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Amherst News
October 2003
The past month was overshadowed by Eric's sudden bereavement.
We all - Amherst and the wider Rotary family in which Audrey and Eric have been so active for so long - take comfort from the consolation that Audrey suffered no pain of any kind and was granted her wish not to be a burden to anyone.
But life goes on and there are burdens, lightened by the support we can offer from our Rotary family.
CLUB DIARY
Wednesday Meetings
October 15 An Amherst evening - visitor Mandy Wynne of Sevenoaks Volunteer Bureau.
October 22 Rosemary Ferguson and Jeanne Crouch, Sevenoaks Tourist Information Office.
October 29 A Fifth-Wednesday Partners'
Evening.
Eric Matkins will talk about the Rotary Caravan Fellowship.
Stand-by for boarders from Catford Club?
November 5 Council and Business Meetings
Service and Social Diary
Tuesday 21 October, Visit to Roubaix by Sevenoaks Primary School
Tuesday 21 October, Inner Wheel Pampered Chef Demo
Friday 31 October, St Julian's Firework Party
Saturday 15 November, "Children In Need" Collection
Tuesday 18 November?, District Quiz, at Westerham
Tuesday 25 November, Sheltered Shopping
Wednesday 17 December, The Amherst Christmas Party
Editorial
A year or two back, Ken Marsden made the point that he had joined a Rotary Club of his contemporaries and it was futile a quarter of a century later to hope that the Marsdens of today would join a Club of their fathers' contemporaries.
He asked whether Rotary would be better served if we did as Jim Davis et al did and found the people to set up a Club in their own image and to meet their own needs.
Last week the District Governor, who also came across as a rather sensible fellow, offered the same suggestion.
The perfect anniversary year project?
President Harvey Writes
It has been
a truly fine month for fellowship. We had the privilege of renewing and strengthening
friendships at our 25th Anniversary Dinner on September 13th. Former members
of our Club and friends from Sevenoaks, Roubaix and Amherst Ohio joined us for
dinner and a chat. President Michel Maas presented us with a book inscribed
by the members of Roubaix Est Club. He also brought, through his interpreter
Gerard, news of their project to provide a computer suite for their local school
with a view to further contact with our schools.
The menu included membership information compiled by Geoff, and those records
remind us of the passing of time and the need constantly to nurture and refresh
our friendships and contacts. Clearly Amherst Ohio have been thinking the same
way. Jack Alsop brought a most generous gift of a travel voucher for $800
to be nominated for use by a member and spouse/partner who have not visited
Ohio before, and preferably of younger
age.
On the 21st we achieved a very high turnout of members, wives and partners for
the Marie Curie Cycle Ride. Starting from Sevenoaks Preparatory School, we
sent about 200 riders off round the 80 mile course. There was a "short"
course option of 50 miles. Kind weather, excellent refreshments and hot food
provided by Philip and his team, and a massive effort by Derek, Eileen, Bill
and Jan ensured a wonderful day. We raised about £8,000 for Marie Curie and
£530 for the Club. Above all we enjoyed a successful team effort.
The importance of fellowship was brought into sharp focus by the sudden death
of Audrey whilst on a caravan trip near Bath. We join with friends at the Catford
Club, and the Caravan Fellowship, in extending heartfelt condolences to Eric,
and assuring him of any and all help and support that we can give.
Council
Meeting
29th
September 2003
President.
It was agreed to air the topic of Paul Harris Fellowship awards at a Club business meeting. Polio plus: council agreed a donation of £500.00 and would recommend to next year’s Council that a similar sum be donated. Discussion on Sheltered Shopping was carried forward to a future meeting.
Membership Services.
Firework Night - a board would be put round for members’ availability for the parking for St. Julian’s.
Club Christmas party - Jazz-u-liket are available.
Community, Vocation and Youth Service.
Sheltered shopping estimated cost would be between £75.00 and £175.00.
Cyclo-Sportif a tremendous success this year with over £8000 raised for Marie Curie and £500 plus for Club funds.
Next Fund Raising event is the Children in Need collection on Saturday 15th November at SAINSBURY’S (not Tesco). Future fund raising: the committee are looking at organising a Race Night or Murder-Mystery evening in January / February and the feasibility of organising a sponsored clay pigeon shoot for late in 2004. We would hope to hold a Musicathon again next summer, date to be liaised with the Sevenoaks Festival.
The watch will shortly go on sale on E-bay, with a reserve of £400.00.
District Fun Day 6th June 2004 - we will organise a ‘Party Pentathlon’.
International and Foundation.
Derek will become chairman of the detached Foundation Committee.
