June 2017

ROTARY CLUB OF CARLISLE

PRESIDENT David Morton

SECRETARY Mike McNally

THE BORDERER

JUNE 2017

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Our Charity Golf Competition was an excellent event - it raised a substantial amount of money, it was well organised and enjoyed by all. The organisers should take a good deal of credit for its success.

Robin and Jenny MacLeod have most kindly offered the use of their garden in Capon Tree Road, Brampton for the President’s Barbecue on 2^nd July as my own garden does not have the acreage to accommodate us all. Plans are well in hand for the event and it would be a pleasure to see everyone there. Full details are given later in this edition of The Borderer.

Remember it’s the Great Ferret Race on Saturday 24^th June Race. It’s the last of our fund raising events for this year, so please put the date in your diary and get ready to support and enjoy it in every way!

Nicki takes over as President next month and I hope that she enjoys her year as much as I have. I wish her every success in the coming year.

So many of our members have helped me in very many different ways, and it would be invidious of me to list them all.

To each of you, I am deeply grateful.

PRESIDENT DAVID

Purple4Polio Jam

I hope that you have enjoyed your greengage jam and are now filling the jar with coins in support of the Purple4Polio Campaign that aims to raise £1m for the eradication of polio.  Would you please let me have the amount you have collected by 30^thJune.

ELLIS AMOS

SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE DUE SOON

Subs are due at the beginning of July and Ellis would appreciate cheques for £140,made payable to Rotary Club of Carlisle. This is made up of our club subscription of £110 plus a voluntary Charitable Donation of £30. Please note that the increase is entirely caused by the change in National and District capitations. He intends to set up a seat of custom at the meetings on 28^thJune and 5^thJuly to receive subs.

Back to Nature

We have never seen Julian so relaxed, sitting in his Director’s chair fingers poised ready to press the keyboard of his laptop computer and bring up the next picture. With photographs he had taken in many parts of our country and an encyclopaedic knowledge of the many varied species of Butterflies and Moths that are native to these parts, Julian gave us a most interesting talk on a subject which is obviously very dear to his heart. In the short time available he covered his subject in considerable depth keeping his audience eager to learn more about these allusive creatures many of which no one could recount ever having seen, perhaps because they are specific to a particular location and some are extremely rare and difficult to find.

Julian left us with the encouragement to go around the countryside with our eyes open, and who knows we may spot some of species he so aptly described.

THE EDITOR

Our picture is a marsh fratillary found at Finglandwood reserve near Gt Orton...a rare but very beautiful Cumbrian butterfly

A message from Simon Strickland

Best wishes to you all. 

We are still tenants here and our plans for a new build progress slowly. Our move has been vindicated as we have already seen more of our family than all of previous year. I have to tell you the weather is better and even the birding. 

Until hell freezes

SIMON

FERRET RACING

JUNE 24^th 2017

Marian is still looking for serious prizes to be auctioned and she is also looking for tombola prizes.

Marian will be selling tickets at our regular meetings, and they are also available at the Eden Valley Bookshop in The Lanes.

ROTARY GOLF DAY

Once again, the rain held off – indeed the sun came out - to allow for the Rotary Club of Carlisle’s Annual Charity Golf Competition to take place at the Eden Golf course on Friday 19^th May 2017.

A total of 29 teams took part – a record number - resulting in a very enjoyable day for all concerned. Every year there seems to be strong support for the style of the day – relaxed, emphasis on a fun day and, inevitably, the odd bit of friendly banter with the “regulars”.

Gosforth Rotary Club almost swept the board this year with 2 of their 4 teams coming in 1^st and 2^nd with scores of 89 and 87. Bell Park Kerridge was a strong 3^rd, scoring 86. A good number of teams recorded scores of 80 or above so the competition was fierce. Well done to the worthy winners.

It would be very unfair to record the team with the lowest score but better luck next year Rotarians Nick Utting and Peter Hall.

