General Meeting

ROTARY CLUB OF CHESTFIELD

Breakfast Meeting 07.30am for 08.00am Thursday 3rd October 2024 @ The Plough

Present:               Chris, Dave C, David M, Elaine, Fiona, Gerry, Godfrey, Ian, Margaret, Nick, Pat, Robert, Sue.

Apologies:           Andrew B, Andrew M, David K, Hilary, Jean, Kathryn, Lesley, Maureen, Paul, Pete, Pippa, Reggie, Spyros, Trevor.

Guest:                  Ron Benning, past member.

Welcomes:         Sue welcomed everyone to the meeting, including our guest today, Ron.  Ron was here to present the club with a gift, a glass jug engraved with the Rotary badge which he found in an antique shop.  Originally it was thought this might be a good raffle prize, but following discussion, it was decided it might make a good trophy for a club competition next year (see below).

                There are no birthdays this week.

Grace:                   In Paul's absence, Nick said grace.

BREAKFAST

Business:            

Comm / Voc:  This Saturday will be gardening at the Whit & Tank hospital.  Volunteers please arrive at about 9.00am.  There was no sheet in the folder, so Elaine asked for a show of hands.  She explained that Saturday will be about cutting back some trees, and planting layers of bulbs and flowers for the Spring.  Ronan will bring his chainsaw (but keep David M away from it!)

                Lesley has forwarded to us an email from the charity Haven about what they have been doing and what they would like in donations to help people in need.  This includes:

·         Torches

·         Sleeping bags

·         Baby wipes

·         Hats & Gloves

·         Winter Coats

·         Waterproof cagoules

                Sue reminded members that she will bring a cardboard box for donations to breakfast meetings.

                Kathy has enquired about the pre-Christmas Shoe Box appeal.. When is the deadline for collection of filled boxes?  End of October?

Fundraising:  Members asked if there is news of us securing any more dates for car parking?  Apparently not; the next one will be Saturday 14th December.

                David M said that tickets are all sold for the Quiz Night.  We do however need some worthwhile prizes.  Sue has a set of saucepans to donate.  Bottles are always welcome.

Social:  Not many people have put their names down for the evening game of Bat & Trap.  It was decided to shelve this event until the Spring, when there is more chance of getting some practice in before challenging nearby clubs to an inter-club competition.  We could use Ron's engraved jug (above) as a trophy.

Youth:  Maggie will contact the new district Youth Co-ordinator.  She and Sue will liaise with her opposite number in Canterbury about the Young Chef competition.

Membership:  Sue said that contrary to recent messages, we shouldn't pooh-pooh the North Star initiative for recruiting  group memberships from small organisations / employers.  What we do need from Rotary GB however is a package of information about the advantages of membership which we can pass on to prospective members.

Almoner:  As members know, our honorary member David Bowley has sadly passed away.  The family have informed us that the funeral service will be at 1.00pm on Friday 18th October at the new crematorium on Bullockstone Road.  No flowers, please, except from family.  Donations are welcome to go to Age UK.  (See emails circulated since the meeting from Pippa giving more information).

Speakers:  As we all know Chris, our speaker organiser, will be leaving us when his house sale is complete.  Gerry will take over his role.  Any members with ideas / suggestions for speakers at evening or breakfast meetings, please speak to Gerry.  In the meantime, Chris has already organised a number of speakers.  These are:

·         10th October, breakfast.  Emma Slade and Sue, Open Your Hearts to Bhutan.

·         17th October, evening meeting.  Brewery talk from Chris.

·         31st October, breakfast.  Vanessa Oakes, Tankerton Football youth council.

·         21st November, evening meeting.  Ian Mclouchin, former Met police firearms officer.

·         13th February, evening.  Chris Brealey, history of Swaleclffe and The Plough.

·         17th April, evening.  Darren Baker, Route 66.

Secretary:  Sue said that owing to pressure of other commitments, Dave C will be stepping down as secretary.  Fiona has volunteered to take over the role, with Lesley as back-up when Fiona is away.

Any Other Business:        Strange things are happening off the Kent coast.  A school of pilot whales have stranded them selves in the Swale.  Dave C said he received a telephone call (why him?) asking if he knew anyone with a full-bore rifle who could help end the distress of some of the whales who were unlikely to survive.

                Also, people are concerned about a Maltese cargo ship off Margate, laden with 7x times the amount of ammonia-based fertiliser of the type which blew up devastating the port of Beirut a couple of years ago.

Greetings from other Clubs:        Fiona and Elaine attended a talk at Whitstable rotary about global economics and the impact of China.

Raffle:                   Won by Godfrey

Master-at-Arms:              According to Nick, today is World Poetry Day, so he entertained us with a short poem, possibly a haiku.  On this day in 1952, the rationing of tea ended.

Final Toast:         Given by Elaine

Date of Next Meeting, assuming we are still here (see above):

07.30am for 08.00am Thursday 10th October 2024 @ The Plough

Valedictory Poem by the Outgoing Secretary:

                The was a young man of Australia

                Who painted his bum like a dahlia.

                The shape was just fine,

                And the colours divine,

                But the scent, I'm afraid, was a failure.