District Governors Newsletter - November 2017

District Governor Cheryl writes …..

Our charity.

It is great to be able to report that all reports have been submitted to RI for our Global Grants. We have a fantastic Foundation team led by Paul Redwood. They are always happy to come and speak to your members about Foundation and advise on Grant applications. There are opportunities to join with other clubs in a Global Grant, so please do look at the projects that are available.

I have another busy month coming up which will see the majority of clubs in District visited since July. Recently I have attended Hertford Shires, Letchworth Howard, Hemel Hempstead, Milton Keynes Grand Union - where i met a friend that I hadn’t seen for many years as I hadn’t realised that she had moved back in to the area. Amersham, Bedford, Bedford De Parys, and Bedford Park. I have Barton-Le-Clay, Berkhamsted Bulbourne, Hatfield and Winslow in the next few weeks, with a few of the remaining clubs looking at dates. I must thank all the clubs for the wonderful warm and friendly welcome that they give to me, and I hope that I in return enthuse and encourage you all in what you do.

There has been lots of activity through October with Purple for Polio including the lighting up of various buildings, and also lots of crocus bulb planting.

District Council is the 16th November - there are some interesting speakers including the introduction of our four fantastic Global Scholars.

I shall be speaking about a great opportunity we have been offered to be involved in a creating a secret garden in the paediatric wing of Stoke Mandeville Spinal Unit.

Hear about the Banger Race around the Districts Rotary GB&I President Denis Spiller has planned, and how you can enter.

And we may have the unveiling of the new advertising kiosk to be used around the district.

Get your motor running with Rotary’s new drive to end polio.

The Purple4Polio Grand Tour 2018 is hitting the highways next May and needs cars of all shapes and sizes to take part.

Everyone is welcome to join this amazing road trip across Great Britain and Ireland from 21st – 24th May. You pick your team, car, route, where you stay and raise sponsorship. In return, Rotary around the country will provide check and rest areas in stunning locations. We’ll even wave you across the finish line with a chequered flag at the end of tour party in Yorkshire on the 24th of May.

This is not a race. The aim is to raise money for Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign which has saved millions of young children all over the world from this crippling virus through vaccination and research.

The District Conference site is now open where you will see our speaker details gradually released over the next few months. This is our 'In District Conference' and is easily accessible for all. Please sign up as soon as possible. You can choose both days, or just the Saturday or Sunday. On top of that you can book our Saturday night dinner and live band, and/or Sunday lunch. The best value of course is to book the whole weekend. Denis Spiller the Rotary GB&I President will be with us, as will Amanda Watkin, and Clive Myrie, BBC Newscaster and war correspondent. If you wish to book a hotel there are a variety around the site within walking distance, please contact John Belcher for a list.

Remember to have fun and build friendships.

Have a great month and keep on doing what you do so well!

Cheryl
District Governor

Rotary International Foundation Centenary

During the 1917 Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, Rotary International President Arch C. Klumph sought to give Rotarians a bright spark in the darkened world of the Great War, by reintroducing the idea he had first floated in his last speech as President of his local Rotary Club. As RI President, he had proposed the idea to Rotary’s Board. Having failed to garner any support from that quarter, he shared his plan with the larger body of Rotarians:

“We have called the attention of the organisation this year to the possibility of a future endowment fund for Rotary.  Carrying on, as we are, a miscellaneous community service, it seems eminently proper that we should accept endowments for the purpose of doing good in the world, in charitable, educational or other avenues of community service”.

We are sure Arch Klumph would be so proud to discover his 1917 proposal that the endowment fund for Rotary has grown into such a large and well respected charitable foundation still “doing good in the world”.

 Conference Update

STAR OF CHANNEL 4 – EDUCATING ESSEX

will speak at the District Conference.  Vic Goddard Principal of Passmores Academy, Harlow Essex, who featured in the Television Programme Educating Essex will describe his experiences and the challenges of turning around what was described as a ‘failing school’.

 Mr Goddard is the head teacher we all wish we'd had - he knows every single student's name and admits that he's a bit of a soft touch.

He cares passionately about the school, working 14 hour days to make sure it's the best it can be. A teacher for almost 20 years, Mr Goddard has been head for four, and saw the school to its first 'Outstanding' Ofsted report.

He's also a dedicated dad, with a wife who is the Inclusion Manager at the school.

'Everything happens here... you do so many things. I go home and say to my wife: 'Today I was a social worker, I was a marriage guidance councillor, I was this, I was that and I did a bit of head teachering on the way as well',' he says.

World Polio Day

To celebrate World Polio Day on 24th October, Rotary had a day of fun events at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, where members from right across the Rotary family joined together to mark the final push to rid the world of polio, and everyone was invited!

This free celebration event included planting more than 30,000 crocus corms in the park, and was joined by Purple4Polio Ambassadors Ade Adepitan and Julia Roberts, along with a host of other guests and Olympic Park volunteers.

Rotary GBI President Denis Spiller brought his Purple4Polio Beetle ahead of May’s Rotary Grand Tour and Rotarian Mark Tredwin showed off his Purple4Polio Caterham Academy racing car, which has been helping drive awareness of our polio campaign.

TORONTO RI CONVENTION

Inspiration lies around every corner at the Rotary International Convention 2018, taking place in Toronto, Canada.

From the breathtaking opening ceremony and world-renowned speakers to informative programmes and spectacular entertainment, the Toronto Convention promises to be an unforgettable experience.

Registration for the Convention is available at a discounted rate until 15th December 2017, after which time prices will increase.

For more information and to register, visit the Convention website.

Community Projects

Lots of you have said – we want to do something useful but have been doing the same projects for some years now.  What else is out there?  Jane Mordue has create a Community Booklet which can be downloaded from the District website. This booklet is a first attempt to help you, see below for a typical entry.  It lists some of the main projects but your Club will have others – please do share them. 

Name Environment Tree planting       

Aim    - To raise awareness that mankind is exploiting the natural resources of Planet Earth at an unsustainable rate and carbon emission is the primary cause of global warming.

RI President Ian Riseley challenged every Rotarian to Plant a Tree in 2017/2018. ‘I believe the greater result will be a Rotary that recognizes our responsibility not only to the people on our planet, but to the planet itself.’

Club Action -  Budget for planting trees locally or overseas.  Talk to International or contact Woodland Trust at Woodland Trust
Opening date 1 November.           
Cost    e.g. 45 trees for £60           
Time   Between 1 July 2017 and 22 April 2018 (Earth Day)

Contact  - Rtn Terry Knowles consultant to Rotary GB&I Environmental Sustainability Group

BENEFITS – helps the environment, helping everybody.

Club Feedback - The current tree offer is a good bargain.

YiR

Jane Mordue, District Chair Community Vocational

Presidential Peacebuilding Conference 2018

We are delighted to be hosting one of these six conferences in Coventry on Saturday 24th February 2018, based on Disease Prevention, Treatment and Peace.

The day will include a number of interesting speakers, exciting breakout sessions for young people and insightful visits to local places of interest.

To find out more about the Conference, watch an invitation from Ian Riseley and see a full list of stunning speakers, visit our website