Longest drive on the 18^th was achieved by Dale Hodgson (Gosforth again…and they won some raffle prizes!) The nearest to the pin (men) on the 13^th hole was Danny Roper. None of the ladies decided to record who was nearest to the pin on the 6^th hole, suggesting perhaps that they had not achieved their personal best on the day.

This report is written while away on holiday in God’s own country – for those who are puzzled as to where this may be, a clue is that for the moment at least it remains part of the United Kingdom. As a result, I do not have all the financial figures to hand and there is still some collecting to do but it would appear, having paid £1000 for 4 hours play at Eden and £300 in total prize money, the net sum raised for our charities this year will be around £3,500. If short of the £3,500 mark, I’m sure a worthy Rotarian will raise this to over £3,500, allowing the club to consider rounding up to £4,000?

Many thanks to all those who managed to entice/cajole teams to enter and to secure sponsorship once again. Every year it tends to be the same names coming forward re team entries and sponsorship and I recognise how it becomes more and more difficult to keep producing the goods but please do keep trying as the sums raised are significant and the day itself very rewarding.

Robin MacLeod

If you want to see pics of all the teams click here - Rotary Golf Competition 2017

BETH’S FOCUS GROUP

Ethically I can't say anything about who came or what we talked about as that is all assured to be confidential to those who took part. I can, however, say  the following :

Beth would like to send her thanks to all of those who participated in her study this month and she added “It was a privilege to be able to speak to you all , and I gathered some very interesting data which will be extremely valuable to my work . I can happily say that no alcohol was consumed during my NHS funded session  (unfortunately cannot say the same for earlier sessions), but we did have many discussions on the topic which I hope my participants found as interesting as I did ".

David Hoggard adds - " because I am not bound by ethics I am pleased to report that I was the only person to have alcohol with our lunch in spite of beer and wine being available. Rotarians present seemed in rather a state of shock after 1½  hours of soul-searching and wanted only to drink water! "

DAVID HOGGARD

'Journey of Life'

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - beer in one hand - chocolate in the other - the body thoroughly used up, worn out and screaming -- 'WOO - HOO what a ride'.

Enjoy Life

SOME EPIC CYCLING

Marian arranged for Tim Cartmell and John Rickerby to tell us about their mammoth cycle ride from Land’s End to Carlisle in aid of the Cumbria Community Foundation.

John started by describing his ride with some of his family through Death Valley, California to Las Vegas in Nevada. Death Valley is a featureless desert and the combination of the valley floor being below Sea Level and high mountain ranges, the temperature can be over 50 degrees centigrade. It is reputed to be the hottest place on Earth.

John had previously cycled from John O’Groats to Carlisle and enlisted the help of Tim, a relative novice, to complete the 900 mile trip. To avoid cycling on roads they used the towpaths beside England’s canal network, but this was slower as the canals tend to snake round the contour lines and there are many obstacles, including dogs, fishermen with massive fishing rods and narrow bridges. However the canals are well-provided with pubs and they managed two pints each most lunchtimes.

Altogether this was a very amusing talk, with interesting descriptions of the places where they stayed overnight and the many friends they entertained on the way. This was a real achievement and to crown it they raised £20,000 for the Cumbria Community Foundation.

SOME DEFINITIONS

ADULT: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle. 
BEAUTY PARLOUR: A place where women curl up and dye.

CHICKENS: The only animals you eat before they are born and after they are dead.

COMMITTEE: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

DUST: Mud with the juice squeezed out.

EGOTIST: Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation.

HANDKERCHIEF: Cold Storage.

MOSQUITO: An insect that makes you like flies better.

RAISIN: A grape with bad sunburn.

SECRET: Something you tell to one person at a time.

SKELETON: A bunch of bones with the person scraped off.

TOOTHACHE:  The pain that drives you to extraction.

TOMORROW: One of the greatest labour saving devices of today.

YAWN: An honest opinion openly expressed. 
WRINKLES: Something other people have, similar to my character lines.

