Neville Farthing Receives Award

On 13th August the club met for its usual Monday meeting at the West House Hotel.  Attending the meeting was the Rotary District Governor for South Wales, Rotarian Bob Lewis from the Porthcawl Club who was making the annual official visit.  He congratulated the club for the work that had been achieved during the year helping local good causes and also for the continued efforts to respond quickly to international disasters wherever they may occur.  One of these is to supply Shelter Boxes which can provide shelter and food for ten people for ten days and which can be made available at very short notice to assist families facing disaster.

The District Governor was also pleased that the Interact Club for young people had been successfully started in the local Comprehensive School and was now in its third year.  Members of that club had themselves raised money for good causes and had also joined with the Rotary Club on two occasions in collecting huge amounts of litter from public paths in the vicinity of the school.

Bob Lewis said that the organisation was always open to interest from prospective members.  He was delighted that the Llantwit Major Club was currently at its greatest number for over twenty years.  Earlier Club President John Clarke had inducted Dave Lane a former Mayor of the town into membership.

The final duty of the visiting Governor was to present former President Neville Farthing with a Paul Harris Fellowship.  The award, the highest honour that Rotary can bestow, is named after the founder of the organisation in 1905 and is only given to Rotarians who have made a significant contribution to the success of the movement.  Neville began his time in Rotary by joining the Falmouth Club and later the Taunton Vale Club where he was also Club President.  The District Governor said that he and his wife Janet have raised money for many good causes in Llantwit Major and in doing so were a credit to our organisation.  In reply Neville Farthing said that he was overwhelmed but delighted by the honour of receiving the award which had taken him completely by surprise.