August

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Amherst News
August 2003

CLUB DIARY

What a summer....

Not content with electing John Berwick and Grant Walker as Paul Harris Fellows and scooping the pool at Malling Club's fun and games, we noticed temperatures nudging 100°F.

At last Wednesday's meeting, not a single tie or jacket was to be seen. There has never been such unanimity, a fitting climax to our first twenty five years.

Club Diary

Wednesday Meetings

13 August Toni Edwards will tell us about "An Interesting Life"

20 August Committee Meetings

27 August Noel Tatt, Folkestone Club and District Foundation Chairman, will speak on "Rotary Foundation"

3 September Business Meeting

Service and Social Diary

Monday 18 August Boules à Chislehurst Club

Monday 1 September Club Council

Saturday 13 September Our 25^thAnniversary Dinner

Sunday 21 September Marie Curie Cyclo Sportive

Wednesday 8 October The District Governor's visit

Friday 31 October - Sunday 2 November

The District Conference

Friday and Saturday 14-15 Children In Need" Collection

Friday/Saturday 2/3 April Stroke Awareness Day

Speakers

As Programme Secretary I am anxious to obtain the speakers that YOU wish to hear.

I am grateful to some members who have given me contact names, telephone numbers or addresses of potential speakers who will travel to the Club and speak on an interesting subject for 20 to 25 minutes.

I would like more to be able to use as a speakers' bank and some to be able to pass on to the next member who will be planning for the next Rotary year.

Don

Good Housekeeping

We have no report from Amherst Inner Wheel this month - they are girding their whatevers for the year ahead. But they might also have seen this outside a local place of worship:

"Rummage Sale. Ladies - your chance to get rid of those old remnants you no longer need about the house. Bring your husbands."

Harvey Writes......

It has been good to meet and greet Rotarians from other clubs during this first month of the Rotary year.

In particular, we were very pleased to welcome a team of 4 from Tonbridge Rotary Club who participated in our 9th annual Quiz of Quzzes and helped us to raise about £300 for Rotary Charities.

At our meeting on 23rd July we welcomed two Rotarians from California, Jacqui Brown and Joanne Norman from the Rotary Club of Tiberon Sunset. They were kind enough to comment on the friendly welcome that they received. Thanks also to Ray's sister Mrs Pauline Ward OBE for her talk on her life in Harare, Zimbabwe. In the current climate of media hype and manipulation opportunities for first hand information about the world around us are becoming more precious.

Roy and Tony have presented a cheque on our behalf to the Cheshire Home - thanks to you both for arranging that. The other cheques for Spring House and the Volunteer Bureau are likely to be presented at Club meetings in the near future.

May I just make a further plea on behalf of Bill Brickell for all members to search their garages and consciences for the missing fluorescent tabards. They are expensive to replace and very necessary for some of our activities.

Finally I would ask members to co-operate in completing the "club health check" forms and returning them to Gordon as soon as possible. It would be good to have a 100% return.

Harvey

A letter from Graham Kemp

Dear Rotarians,

I would like to express my deepest thanks for your generous sponsorship of my Medway walk in aid of Hope and Homes for Children. It took me just under 4 hours, including a stop at a country pub for lunch, to complete this trek, and I most strongly recommend this route to the Rotary walkers!

In total I have raised over £100 for this worthy cause and in a future edition I will report on the School's total raised.

Yours sincerely

Graham Kemp

The District Governor

tells us that Stroke Awareness Day next year will be on 2/3 April - a Friday or Saturday at Clubs' choice, and asks us to supply Brian Portway with copy and pictures of our events which are of general interest.

Summary of the Council Meeting 6^th August 2003.

25^th Anniversary dinner

The President confirmed that arrangements with Wildernesse were in hand and invitations had been extended to those clubs with which we had regular contact - Amherst Ohio, Roubaix Est, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Westerham - and to our Assistant Governor Norman Jones; all past members and past Presidents had been invited.

Few replies had been received to date; no clear indication had been received from the French and it appeared to be unlikely that more than two couples would be coming from Amherst, Ohio. Club members could bring as many guests as they wished. With only a few guests to be paid for by the Club the event's finances looked secure.

The President would seek volunteers to handle meeting

and greeting, a raffle or an auction, other fund-raising and a display of memorabilia.

District Conference

Six double rooms had been booked at the Alexandra Hotel; expected attendance was Harvey and Jacqui, Bill and Jan, Ray and Val, Gordon and Carolyn, Grant and Marie, Philip and Dee.

Philip undertook to book the usual restaurants for Friday and Saturday evenings. Any members wishing to join the group at either of the restaurants please let Philip know.

Protection Policy

There is a District Committee looking at Rotary’s contact with children and vulnerable adults. Courses were available for any Club or club members who were likely to undertake any relevant activity. Council agreed that the relevant committee chairman would be the responsible person as far as the club was concerned. The need to carry out a risk assessment for any planned activity was re-affirmed.

Finances

The Treasurer reported that the club account was as expected, the balance in the account being £1496.96. Some subs/standing orders for subs were still outstanding.

Some payments due to charities had been missed at the end of last year, when these were paid the account would be as expected. It was agreed that £175.00 be paid to Kent Air Ambulance, £175.00 to Sevenoaks Age Concern (income from the Musicathon) and the proceeds of the fun night at West Malling £150.00 be given to Spring House.

Taking account of cheques not presented, the balance available is £708.67.

Committees

The President requested that only those items requiring decision or comment by council should be raised, the general activities of the committee to be left to the business meeting.

Community Vocational and Youth Service

The leaflet on temporary membership would be re-drafted to exclude negative comments.

International and Foundation

The committee queried was Polio plus paid up?

It was agreed that the club would discuss the method of selecting Paul Harris Fellows at a future meeting in order to institute a more transparent process.

Philip will be canvassing the Club for ways to improve the relationship with Roubaix.

Fund-Raising

The Club is short of suitable publicity and support materials; we are in particular short of Rotary yellow jackets - five have gone missing. Bill would bring forward some recommendations for expenditure to the next Council meeting.

The next meeting 7pm Monday 1 September at Harvey’s.

Philip

News from The Community Vocational and Educational Services Committee.

"Hit the new Rotary Year running" encouraged President Harvey and, as described at the Club Assembly, we did just that - with many plans made - and even set a budget of £2940 to implement a programme of activities.

We've already presented a cheque (£300) to The Cheshire Home and soon Spring House and the Volunteer Bureau will receive similar amounts. These payments are from last year's accounts but planning for the Sheltered Shopping Evening on Friday 28 November, two autumn evenings of Scrabble at Rockdale, further support to St John's School and the possibility of a further Community Service Award Evening are all being pursued.

Once the summer holiday season is over the committee will be furthering the other initiatives it has on its agenda and encouraging all Club Members to commit themselves to involvement with aspects of our programme.

Tony

Fund Raising Committee Notes on meeting held on 16July

Present: Bill, John, Ray, Jack and Brian

1. Objectives for 2003-04

Make suggestions to Council on Charity Account spend

Secure long term events

Investigate viability of raising money through the collection of used printer cartridges

Raise money for designated charities

Raise money for Amherst Rotary Club charity account – (Community Services have

suggested £2,940)

Raise money for Amherst Rotary Club

2. Events already planned for 2003-04

17^th July Quiz of Quizzes

21^st September Marie Curie Cyclo Sportive

14^th/15^th November Children in Need Collection

23^rd April Charity Golf Day

6^th June D-Day at Detling (see later)

3. Opportunities for additional events 2003-04

Applause event