r tabiliaJanuary 2015

The Rotary Club of Wellington

President’s Notes

Editorial Contact – comms@wellingtonrotary.org.uk

Gordon Banks and District 1210 Governor Lynne Marshall with Venn and Sue Davies

What a start to 2015! On 2nd January, the legendary Gordon Banks OBE attended our meeting! Thanks to the indefatigable Tom Farmer and his helpers we enjoyed great Fellowship with our guests and the 9 other Rotary Clubs represented. Just as importantly we raised money for Gordon’s favoured charity – The Bert Williams Trust which donates to The Alzheimer’s Society.

We will be making a concerted effort to enhance our links with fellow Rotarians by visiting other Clubs. The Sunday lunch at The Wroxeter Hotel on 22nd February, with the Rotary and Inner Wheel Clubs in Telford, will be an excellent opportunity to meet with like-minded friends.

Thanks to Tom Frain for his many years of service and accepting Honorary Life Membership. Farewell and good luck to David and Jacky Roberts on their emigration to Australia – it’s only 40 degrees centigrade there at the moment! Welcome to new member Jim McGinn and his wife Judith.

There are a number enjoyable events on the horizon, including Youth Speaks, the Tree of Light presentation evening, greyhound racing and Sportsman’s Night to name but a few. My thanks to everyone for organising the many projects we continue to support and enjoy.

I enter the second half of my term of office safe in the knowledge that our Club continues to thrive due to the commitment of the members.

Jim McGinn, whose name was proposed by President Elect Peter Seaward, was welcomed into membership of the Rotary Club of Wellington on 5th December 2014. President Venn Davies said, ‘I have great pleasure in pinning this Rotary emblem on you and declaring you to be an Active member of the Rotary Club of Wellington.’ Rotarian Jim McGinn’s classification is Business Analyst/Accountant and he will serve on the Communications Committee.

Christmas Morning at Farcroft with President Venn and Father Christmas

Gordon Banks - 1966 Revisited.Members of nine Rotary Clubs and their guests gathered at the Buckatree Hall Hotel to hear Gordon Banks talk about his footballing life. The legendary goalkeeper of the England 1966 World Cup winning team led the audience on the journey from when he played for a Sheffield local team through to the time when he managed Telford United.

Gordon, a sprightly 77 year old, now spends much of his time continuing the work of his hero, former Wolves goalkeeper Bert Williams, in raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society. Wolverhampton Wanderers and England legend Bert Williams started fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Society after his wife Evelyn died of the disease in 2002. Gordon, whose brother suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease for more than 10 years, added that several members of the 1966 World Cup winning team had Alzheimer’s.

The event was attended by 125 people and raised over £1500 for the charity. President Venn Davies said, “I would like to thanks all those who attended for making an excellent contribution towards the work of such a worthwhile charity. The President continued by thanking Tom Farmer for his vision and organisation which had ensured the success of the event.

Telford Tree of Light Campaign 2014Chairman of the Telford Tree of Light Committee, Rtn Peter Seaward, has successfully managed this year’s campaign raising over £38000 for local charities. Peter writes:

The Tree of Light is almost completed for another year with just the Presentation evening to go, but already we are working on the preparations for next year’s campaign. Why do I worry so much when things work out so well? My concern is that the good and generous people of Telford expect the Tree of Light to carry on so that they can remember their loved ones. There is the rub, succession planning. We cannot just expect gaps in the organisation to be filled without having some previous involvement. This year we have lost the web site editor and several members of the team. We have been lucky, Alan Baguley from Telford Centre club steppe in with attendance at the Blue Peter Club and as a data inputter, and Dan Scollard-Kerr stepped into the display team. I thank you all, whatever your participation in this year’s campaign. There was a wonderful attendance at the envelope stuffing.

Next year will be our 20th campaign and we will be very close to reaching a grand total of £500,000. We need to pull the stops out and go for it. I hope as many of you as possible come to the Presentation evening - I’m sure you will enjoy the fellowship and being able to share in the success of our biggest fundraising event of the year.

The 1960s revisited. Gordon Banks interviewed by James Bond!

President Venn welcomes Gordon Banks OBE.

Chairman of the Tree of Light Committee, Rtn Peter Seaward.

