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Amherst News
May 2004

CLUB DIARY

Wednesday Meetings
19 May, "Sports" evening and BBQ with Chislehurst Club
26 May, Speaker - Jane East - Walthamstow Hall
2 June, Midget Submarines
9 June, Speaker - Alan Austin - Kentish Music
16 June, Louise Waller and Janet Ovens - STC
23 June, Annual General Meeting and Valedictory

Service and Social Diary
21-23 May, Reunion of European Clubs chartered in 1978.
6 June, District Fun Day - fund raising for children's hospices in the south east
12 June, Musicathon in aid of Age Concern
26 June, District Handover
1 July, Charity Clay Pigeon Shoot
19 September, Cyclo Sportif - fund raising for Marie Curie Cancer Care

Charity Golf Day Friday 23 April
Well what a glorious Day! We may have to adopt St George as our patron saint.

The Facts. We again attracted 80 players, many of whom had played in previous years. The longest drive was won by the youngest player, a 16 year old! We raised just under £4,200, of which £3,500 was given to the Hospice in the Weald and the balance will go into our ‘Other Charities supported by Rotary’.

This year the feedback is that we have built up something quite special. Grant was asked if we go around arranging Golf Days; a real compliment. Then when I was talking to the Wildernesse Secretary he volunteered that they rate our Day as one of the top 2 of Charity Days held at Wildernesse; the other is organised by professional fund raisers!

Many of you have said that you do not know much about golf. What is clear is that Club can work as a team and provide the relaxing and enjoyable Day which attracts the players to keep coming. Many said that they will be back next year on Friday 22 April 2005.

Many thanks for all your support. The Club can be very satisfied with our achievements.

Gordon & Simon

Harvey writes….
For the first time in the history of this Club, so far as I know, we have received a message from Evanston passing on a Prospective Member Contact received via the internet. Needless to say we have followed it up straight away with a meeting and invitation to visit the club. During the same week an article has appeared in Kent Messenger complimenting our web site. Congratulations and thanks to Grant for his creative expertise.

Thanks also to Ken Marsden, Roy and Eric for their efforts in helping with car parking at the Cancer Research Race for Life at Hever. They maintained this Club’s record of hair-raising experiences. On arrival they were informed that the field allocated was waterlogged and that they had perhaps 500 cars arriving with hard standing available for just 150. Somehow they got them in. Fortunately the agreed arrangements did not provide for them to stay until everyone started trying to get out again!

In last month’s newsletter I mentioned the demand by Rotary Foundation for a levy of $100 per member. Having discussed the issue in open meeting and Council, I was instructed to write to District Governor Elect Himansu Basu passing on the unanimous view of our members that we will not commit ourselves to any “pledge”. I have emphasised our long-term consistent record of support for Foundation. I have also pointed out that we are planning a community project for the Centennial Year which will be a considerable commitment on top of our ongoing busy annual programme. I have made it clear that we will not prejudice those efforts for the sake of an arbitrary demand from Foundation. The virtual eradication of Polio from the world by the 100th anniversary, in co-operation with the World Health Organisation, was a great and noble achievement that we should be celebrating. We do not intend the recent aberration on the part of Rotary Foundation to spoil that.

Summary of the main points of the Council Meeting 5th May
The Annual General Meeting and the Valedictory will be combined this year on 23rd June.
Council agreed to pay £3500 to Hospice in the Weald from proceeds of the Golf Day.

Membership Services – Six members attended the District Assembly; twenty plus members and partners have put their names down for District Conference.

Edenbridge Club have expressed interest in attending the joint Amherst/Sevenoaks Centennial Dinner.

Community Vocational and Educational Service - the nomination for the tall ships has changed, the sponsorship already committed should not be at risk.

Foundation - Roubaix Est are interested in a joint Foundation project.

Fund Raising - prize collection for the Clay Shoot is going well.

Musicathon - it was agreed that we should collect for Age Concern.

A dedication to the Amherst walking fraternity.
Happy is the heart that knows
The joy of walking with a friend.
Gaily do you pass the milestones
Swiftly does the journey end.
Side by side in step together
Up the hills and down the vales,
Be it bright or stormy weather
This sweet pleasure never fails.

