YORKSHIRE DISTRICT GOVERNOR VISITS

The rotary Club of Wakefield Chantry welcomed the Yorkshire District Governor, Hazel Haas, to their latest meeting. Members were treated to a musical interlude during dinner with video of very early performances by Chuck Berry from the 50’s and 60’s. Club President, Bob Guard, explained to DG Hazel that this was a new feature of the club which would be repeated every week for his year and featuring artists from the same era. The members were also shown a slide show of mages from the previous weekends very successful Dragon Boat Challenge which had taken place on Pugney’s lake.

DG Hazel, giving her annual address to the Club, spoke of the needs of the Rotary organisation worldwide to attract new members into Rotary to ensure the tradition of supporting Charities and Good Causes can be maintained. This was an issue for the whole of the Rotary movement and the members of the Chantry club assured her that it was also an issue that was being actively addressed by this Club.

She complimented the Club on its activities, particularly highlighting the Dragon Boat Challenge which she had attended the previous weekend. She also noted the work it does for Contact the Elderly, the Rotary Youth Leaders Award (RYLA), the Alzheimers Carers Holiday’s and the Dictionary 4 Life programme. Of particular interest were the 2 bursaries that the Club had awarded over the past 3 years to a student at the CAPA College in Wakefield and also to the young members of the Wakefield Metropolitan Band following the withdrawal of funding from the local council.

One other area highlighted was the annual Christmas Hamper appeal the club runs in cooperation with the local Wakefield charity CAP (Community Awareness Programme) and the Wakefield Express. Last year over 600 hampers were distributed to needy families in the area and the club confirmed it was hoping to run the same again this year.

At the previous 2 meetings the club had presented cheques from funds they had raised to CAP (£1000), who support needy and disadvantaged individuals and families in Wakefield and the Admiral Nurses appeal (£3000), to provide specialist Dementia Nurses which the local NHS trust had singularly failed to provide.

Overall DG Hazel said “ I urge the Club to continue with its excellent work in both the local and wider communities, and to look carefully at the options open now for the recruitment of new members, who want to become part of an organisation like ours, which combines the opportunity to have great fun and fellowship, while making a real difference to the lives of others.”