August 2009
Aug 30, 2009 1:45 PM
After rushing home from one event to pick up cases (for 2 days away from that evening) and garden chairs I went with Paul to Goldicote Manor for Shipston-on-Stour's BBQ. It was very well attended and although it did rain a little the sunshine was certainly in people's hearts as they ate and drank to their heart's content.
The BBQ was impressive (even for a vegetarian) and the puddings were amazing. I did just about manage to resist second helpings but I was pleased to see so many...
Aug 30, 2009 11:00 AM
I was invited by Handsworth Club to attend the Sant Nirankari Mission's Sant Samagan event at Symphony Hall where His Holiness Nirankari Baba was in attendance. The mission event attracted several hundred if not over a thousand poeple to join in prayer, song and readings on the topic of living in harmony.
Unfortunately, because of other commitments I could only attend the first hour so was not able to hear His Holiness Nirankari Baba himself speak. However, the music was...
Aug 29, 2009 7:45 PM
It was time to meet up with another ambassadorial scholar for a meal to say goodbye. Tonight was our chance to take Luiza Teixeira out especially as she was in celebratory mood as she had finished writing her dissertation. She has spent a lot of the year studying very hard which we hope will pay off greatly for her.
We had a nice Italian meal in a local restaurant and were able to appreciate how much her time here has meant to her. She is very grateful for the chance to do the...
Aug 29, 2009 1:30 PM
A couple of hours were spent organising the interview content and organisation for the GSE team members ready for October. Poor Brian Moore after offering us his home for the meeting had to miss a fair amount of the meeting due to car difficutlies but Peter Ramage and Carolyn McLaughlin were there to make sure we got a balanced programme for the candidates.
We have more candidates than places this year so we will unfortunately have to disappoint a few people but at least we have some...
Aug 27, 2009 3:30 PM
As I missed the conference meeting because of a club visit I decided to meet with Dave Bowyer the conference chairman to see how well things are going and what still needs organising. I am pleased that numbers are above the minimum required and most speakers have confirmed they are coming. Dave had prepared the next newsletter which I will send out with the DG's newsletter.
Still a few jobs to complete in the organisation of the event but I have to say I am very lucky that I...
Aug 25, 2009 7:30 PM
It was nice to meet up with the members of Warwick Avon Club again after years of association. Both Phil Head (my chauffeur for the evening) and myself were made very welcome. It was also nice to be given a choice from 4 puddings(!)
We had a long discussion re membership after my speech which it was good to hold and have people participate in. It was good to be having the conversation with a club that has got several new members recently but is not complacent and is looking for new ways...
Aug 25, 2009 12:45 PM
After a journey that took much longer than expected I was relieved to find I arrived before the bell rang for the start of the meeting. It was lovely to have a friendly face waiting on the steps for me.
It was great to be back with a club that I visited in my first year as Assistant Governor. The amusing element was the constant asking by the Sergeant at Arms for the return of his fines book, Bill's constant protests of his innocence in the matter and the final finding of the said book in...
Aug 24, 2009 7:30 PM
An early arrival meant that David Litttleford (my chauffeur for the evening) and I could sit and relax in the bar overlooking the Henley Golf Club. A lovely welcome was given to us from a club with a really warm attitude. A strength of this club is its concern for the well being of its members and their families. It has plenty of activities in place and some really good causes are supported. It was lovely to spend the evening with the club who were generous in their listening as...
Aug 23, 2009 2:00 PM
A drive over to RIBI Headquarters at Alcester for the first General Council Meeting of the year. It was good to meet up with the other 28 District Governors in RIBI and see how things are going for them. I try not to do too much comparison otherwise I start worrying about all the things I haven't done (I still came away with a page of jobs to do and that was after staying up late on Sunday evening trying to get a few things done!).
Before you arrive at the meeting you are sent a whole...
Aug 22, 2009 12:00 PM
Thanks to Peter Styles who took me to Mablethorpe to visit the children given the opportunity of a holiday through the generosity of Rotary Clubs from our district. It was a lovely day and as we arrived earlier than expected we had the chance to go round the seal sanctuary (which had far more animals than just seals).
Helen made us very welcome and showed us around the house. The dormitories are lovely and bright and you get a real sense of space in the building. The girls had spent the...
