Digital Bulletin No 76

September 2024

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September 2024

From the editor’s desk

Earlier this month Pat and I, along with 38 others from the Chelmsford & District National Trust Supporter Group, visited the Trust’s property at Dunham Massey. The two of us were sitting quietly in the gardens enjoying the view when Pat asked me “Do you think that places like this make people peaceful or that only peaceful people come to places like this?” I had no doubt it was the latter.

That made me think. What sort of people join Rotary? Answers on one side of a postcard, please.

Words from the President

August 1

Our meeting today was a business meeting at Chelmsford Rugby Club. We had an interesting discussion about the role of Secretary because of Jenny’s retirement and how our various projects would be run in this Rotary year, with the emphasis on sharing tasks around amongst the entire membership. A number of matters were deferred to the next business meeting on 29 August for a final decision to be made.

August 8

Our informal meeting this month was a visit to Maldon Oysters, both a tour of their modern premises at Cock Clarks and a visit to the actual oyster beds at Goldhanger. Unfortunately, because the latter had to coincide with tide levels, it would have meant a very early start from Suffolk, as well as negotiating the A12 roadworks at Marks Tey during the rush hour so Jackie and I were only able to go on the tour at the Cock Clarks premises but found that very interesting. Along with Bob, David, Peter and Mo, we had the opportunity to sample the oysters, which were delicious.

After the visit, we went for lunch at the Generals Arms at Little Baddow, which is now part of the Olio’s chain. We had a very good lunch, and it is a shame that, like the Hive last month, they don’t have a separate meeting room, otherwise we could certainly consider it as a meeting venue in the future.

August 15

For our meeting at the Rugby Club, our speaker was Leigh Harvey from Open Road, a charity that specialises in helping adults aged over 25 who have alcohol or drug addiction issues. This was a return visit for Leigh, who had been to our meetings during Peter Kemp’s presidential year, when Open Road was his chosen charity. Leigh highlighted the services Open Road provide across Essex, which include a women’s refuge in Colchester, and SOS bus and a project with GPs in the Danbury cluster assisting individuals with addiction arising from a medicine dependency. Leigh noted that Open Road has had an increase in requests for support arising from prescription medication.

Open Road’s core approach is to identify the underlying cause of the addiction, and Leigh noted that mental health issues are a major cause. Currently, they have about 300 clients who are addicted to heroin and a further 120 who rely on cocaine or cannabis. We were given an interesting insight into the way drug dealers now operate, with addicts ordering a supply online in the same way they would a food delivery from a supermarket, and the harmful effects of the opiates dealers mix with the basic drug. To deliver its services, Open Road works with a number of other organisations, including Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and the Probation Service.

Their funding comes primarily from public health, via Essex County Council and the separate unitary authorities in the south of the county, but they are also heavily reliant on donations. Leigh finished with a short audio where we heard the experience of a number of Open Road’s users and the beneficial effect its help has had on their lives.

August 22

Our speaker for our meeting at Ivy Hill was Samuel Pryor, a former pupil at Brentwood School, who has just completed his first year at university, at UCL. Samuel spoke to us about the Borgen Project, an organisation founded in the USA in 2003 by Clint Borgen, a former serviceman, to lobby the US government to increase its spending on overseas aid. It now has representation in over 2,000 US cities and came to the UK in 2021. The main focus in the UK is again to lobby to increase the overseas aid budget, which of course was cut in 2021.

Samuel pointed out that the reduction in the overseas aid budget has had a detrimental effect on education in the countries whose aid package has been reduced, particularly for young girls. He also commented that the increased expenditure on immigration comes out of the foreign aid budget and felt that money would be better used in improving the economies of the countries where the immigrants and refugees to the UK come from, so they would not feel the need to leave their country of birth in the first place.

All of us there were impressed by Samuel’s quiet but determined passion for his subject, which really shone out during the question-and-answer session at the end of his talk. I was particularly liked his response to a comment that the task of improving the economies of developing countries was really an impossible one. Samuel’s reply was that if his efforts improved the situation of just one person, surely that was better than doing nothing? With his desire to do good, I felt he would make an excellent Rotarian, so obtained his contact details and emailed him subsequently to invite him to come to another meeting, which he said he would like to do, and also to consider forming a satellite club, to carry out a suitable overseas project, which he also expressed an interest in.

August 28

A man on a bike wearing a crash helmet At 9:45 am, in the company of three cycling friends who rode with me for the first eighteen miles, I set off on the first leg of my two-day Rotary Cycle Challenge, to ride from Debenham to Chelmsford. There I would stay overnight, attend the weekly meeting the next day, and then pedal back to Debenham. The first part of the route, through some quiet and lovely Suffolk and Essex countryside, was very enjoyable, despite quite a few hills. The final dozen or so miles, first alongside the A12, then through Hatfield Peverel and Boreham, and finally along cycle tracks, was less enjoyable, more of a means to an end.

