PRESIDENT'S HANDOVER AND PAUL HARRIS FELLOWSHIP .

The following is from the Press Release by Vice President Tony Roe which appeared in the Lymington Times :- 

HANDOVER FINALLY HAPPENS!

New Forest Rotary Club’s Handover has finally taken place at their first face-to-face meeting since March 2019-it was so good to meet in the flesh after such a long gap. This Handover had a difference as outgoing President Steve Timms who took the chair in July 2020 took over from himself! The chain of office was invested by Vice-Presidents Tim Richardson and Tony Roe.

In his address Steve said it had been a difficult year not least because of Covid with all meetings held on Zoom but he had lost his wife Rosemary his staunchest supporter. Incredibly, the club had raised more in the year than any other for many years-over £20,000-including £3,500 from the Rosemary Timms Memorial, other donations of £6,500, £3,500 from Dan Snow & Hugo Vickers Zoom speaker events and £3,000 from the annual golf without a ball struck! The club had been able to donate nearly £10,000 to the five local food banks and £5,000 so far to other local charities. He thanked his officers for their sterling support.

In taking the chair-again! - he looked forward to continued meeting in person and to a year of active involvement in the community. The club’s annual charity golf event just held had got his year off to a flying start raising £9,000-a record!

The evening ended with Rotarian Ken Ball receiving from Steve Rotary’s highest award a rare Multiple Paul Harris Fellowship (MPHF). Ken, who lives on the Waterside, was already a PHF bestowed many years ago for meritorious service to the club and Rotary. The latest award was in recognition of his continuing outstanding contribution to the club as Treasurer, publicist and co-organiser of the club’s annual charity golf for 35 years raising the club’s public profile. In all this he has had strong support from his wife Sally who was given a splendid bouquet. Paul Harris founded Rotary in 1905 and the award was created in his memory.

New members are always welcome to join this active, friendly club. Find out more by coming to one of our meetings. Visit www.newforestrotary.co.ukfor more information to include many pictures of our activities." Tony.

The following is extracted from the Paul Harris Fellowship Certificate presented to Rotarian Ken Ball at the ceremony .                                                              
Rotarian Ken Ball PHF, Your fellow members have decided to honour you for your continuing service to Rotary and the New Forest Rotary Club. You were awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship in February 1996. Since then you have continued as Co-Organiser of our annual golf competition now in it’s 35^th year and it is the club’s single largest fundraiser raising over £6,000 when held in 2019. Amazingly, although the golf was cancelled in 2020 because of Covid you still raised over £3,000. Your commitment to the golf over all these years has been truly amazing: finding sponsors, donors, generating prizes from local businesses, doing the artwork and more recently collating team statistics onto spreadsheets. On the day you organise the golf and raffle prizes as well as the evening auction.

You continue to fabricate all our brochures, banners and other media often producing excellent artwork to tight deadlines. You researched, designed and published our excellent 40 year anniversary handbook. Your artwork for the two Zoom talks by Dan Snow and Hugo Vickers was outstanding.

You with Sally have stood at the Christmas Collections engaging with the public to encourage donations and together have counted the cash in recent years.

Whilst you had been our Treasurer for over 20 years handing the reins to your successor seven years ago you returned as Assistant Treasurer looking after the Charity accounts soon after. When our Treasurer moved out of the area in June you readily took over as Club Treasurer.

With you Ken nothing is too much trouble and you respond to requests with good grace. The Club would not function without your commitment and input.

In all your endeavours you have been strongly supported by Sally who knows only too well the demands made on your time.

Your Club has therefore decided to honour you with a Multiple Paul Harris Fellowship -an MPHF. The New Forest Rotary Club does not take this step lightly and this additional award is made as a mark of our very high regard for your continuing personal commitment to the Rotary Motto:                                                                                                                    SERVICE ABOVE SELF.

President Steve Timms, Rotary Club of the New Forest                                               September 2021