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Amherst News
August 2004

Wednesday Meetings
11 August, Speaker - Helen Winning from Sevenoaks Playhouse, formerly known as "Stag"
18 August, John Fisher,Sittingbourne Club, is our  speaker and his subject is malaria
25 August, To be confirmed
1 September, Raid by Chislehurst Club

Service and Social Diary
11 September, Visit to Whitechapel Bell Foundry
14 September, Disrict Council at Hadlow
19 September, Cyclo Sportive   - major fund raising event for Marie Curie Cancer Care
3 October, The District "Walk for Life"
22-24October, District Conference
(Late October), Charity Golf Day at Hever Golf Club
5 November, St Julians' Firework Night
19-20 November, Collections in aid of BBC Children in Need Appeal

GORDON'S REFLECTIONS

The new Rotary Year got off with a bang; this time in the literal sense with Bill’s Clay Pigeon Shoot.   This is a new event for the Club and the response in getting numbers of nearly half the capacity of Paddock Wood is a great credit to Bill and other members who helped.

The Quiz of Quizzes was also a great success with a higher number of teams than last year.   Douglas was his usual enigmatic question master with a huge variety of simple and not so simple questions. The scoring was very close, taxing the abilities of the scorers.

The Amherst Team made a late surge, when they played their joker, but could not quite catch the front runners. Douglas was well supported by many Club members, in particular for the supper. Naturally the supporters knew the answers to the questions!

We have been ‘visited’ twice by the District.   First our Assistant Governor, Norman Jones, came to ‘assess’ us at our Club Assembly.   We do not always know how we compare with other Clubs. In particular in this Centenary Year we are aware that we are trying to use our resources of members and funds carefully.

It was, therefore, encouraging to be told by Norman that we have much to be proud of and that if the Clubs in his area were all like us he would have little to worry about.

This report had reached our District Governor, Himansu Basu, when he visited us to share his view of Rotary this year. He stressed that he realised that each Club has to draw up its own list of priorities.

Our Social Season was given a good send off by Colin and Elaine with their excellent BBQ.   Despite lowering skies it stayed dry to allow us to participate in ‘Teddy Bear Racing’! 

The Centenary Year is clearly going to one of many challenges and opportunities. Listening to the reports of the Chairmen of Committees the Club is buzzing with ideas, both for continuing our existing activities but also for new ones.

A major issue will be our relationship with Roubaix Est and indeed how we respond to all the International requests in parallel with our programmes for the local community. Let’s have a good year!

Gordon

 

Cyclo Sportive –  Bill Steps up a Gear!

 Building on the success of the Cyclo Sportive (£10,800 raised in 2003), I am now making you aware of the major changes compared to previous years so that all Club members can focus their commitment on our largest fund raising event of the Rotary year.

 i           Rather than Amherst only providing organisational support,  the Cyclo Sportive is now an official Rotary event.

ii           RIBI insurers will provide cover as appropriate.

iii          Sponsorship monies will be used to hire electronic timing facilities which will enable each rider to be awarded a Certificate of ride completion and categorised bronze, silver or gold.

iv          A meal will be provided to every rider on completion of the Cyclo Sportive.

v           The entry form has been redesigned and placed on:   the Amherst website, KCC website,  Marie Curie website,  Cycling Weekly website and numerous Cycling and Triathlon clubs websites.

vi          A comprehensive Risk Assessment has been carried out.

vii         A sponsor has agreed to provide a van, plus driver, to be used as the ‘support vehicle’.

viii         Raynet will not be present on the day so essential communications will be via marshalls' mobile telephones.

ix          One team will place and collect all arrows and signs.

x          The Mayor of Sevenoaks and a MarieCurie nurse will be present at Godden Green for the start.

xi          It is expected that Cyclo Sportive 2004 will attract more than 300 riders.  n.b. Two riders from Roubaix Est have already entered.

