General Meeting

ROTARY CLUB OF CHESTFIELD

Breakfast Meeting online 8.00am Thursday 29^th October 2020.

Present:               Dave C; Pat; Kathryn; Andrew & Jean; Godfrey; Andrew B; Lesley; Pete; Iain; David K

Guests:                Margaret

Apologies:           Robert S; Sue

Birthdays:            Pippa’s was last week.  Iain’s is this week.  Best Wishes to both.

Interact:               Kathy said she gave a talk to her students on Tuesday.  One of them has a mother who is vice-President of a Rotary club in Germany.  Kathy asked if clubs in Germany will celebrate World Polio Day, and was told yes.  Kathy anticipates 15 of her students joining.

Gardening:         SERCO have tidied up the middle garden at the hospital.  We don’t have a date for when Rotary can go in and do our bit.

Funding Request:  David M has forwarded an email asking if this club would like to help with a grant towards refurbishing the toilet at the centre used by the Whitstable Over-60s club.  The centre is used by other groups as well.  David will forward the email, and members are asked to respond to show whether they agree with making a donation to this.

Christmas Collection:  David K has indicated he can’t be Santa**  this year.  A thank you to Pete who has volunteered to be Santa instead (and was wearing a hat with a flashing bobble to prove it).  We may have to decide if the collection will go ahead at the SGM in November.

Emma Slade       We have had a letter from Sue, Emma’s sidekick to say that Emma is being proposed for a Queen’s Award.  Would the club wish to write a letter in support of this?  Who knows Emma well enough to write such a letter?  It was suggested that Pippa knows Emma very well, and might be willing to do this?

End Polio Now Campaign:  There are Rotary face masks, greeting cards etc available for sale in support of the campaign.  David M will circulate an email about this.  Can anyone wanting to order items let Kathy or David M know asap, please?

Gordon:               Gordon has phoned David K.  He was in hospital but is now out.  He sounded very chipper over the phone.

The Net:              This is the community magazine which comes out every few months.  David M has had an email from the editor asking for someone to write an article about this club for inclusion.  There was a mixed discussion about this.  Club listings are free (Jean read out the entry for the Forest of Blean club) but some members wondered if we would have to pay for a longer article to be included.  Others said that these magazines usually end up in the bin anyway, and we would be better served by an article in the parish magazine.  Finally, some said it will be difficult to give an exciting picture of our activities when we can’t meet anyway.  Can we ask Robert S, our PR officer, to undertake this task?  Kathy will ask David M to forward the email to Robert.

** Or possibly Satan – which was what I had written in my notes.  Dave C.

West African Project Fair:  Kathy has information about an online forum looking for support from international partners for projects in Africa.  The forum will be 9^th to 11^th November.  We don’t know how much this would involve.  Kathy will ask David to circulate to all members for a response.

Car Parking:        Last Sunday was perhaps one of our most disappointing days.  It was very wet, and we only took £160.  The next one will be Saturday 28^thNovember.  Volunteers needed as always.

Remembrance Wreath:  Kathy has collected this.  Due to the current restrictions there won’t be a parade as such.  Kathy may not be able to lay the wreath on Sunday 8^thNovember; if she can’t then Pete will do it.

Any Other Business:  Lesley said thank you to all the club members who brought bags of food contributions on Sunday at the car parking.  She was able to take a whole car boot full to the Umbrella Centre for distribution by the Revival Café.

                Re: Carers UK, Lesley said that initially the latter were hoping for each club to put up a person to be a local ambassador.  However at a meeting on Saturday last only six people attended out of seventy clubs.  It’s a bit vague what they want the ambassadors to do, and Lesley has told them she can only perform a limited role; she has too much else to do.  This meeting wondered if this has been well thought out; there seem to be lots of support clubs and networks for carers already in existence – just look at the listings in the Net.

                Lesley said she has a date for her hip operation.  This means she will be out of circulation for most of December.  She will contact club members to ask them to do jobs for her.  One of these will be helping to sort the food from the Christmas collection – if the latter goes ahead.

                Re: clearing Ron’s garage.  David M, Andrew Dave C are due to go round to Ron’s tomorrow morning.

                TWAM.  This will go ahead.  Please save any unwanted tools in good condition for Jean & Andrew.

                SGM.  Members are reminded that we need someone to step up and volunteer to become the Youth Opportunities officer.

Next Meeting:

8.00pm online Thursday 19^th November.