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Amherst News
February 2005
Number 301
Editor Ron Adams
- Glen
We
welcome tonight our guests and our speaker, acclaimed local author, historian, publisher and fellow Rotarian Bob Ogley.
In
these pages we record our commemoration of the Centennial with local community
service and report on a month in the life of
Wednesday
Meetings
23
FEBRUARY ROTARY'S CENTENARY - GUEST NIGHT AND SPECIAL SPEAKER -
BOB OGLEY
2
March Lunchtime
Raid by
Business
Meeting and a themed dinner - French
9
March Kent Air Ambulance
Speaker
16
March TBA
23
March Speaker - Rosemary Hare
Service
and Social Diary
26
February District Centenary
Lunch at
2-3
March 1978
Clubs
5
March
Battle of the Bands at Walthamstow Hall
18-19
March Marie Curie Daffodil Day
19
March
"Applause" Charity Show at
2-3
April
Visit by members of Roubaix Est Club
9
April
Stroke Awareness Day
This
month ..........
..........
we offer birthday best wishes to
Ena Thomas
on February 25 and Gordon Johnston on March 5
..........
and we celebrate the Centennial of Rotary International.
GORDON'S
REFLECTIONS
Club
President Gordon Johnston
Reflects
on the Past Month
February.
The Centenary Month of the Centenary Year.
A week of great activity culminating in the Birthday, to-day,
with the issue of this Newsletter.
Tsunami
The
month started with the visit of Paul Topping from
He
was able to give us a first hand picture of the Tsunami devastation and of the
ambitions of his Club to re-establish a village. As reported in
this newsletter, we have £7500 which we hope to be able to swell to over £12,000
to help his work.
RIBI
On
Thursday 10th February, Eric, Geoff and I went to hear the President of Rotary
International in
Gordon
McInally (r) with Gordon Johnston and District Governor Himansu Basu
Age
Concern
On
Thursday 17th February, we had the ‘official’ opening of the Centenary Project
Kiosk at the Hollybush Centre; the residents had not,
however, had to wait to use it since it was made available to them.
It
was completed on programme and within budget.
The two Clubs presented the final cheques to make up the full amount of the
£5,000, with the proposal that any surplus should be used for stocking the shelves.
Indeed the staff have found that they have more
space than expected and have carried out a survey of the residents to see what
additional goods they would like to be able to buy. Naturally, they
are delighted that the Kiosk has exceeded their expectations.
Chairman
Hugh Stirk commented that Age Concern Sevenoaks is
now in a sound financial position because of the support of Rotary in general
and this project in particular. Chief Officer, Gillian Shepherd-Coates
said that they are so pleased to able to serve their clients from such an elegant
Kiosk.
Centenary
Dinner
The
Centenary Dinner, at the Wildernesse Club on Saturday
19th February, was attended by 111 people. There were four Rotary
Clubs there, friends and neighbours from the
Edenbridge and Westerham & Biggin Hill Clubs having joined Sevenoaks Club and ourselves
in our celebrations.
The
Community was represented by the Chairman of the
Sevenoaks District Council, Cllr Clive Bruce, and the Sevenoaks Town Mayor,
Cllr Paul Allen.
We
had a display of pennants on our new boards and also photos of the Centenary
Project. We made the public presentation of the
Plaque for the Centenary Project to the Chairman, Hugh Stirk,
and the Chief Officer, Gillian Shepherd-Coates. Cameo Opera entertained
us delightfully, and enthusiastically, throughout the evening.
Clive
Bruce said that he believed that it was through the voluntary contribution of
the Rotary Clubs and other organisations that Sevenoaks had come top in the
poll of happy and generous places to live.
Many
Happy Returns
‘To-night’
is our Centenary Birthday. We can only wonder at what Rotary founder
Paul Harris would have thought of the growth in the Rotary Movement from that
first meeting of a few people on 23 February 1905 to what we now have internationally
in 2005.
I
hope that you can all feel that the Amherst Club is having an excellent Centenary
Year and that we can hold our heads up high for our contribution to Rotary International.
|
None
of us will ever know just how much time and energy President Gordon put
into the Centennial project and events but we can say
"Thank you" for all he did. |
TSUNAMI
DISASTER FUND
£1,000 |
|
| Collection at Sainsbury’s | £1,241 |
£1845 |
|
| (non Gift Aid) | £150 |
| The Cockhorse, Hildenborough | £1,600 |
| The Kings Head, Bessels Green |
£700 |
| Sevenoaks Rotary Club | £1,000 |
| Total | £
7,536 |
| Rotary District Direct Funding? | $2,000 |
| Matching Grant? | Plus
50% of funds |
Eric
RIBI
President visits District
As
President Gordon reports, he Geoff and I attended
the Tonbridge Club meeting at the Hadlow Manor Hotel
when the President of Rotary International of
He
attended four Rotary Club meetings in those two days: Tonbridge,
Together
with the members of the Tonbridge Club, there
were a number of other visitors including District Governor Himansu
Basu, Assistant DG Norman Jones and members of Clubs
including Sevenoaks, Pantiles, Heathfield,
Wadhurst, Tunbridge Wells and Westerham
& Biggin Hill.
Gordon
McInally spoke clearly and well without notes and his message
was “?The three C’s” - Centennial, Communication, Continuity.”
The
‘Centennial’ message needs no more elaboration from me.
The
‘Communication’ message is obvious, we somehow fail to make the public at large
aware of, what Rotary is, what Rotary does and where Rotary is going.
The
‘Continuity’ message was to me, the most important. We have to ensure
that a ‘Rotary Year’ is not a stand alone, separate
from the previous year or the coming year.
I
am happy and satisfied that
Yes,
I enjoyed the meal, the fellowship and the speaker, the youngest President of
RIBI ever! I enjoyed a short chat with him after the meeting and look
forward to meeting him again when he attends a centennial dinner with the Rotary
Caravanning Fellowship in May.
Eric
ANNUAL
CHARITY GOLF DAY
WILDERNESSE
CLUB SEVENOAKS
IN
SUPPORT OF
HOSPICE
IN THE WEALD
AGE
CONCERN SEVENOAKS
AND
OTHER CHARITIES SUPPORTED BY
Entry
forms and information from
Gordon
Johnston 01732 460761 or salston@ukgateway.net
Simon
Welham 01732 742400 or simon.welham@welhamjones.co.uk
Celebration of a Centenary in 6-fold Amherst Style
1
a community service project
2
publicity in KM Extra - a full-page sponsored advertisement for Rotary this
week.
3
a civic dinner – see Gordon’s report
4
a display in the public library
5 extensive coverage in the 'Sevenoaks Chronicle'
6
a special speaker and a special meeting tonight
Geoff
(and a special newsletter. Ed.)
NEWS
FROM
Having
survived Christmas and staggered into a New Year, minds are concentrated on
Inner Wheel activities in 2005.
Plans
go ahead for the annual Bridge Tea to be held this year in Kippington
Church Hall on Friday 8th April. So Bridge- playing Rotarians take
note!
Our
January meeting was at Jeanne Stevens’ home. Rotary President Gordon and wife
Carolyn were our guests and Gordon our very interesting speaker on the beginnings
and progress of Rotary.
President
Gladys has chosen The British Heart Foundation as her charity for the year.
We
also unanimously agreed to send the £50 Rotary kindly gave us for the Clown
Costumes to the
The
Rotary Centenary Dinner took place on 19th February and Inner Wheel President
Gladys and members offer our Rotarians our congratulations
and best wishes on this auspicious occasion and the Centenary it celebrated.
Ena