Business meeting

This was our second online business meeting. (The third if you count the AGM last month.) It was ably chaired, as usual, by President Francis.

The Treasurer’s report showed generous donations from members, presumably in response to the request to donate money from the funds they are saving by not having to pay to attend physical meetings. We have reasonable balances in both the Club and Trust accounts.

First Vice President Janice Goodman, in her capacity as Chair of the Club Administration Committee, was able to report that our Archivist, Keith Dabbs, had been able to complete his collection of profiles for all Past Presidents. Unfortunately all social events have had to be cancelled but more are planned to take place when they become possible again. One suggestion is that we arrange virtual tours of some interesting venues.

The report from the Membership Committee expressed everyone’s sadness at the recent death of our long-standing member Dennis Fountain. It is difficult to recruit new members in the current circumstances but the Committee Chair, Jenny Black, suggested that members might like to invite others to join our online meetings whether they were interested in becoming members or not.

In his written report as Chair of the Foundation & International Committee, Keith Dabbs mentioned that the International Evening scheduled for March 2020 would now take place in April 2021.

Stan Keller, the Chair of the Public Image Committee, said he was still writing articles for the Moulsham Times and the City Times but that these were only being published online at the moment.

On behalf of the Community & Vocational Committee, Phil Goodman said all those who would normally attend our Senior Guests’ Summer Party had been sent letters advising them that we had had to cancel it this year but aimed to hold one next year as usual. A donation of £250 had been made to the 2nd Chelmsford (Springfield) Scout Group towards the cost of renewing the roof of their building in Lawn Lane. A request for a donation to a charity helping the vulnerable elderly was declined as the Club is already active in this field.

As Chair of the Youth Committee, Janice Goodman mentioned that she and Keith Otter (the incoming Chair) had attended a District Youth Meeting by Zoom the previous evening. It was unlikely that any Rotary youth competitions requiring physical attendance would take place until January at the earliest. She will contact the President of the Chelmsford County High School Interact Club to see what can be done about recruiting new Interactors among the next Year 12. Most of the members of the Chelmsford Cathedral School Rotakids Club are drawn from Year 6 and therefore leaving the school at the end of the current academic year. The staff member heading the Rotakids project will be contacted to discuss restarting the Rotakids Club once things have settled down.