What hasn’t changed – support from Amherst Club Members on Saturday 18th and/or Sunday 19th September will be essential to making this event successful!

COMMUNITYSERVICE

Planned project expenditures include

Sail Training                     £500

Youth Leadership            £500

Romania Project              £500

Harare Kitchen                 £500

Spring House                   £250

Demelza House               £200

Petra Barge                      £200

 

Age Catches Up!

Tony Kemp

In May 1998 I undertook my first duty as an Honorary Steward at Westminster Abbey - at a colourful service for The Most Honourable Order of the Bath.

Some 220 duties later at a normal Choral Evensong at the end of August, I will reach the fixed retirement age, will return my distinctive and coveted badge of office (showing St Peter's Keys and the Arms of Westminster) and will transfer to the Supplementary List.

The differences between these two services reveals something of the variety of occasions experienced. Time, perhaps, for a little reflection?

The role of Honorary Steward dates from 1851 when an Evening Service was introduced on Sundays - in addition to the afternoon Evensong - and, as a consequence, the workload of the employed Vergers was increased.  Therefore

"certain distinguished gentlemen were invited to assist with the seating of the congregation"

Information for the next seventy years is scant but records show that by 1920 there were six stewards.   By 1938 the number had increased to twenty six with the introduction of a

"suitable collar of blue ribbon, with a badge of silver and enamel'

After WWII the role of Steward was revived and extended and in 1961 the number increased to thirty. The clarification of duties ensured that discipline and order were imposed on those who accepted the Dean's invitation to join

"such an exclusive body (to) welcome and put at ease all who might enter the Abbey whilst ensuring due order and decorum and accepting the Alms."

In 1976 Women were admitted as Honorary Stewards. Today they  number 14 of the 46 Active Stewards.

 In recent years the Chief Steward has been an "outside" appointment from senior ranks of the armed forces or similar. The current holder of this office is the former Treasurer and Extra Equerry to HM The Queen Mother.

Routinely sixteen Stewards are required for the Sunday Services.   For Special Services as many as forty are required and it would be almost impossible to manage a Service without this degree of support from those who understand how the Abbey functions on these occasions.   This number is often augmented by ushers from the Royal Household, the Services, or from the Government Department who may be sponsoring the event.

All should be prepared to be on their feet for three hours or more and not to be flustered by the unusual such as the collapse of a Member of the Honourable Corps of Gentleman at Arms!

The essence of the role is to help ensure that "things go smoothly" and that the experience of all who attend the Abbey gives no cause for disquiet and that worship can take place in a dignified and quiet atmosphere. 

On major events when the Abbey is full to overflowing there has to be a degree of polite firmness to encourage people to take their seats, yet taking time to answer the myriad of questions that are posed -e.g.   Where is the Organ?   How many pipes has it got?   Where is Chaucer buried?   Where is Elton John's Piano? - and to quietly direct people to the "rest room"!

Over the last six and a quarter years and in addition to Sunday and Festival Services (Christmas and Easter)  - each with its own characteristics of congregation, music and content of worship - I have been privileged to be involved with some 17 Royal Events and 60 Special Services and Concerts.

Inevitably Royal Events are something special not just for the pageantry, colour, music (trumpeters and others joining with the Organ) and precision (the latter a usual trait for Abbey occasion) but often for the context in which they are held.    Some are joyous and some are sombre but for those present each is a unique experience.

Special Services have included the boisterous Commonwealth Observance with exuberant "native" musicians and quieter Memorial Services - although that for Harry Secombe bucked the trend with an excerpt from "The Goons"; the moving Service for the Victims of 9/11; Consecration of Bishops; the Annual Judges Service; and Services to mark Anzac Day, Children of Courage; Civic Sunday and many others each recalling some particular event or anniversary.

I have escorted The Deputy Prime Minister, The Home Secretary and his Dog, Lord Lieutenants and Lord Mayors and other Distinguished Visitors to their seats and led processions.   I have also enjoyed the privilege of welcoming and - duties permitting - chatting with a range of others - often visiting the Abbey for the first time - and, in a building that is not know for its sight lines, trying to ensure that younger folk get something of a view!

