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Amherst News
April 2005

Number 303

Editor Ron Adams

Wednesday Meetings

27 April Speaker - Mary Boyde, Head Bradbourne School
4 May Amherst Evening - Malcolm speaks on a school project
11 May Speaker - Tracy Diplock, 16plus Monitoring Officer
18 May Annual General Meeting
Service and Social Diary
29 April Centennial Gala, Royal Albert Hall
5-8 May Derek's Cycling Fellowship Meeting at Tenterden
14 May District Assembly at Senacre School, Maidstone
21 May Dinner and Dance, Wildernesse Golf Club
22 May Paul Harris Lunch, Nevill Golf Club

DOUBLE WHAMMY!
At their last Club meeting before moving to Somerset, Jean and Mike Parkinson were astonished to receive an Amherst Community Service Award and a Paul Harris Fellowship respectively, in recognition of the contributions they have made to Club and Community.

"We take with us many happy memories" said Mike "and would have to go a long way to find another Club like Amherst."

Gordon's Reflections

Those of us who were able to attend Joy’s funeral at St Mary the Virgin, Kemsing, will have a memory of a ‘joyful’ lady, as we were reminded many times. It was the best tribute to Joy that the church was full to send her on her way.

At the reception everyone enjoyed talking about how much Joy had enhanced all our lives. We hope that this will be a great comfort to John and his family.

Our busy year continues; no time for the ‘day job’! After the cancellation of the exchange by Roubaix last year, the discussions have clearly progressed well and all parties enjoyed the programme of visits and many ‘eating’ events organised by Geoff and Ken Marsden. They presented us with two books on Roubaix and the North of France which I hope members will borrow from Ken Arthur; there are many pictures and English sub-titles for lesser French speakers!

If you want something organised properly, do it yourself; so said Harold after a less than totally successful Stroke Awareness Day last year. Any doubts about the Day being worthwhile have been dispelled this year by a professional approach to organising the nurses, caravan, gazebo and posters. Well done, Harold.
The Golf Day is reported elsewhere but sufficient to say that the players enjoyed their day because of the friendliness of all our members about the clubhouse and on the course.

We are pleased that District has given us and the Sevenoaks Club a Simplified Grant of $1,000 towards our centenary Project, which I will be collecting at the District Council on 28 April. We, and District, are less happy that the route to obtaining grants to add to our Surnami funds will take months to progress; this after RIBI

President Gordon MacInally said that Rotary is the quickest to deliver aid!

This month we said farewell to Michael and Jean Parkinson by making Michael a Paul Harris Fellow and giving Jean a Community Service Award. We do hope that they will enjoy their new life.

Gordon

Main Points of the Council Meeting on 4 April
A club donation to Cancer Research was approved in memory of Joy Berwick.

We will in future try to produce an annual internal report of the club's achievements.

Geoff and Ken M were thanked for organising a very enjoyable and successful weekend with Roubaix-Est RC.

Jack will succeed Mike as co-ordinator of the next Poppy Appeal in the Seal area.

We will not be able to use Tesco for our next Children in Need collection in November.

Our Disaster Relief funds have not yet gone to the Colombo West RC.

A review of projected cashflows through the charity account was made which suggested that we will be able to meet our commitments, present and planned.

Committee chairmen present commented at length on their future plans for the club.

Geoff

Stroke Awareness Day 2005

The morning of April 9th dawned bright and sunny but that was the best of it. Outside there was a bitterly cold wind blowing.

John's caravan was on site in the car park by 8.30 and the table chairs and Gazebo were all in place well before the start time of l0am. Sarah was on duty by this time and we had a trickle of people along. Jenny joined us at 11am as we had hoped that this hour would be our busy period. She left at lpm and Tracy looked after people until the 3 o'clock dead line.

43 people accepted the invitation to have their blood pressure checked (about 25% more than last year) and 9 of them were recommended to see their Doctor.