Patience Strong via Derek

From Community Vocational and Educational Services
The Tall Ships initiative has a plus and a minus! The good news is that a grant of £200 has been secured from the London and SE Support Group making them co-sponsors for our candidate but unfortunately – but not for him – he is likely to secure a Further Education placement and therefore not be able to join the cruise. However….a substitute will be nominated.

The revival process of the ICLC (Inter-Club Liaison Committee) has received a boost in that the Chief Executive of the Sevenoaks District Council is taking an interest and the Clubs so far involved are considering a joint project which could be to the benefit of Spring House. If this proves to be successful Amherst – with past experience – will endeavour to take the lead.

Links with Schools in Lille were given a boost with the recent visit of colleagues – and two teachers – from Roubaix Est. A visit to Sevenoaks Primary School is envisaged for the autumn and despite the fact that Dorton House are to favour Spanish to French as a foreign language in future, four pupils will continue to study French for the next two years and a venture to France might yet prove possible.

Tony

Fund Raising Committee
‘Sports Evening’ 19th May.
Arrangements for this rehearsal of our contribution to the District Fun Day have been progressed via Council.

Musicathon 12th June.
Discussion with Philip required regarding publicity.

Clay Pigeon Shoot 1st July.
Publicity machine started as from 28th April. Have so far had a good response to requests for prizes.

Cyclo Sportive 19th September.
Next steps are to get the Entry Forms drafted and to get the Webpage created.

Dinners without cash
In light of recent discussions about Wednesday evening’s dinner duty, and the need to bank significant sums of cash, I thought I would pen some musings about the problem altogether.

Firstly cash needs to be made redundant on the night. It seems to me that St Julian’s have known us long enough either to accept a cheque on the night or, preferably, to invoice us monthly.

Secondly then, an alternative way needs to be found for club members to pay for their meals. If not ‘on the night’ then an accurate attendance record is required. Fortunately the club keeps one, and so members could similarly be invoiced monthly. This needs work and so I suspect it might be better to charge in advance based on say average attendance. There are 51 meetings each year; 76% attendance making 39 chargeable. At our current cost of £9 per meal this would mean paying £351 alongside our annual subscription. Most likely, though, the cost would be spread across 10 months via the club’s existing standing order scheme.

At the end of the Rotary year, actual attendance figures would result in an adjustment that could be settled in favour of the member or the club or, alternatively, rolled into the next year.

Visitor and spouse visits would be paid by cheque to the club on the night, and ‘cash-back’ is already provided by St Julian’s against a cheque guarantee card.

Simon.

Cricket, Lovely Cricket
The England supporters calling themselves ‘The Barmy Army’ are known for an ability to chant their slogan “barmeee armeee!” non-stop for hours on end. It is claimed that some of the brighter members have now managed to memorise both words.

The following news item appeared in last week’s “Kent Messenger.”
The KM Group is the biggest-selling regional paper in the UK so quite a lot of people had the chance to read it.

Fun day dream comes true at showground
A year ago, two men stood in a field at the County Showground and mused that it would be a good spot for a fun day.

Twelve months on, Dennis Rose – the district governor of the 80 Rotary Clubs of Kent and East Sussex – and co-ordinator Dennis Bowley’s vision is about to become a reality.

The Rotary Fun Day, in association with the Kent Messenger Group, takes place on Sunday, June 6, at the Detling Showground to raise money for local children’s hospices.

The event will include music, sideshows, classic cars, a fairground, pony club mounted games, radio controlled model tanks and wire-guided aircraft.
Antiques experts David and John Sandon will be on hand to offer valuations and there will be football organised by Charlton Athletic FC.
Ice dance star Jayne Torvill is due to be there to judge a scarecrow fancy dress competition, and lots of musical entertainment will be provided.

DISTRICT ASSEMBLY REPORT BY INCOMING PRESIDENT GORDON
The District Assembly, held on Saturday, 8 May 2004, was attended by 6 members of the Club. There were a number of plenary sessions followed by Group sessions for each of the Officers.

Proposals for projects, requiring funding from Clubs, and a diary of events, for the Centenary Year, were promoted to us from RI, RIBI and District. Some of these are additional to our own ideas. We will, therefore, have to determine our choices and priorities. I have set down below those which I found of particular importance; others who attended may wish to add others.