Aug 21, 2009 7:30 PM
Paul and I met up with Sasha Chou in Birmingham to have a farewell meal with her before her flight to New York on Monday where she has an internment for 9 months. We had a very pleasant evening at Cafe Rouge overlooking the canal behind the Mailbox.It was lovely to hear her stories of her study and her experiences here including the amusing story of being locked in the faculty building overnight because she lost track of time whilst working. A sleepless night on chairs staring at a poster of...
Aug 21, 2009 12:45 PM
My 34th club visit (halfway there if you don't count Interact and Rotaract Club visits that I want to make this year). It was lovely to be taken by PDG David Robinson - must be the only person to ask to come and hear me speak as he missed my talk at his own club.
A lovely welcome met us both and we were both well looked after right from the start of the meeting. It was a pleasant (if embarassing) surprise to have a detailed introduction to me although not as embarassing as having...
Aug 20, 2009 8:00 PM
It was nice to visit the same venue for a second time as this time I visited Droitwich Spa Saltway Rotary Club. This may be a small club in numbers but it has a lot of energy, enthusiasm and dedication to Rotary.
I had a great evening with the club. I decided to not do my speech in its usual format but try to make it more of an informal sharing of ideas as there were only 8 of us around the table (including one other visitor). We had a good long discussion afterwards covering...
Aug 20, 2009 12:45 PM
It was nice to be back with the members of Solihull Club who are always very welcoming. It was especially generous of them considering the tough week they have had after the funeral of a member.
One of the largest groups I've spoken to but I am grateful that all were very attentive and very positive at the end of the meeting. It was great to also hear how individual members are enjoying their membership of Rotary and how they are working to support groups I have a keen interest in.
Aug 19, 2009 6:45 PM
A meeting of the Trustees to the District Trust Fund began the evening. It is amazing to think the Trust Fund has been there supporting our District projects especially those for disadvantaged children for over 20 years. It is great to see the Trustees staying so loyal to the Trust over the years.
The executive meeting then followed in its new format. It was strange to have less people around the table but I felt it worked well. We had more chance to talk through items on the...
Aug 19, 2009 12:45 PM
A lovely day to be chauffeured by Simon Grant (one of our newer members) to the Holte Hotel for Aston Rotary Club's meeting. It was nice to see friends from Wylde Green there as well. Although Brian was concerned Aston members might be outnumbered by visitors the members duly arrived and a very friendly and relaxed meeting ensued.
It was great to hear about the club's projects that show so much dedication to the 3rd world and to needy families in the local area. This club may be small...
Aug 18, 2009 8:00 PM
A lovely venue for a meeting and a relaxing place for me and Peter Raine, my chauffeur for the evening, to wait for the start of the meeting. We were both made very welcome - it was good to be back amongst old friends.
A lovely meal and conversations made it a very relaxed atmosphere to be in. The only worry when the President builds you up before your speech is that the only way is down! However, responses were good and discussions that followed were really positive and forward...
Aug 18, 2009 12:45 PM
A lovely ride to Sutton Coldfield Golf Club driven by PDG Peter Isherwood (he must almost know my speech off by heart). We were made very welcome and the time leading up to the start of the meeting went very quickly as we both had several people coming and talking to us. It was lovely to see people wearing their Paul Harris Fellow badges and chains (if only Peter and I had known, we would have bought our chains).
Good chatter was had over the meal and I appreciated the good...
Aug 17, 2009 7:30 PM
A lovely venue to visit and to be chauffeured there by Brian.It was great to be back with a club that I remember that I enjoyed visiting as an Assistant Governor. The same banter and good humour and a great atmosphere...oh yes!
Although usually one is slightly apprehensive about questions that are asked this evening's questions led on to a really great discussion not only between me and members but between members themselves. It was great to be part of an open and honest...
Aug 13, 2009 8:00 PM
A nice journey out into the countryside to the Fox and Hen at Bascote Heath for the Southam 2000 meeting driven by Bill. A very enjoyable meeting with quite a bit of laughter at tables and across the room. A very relaxed atmosphere in the meeting made the nerves a little less before speaking.
I just hope I didn't put the prospective member off. It was nice to be amongst Rotarians I have known for several years and to have positive discussions about publicity and the polio campaign.
I...
Aug 12, 2009 10:30 AM
A really great way to spend my birthday. We first travelled through the M6 traffic (or is that sat in it!) and the rain to go and collect Sasha (Ambassadorial Scholar) to drive to Worcester to catch the river cruise boat with Stourport on Severn Rotarians and children and their families from Birmingham Children's Hospital Burns' Unit. The coach eventualy arrived and as it did the rain stopped. In fact the whole boat trip went without rain. Drinks and hot dogs were available on board for...
