Business Meeting - Live

ROTARY CLUB OF CHESTFIELD

Breakfast Meeting 08.00am 21st April 2022 @ The Golf Club

Present:           Andrew B, Andrew M, Chris, Dave C, David M, Elaine, Godfrey, Hilary, Lesley, Maureen, Nick, Pat, Paul, Reggie, Robert, Spyros.

Apologies:       David K, Iain, Jackie, Jean M, Kathryn, Myfanwy, Margaret, Marian, Pippa, Sue, Trevor, David B.

Zoom:              Pete.

Guests:            Mike Dallon ADG, David Lister - both from Deal.

Grace:             Said by Paul.

BREAKFAST

Reports from Committee Chairs:

            International / Andrew B:  For the benefit of our guests, Andrew explained about our involvement with schools and Walk4Water.  Andrew thanked David M who has been to give talks to two schools recently.  Andrew mentioned our 5 outstanding grant applications with District, including one to provide water filters for Bhutan.  He described how this club hasn’t waited for the official Rotary response, but has already orchestrated donations totalling £4 K to the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) for Ukraine.  Most recently we have made another donation of £300 to the Rotary International Organisation for Healthcare Professionals towards emergency tourniquets.  Finally, Andrew mentioned a meeting with Whitstable Rotary one of whose members is accommodating a family from Ukraine, and who are aware of 16 similar families in the Whitstable area - all of whom are in need of money for basic necessities.  Hilary suggested they should be provided each with a Sainsbury card.  Lesley said she would look at the Whitstable Facebook page for guidance.

            Social / Pat:  Pat reminded members that next Thursday will be an evening meeting here at the golf club.  The speaker will be a niece of Amy Johnson, the flyer.  We have heard back from the golf club, and the cost of evening meals will be going up to £23 per head.  Next month’s evening meeting (May) will be at the Plough.

            PR / Robert:  Robert mentioned the Facebook page which describes what we get up to.  He asked Mike if there was any guidance from Rotary for using Facebook?  Mike said there is a new online training programme available.

Address from the ADG:          Mike thanked the club for welcoming himself and David.  He said he prefers to listen rather than talk, so he had two questions for us.  Firstly - ‘what do we think deters people from joining Rotary?’  Paul said he thought we still have an image problem.  David M thinks the difficulty is getting potential members over the threshold.  Mike suggested one Avenue might be to have a particular project and use this to get people involved, rather than Rotary membership itself.  Members referred to some of the things we do, including the car parking, the Quiz Night etc.  We haven’t been able to do the Guest Breakfast for a couple of years due to lock down.  Hilary said that the generation who started this club have all grown older together, and young people won’t join what seems to them to be an old persons’ club.  David M thinks the future of Rotary may lie in young people starting new clubs - and without any preconceptions about ‘this is how we do it in Rotary.’ 

                        David L agreed with the above.  He has just helped start a new club in Deal.  None of its members would have been likely to join an existing club.  Because it is new, the manner in which they meet is up to them, and in practice is extremely flexible.  (Unfortunately, Rotary’s parent organisation in the USA are not happy with the choice of club name - Deal Rotary Pirates).

                        Mike’s second question was - ‘what do we think people miss by not joining Rotary?’  Chris said that for him it was about fellowship, and being able to join opportunities to do good which may not be available to ordinary individuals.

Any Other Business:   Andrew M reminded members about TWAM on 30th April.  Dave C asked if they accept electric power tools?  No, they don’t. 

                        Thanks to Godfrey and Andrew B for doing the lawn mowing and weeding at the rose garden.

                        Spyros asked if anyone has unwanted prescription glasses or sunglasses?  He is collecting these for Africa.

Greetings from Other Clubs:  Mike and David brought greetings from Deal and Deal Rotary Pirates.  Robert brought greetings from Canterbury Sunrise (having met Gill on the stairs this morning).

Raffle:             Was won by:   Pat

                                                Reggie, and

                                                Mike.

Master-at-Arms:          According to Nick, today is National Tea Day, and also Adopt a Ferret Month. *

It’s also the Queen’s birthday.

Final Toast:     Proposed by Pat

Next Meeting: 

Thursday evening 28th April @ the Golf Club

* Always popular in Norfolk.