Our marmalade ‘allocation’ is all gone and we are looking for the money to come flooding in. The council agreed the committee’s proposal to seek a Rotary grant of $1000 to aid the Harare Rotary Club in supporting destitute elderly residents of Zimbabwe. Disaster Boxes – Ron P is going to fill two with the Club’s help before we take further boxes out to other organisations.
A report on the survey of the Club attitude towards twinning has been undertaken and is fully reported in this edition.
Communications and PR.
Geoff and Bill would try to get the Cyclo-Sportif in the local press.
AOB.
Rotary Cycling to Serve – this event is fully reported in this newsletter.
Discussion on Amherst Ohio Travel vouchers would be carried forward.
Philip
Another of our members has fallen for the computer bug
and has recently started a course. Believing that others could benefit by joining him for three hours of riveting fun on a Wednesday morning in Plaxtol, he has given us details of the syllabus.
Autumn/winter term.
Week 1. Switching on.
Week 2. Plugging in and switching on again.
Week 3. Plugging in the screen and the keyboard and the mouse.
Week 4. Replacing the fuse and switching on again.
Week 5. The importance of using the correct size of fuse. (Some students may want a private pre-view of lesson 6 in the spring term here.)
Week 6. Removing a 3.5” floppy from the slot.
Week 7. The ‘Any’ key and how to find it on your computer.
Week 8. Safe Mode, it’s OK to run in ‘safe’ all the time.
Week 9. Quick tips and using Control, Alt, Delete to re-boot your computer.
Week 10. Introducing Word -T:ping a leter.
Week 11. Using Word – Shpelcheking; the difference between ‘add’ and ‘change’.
Week 12. “This programme has performed an illegal action” – The Internet and When to Call the Police
Week. 13. More quick tips - getting out of Safe mode, lock outs and the advantages of unplugging to re-boot.
Spring Term. A new term, a new start
Week 1. Cleaning your mouse’s balls.
Week 2. Spring Cleaning your computer – how to remove coffee stains from the keyboard and delete those redundant .exe and .dll files, making a clean sweep using ‘find’!
Week 3. Using ‘Format C’ to finish the job.
Week 4. When and how to phone your computer expert, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, home phone 01732 469042.
Week 5. How to contact Bill Gates.
Week 6. Buying a new computer.
Week 7. Games
Weeks 8 to 13. Revision.
AMHERST INNER WHEEL
Following a truly scrumptious meal at Dee's, we ushered in a new IW year with President
Freda taking the chair at our A.G.M. Freda was our Charter President in 1987, so we are delighted to have her in the hot seat during Amherst Rotary's 25th Anniversary year - for which we send our heartiest congratulations.
Our first business meeting we held at Jean Wilson's home under the critical but friendly eye of the District Chairman - Marion Luckhurst. Marion seemed pretty impressed with our programme for 2003-4 and also with the delightful lunch Jean and her helpers had provided.
It looks as if we shall be pretty busy during the coming IW year - watch this space!
Stop press
All Rotary wives and partners welcome – a Pampered Chef demo at Dee’s.
7pm Tuesday 21 October.
Light refreshments.
Please Come!
The Spicer Report
Amherst Rotary Club International Committee - Club Twinning Survey September 2003
The reason for the survey was to take a measure of the attitude of the club members to twinning in general and the Roubaix Est twinning in particular, rather than a finite view.
Introduction
I asked myself the following questions:
Is the current relationship with Roubaix healthy?
Should it continue?
If so, how could it be strengthened and made more attractive to more members?
Do we want as a club a new twinning relationship with another Rotary Club in another country?
I asked the questions under three main headings; Visits to Roubaix, visits by Roubaix and general topics. I have received 22 responses; new members who have had few or no opportunities to share a Roubaix visit have affected the totals. Some members declined to place a tick in some boxes. There is no criticism either implied or intended in the use of the word ‘claimed’.
This is my report.
1.1 Lunch visits to Roubaix
Of the 22 respondents seventeen had visited, four only once.
15 respondents (half the club) were considering a visit to Roubaix at lunchtime in the future, a preference for a visit to a French neutral site rather than an English neutral site was probably influenced by the 60% of respondents who like to shop in Calais when they have the opportunity. (20 members actually went on the last raid to Roubaix).
1.2 Weekend visits to Roubaix.
Of the respondents only 13 had spent a weekend in Roubaix, 4 members ten or more times. 13 respondents are considering a weekend in Roubaix in the future, 11 certainly. 7 respondents wanted to stay with the same couple. Our members were guarded about whether they enjoyed the events organised by Roubaix and our members believed that the Roubaix members themselves only possibly enjoyed the events.
