Aireborough Rotary's Charter Evening at Horsforth Golf Club LS18 5EX

More than 70 members and guests attended including a variety of Clubs including Adventurers, Ilkley, Leeds, Otley, Aireborough Inner Wheel, Bradford West and Bingley Airedale. President Elect Mark Whitfield brought humour to both his self penned grace and his individualised greetings to members from neighbouring Clubs. Highlight of the evening was the Presentation of a second Paul Harris Fellowship Award - this time a sapphire - to Club stalwart Graham Davies.                                 

 I am delighted this evening to make this presentation to a multi talented Aireborough Rotarian who contributes in equal measure to both the Club and our wider community. He joined the Club 15 years ago following in his grandfather’s footsteps, his personality added to his business acumen soon made him an invaluable member. Once a fundraising event was over he could be relied upon to present us all in quick time with a printout of the successful outcome.

As an organiser he joined or established working groups for the Beer Festival, the Easter Egg Hunt and the Brass Band Concert with rotas a speciality. On the days he would be always in the thick of it, leading from the front and putting his scouting skills to good purpose where gazebos were concerned

Eventually and relatively early he found his niche as Club Secretary stretching the normal five years to seven supporting a succession of Presidents and always having the answers when queries arose. No member could ever complain that they were not well informed; the problem was many found it difficult to keep up! A lively Club, Aireborough has no shortage of wits, he soon fitted in and joined the competition.

Within the Aireborough Community he volunteers at the Grove Methodist Church’s Tots and Tykes Club, spends his Monday evenings on food pantry collections at supermarkets and is a member of a patient panel at Golden Bank Surgery. Together with his wife, he is a blood donor.