaluable information on Rotary locally, nationally and internationally.  All Rotarians are encouraged to make themselves familiar with these sites.

 Zone  The Zone is the Rotary level lying above the District and below RI.

Rotary GB&l lies within Zone 19 & 20.  Zones are formed to ensure roughly equal numbers of Rotarians in each Zone; this sometimes leads to Zones that are far from homogenous, for example Zone 20 includes Southern England, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands as well as offlying islands such as Madeira, the Canaries, Channel islands and Gibraltar.  There are a total of 34 zones worldwide.


 

 

The Uppingham Banner

 

Based on a draft by Gordon Johnston of the Rotary Club of St Neots

Edited for the Rotary Club of Uppingham by Hugh Holden and Bill O’Leary January 2015 with extensive revision in Sep 21

 

The Rotary Club of Uppingham 

www.uppinghamrotary.org.uk 

Rotary District 1070, Rotary GB&I and RI 

http://www.rotary1070.org

http://www.rotarygbi.org

www.rotary.org/en

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'What We Do' Main Pages:

Each subject covers one of our major projects

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Documents affecting the running of the club formally adopted by the Club

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Annual Trustees' Reports and Accounts for last 3 years

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