December 2017 Projects' Update - President Bill's monthly update

The President keeps everyone informed - and on their toes!


It seems remarkable that we are embarking on the sixth month of the current Rotary Year, but here we are, and I will try, below, to report on such progress as has been made in respect of my six targets for this year.

Improving Life Chances in Seacombe (ILCS)

In late November, Rotarian Shyamal attended a meeting with Council officers, which produced a number of initiatives in which we will be able to take part in the coming months.  By the time of my next monthly update, we will be clear concerning the range of activities in which we will be able to join, and I look forward to moving forward with them very soon.

Service projects

The numbers are not yet finalised for our Shoebox appeal, but Manojit and his team have worked extraordinarily hard.  From my brief encounter with packing, I know that the contents and the organisation of the boxes is of a very high standard these days: this is a lot of work for those involved, to all of whom the Club is grateful.

At the end of the month, the Mayor came to the Open Door Centre to formally open the small extension that the Club, together with Martins Lane Dental Practice, funded.  She showed a lot of interest in the work of the Centre, and in our involvement with it.  On that occasion, I was also delighted to be able to present the Centre with a cheque from the Club for £300 towards the purchase of virtual reality equipment that they will use in counselling.  Greg and Lee have promised that, at a later date, they will come to a Club meeting and demonstrate this equipment to us.

The “plant a tree” project has now moved outwards from the Seacombe project (although there will still be trees available there, if wanted.  At present, Clare Mount Specialist Sports College and Elleray Park School are going to have some of the 210 medium-sized pollinators ordered, and further trees will be available for Club members or their chosen organisations.

PR

Our coverage in local media remains totally absent.  However, we showed ourselves in good form at the District Conference, acquitted ourselves well with a magnificent performance in the Quiz, and have continued to be well-represented in our local community.  Our Charter Dinner (only last month – how long ago it seems!) was a triumph for Rotarian Steve and his organising team, and showed other Clubs how it should be done.  If only we could have a cat stuck up a tree, the local media might find us interesting!

Membership

Michael Emberton and his team are continuing to plan for our next new membership event, and if I am very hopeful that that will result in the recruitment of some more members with the enthusiasm that the last tranche brought with them.

New meeting ideas

November has been taken up largely with the Charter evening, a Council meeting and the annual Election of Officers and Club Accounts.  But we did have an unusual meeting at which 2 pupils from Oldershaw Academy came to explore our opinions on the work and organisation of charities.  They perhaps reminded us of some of the apparent incongruities of charitable work, which seem much more understandable at 60 than at 16!  Then, on the last day of the month, we had a very considered report from Mike Loach, entitled “Jerusalem” but actually looking further afield around Israel and Palestine.  Much fascinating stuff, but we needed more time to explore his knowledge and debate what he saw when there.  Still, if 2,000 years hasn’t made it clear, it may take more than a Rotary meeting to answer all of the questions – political, cultural and, even, religious!

Penny Bridge

I have met Cass and Hilary from Penny Bridge on a number of occasions, and remain hopeful that they will soon have a programme of meetings that we will be able to attend occasionally.

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