Projects to be funded.
RI
Centenary Project ( A major item for the Club of about £2,500, matched by the Sevenoaks Club)
Foundation pledge of $100 per member.
RIBI
Africa Hope (in cooperation with Hope & Homes for Children)
Community First Responders – Defibrillators and volunteers.
District
RYLA to train 100 people.
Support for Bangalore villages following visit by District Rotarians.

Diary of Events.
Walk for your Life – Sunday, 3 October 2004.
If we do not feel we could get support for a sponsored walk this could be a ‘Club’ walk for fellowship, with some fundraising as an extra.

District Conference – Eastbourne, 22-24 October 2004. Potentially 24 planning to attend.

Rotary Meeting – Saturday, 5 February 2005 at noon, local time, World Wide.

Dover Centenary Dinner – Friday, 11 February 2005, with the RIBI President, Gordon McInally.

Centenary Dinner – Saturday, 19 February 2005. Joint dinner of the Amherst and Sevenoaks Clubs The Edenbridge Club has also accepted an invitation to join us; a reply is awaited from the Westerham Club.

Wednesday, 23 February 2005 – The Birthday – What a day for a Centenary Meeting on ‘our’ day. Should be a special Agenda!

Saturday 26 February – District Lunch and Service in Canterbury Cathedral with the Archbishop.

March 2005 – 10 hours service to the community by members.

RIBI Centenary Concert – 29 April 2005 in the Royal Albert Hall.

Gordon

Talking of next Rotary year, here’s a first –
Main Points of the minutes of a next year’s Council meeting.

Officers. New custodians of Regalia , Archives and an Almoner to be resolved by Club Service Committee. Trustees to elect their own Chairman.

The new Committee Membership List is published subject to minor changes if necessary per comments.

As agreed with President Harvey, 23 June will now be the combined AGM and Valedictory.

Norman Jones will attend Club Assembly on 7 July and 14 July will be the District Governor visitation.

At this stage there was no active discussion of Committee programmes, fund raising or spending. Intended programmes to be presented at Club Assembly.

Treasurer - there was a very lengthy discussion with wide input by those present covering banking (CAF?) and various existing and possible new procedures which will be considered by new Treasurer Eric after his meeting with outgoing Treasurer Grant. No proposals were made at this time.

Together with the Sevenoaks Club, we will have 2 x £2500 project for Age Concern in Centenary Year, a formal Dinner 19 February 2005 and Publicity via Bob Ogley and the Sevenoaks Chronicle.

It was confirmed that in line with present council policy, no scheduled pledge of an extra bulk payment of club funds will be made as suggested by RI.

Michael

AND CONTINUING THE “NEXT YEAR” THEME….

…the Officers and Committees

President Gordon Johnston
1st Vice President Philip Spicer
2nd Vice President Derek Williams
Secretary Ken Arthur
Treasurer Eric Matkins
Immediate Past President Harvey Vallis

Council
Bill Brickell
Colin Hook
Don Ingram
Tony Kemp
Michael Parkinson
Graham Waldeck

Trustees
MalcoIm Elvines
Roy Thomas
Geoff Brown
Graeme Gibson

COMMITTEES
Membership Services
Chairman Philip Spicer
Ken Arthur
Eric Matkins
Albert Hughes
Ron Adams
Harvey Vallis
Malcolm Elvines
Jim Solomon
Simon Welham

Community Services
Chairman Tony Kemp
Roy Thomas
Don Ingram
Brian Lawrence
Ron Pike
Harold Towle
Jane WhIting

Fund Raising
Chairman BiII Brickell
John Berwick
Ray Gulliver
Douglas MacIldowie
Jack Wilson
Colin Hook
Mel Ridout

International including Foundation
Chairman Michael Parkinson
(Foundation) Derek Williams
Grant Walker
Graeme Gibson
Graham Waldeck
Geoff Brown
Ken Marsden

Meals Secretary Albert Hughes
Speaker Secretary Don Ingram
Newsletter Editor Ron Adams
Publicity/Public Relations Geoff Brown

CLUB DIRECTORY 2004-5
The wording of the Directory will shortly complete circulation among members for them to check personal details, in particular telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.

If anybody wants their own picture(s) to appear this time, let the news editor know asap!