Aug 11, 2009 8:00 PM
It was great to only have a few miles to travel tonight and the welcome was lovely - so many people talking to me and being looked after so well for the whole evening.
It is great to see a club which is gaining many new and younger members and is very active in the service it gives. It was nice to see a prospective member at the meeting as well and know that I haven't put her off joining.
Noone seemed to drop off to sleep during the speech and it was good to discuss the club's...
Aug 11, 2009 12:00 PM
Droitwich Spa is a lovely town to visit and our time there began at Rotary House at the end of one of the Probus Club meetings. A lovely small building with a nice seating area outside which would suit many community groups as a meeting venue. 2 sets of press there and then another press photographer later at the club meeting venue - I've never had so many photographs taken since my wedding day!
.A very friendly and active club which made Ian (my chauffeur) and me very welcome and at...
Aug 10, 2009 12:45 PM
After the glorious weather of the weekend it was a shame to find the journey over cloudy and wet. However, the welcome more than made up for it and it was nice to be in a club where people happily spoke to me and Peter (my chauffeur for the afternoon).
The room was lovely for the meeting, as was the meal and the company. Have ensured that PDG Brian Moore and I are not visiting the same club as each other for a while (as this was his 3rd time of hearing the talk!).
Had a really good...
Aug 9, 2009 12:00 PM
The afternoon started with lunch for 20 of us from Coventry Phoenix Rotary and Inner Wheel clubs at the Loch Fyne Restaurant in Kenilworth. Good company and conversation got the day off to a great start.
We then drove across to Stoneleigh Abbey in glorious sunshine for a guided tour. The guide was great (not too much detail, not too little) and the Abbey grounds and house were beautiful. (I now know why some apartments there sell for such large prices!). It was lovely to watch the cricket...
Aug 8, 2009 10:00 AM
Well the sun shone and the rain from the previous few days was nowhere in sight as I headed for the Long Marston airfield for the Bulldog Bash. What a wonderful experience!
It was great to be amongst thousands of others there for a great weekend. Bikes, bikes and bikes galore! Eddie Kidd was there, a wall of death and the Stratford Rotary Club. A fantastic stall offering a great selection of fruit, milk and other drinks which were very popular with those attending the event was run by the...
Aug 6, 2009 7:00 PM
Heavy rain made it difficult to get to the meeting (and it was even worse to get home) but it was good to be with a group of enthusiastic rotarians keen to support clubs in whatever way we can. It was lovely to have Penny Sunderland back with us as well.
Dave Roberts began the meeting for us with information on how to navigate our way around the various Rotary websites - we might need a litle more practice but it was really good information and I did practice by going onto the RIBI...
Aug 5, 2009 1:00 PM
After leaving work later than I wanted and panicking I might not get there in time I found myself at Warwick Rotary Club meeting in time to have a chat to several people before the meeting began.
Thank goodness for the microphone as I wasn't sure my voice would carry the length of the room (after feeling a little croaky for a couple of days) although I daresay a few wished it didn't carry that far!
It may have been wet and damp outside but it was very warm in the room not only from the...
Aug 4, 2009 12:45 PM
A lovely treat to be collected and returned by the Club President himself. What was really nice was it meant fellowship was had by the 4 of us in the car before we even got to the meeting venue.
It was nice to be with a club I have known for several years and one close to home and that contains many friends. I was made very welcome by the members and I don't think I've had my picture taken so much at one meeting!
I don't think anyone dropped off to sleep during the speech. It is also...
Aug 3, 2009 7:30 PM
We arrived to meet a visitor from the Epping Forest area. Soon we were joined by club members. Good conversations were had before and during the meal.
In fact after the speech good discussion followed regarding PR following on from convention and other communication matters. What was great was that conversation carried on after the final toast where members and guests sat back down and carried on the conversation. It was nice to see people not rushing off but...
Aug 3, 2009 12:45 PM
A short and pleasant drive over to Coleshill with Clive my chauffeur for the afternoon. It was lovely to see Rotarians that I had got to know as Assistant Governor a few years ago. They all had obviously forgotten that I was coming as there was only 1 apology. It was lovely to see Bruce come who was determined to be there although still recovering from a recent spell in hospital.
The questions were certainly thought provoking - the polioplus campaign was a key topic and my first one...
