Speaker Andrew Bateman

What a busy evening!!

We had a visit from our next Ryla candidate.

We had  Sandy Wyllie receive his Paul Harris Award.

We moved on to the early start; early finish and one-course meal.

And we had an interesting talk from our own Andrew Bateman - please see a report of his talk written by Elaine Bowers below;

ANDREW BATEMEN SPEAKER ON WHAT ROTARY IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT, WHAT ROTARY CLUBS AND DISTRICT DO.

Things are changing across district and clubs. There is a gradual evolution and district will be supporting clubs.

MIsnomas = Rotary is not :- a secret group, lunchtime or supper club, middle class, mates, businessmen to help each other out.

Rotary is:- 1.2 million members getting together to support local and international charities, supporting literacy, Shelterboxes,  Aquaboxes, old and lonely, dementia, housebound, emergency relief, homeless, fellowship, fun and Polio eradication.

What do Rotary clubs do :- Hull clubs have banded together to support gifted and talented musicians to enable them to be able to have instruments to play. Leeds club have provided Portacabins (3) and turned them into gyms to help young people keep off the streets. Indian children trained for trades, State School only up to Y 5 and most girls didn’t move onto secondary school, many married by14 years.  Monies raised to help build a school all can attend without walking 2k.

Polio – in 1985 there were 350.000 cases of wild polio and increasing every year, many children died. In 2019 India and Africa are Polio free.  Sadly Pakistan and Afghanistan have seen new cases of wild Polio 10 cases in 2019 for Pakistan, but  a decrease form 21 in 2018. Afghanistan has 32 cases in 2019 and an increase from 2018.

Bill Gates has stated that by 2029 200,000 children could be infected again if we do not keep vaccinating.

Sowerby Bridge club has supported many homeless people with their dignity packs and a Bradford club has an ENT surgeon who has trained in Malawi surgeons to carry out cochlear inplants.

So, what is Rotary, it’s a great group of people who really put service before self, and who do really care about the world and all the people in it.