Our respondents believed that 46% of Roubaix members participate in the events.
Lunch visits by Roubaix
Of the respondents 13 members had been present at a lunchtime meeting with Roubaix in the past. 15 respondents are considering attending in the future.
Weekend visits by Roubaix.
Of the respondents 19 had participated either by attending functions or a dinner party, less than half had been involved in hosting or escorting. 6 members would prefer to have a particular French couple stay with them. 16 respondents are considering being involved in the future. There is some uncertainty as to whether club members as a whole enjoy the events put on by our club when the Roubaix club visit.
3.1. Business or Pleasure.
The overwhelming view is that the relationship should be a mix of business and pleasure, but the social side is more important than the business. A small number of members with work and family commitments felt that the events and the way in which they were organised made it difficult for them to participate as they might have wished but recognised that their attitude and opportunities may change as their commitments changed.
3.2 Other Twinning.
There appears to be little appetite for further twinning.
Four for The Netherlands, three each for Belgium and Germany, two for other RIBI. Seven members expressed a negative.
3.3 How would you change the relationship with Roubaix?
There is an opinion in the club that there should be a joint, common interest, international project that could attract RI or even EU grant funding (this is paraphrased, nine members put forward similar opinions).
No change to the existing arrangements (6).
We should ask Roubaix what they think (1).
We should try to involve more of our own members (1).
We should encourage individual exchange visits (1).
3.4 What kind of social functions should we arrange with Roubaix?
There should be no change (6).
Suggestions were, cultural/historical visits (4), bat & trap/ boules (4), events that include wives/family (4), a weekend in Canterbury (2).
3.5 What do you like most about the relationship with Roubaix?
It gives the club an international dimension (3).
The Roubaix club’s openhearted enthusiasm (3).
Long-standing good friends and rapport between those that participate from both clubs (2).
Discussion of joint projects (1).
3.6 What do you like least about the relationship with Roubaix?
Six members mentioned the inability of most of Amherst members to speak French.
Dwindling support for twinning within the Amherst Club (1).
'Au revoir' (1).
3.7 What kind of joint Rotary activity could we or should we set up with another Rotary Club
The joint project (see 3.3) was also mentioned under this heading.
We should seek to strengthen our social contacts with other clubs generally (1).
We should generally seek to co-operate with other clubs to support big events (1).
Projects relating to young people seem the most practical (1).
Conclusions.
Is the current relationship with Roubaix healthy?
Between 40% and 65% of respondents as a proportion of the club have been involved in the relationship. Most are involved (65%) when Roubaix visit Amherst for the weekend. The smallest number are involved in lunchtime visits by the Roubaix Club to Amherst.
Should it continue?
Just about half of the club (two thirds of the respondents) signal their intention to participate in the future.
How could it be strengthened and made more attractive to more members?
By acting on the various positive suggestions contained in the responses to the survey, remembering that 30% of respondents (20% of the club) believe that no change is necessary.
Does the club want a new twinning relationship with another Rotary Club in another country?
Judging by the replies to the survey - No.
The International Committee will discuss action and report to Council.
Philip
District Fun Day
6 June 2004 at the Detling Show Ground
In aid of local children’s hospices
The Fun Day organisers are aiming for an attendance of 10,000 and already have events offered from approximately 25 clubs in District 1120. Events range from a Pig Roast to a Flight Simulator, a Car Rally, a Tea Dance and Mobile Phone Throwing.
I have been on touch with David Bowley (chairman of the Fun Day committee) to discuss options for events which Amherst could run. Resulting from that discussion I proposed that Amherst run a Party Pentathlon.
Council accepted the idea and are now recommending that the Fund Raising Committee investigates the idea further with the objective of firming up on the proposal.
In outline - Party Pentathlon would be five games based on croquet,golf,quoits and getting tennis balls in buckets (that’s only four, but never mind). Points would be awarded for each success and prizes (adult and children) given for total points over a set number and 1st,2nd and 3rd for highest score of the day.
The event would be highly labour intensive so a full turnout from Amherst would be necessary for success.
The Fund Raising Committee are giving this proposal some thought so that they can start to firm up on the idea when we next meet.
Bill
The Right Note
Impressed by the increasing sophistication of seaside postcards, we noticed one showing a man seated at a piano with an unclothed girl stretched full-length on the keyboard. Both were clearly enjoying the experience.
The caption was “That’s middle C – opposite the keyhole!”
Pedalling Rotarians
On Friday 3rd October 15 Rotarians and their partners, all members of Rotary International Cycling To Serve, met at the Hadlow Manor Hotel.
