Mairhi Trickett: Ron Sutherland - Italian tour

Hawick's Rotarians met at Mansfield House Hotel on 23^rd February. After their meal, President Jane Cox welcomed member Ron Sutherland to give a slide presentation on a recent tour of Italy and Germany. Ron and his wife Pat enjoyed a coach tour highlighting Rome, Siena and Florence before moving up to Lake Garda and then on into Germany. This tour had originally been scheduled for 2020 and had been selected because of the opportunity to attend the Oberammergau Passion Play which takes place every ten years. Of course, Covid intervened and the Passion Play was reprogrammed for 2022. A huge stage, a cast limited to inhabitants of Oberammergau itself, and a performance which lasts for six hours (with a meal break!) made this a memorable event. The coach tour then moved on through Bavaria, with the opportunity to visit the historic town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, and then into the Rhineland, very familiar to Ron through earlier visits as part of Hawick High School's Geography Department's tours to that area.

Ron's photography was much admired and there was discussion between members over the historic cities visited. President Jane then gave a well-merited Vote of Thanks.

The Club then considered several matters of business, which included donations of £500 each, from Club funds, for a generator for Ukraine and for relief efforts in Turkey and Syria.