General Meeting - Live

ROTARY CLUB OF CHESTFIELD

Breakfast Meeting 08.00am Thursday 17th March 2022 @ the golf club

Present:           Andrew B, Andrew M, David K, Dave C, David M, Elaine, Hilary, Lesley, Margaret,                                   Maureen, Pat, Paul, Pippa, Robert, Spyros.  Zoom: Pete, Kathryn.

Apologies:       Chris, Godfrey, Iain, Jackie, Myfanwy, Marian, Nick, Sue, Trevor, David B.

Guests:            Helen Cook.

Grace:             Was said by Paul.

BREAKFAST

Business Items:          Lesley brought everyone up to date regarding the donation for Ukraine.  David M confirmed that he has sent over £3,000 to the DEC from the club.  If anyone has further donations to make, they can send them to him.  Shelter box are now on the ground and have been advertising, so future donations may go to them.  Hilary has forwarded a long email from district about co-ordinating the response; if any Rotary members are giving up their time for relief efforts, can he/she let Hilary or Kathryn know, please? 

                        Lesley said that she, Hilary and Kathryn will attend a meeting tonight about how local residents in Whitstable can get involved.  Kathryn said that Deal Rotary collected £4,000 at the week end.  Apparently a lot of people have donated items for the countries accepting refugees, but these items can’t just be sent loose, so there is a need for volunteers to sort and box them up.  Members acknowledged the huge logistics problems facing those countries dealing with an unprecedented influx of refugees.

                        Andrew B and Lesley spoke about the stall at the community event last week end.  They gave out a lot of leaflets about Rotary.  A number of visitors approached them, including one man asking if we could help with youth projects in the area.  They met a number of Rotarians or ex-Rotarians from other areas.  They weren’t allowed to have a collecting bin for Ukraine ‘though.

                        Regarding meals, Robert asked if members, either attending breakfast or offering apologies, could remember the deadline - which is 5.00pm Monday before a Thursday meeting.

Any Other Business:   Spyros said that two members of Saffron Walden Rotary, Mark Ferland and Edward Nestle, have been to collect the aids for disabled people.  They were impressed by the amount he had in his garage - estimated at between £4K-£5K of equipment, including wheelchairs, walking aids, even two bath hoists.  What happens next is that the material is taken to Physionet, a charity in Yorkshire, who clean, repair and renovate items.  Once they have a shipping crate full it is shipped to the 3rd world, often to Africa, but sometimes as far afield as Fiji.

                        TWAM is approaching.  Members are asked to save and donate any spare tools.  If we know of any neighbours who want to sell or give away tools, don’t be shy about approaching them on behalf of Rotary!  The collection is usually on a Saturday, ‘though no date has been fixed yet.  Margaret said she has access to a van at the week ends.

                        Andrew B said a thank you to Robert and Spyros who completed tidying up the rose bed.  Andrew also said he will contact our Global scholar Loren Schmidt who is due to come down for our Quiz Night.  Andrew will accommodate her on the Saturday, but he is looking for a volunteer to entertain the day after, ie 3rd April.

                        Going back to TWAM and Spyros’ item, Hilary recounted that her son, who is travelling in Africa, came across an elderly Masai warrior using a walking frame in the desert.  Hilary herself, who has worked with albino women in Africa, visited a centre where the women support themselves using sewing machines donated fro Europe.  All the aids for the disabled, or tools for TWAM would otherwise have gone to landfill.  Helen said that she edits the Whitstable community page on Facebook and could publicise projects such as these on our behalf.

                        David M said he has just had a meeting with representatives from Kent University about Walk4Water.  This is all set to go.  It will be Kent U’s first community event in over two years.  There should be about 125 children present on the day.  All volunteers should meet at the sports centre.  David M will provide all volunteers with matching hi-vis vests (so no need to bring Rotary ones).

                        David M is asking all members who help with car parking (next date 27th March) to please note:  if you take money for flapjacks etc by means of the card reader, please take a corresponding amount of cash out of the bucket and put it in the jar.  Similarly, if you accept donations for Ukraine using the card reader, please take the same amount of cash from the ordinary bucket and put it in the Ukraine bucket.  This ensures we keep the donations apart.

Greetings from Other Clubs:              Saffron Walden mentioned above.

Raffle:             Was won by David M

Master-at-Arms:          No Nick this week, so Lesley reminded everyone that it is St Patrick’s Day, and also Sleep Awareness Week - and fined members accordingly.

Final Toast:     Was given by Lesley.