90th. Charter Night at the Faenol Fawr Hotel, Bodelwyddan.

ROTARY CLUB OF RHYL Britain’s leading Rotarian has challenged North Wales oldest Rotary club, Rhyl, to back his call to Rotarians throughout the country, to cast away some of the out-dated and stifling constraints of bygone decades and embrace the massive opportunities that modern technologies and advances offer as they move confidently towards their historic centenary in ten years’ time. Principal guest Peter Davey, President of Rotary International of Great Britain and Ireland, told a capacity attendance gathered at Faenol Fawr to mark the 90th anniversary of the granting of Rhyl’s charter in 1926, that Rhyl had every reason for genuine pride and celebration. Lavishing praise at having embraced and demonstrated the noble and worthy Rotary principle of Service above Self so impressively for ninety years, he said this was a justifiable occasion to salute the superb achievement of all those who had made a real difference to the life and lives for so many worthy and deserving good causes throughout this long period of faithful ommitment. But he cautioned clubs against resisting the inevitable need to welcome change and to open their minds to embrace many of the modern, surer ways of securing the future for a different but still attractive Rotary presence. “Times and attitudes are changing and Rotary must change with them,” he emphasised. “Rotary is too precious not to work effectively for the next generation of members, without losing or diluting our core values, not least of integrity without discrimination.” District Governor Chris Sumner added his warmest congratulations to the Rhyl club and pledged his continuing support in further extending their long-running record of achievements and commendable focus on service. High-spot of the evening was the closely guarded secret of the award of a cherished Paul Harris Fellowship to Rhyl’s Past President and current Junior Vice-President Keith Roberts, by the Rotary GB&I President. Presenting the award to universal acclaim, President Peter said to become a Paul Harris Fellow was the highest distinction that could be accorded to a Rotarian and he warmly congratulated the latest recipient on this clearly well-earned honour. Host President Michael Parry, who had earlier welcomed the many visiting Presidents and members to the event, said he never failed to marvel at the attainments of Rotary, not least its astonishing campaign now nearing fulfilment to eradicate the killer disease polio from the face of the earth. Wherever Rotary was present, he said, there was always evidence of ordinary people achieving extraordinary things and this remained a remarkable truth in which the Rhyl club were proud and privileged to share. During the evening, a voluntary collection of spontaneous donations raised more than £420 to be shared between the Roll out the Barrel and prostate cancer charities.