Business Meeting - Live

ROTARY CLUB OF CHESTFIELD

Breakfast Meeting 07.45 for 08.00 Thursday 19th January 2023 @ the Golf Club

Present:               Andrew B, Andrew M, Chris, Dave C, David M, Elaine, Jean M, Lesley, Maureen, Margaret, Marian, Nick, Pat, Paul, Pippa, Spyros, David K.

Apologies:           Gerri, Hilary, Iain, Kathryn, Myfanwy, Pete, Robert, Sue, David B, Trevor, Reggie, Godfrey.

Guests:                Mel from the Plough, Sharon from Red Zebra, Diane Coupland

                                Pat welcomed our guests this morning, following which, Paul said Grace.

BREAKFAST

Business:            

                Social:  Pat reminded everyone about bringing a guest to the breakfast on 9th February, hopefully someone who might want to join Rotary.  Even better would be if some younger prospective members were encouraged to join us. 

                The next social event will be the ten-pin bowling on Friday 3rd March.  Meet at the rink at 18.30.  There will be a meal afterwards at a restaurant in Whitstable.  The two choices are the new A La Turka or the Thai Orchard.  Sue was going to bring some menus, but can't be here today.  A La Turka is reported to be very good, but by others expensive.  Can everyone have a look at the menus online and be prepared to make a decision next week, please? 

                International:  We now have a date for TWAM - 22nd April.  Leaflets about TWAM were distributed.  There will be a need for two teams of two at the collection point, plus David M has volunteered to help with parking.

                Eight schools will take part in Walk4Water this year, which means around 170 students.  David M has already circulated a plea for as many volunteers as possible to safeguard pupils crossing roads during the walk.  It has been traditional for the volunteers to go out for lunch afterwards.  Lesley agreed to organise this for 12.30 / 13.00ish for a dozen people.  Suggestion that lunch is at the Royal Oak.  W4W is on Friday 24th March.

                Youth:  Margaret said that the second round of the Young Chef Competition will be on 25th February.  Kathy and Robert are standing in for Margaret who is away.  Pat thanked Mel for her support for the first round of the competition by supplying foodstuffs.

                One school locally, the Whitstable school will be entering students for the Young Photographer Competition, which will be during the February half term.  This is the first time we have been involved in this competition.  Margaret would like to expand our involvement next year.

                Finance:  David M had no significant news to report.

                Speaker Finder:  Chris has volunteered to take on this role.  Pat has asked if he can step into the role straightaway, rather than wait for the Handover meeting.  The next evening meeting requiring a speaker will be 20th April.  Co-incidentally, Dave C had an email this week from a Mr John Black who is happy to speak to us one evening about hypnotherapy.  Dave will pass on details.  Also, Diane C present this morning used to be speaker organiser for a local retirement group.  She is happy to share her little black book with Chris.

                Cluster Meeting:  Pat attended a Cluster Meeting last week end.  We in Chestfield, along with other clubs locally, are being encouraged to get together and organise a joint event for the Herne Bay Festival Week in August.  There is however some question about whether the festival will actually happen.  At the meeting, Pat met up with representatives from Faversham, who would like to challenge us to a game of Bat & Trap.  Mel said that she is having a B & T rink built at the Plough.  Pat will try to come up with a date for this.

Any Other Business:        Pat congratulated Spyros and Pippa for their work collecting medical / mobility aids for sending to Africa.  The equipment they were able to pass on recently to the collecting point in Saffron Walden would have been worth at least £1500 at second hand prices.  Some items were brand new and still in their wrapping.  Apparently, most NHS hospitals (Medway being perhaps an exception) say it is too expensive to deep clean mobility aids that have been used by UK patients, so they don't want them back once they have been issued.

                                Dave C asked if anyone here knew a Margate member Gerry Adams who has passed away recently.  Dave has details of the funeral if anyone wishes to attend.

                                Paul reminded members about the next car parking date, 5th February.  Volunteers for the 1400-1600 slot needed.

Greetings from other Clubs:        Spyros & Pippa brought greetings from Saffron Walden (above).

Raffle:                   Won by Andrew B.  Note: it's a bottle on Monin flavouring syrup for coffee, which will be available for members' coffee next week.

Master-at-Arms:              According to Nick, today is Brew-a-Potion Day.  It's also Dolly Parton's birthday, and the anniversary of the first release of the game Scrabble in 1955.

Red Zebra:          Before we closed Sharon said a few words about Red Zebra, and particularly about its role befriending elderly and isolated people locally.  Sharon was very complimentary about our very own Marian, who she described as a pillar of the community.  Sharon also praised Mel from the Plough who began by delivering a Sunday roast dinner to a small number of local individuals in need, and by now has donated some 2,500 meals - all unfunded by any outside source.  This service is now so well known locally that a number of community groups will refer people in need.

                Sharon talked about an isolated lady locally who initially asked about Red Zebra's transport assistance.  Although she has family locally, she receives no help or contact from them.  She was completely alone over Christmas.  Sharon said how pleased she was with the support of meals.

                Red Zebra tries to promote inclusion and fight loneliness.  This includes supporting the monthly coffee mornings at the Waterloo Community Centre in Whitstable, and also sending people greetings cards to mark milestones.

                Our current donations to Red Zebra will go towards upgrading the computers so that volunteers can work more easily from home.  Sharon said her next plan is to promote a service to help people with shopping.

Final Toast:         By Pat.

Next Meeting:

07.45 for 08.00 Thursday 26th January 2023 @ the Golf Club