Visit by District Governor Ken Robertshaw

A Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Friendly and District and another from the Rotary Club of Halifax accompanied the District Governor of Rotary District 1040, Ken Robertshaw, when he visited the Club. He brought greetings from RI President Wilf. Wilkinson and discussed the work of Rotary worldwide and in District 1040. He emphasised that Rotarians, men and women volunteer to improve the quality of life locally and worldwide. Meeting weekly, Club membership represents a cross-section of local business and professional folk and is non-political, non-religious, and open to all cultures, races and creeds. There are some 56,000 Rotarians in Great Britain all helping to address the critical issues of the day, violence, drug abuse, AIDS, hunger, clean water, the environment, illiteracy.

Rotarians work with and for young people in schools and in community projects helping them to address the challenges of today.  In urban environments it supports community-based networks with projects and conferences to focus on the root causes of violence –drug abuse, poverty, lack of role models and gangs. Meeting the needs of youth overseas District 1040 agreed to rebuild a school washed away by the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004. The Sri Lanka government ran short of money to rebuild all of the 168 schools destroyed and the Sri Lanka Rotary Club asked for help from Rotary Clubs worldwide.  £260,000 was raised in the District and on 24^th. November the Yorkshire School will open 28km from Batticaola, in a Tamil Tiger region on the east coast.

Rotary Foundation, established in 1917 as an endowment Fund to “do good in the world” sponsors educational and humanitarian projects furthering world understanding and peace. Its international network helps health care systems, vaccine transport and immunisation activities. PolioPlus is Rotary’s commitment to eradicate polio.

He praised the Club for its long-standing, active, support for Foundation in particular and all it does in the community.  The Vote of Thanks was proposed by David Greenwood.