Quintessential Quilters

On Tuesday June 24 Immediate Past President Michael Ginn, and club members Rev. Margaret Fowler, Stephen King and Peter Greene accompanied District Governor David Willis to Quilters Junior School to celebrate the achievement of the Quilters RotaKids in being awarded a Presidential Citation from Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland, for the second year in a row. Quilters is one of only four schools in the District and only 40 schools in the whole of Great Britain and Ireland to achieve this award.

Encouragement, resilience and kindness to others

In front of a whole school assembly, Head Teacher Michael Wade opened the proceeding with words of encouragement.  

It was a time of change and uncertainty for year six pupils, about to go on to senior school, and leaving many of their friends behind.  He reminded them of the resilience that Quilters’ students are taught and how it is not just a new challenge, to be embraced and overcome, but also an opportunity to make new friends.  For example, his own daughter had gone to a new school and had made many new friends.  In the previous year she had been invited to three or four parties but in her first year in her new school, 24 parties!  Change can be good!

He then talked about service and kindness to others in the community and how these were part of Quilters School core values.  He stressed how much the children had been doing with their Pen pals project, litter picking, seniors’ teas and dementia friendly activities.  And then there was the water quiz that they had recently undertaken with Rotary to raise money for borewells in Kenya to give pure fresh water to children of primary schools there.

The Right Thing To Do

They all know that they do it, not for reward, but because it is the right thing to do. Having said that, it is always nice to have good deeds recognised and this is why the members of Rotary were all there today, to recognise all that they had achieved.

Each of our club membersand DG David introduced themselves, with Rev. Margaret Fowler showing the children a blanket and a summer sheet which she had been given when she visited Kenya recently to see how the borewells water project was doing. Immediate past President Michael Ginn then recalled a time a few months ago when he had a fall in his front drive.  Two passing teenagers helped him up and into his house for which he was very grateful.  They were both ex-Quilters children and clearly exemplified the excellent qualities the school had instilled in them.

A credit to the school!

A Great Achievement

DG David Willis then stepped forward to address the Assembly, thanking them for all their good efforts and for winning the Rotary Presidential Citation award with such a high achievement level.  David handed over the Citation Certificate and the letter of congratulations and thanks from Rotary GB & Ireland to Mr Wade and with it, a Rotary Banner with the Rotary International theme of the year.  Well Done!

Finally, time for photographs to record this great school achievement.