Trip to Uelzen Germany to Celebrate their 60th Charter 2024

From Sharon Snell & Mike Clarke

On Thursday 28th of June, 14 members of our Club traveled to our twinned club Uelzen in Lower Saxony Germany to celebrate their 60th Charter. What an amazing weekend we had and the weather was great for the majority of the time.

Thursday

After arriving and settling in with our hosts, we were invited to various Uelzen club members’ homes for supper. In our case, Simon and I went to President Wolfgang and Eva Kuhl’s home for a delicious BBQ along with our host Ulrike, Jacqui and Morris Poole, and Mikeand Moirag Clarke.

Friday

Our hosts treated us to all sorts of fun and games, I believe BIG truck driving was one venture and driving a combine harvester was another, whereas Simon and I were treated to a very beautiful and leisurely Shire horse and trap ride through the forest nearby, taking in the beautiful scenery. We then went on to the beautiful medieval town of Celle.

Saturday 

In the morning everyone was up bright and breezy and, dressed in our best attire, we attended the wonderful venue of the Uelzen Rathaus in the centre of the town, where the 60th celebrations began. President Wolfgang welcomed us along with the Presidents and guests from Budapest and Thisted in Denmark. Even though the greetings and speeches were in German, we were grateful to be given translation sheets so we could follow the proceedings and Charter acknowledgement. Our own President Morgan Taylor gave a thank you speech and gift to Uelzen.

We had a beautiful musical rendition from a jazz quartet between speeches. Of course the highlight for us was the huge surprise of Brian Cooke’s accolade in receiving the first and only Honorary Membership from the Uelzen Club for his fellowship to their Club and founding the original seal of partnership between the two Clubs. Brian has been with the groups attending the twinnings many, many times. He was stunned and very emotional, as we all were. Brian thanked everyone there for their kindness and expressed wishes for our two Clubs continued Friendship for the coming decades. After the official gathering we had canapes and were able to talk with members from different countries and discussed comparisons of our Clubs, and politics naturally came into the conversations. 

A leisurely afternoon and rest before arriving at the Holdenstedter Hof where we had a wonderful meal followed by the Handover of the Presidency from Wolfgang Kuhl to Thomas Kleinoeder.

Sunday

Our last day. We woke up to torrential rain, but this was not going to stop what was a great day out for all of us. We, along with many members of the Uelzen Club, were taken by bus to the wonderful medieval town of Hitzaker where we walked the cobbled streets, admired the fabulous architecture and saw many ‘Trolls’ positioned in the strangest places: street corners, edges of the bridges and so on. We had lunch here, then travelled on to Medigan Abbey at Bad Bevensen which still has eight nuns of the Lutherian faith living there.

Finally the rain stopped for our last stop. Time for coffee and cake at Woltersburger Muhle. We had a wonderful talk from Gerard Minnaard a Dutchman who came to Germany, bought the Mill and then wanted to help those less fortunate than himself. He has created a wonderful oasis for young men and women who need to be helped. He provides accommodation and food for a period of time for them, then tries to get them onto a more successful path in life, which can be very challenging for a lot of them.

His wonderful story was of two teenage boys who came to the complex many years ago, refugees, neither of them in a good place. But with his nurturing and encouragement they went back into society. One day, 15 years later, a very smart vehicle came to the car park, a smartly dressed man with his wife and family came to have coffee and cake. Gerard was approached and asked if he remembered the young boys, which he did. The gentleman then gave him the biggest hug and told Gerard he was one of the boys…. This was such an emotional story to hear and we all recognised that this incredible individual was literally a life saver for many. The Uelzen Club gave him a cheque donation towards his charity. If anyone would like to know more, here is the link - https://www.woltersburger-muehle.de/

We finally left and went back to our hosts and some of us were able to relax and watch the Euros football which was being held in Germany. England won that night…. Just!

We had an absolutely amazing time and came back to Devon feeling the love!

Many Thanks must go to Morris who arranged all the travelling too and fro from Bideford to Uelzen.

A part extract of immediate past president Wolfgang’s presentation to Brian Cooke in Uelzen as their first honoury member. 

“Peace and international understanding have always been one of Rotary's core concerns. And so, as early as 1967, the founding members used the contacts with the framework of the town twinning between the English town of Barnstaple and the Hanseatic town of Uelzen to find a partner club in the North Devon region. After the first visit by the then district administrator and member of the Rotary Club Uelzen, Dr Berger, further mutual visits followed until 1973, when the then President of the Rotary Club Bideford Eric Blanchard and the President of the Rotary Club Uelzen, Helmut Haupt formally sealed the partnership. Since then regular mutual visits have taken place.

As a special example, I would like to mention our friend Brian Cooke from the Rotary Club of Bideford. Dear Brian, I know from conversations with you that the club partnership with a German club was so important to you precisely because reconciliation with the former wartime enemy was a personal concern for you. You have been regularly making your way to us in Germany for more than fifty years. This year, in which you turned 94, you are with us again. Many of the members of the Rotary Club Uelzen have come to know and appreciate you and your dear wife Beth, who was unable to come with us for health reasons, as sincere friends for two generations. You are a shining example of international understanding in the truest sense of the word.

We would like to thank you for this long-standing friendship with a special honor. The club meeting unanimously decided to make you an honorary member of the Rotary Club Uelzen. From today on, you are no longer just a guest in Uelzen, but a part of our community in the Rotary Club Uelzen.”