Through the wonders of modern technology, I was able to keep Jenny informed of my progress by using the location function on WhatsApp. I made good progress and arrived in Central Park at 5 pm, to enjoy a relaxing coffee and chat with the various Rotarians who had kindly turned out to greet me. My legs had done well to that point, but soon felt leaden when I sat down, a precursor to quite a bit of cramp later in the evening.

August 29

I had an early start the next morning, as I had arranged to meet Pam Scammell at 9 am on Springfield Green, from where she was setting off on her ride to Edinburgh. John Watkins kindly came along as well and took some photos for me. Pam’s cycling companion for the day, Ron, who had come from Ilford and was riding a small wheeled Brompton bike, was also sporting a Rotary snood, sold to him by John, on his head. I was pleased to hear from Pam later in the day that she and Ron had safely made it to their first overnight stop at Whittlesford, in Cambridgeshire, and that she now realised Essex wasn’t as flat as it is made out to be!

Our lunchtime meeting was a business one, and there was some very good discussion among the members there about both the future of the Club and the arrangements for our meetings. There is clearly a desire among our members to keep the Club going as long as we are able to, and it was decided we should contact the Millennium Centre in Great Baddow to see if we could hold our weekly meetings there. Several members thought the Club would benefit from having a single meeting location, so we will pursue this with the Millennium Centre.

I left the meeting around 2:15 pm for my return ride in a positive frame of mind after the discussion. It was good to get the noise of the A12 out of my ears when I reached Kelvedon, and the rest of the ride was a delight, as the weather was perfect for cycling, a few degrees cooler than the previous day and a gentle south westerly breeze to help push me home. The route was largely the same as the previous day, except that when I crossed the border into Suffolk at Bures, rather than following the Stour valley to Nayland, I headed north-east, to Assington and Boxford, then Kersey, where I paused for some refreshment.

That included a couple of bananas; when I had mentioned the attacks of cramp to Jenny, she had suggested I eat some bananas as the potassium would help and they seemed to do the trick, as I had no cramp after I got home. I had the warmth of the sun on my back until around 7.30 pm, when it fell low in the sky, but I was near to home by then, so did not need extra clothing, although I did put my lights on for the last couple of miles. The church clock said 7.45 pm when I passed by, so I made it home just as the sun was setting for the day.

Some more detailed reflections of the ride will follow in due course.

Random jottings

I won’t be impressed with technology until I can download food.

Life is too short to waste time matching socks.

My driving instructor told me to pull over somewhere safe. Ten minutes later he asked me why I hadn’t pulled over. I pointed out that we were still in Manchester.

When I walk into a spider’s web I demolish his home and destroy his dinner. Why do I still feel like the victim?

My psychiatrist told me I was crazy. I asked for a second opinion. “OK,” he said. “You’re ugly too.”

The road to success is always under construction.

Tributes to Chuda Karki

President Francis

I knew Chuda long before he or indeed I joined Rotary, as I was privileged to act as his accountant for a good few years. He was an existing client at Edmund Carr when I started looking after him, and my predecessor as the contact partner told me that whenever he met Chuda, knowing psychiatry was his speciality, he tried to keep perfectly still, for fear movement might lead Chuda to diagnose some nervous condition! So the first time I met Chuda I adopted the same approach, but I soon found it wasn't necessary to remain motionless, as Chuda was in constant movement himself, extracting papers from pockets or files while talking in that unique staccato style. He was always in a hurry, with the result that our meetings were invariably conducted across the little coffee table in the reception area, where space was, to say the least, limited.

Knowing Chuda to be a person of such boundless energy, it was no surprise to me that he was such a positive member of our Club. There were the international projects in Sierra Leone and Nepal, while nearer to home, the work with Ukrainian refugees and Sanctus. The fact that recycling of blister packs is still an issue is certainly not Chuda’s fault as he devoted a great deal of time and energy in trying to find a solution. At business meetings he always made such a positive contribution to discussions, which we have missed in recent months, and his passing is a big loss to our Club.

Maureen Benson

It has been a privilege to know and work alongside Dr Chuda Kharki through our Rotary Club.

A kind altruistic gentleman who has always been concerned for the wellbeing of his fellow man both in the UK and elsewhere in the world.

It was a real pleasure to work with him (and other Rotarians) supporting and teaching Ukrainian students when they first came traumatised from their war torn country.

He was there to offer his calm support and to assist them to settle down to life in what was for them a foreign country with a very challenging language!

Thank you Chuda for sharing your knowledge and understanding with so many people.

It has been our honour to have you as a member of our Rotary community.

Graham Furnival

Chuda was a warm and friendly guy. I was impressed with his energy and enthusiasm to help others and to get a job done. His contributions to Rotary will be greatly missed.

Anne Moriaty

Chuda was a powerhouse of energy and ideas to make the world a better place. I have so many memories but the one that I will share demonstrates his compassion for others and his ability to get things done.