In short to ensure that the promise I made on my admission to the Corps of Honorary Stewards in the Collegiate Church of St Peter in Westminster to exercise "my office to the glory of God and the edifying of his people" was being achieved.   All very much in keeping with the ideals of Rotary.   Community Service in a very special place?

No reference to Westminster Abbey would be complete without mention of its music. Throughout my period of office I have enjoyed listening to a substantial repertoire of words and music from Plainsong to music of the 21st Century. The range includes many items specially written for the Abbey as well as Choral masterpieces, voice and instrumental solos, orchestral, ensemble, brass and organ compositions.

Now I join the "Old and the Bold" (as described by a fellow retiree) with the possibility of being recalled to duty as occasion demands. Next April, at the installation of new Stewards, I will receive a paperweight as a token of appreciation from the Abbey for my service and this will serve to remind me of a variety of valued experiences and the camaraderie of colleagues.

Meanwhile, my badge has been replaced by a simple blue-ribbon rosette buttonhole badge; I can continue to enjoy the Stewards' social programme and I am entitled to a Stall in the Quire whenever I choose to attend normal Services.

I also have the right to ask for Sarah's wedding to be held in the Abbey, a privilege that Graham has in his own right as an ex-chorister and now a Member of the Brotherhood of St Edward.

Our links with the Abbey are also maintained by Elizabeth, as a Member of St Faith's Guild - the embroiderers - and if it is wished I can "rest" overnight in the Abbey before my funeral!

 In the flying world they say "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots but there are no old bold pilots."

Looks like Tony's made it.

Ed.

 “A CENTURY OF SERVICE"

 The story of Rotary International - extracts from the book.

1905 – Rotary Club of Chicago formed.   Reciprocal exchange of business between members from different professions was a central theme recorded by the club statistician; a practice which was discontinued in 1912.

1910 – National Association of Rotary Clubs of America formed.

1914 – ‘RIBI’ formed, but not authorised until 1921.  The 1927 Convention eliminated this option leaving RIBI as sole regional administrative body.

1915 – Service element added to Rotary objectives, following unfavourable criticism.

1917 – Initial focus on large cities, over 100,000 people, no longer considered important.

Late 1920’s – The Vatican banned priests from Rotary membership because of supposed conflict of beliefs on alleged links to Freemasonry and the Code of Ethics. The relationship was only sealed by Pope John Paul II at the RI Convention in Rome in 1979.

1928 – Four Avenues of Service adopted:  Club, Vocational, Community and    International.  Vocational concerned with conduct of members' trades or professions.

The Rotary Endowment Fund renamed the Rotary Foundation.

1929 – Rotary Wheel adopted.

Three Great Challenges.        

First World War – PatrioticService. In the US, Government involved Rotary in the Community and Recreation Project for which Rotarians raised $4 million.

The Great Depression - Increased-creased focus on vocational services for employers, employees and the community.

World War II.  In the build up and during the War, Germany, Spain and Japan closed Rotary Clubs, both in their country and countries which they had invaded, for example because they were not anti-Semitic.

1945 – United Nations Charter Conference. Rotary invited as observer organisation and provided the ‘effective’ secretariat.

1951 – Re-statement of a single Objective for Rotary with four areas in which to accomplish it.

1989 – Following a US Supreme Court ruling in 1987, the Council on Legislation eliminated the word male from the RI constitution documents.

PolioPlus ‘Rotary’s Finest Hour'

Following earlier programmes, the fundraising campaign concluded at the RI Convention in 1988 with a total $219,350,449. The WHO proposed that the goal should be changed from control to eradication. Rotary teamed up with the WHO, UNICEF and later the US Centers for Disease Control.  The final commitment was over $500 million.

But there is so much more. Read it for yourself.

Gordon