Thought for the month

" It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser "

PLEASE REMEMBER

CLUB ASSEMBLY

Wednesday 28^th June 2017

Each of next year’s Convenors and Committees should get ready to present their plans for 2017/18.

Vice President Nicki has distributed report forms to all next year’s convenors. Please return them to Nicki as soon as poss..

NEWLAITHES SCHOOL DRAPES

The Newlaithes Junior School Drapes cost a total of £4,250.00 and Rotary Club of Carlisle donated the sum of £200 towards the cost of materials.

They produced two drapes as follows :

Drape 1: Theme, "Newlaithes School, Morton, Carlisle and surrounding area."

Drape 2: Theme, "We are a Fair Trade School."

Other support was received from Cumbria County Council and PTA FUNDS 

Photograph shows Michael Pearson presenting our cheque to Headteacher Andrew Cannon

THE GREAT POTATO COMPETITION

THE RULES

Time is fast approaching for the much hailed agricultural competition of the year. Forget the Cumberland and Dalston shows, the real action takes place at the Shepherds Inn on 5^th July, when the Rotary Club of Carlisle’s Great Annual Potato Competition takes place.

Much frenzied activity has already taken place. Potatoes have been planted, the secret composts applied and possibly even sneak previews taken place.

This year’s competition Judge (me) was the worthy and popular winner last year and so it falls to me to set the rules for this year’s event.

1. There should be 4 potatoes presented. Anything less and you’ve had your chips.

2. Any colour (white, red or blue ) is fine. If there are touches of green however, you’re roasted.

3. There must be few blemishes. Too much pitting and they will be mashed.

4. They should be of a similar size and shape. Any thing else will be creamed.

    

   You may consider these thoughts to be half baked but failure to comply and your ambitions will be smashed.

    

   Good luck

    

   ROBIN MACLEOD

    

    

    Potty about Potatoes

   This is the story about some forgotten seed potatoes who remained at the back of the garden shed long after their brothers or sisters,( I can’t tell the difference), had been planted in the warm rich soil for which Cumbria is noted!

   No room in the ground, no room in the garden growing sacks, so where could they be found a home?

   Tucked away in a far corner of the garden were a stack of empty flower pots, unoccupied since the Daffodil Family moved out after spending the winter being fed and watered by a very zealous gardener. The pots now with soil (furniture) added, and a splash of liquid nutrient to brighten things up, are ready for the potato family to move in.

   Now some time later we find that the potato families in their four detached residences are thriving and rumour has it that each family is expecting a quadruple happy event , the question is which of the family’s  off spring will be entered for the Beauty Contest  (potato competition) to be held at Carlisle Rotary Club on Wednesday 5^th July 2017?

   We will have to wait and see which successful four catches the Judge’s eye.

DUKE OF EDINBURGH QUOTES

Part one – more next month

1963

Speaking about the rate of British tax, he said: "All money nowadays seems to be produced with a natural homing instinct for the Treasury."

1965

On seeing an exhibition of "primitive" Ethiopian art, he muttered: "It looks like the kind of thing my daughter would bring back from her school art lessons."

1966

The Duke famously proclaimed: "British women can't cook".

1967

When asked if he would like to visit the Soviet Union: "I would like to go to Russia very much, although the bastards murdered half my family."

1969

The Duke said to Tom Jones after his Royal Variety Performance: "What do you gargle with, pebbles?".

He later added: "It is very difficult at all to see how it is possible to become immensely valuable by singing what I think are the most hideous songs."

On the Royal Family's finances: "We go into the red next year. I shall probably have to give up polo."

1976

On a tour of Canada: "We don't come here for our health. We can think of other ways of enjoying ourselves."

1981

During the recession he mused: “Everybody was saying we must have more leisure. Now they are complaining they are unemployed."

1984

When accepting a figurine from a woman during a visit to Kenya he asked: "You are a woman aren't you?"

1986

He told a World Wildlife Fund meeting that "if it has got four legs and it is not a chair, if it has got two wings and flies but is not an aeroplane and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it."