In May 2022 I was contacted by Cindy, a former member of the Chelmsford City Satellite Rotary Club. She had two Ukrainian ladies staying with her under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. She hadn’t received any payment and was struggling to provide the ladies with clothing and essentials. I knew Rotary had a Disaster Relief Fund and as Chuda was our International Committee Chair at the time I passed Cindy’s request on to him.

Within a couple of days Chuda had visited the ladies at Cindy’s home, assessed their immediate needs including new glasses and orthopaedic footwear, and was working on ways to help them, including calling on the Chelmsford SAI organisation to assist too. Next thing I knew he was meeting a group of Ukrainians in Broomfield and arranging for them to have lessons in English aided and abetted by member of this Club.

A man wearing a Nehru-style hat standing in the middle of four younger men Chuda was also excited by Rotary International President Jennifer Jones’ theme of “Imagine” in 2022-23. I was chairing the Environment Committee at the time and several times he would approach me with a gleam in his eye and say ”Imagine if..”. He wanted to do so much to make the world a better place, from saving Mount Everest to finding a solution for the ubiquitous problem of blister packs.

At Chuda’s funeral we learnt that Chuda translates as “magic” in Russian. When Chuda was volunteering at a medical camp in Russia he was known as Dr Magic. How Chuda would have laughed at the thought that this year’s Rotary theme “the Magic of Rotary” could have been named after him.

We have all lost a cherished friend and a true Rotarian.

Philip and Alison Moses

We will never again be able to see a picture of Mount Everest without seeing the beautiful smile on your face for your beloved Everest. Rest in Peace. Nepal will always be in our hearts as will you.

Keith Otter

Among the many things I remember about Chuda are his energy and enthusiasm, his concern for refugees and other vulnerable people, his concern for the environment and his amazing ability to motivate others and get things done. I also knew him as a man of deep Hindu faith and a particular devotion to the god Ganesh.

I think it must have been his faith and his upbringing in Nepal, as well as his work as a psychiatrist, that made him such a great advocate tor the disadvantaged. He was also a very effective member of our Club and was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship. We will all miss him.

May he rest in peace and light perpetual shine upon him.

Mo Sadiq

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Chuda Karki, who passed away after a brief illness. Chuda was a man of many talents and a true pillar of our community. As a highly respected psychiatrist, he was also deeply committed to charitable work, always stepping forward to support those in need.

After joining our Rotary club, Chuda immediately became an active force, spearheading and successfully completing international humanitarian projects in Sierra Leone and Nepal. His dedication extended to introducing our club to “Sanctus Charity”, a local organisation close to his heart, which provides free meals and essential services to the homeless in Chelmsford.

Chuda’s presence, passion, and kindness will be profoundly missed by all of us.

Comments posted on our Facebook page

Assistant Governor Keith Harman: A very nice gentleman, So sad to hear.

Past District Governor Keith Brownlie: So sorry to get this sad news.A true Rotarian

Past District Governor Pauline Dean: So sorry to hear your sad news. A real gentleman and Rotarian

Past District Governor David Willis: Very sad news. A lovely man and a great Rotarian

Clair Dade (Chelmsford Community Transport and Southend Spotlight Appeal): I’m so sorry to hear this. My thoughts are with you all and his family today.

Raj Patel: We have lost a very kind and gentle soul whose voluntary work for us at Better Lives Foundation was a Godsend and it has continued since his visit to our hospital in Sierra Leone. May his Atma continue on his forward journey in peace and our condolences to Anju and the family, friends and associates.

The old songs are best

Disgruntled¹ of Chelmsford

I don’t know why today’s youngsters make such a fuss about the so-called deeply meaningful and emotional pop songs that are coming out now. How could they possibly compare with the great lyrics we remember from our early days?

Admittedly, it was probably just as well that adults back then never quite understood the meaning of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”.²

They would have been happier with one song about dangers that lurk in the home: “I thought I saw a Putty Cat (a’creeping up on me)”.³

We also had romantic ballads, such as “I’m a Blue Toothbrush, You’re a Pink Toothbrush”, lively Christmas songs like “I’m Walking Backwards for Christmas” and the lovely Scottish lilt of “Donald, where’s your trousers?”.

There was even one song that gave rise to a full-length feature film: “We all live in a Yellow Submarine”.

And who could forget the rousing chorus to the Hippopotamus Song?
    “Mud, mud, glorious mud,
    Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.
    So come let us follow
    Down to the hollow
    And there let us wallow
    In glorious mud!”

But to my mind the best of them all was that amazing song “Ying Tong Yidee Yi Fo”.⁴

¹ We know some people get disgruntled from time to time. Why do we never hear about anyone being gruntled?

² Reputedly a reference to the drug LSD.

³ Sung by the cartoon canary Tweetie Pie with the reluctant help of his perennial adversary, Sylvester the cat.

⁴ Note for those under 70: All the songs mentioned are genuine.