On the face of it we did not have the successful day we had envisaged but we could not have had a more unfriendly day weather wise. People were keen to get back to their cars rather than bother with our-invitation, this I am sure is why the response was so bad. Had it been a sunny day we could have been overwhelmed as we were in 2003.

The whole set up was excellent thanks to those members of the Club who turned out on the day and helped. My sincere thanks.

Harold

ComVocEducServices Committee Reports………………..
……. the request from Dunton Green Primary School that the donation sent for the Swimming Pool Refurbishment Fund be transferred to a project to enhance the facilities of the playground and playing field, as the swimming pool project proved unviable. Committee and Council approved the change.
……. Bradbourne School has indicated an interest in our contributing to the School’s Personal, Social and Education (PSE) Programme.
……. during the Roubaix visit we received an indication that the French (linked) Primary School were planning to visit Sevenoaks Primary School this term and a reciprocal visit remains a possibility.
……. Amherst is to be represented at a Volunteering Conference hosted by The Town Mayor.
….... it was felt that the Rockdale Scrabble evenings were worthwhile and should be continued.
Tony

STOP PRESS A request on behalf of St John’s School for sponsorship of senior pupils to visit France as part of their curriculum studies was accepted by the Council with £250 being donated to the school.

WHO SAID THAT ?
(The person, not the character.)

(Contributed by Harold)

1. "Hello, Playmates"
2. "Left hand down a bit"
3. "It's the way I tell 'em"
4. "Open the box"
5 "Nice to see you, to see you nice"
6 "He who dares - what a plonker"
7 "Ooh! Matron"
8 "Ooh! Betty"
9 "Not a word to Bessie about this"
10 "You dirty old man"
11 "She knows, you know"
12 "What's on the table, Mabel?"
13 "I don't believe it"
14 "You cannot be serious!"
15 "Turned out nice again"
16 "Your father's moved the gears again"
17 "George, don't do that"
18 "Shut that door!"
19 "Just like that"
20 "Would you like to phone a friend?"
21 "You stupid boy"

Fund Raising Plans
?th June - Musicathon at Bligh's. Jane has agreed to arrange this year’s event. Jane or I will publicise details as soon as they become available.

23rd June - Charity Clay Shoot at West Kent Shooting School, Paddock Wood. Entry Forms and posters will be issued shortly. Through corporate support and Hospice advertising we have already received nine entries. In addition to individual entries, ideas on businesses that could be approached with a view to them making block bookings for either clients or staff would be appreciated.

14th July - Quiz of Quizzes, Chipstead Sailing Club. Douglas MacIldowie has again agreed to run this event.

18th September - Cyclo Sportive, Godden Green--Discussions with a significant number of the organisations involved are nearing completion. At this time, all arrangements are in a state of flux but will be finalised shortly so that a full report on the arrangements for this year’s event can then be made to the Club.

11th Nov – Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. As Mike has departed for Somerset, a replacement for his role as Poppy Appeal Co-ordinator for Seal was required. Jack Wilson has kindly agreed to succeed Mike.

18/19th Nov - Children in Need Collection. After a four month wait, a reply to my letter to Tesco, Riverhead, requesting permission to carry out our annual collection was received in early April. My request has been refused! Therefore, the in-coming chairman (Colin) of Fund Raising has been advised of Tesco’s rejection so that he can decide what action to take.

Bill

Membership Services Committee
1 Ladies Night 21 May. All is in hand for this event. A board is currently being circulated.

2 New Members It is proposed that prospective new members should be invited to a club community project to show them how we operate.

3 We need to look for a new venue to replace our annual musical and picnic event at Ightham Mote.

4 District Conference 28th-30th October. Hotel accommodation has been reserved at the Lansdowne and Alexandra Hotels. Both the restaurants used last year have now closed. Simon will investigate

5 Eric has kindly offered his garden as a B B Q venue on Sunday 10th July

6 Edward Oatley should be invited to Ladies night as a Club guest

Derek