While on an official visit to China, he told a group of British exchange students living in the city of Xian: "If you stay here much longer you'll all be slitty–eyed."

His thoughts on Beijing: "Ghastly."

1993

To a British tourist in Hungary in he quipped: "You can't have been here that long — you haven't got a pot belly."

1994

"Aren't most of you descended from pirates?", he asked an islander in the Cayman Islands.

To a Caribbean rabbit breeder in Anguilla, he said: "Don't feed your rabbits pawpaw fruit — it acts as a contraceptive. Then again, it might not work on rabbits."

1995

He asked a Scottish driving instructor in Oban: "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?"

1998

The Duke asked a British student who had been trekking in Papua New Guinea: "You managed not to get eaten then?"

1999

In Cardiff he told children from the British Deaf Association, who were standing by a Caribbean steel band: "If you're near that music it's no wonder you're deaf".

PARKING AT SHEPHERD’S INN

The Shepherd’s Inn management have now said that in future our members could park anywhere on Shepherd’s Inn property – I think this means that we can park as before - in the spaces marked along the boundary with Lloyds and at the front of the building where there are also disabled spaces.

When that space is full we can use, free of charge, a massive new car park on Park Road bordering the M6 motorway. It looks as if it has a good hardcore surface and there has been an attendant there to make sure the parking was tidy and to direct cars to a parking space. The car park may be locked at 8.00pm so be careful if you are attending an evening function!

To reach this massive car park you should continue along Montgomery Way, leaving the Shepherd’s Inn, H&H and Carrs Billington on your left and carry on to the T-junction at the end, turning left onto Park Road and taking the first sensible turning on the left marked ‘Temporary Car Park’ where you will be directed to a parking place.

NOW THE NASTY BIT – there is no short cut yet through H&H’s car park back to The Shepherd’s Inn, we just have to walk back the way we came along Park Road and Montgomery Way – 4 minutes walk according to Gavin.

Watch this space – matters will develop!

DAVID MORTON

Membership Challenge

Are you still up for the Challenge?

The latest news is that The Challenge will be continued into the next Rotary year. 

This is not a hard challenge and only requires you to bring one guest to one meeting.

Food for thought.

WISHING WELL

The  Wishing Well was emptied 31 May and the monies collected for Life Education were £218.00 which we will make up to £250 as per usual.

Current Wishing Well recipient is The Lanes own Charity, One Great Day

This will be followed by Carlisle Key, Motor Neurone Disease, Hospice at Home, RABI, Blood Bikes, Samaritans, RBL Poppy Appeal, and The Animal Refuge.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Rotary South Charter Night

Friday 23^rd June 2017

Fifty years ago our Club founded the Rotary Club of Carlisle South, who are planning a special Charter Night and it would be fitting for our Club to have at least one table on 23^rd, unfortunately this is the day before our Great Ferret Race.

CLUB ASSEMBLY

Wednesday 28^th June 2017

Next year’s Convenors and Committees will present their plans for 2017/18. Vice President Nicki has distributed report forms to all next year’s convenors.

PRESIDENT’S BARBECUE

Sunday 2^nd July

The Barbecue will be at Capon Tree Road, by very kind permission of Robin & Jenny. Please bring your chair, plate, bowl a mug for tea/coffee and eating irons. Names, please in the Blue Book.

PRESIDENT’S DAY

Wednesday 5^th July 2017

CHARTER NIGHT

Wednesday 29^th November 2017

Our Main Speaker will be Peter McCall Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner

RECEPTION DESK FOR CLUB MEETINGS

June          7              Donald Edgar

                14             Tom Dawson

                21             John Churchill

                28             Trevor Green

July           5             

                12             David Morton

                19             Brian Edmundson

                26            

August       2              Marian Reed

                9             

                16            

                23             David Morton

                30            

Rotary Club of Carlisle Events

Club Council Meetings

Club Meetings Programme