General Meeting

ROTARY CLUB OF CHESTFIELD

Breakfast Meeting 07.30am for 08.00am Thursday 13th June 2024 @ The Plough

Present:               Andrew B, Andrew M, Chris, Dave C, David M, Elaine, Gerry, Ian, Jean, Kathryn, Lesley, Maureen, Marian, Nick, Pat, Paul, Pippa, Robert, Spyros, Sue.

Apologies:           David K, Fiona, Godfrey, Hilary, Myfanwy, Margaret, Pete, Reggie, Trevor, David B.

Guest:                  Steve Root, Canterbury Sunrise club.

Welcomes:         Pat welcomed everyone to the meeting, and especially our guest this morning Steve from Canterbury Sunrise Rotary.  There is a birthday this week; it's Godfrey's 15th.  Marian was welcomed back with a round of applause!

Grace:                   Given by Paul.

BREAKFAST

Business:            

                Pat reported that the walk last week end round the Stour was a great success.  It was a lovely day, the weather being kind for once.  The food at the Grove Ferry Inn was good.  Pat was at the car park in advance of everyone else, so she amused herself by plaiting corn dollies out of the long grass.  Sue added that she has a meeting with Chris who is a potential evening speaker about the Stodmarsh.

                Paul was asked about car parking this coming Sunday 16th June.  Volunteers are still needed for the early afternoon shift, even if you can only spare an hour.  Let Paul know.

                David M reported that he has two bags for all the poles etc for the two rotary flags.  Can members make sure everything goes back in the designated bags after use, please.  This is how bits have gone astray in the past.

                Andrew B said that the organisers behind Walk4Water have been busy choosing a school in Kenya to support next year.  David M said it will be a large school called St Jude.  They have no water supply of their own, and there has been friction with the local village about using the latter's water supply.

                Andrew B added that he and Pat went for a walk with Weald Rotary club last week end for Cancer UK.  450 people took part and raised an impressive £24,000.  Our own Race for Life has had to be cancelled due to a low take up.

                David M told the meeting that the Sainsbury card donation scheme has raised £470.  He has used this to make the following donations:

                Food Friends                      £200

                Whit & Tank hospital      £200

                Air Ambulance                  £70

Steve Root:         Steve was here to tell us about the Canterbury City Show which will be on Saturday & Sunday 20th & 21st July, and to encourage our members to take part.  Steve has booked a large pitch for Rotary in a corner of Westgate Gardens.  The plan is for all six local rotary clubs to join together to man the pitch.  What is being planned is an interactive quiz about recycling.  There will be ten panels, each featuring an item of household waste; which bin should it go in?  The answer will be on the back of each panel.  The quiz is meant to be a light-hearted way to encourage the public to contribute more successfully to CCC's recycling scheme and thus help the environment.  A rotary club member will be needed at each panel to talk to the public. 

                Additionally, and as well as the overt recycling theme, the event will be used to encourage members of the public to consider joining Rotary.  So, there will be a need for three or four extra rotary members to engage with members of the public after they have completed the trail.  Was that fun?  This is just one example of what we do etc.

                Chestfield could lend our flags and storyboard to the event.

                Sue said she has a spreadsheet for the event to organise who will be on which shift etc.  There will be a flyer in the events folder also.

Greetings from Other Clubs:        Steve reiterated greetings from Canterbury Sunrise.

Raffle:                   Won by Ian.  One of the prizes in store is a voucher for Ron Benning to come and work for two hours in the winner's garden.  Suggestion we hang on to this and use it ourselves for the Whit & Tank hospital.

Master-at-Arms:              According to Nick, today is International Axe Throwing Day.  On this day in 1920 The US postal system banned parents from sending children by mail.

Next Meeting:

07.30am for 08.00am Thursday 20th June @ The Plough