The UK Section has a "get together" each autumn for a weekend of cycling and fellowship and this year it was the turn of Amherst to be the hosts.
As organiser I had been praying for fine weather and the forecast at the start of the week did not give me a lot of confidence. However Friday was a sunny warm day and the conversation at dinner that evening was "weather looks good but where are you taking us tomorrow", and the question from the Lincoln contingent, who consider railway bridges mountains, was "how hilly is the route?".
Saturday morning we gathered in the Hadlow Manor car park under the curious stares of those guests who only wear lycra in the safety of their gym. The location of the hotel was excellent in that we were immediately into almost traffic-free lanes via East Peckham, Yalding, Staplehurst, Frittenden (members will be familiar with these places after the recent Marie Curie Sportive). Stopping for coffee in Biddenden at the charming tea shop in the high street with its even more charming young lady assistants, we tucked into coffee and toasted tea cakes. Ken Marsden managed to confuse the staff by asking for a further supply of tea cakes etc.
However the situation was saved by the offer of Graham Waldeck to collect the cash. I know this is what accountants do best but it was also a chance to impress the female staff.
Onwards to Tenterden where Tom Pailor Hartlepool RC and Maurice Jones Friern Barnet & Whetstone RC displayed a lack of fitness and were dispatched to the lunch stop at Woodchurch. The remainder continued onto the Isle of Oxney with its flat exposed roads dykes and distinctive marsh sheep to Appledore. We arrived at the Bonny Crevat PH at 1.30 and were met by Eileen and the rest of our ladies, who had been visiting Leeds Castle. After waiting for Ken M to finish his rice pudding which even he found an impossible task we continued homeward through picturesque villages such as Smarden and Bethersden, stopping once to put on rainwear for a short sharp cold downpour.
I was conscious that Tom and Maurice were finding the pace tough. Cycling in pairs is a very social thing and the chatter from behind me was constant and this helped the two members of our group who were suffering a little to forget the pain.
We finally arrived back at Hadlow Manor at 5.00pm. A glance at my computer confirmed the rumbling from the rear of our group about the distance. I had said that the route would be approx 60 miles - we had done 75. I told them that my motto was "Never knowingly undersold."
I think I was forgiven after a few drinks and an excellent Alan Freeman Friendship Dinner, named in honour of the late president of International Cycling To Serve who as a member of Langley Park RC tragically died of a heart attack while we were on cycling week end in Holland in 2001.
Saturday's route had been long and relatively flat but as we gathered on Sunday morning the flat earthers among us were warned that this would be a short ride but hilly. The weather was glorious and the Kentish hills around Penshurst looked at their best. Stopping at Chiddingstone for coffee and of course tea cakes we continued via Weald back to Hadlow.
Lunch was at my hous. Eileen taken the ladies to Knole Park and still provided a meal for the 28 people. What a woman!
It was nice that Gordon and Carolyn attended the lunch. Gordon greeted our visitors and exchanged banners. All said that they had enjoyed the visit and I think that those Rotarians who lived north of Watford went home with an enhanced view of our Countryside.
AND FINALLY: for all those who have seen that excellent film Calender Girls - the cyclist in the blue outfit riding through a Dales village was the oldest member of our party, Bill Norton from Skipton Craven. And he was paid for doing it!
DEREK
The District Quiz
No Amherst newsletter is complete without at least a passing reference to this highlight of the District calendar.
This month’s news is that in the first round of the 2003-4 Quiz we are drawn against Westerham, or Westerham and Biggin Hill as they are now officially known.
Under the influence of Noel Tatt the Quiz is metamorphosing into a Rotary Foundation fund raising event and our Foundation Committee is in touch with Nick Sanceau about date and location. The idea is to have a kind of social quiz night involving everybody present and any idea of the worth of winning or losing seems to be fading into an abyss. If this means we get to keep the real quiz cup in perpetuity (by subterfuge if need be), well so be it.
More news as it unfolds.
Ed.
Sevenoaks Athletics Club
Tony Kemp has had a letter of thanks from Paul Tabor, the Chairman. Our contribution to Club funds will be acknowledged in the Club newsletter, which has a circulation of 200.
A connection (and an individual?) worth cultivating.
Children in Need Collection
It was disappointing that we could not have our usual two-day pitch at Tesco but Bill believes that we may be able to secure a mid-week slot.
Stand by for announcements!
And Finally…
Scene: The start of the Marie Curie Cyclo Sportive.
One of our lady partners: "Whoa, girls, look at all that bulging lycra!" (Swoons all round.)
Wild horses would not drag her name from our lips lest we spoil her recent birthday.