Farewell to David Roberts David and Jacky Roberts are emigrating to Australia. After months of planning, including selling their lovely home at High Ercall, they finally have their visas (flight date 28th January) and they’re off! They will live in Perth to be nearer to their two daughters.

President Venn invited Jacky to join David at our January 23rd meeting. John Rice, who introduced David to the club some five years ago, praised him for his commitment and contribution. Peter Seaward thanked him for his valuable work with the Tree of Light. The President commented on the enthusiastic manner in which he chaired the Youth Services Committee.

The President presented Jacky with a book of photographs of Shropshire scenes and famous buildings and, to guard against any possibility of David becoming a stereotypical Australian male, he was given some tea towels!

David explained how being a member of Rotary had ‘taken him out of his comfort zone’ which had been a positive experience. He had enjoyed arranging events and valued the fellowship of Rotary. He intends to join a club in Perth.

They left with our good wishes and a plea for them to keep in touch.

President Venn with David & Jacky Roberts and John Rice.

New Paul Harris Fellows [PHF]The Club awarded two Paul Harris Fellowships on 16th December. President Venn Davies presented Fellowships to Dickson Bailey and John Davies.

Former President of Rotary Club of Wolverhampton St Georges and member of District 1210 International Committee, Dick Bailey, was introduced by President Venn. In awarding the Paul Harris Fellowship he highlighted Dick’s voluntary work outside Rotary, his outstanding organisational ability and his commitment to the ideals of Rotary.

President Venn then introduced John Davies who joined Rotary in 1975 and is a former President of our Club. In making the award President Venn emphasised John’s voluntary work outside Rotary and the manner in which he works quietly and tirelessly to ensure success.

President Venn with Rtn Dick Bailey PHF & Rtn John Davies PHF

Don’s Jottings.Gerry Powell (who sadly died in 2003) was fielding on the boundary in the days when we had a cricket team. The opposition opening batsman struck a ball hard towards Gerry. It sped along the ground and hit him sharply on the

shinbone. While he was hopping around in little circles two shouts could be heard. The first from our bowler “Throw the bloody thing in, Gerry, they’re still running” and another from the nearest fielder “Well done, Gerry, you’ve saved a boundary”. The trouble was that by the time the ball had been thrown in, the batsmen had run four. I tell this story to show that we must have been collectively somewhat younger in those days. And it leads me to ask if our newer and younger members could take a look at their contemporaries and invite them to join us so that perhaps we might see the reformation of a Rotary XI once again!

Letter from Medic MalawiWe are faced with frequent and long lasting power cuts here. Today is a fifth one. We are having power may be for about a third of the day. Due to blood testing in the laboratory and operations in the Theatre, we are trying to have power almost all the time and this has necessitated us to continuously run our generator. This means that we are spending more than normal on fuel.

An encouraging observation however is the superb performance of the water pump in our borehole. It’s now over a year without breaking down. We are very happy.Combatting Ebola.

Jackie Watkins, Director of Friends of Conakry Refugee School, writes:Thank you for the £250 kindly donated to the Friends of Conakry Refugee School [FRCS] to help with our efforts to equip the school to combat ebola. You will be pleased to know that an observation room has been built and equipped thanks to your support and that of others. When the Guinean government decides it is safe Conakry Refugee School will now be able to re-open confident that all is being done to protect staff and pupils from the threat of ebola. We are expecting this to happen in the next few weeks. Thank you again.

Medic Malawi Global GrantBrian Richards writes: The US$38,534 Global Grant application for the solar photo voltaic project at St Andrews Hospital, was accepted for financial support from Rotary District 1210 Foundation Funds at the committee meeting on Tuesday 13th January 2015.

Chairman Ashley Gray confirmed that the contribution will be US$12,100, to be matched by RI Foundation, leaving US$14,334 to be funded by the Malawi District 9210, the clubs involved or any other sources.

Rtn Vincent Sikelo, the Project Manager for the Rotary Club of Lilongwe confirmed an application for US$7,167 has been made to Rotary District 9210, which would be matched by RI Foundation. Should there be a shortfall a top up from local Rotary Clubs and the Medic Malawi charity is needed. These contributions are matched by a further grant from RI Foundation rated at 50cents for every US$.

Lilongwe RC will complete the Global Grant application and I am advised that confirmation from RI takes six to eight weeks.

Children at the Conakry Refugee School.

Project Manager Rtn Vincent Sikelo of the Rotary Club of Lilongwe.