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Amherst News
March 2006
Editor Ron Adams
amherstedit@aol.com
This next month we wish a happy birthday to:
Albert Hughes on March 26
John Harland on April 1
Simon Welham on April 3
Elizabeth Kemp and Beth MacIldowie on April 6
Ken Marsden on April 8
and Geoff Brown on April 20
Our programme will be:
22 March Simon Hebditch, C A F
29 March PARTNERS’ EVENING Ed Thompson—Old Otford film
5 April Business Meeting
8 April Stroke Awareness Day
12 April Mick Gregory, South East Water
19 April Vikki Rimmer, Village Correspondent
21 April CHARITY GOLF DAY
26 April Mark Evans, S D C
N.b. Dinner and Dance on the 29th April.
Last week we had a very special speaker.
John London is a long-time Sevenoaks resident who has devoted many years to public service in Town and District and is Chairman of Kent County Council.
And his allotment is next to Geoff's.
Visit to Roubaix-Est 4/5 March 2006
A party of 19 people had an enjoyable and successful visit to Roubaix-Est. Our hosts were as usual hospitable and entertaining. We had many things to appreciate but our Club contributed a number of eccentric aspects to the visit, as did the weather.
President Pierre and his Club members led us on a programme which included three lunches and dinners in 24 hours and visits to Ypres (or Ieper) and Ghent (or Gent or Gand). The ‘rustic’, ‘Turkish’ and French meals each had their own atmosphere in which we were able to renew fellowship with our hosts and their families; about half of us were also able to enjoy hospitality in staying in their houses, giving more time for conversation.
We easily crossed borders between France and Belgium, and of architecture as there is also a strong Dutch influence in the area. Ypres has been beautifully rebuilt since the devastation of the Great War with records on the Menin Gate for those who have no known grave; Carolyn was again able to see the name of her great uncle on panel 47, courtesy of the web site. Ghent is a lovely town full of old buildings with a river/canal system which crosses Northern Belgium. We had an excellent and entertaining guide. Her talk included the folk lore of witches burning down wooden steeples, fire wardens ‘pissing’ in tin cans up in their Watch Towers, not to mention how a prisoner could avoid starvation by breast feeding!
It was as well that our guide was so entertaining as it was a severely cold morning on Sunday and our attention could have wandered with anyone less interesting.
We had left Sevenoaks on Saturday at a temperature of -5 degrees. Perhaps this contributed to behaviour of our navigators because, although we were supposed to be travelling in convoy with our hosts, on several occasions cars took different routes and were not present at the next rendezvous point (Mr President); of course it does help (Grant) if the sketch is held the correct way up!
The finale was the presentation by Derek to Pierre of one of Bob Ogley’s books on Kent. Naturally the speech was in French and received with thunderous applause. All in all it was a most pleasant week-end which has surely maintained and developed our fellowship with the Roubaix-Est Club.
Points from Council Meeting
27th February
Agreed effective change of name to Sevenoaks Amherst from 1st March 2006.
David Greefield to speak to club on 5th May about trip to Russia.
New design of banners agreed and order to be placed.
Derek to hold Garden Party on 18th June.
Cyclo Sportiv 2006 – Web site set up and 32 entries already received. Proceeds to be split
60% Hospice in the Weald, 30% Macmillan Nurses & 10% Charity account.
New design agreed for club notepaper and order to be placed.
Donations authorised
£100 (student going to Kenya), £100 PHAB Sevenoaks, £50 Sevenoaks Young Musician towards travel cost for overseas entrant, £50 DeBRA.
Already authorised
£300 Handicamp, £100 Sevenoaks Primary School.
Quiz of Quizzes to be on 12th July.
Club to run car parking on Rotary Fun Day.
JOHN
Tsunami Recovery in Sri Lanka
This time last year we were boosted by hopes that the funds we raised so rapidly would be enhanced by a Matching Grant from Foundation. The year went by and we finally passed our fund to Colombo as they preferred the lesser amount in the hand rather than continue hoping for the larger amount which showed so little sign of materialising. In our frustration President Derek wrote to the District Governor.
“ As you know, the Club had, from the outset in January 2005, made known its intention to seek some form of matching aid, probably from Foundation as that route would give us additional benefits. Soon after taking office you became aware during your visit to us that feelings were running high at the seemingly interminable delays and hurdles in understanding Foundation' requirements. Eventually Noel Tatt was able to advise us and it seemed that we would be sunk at the first hurdle as the project (new homes) did not meet Foundation's criteria, hence the suggestion that we finance fixtures and fittings. Given the sum raised, we were always above their new $5,000 threshold.
Acknowledging that RCCW have not helped our cause in not sending our pro forma invoices until 1st November, I must tell you that we are far from happy that it was not possible to fast track our application to permit the remittance of funds in time for the handover on December 1st 2005. ”
Noel Tatt has replied:
“ When you consider that probably an absolute minimum of sixty clubs in our district helped in some way or another, that there are 525 Rotary districts in the world and many, if not most clubs wanted to know if Rotary Foundation could match the funds they had collected, you may appreciate the size of the problem facing those in Evanston, why there was delay and why they just had to say "No."
The confusion came in that there was hope initially that Foundation could help some instances; that was true and is true but the instances are limited and all take time. When I first heard from Graham and Simon in early January 2005 I just hoped Foundation could help and did believe it was likely in some way. We saw much in the press of the millions being sent by governments etc not being employed and even being taxed by the recipient governments. This could not have given our charity too much confidence but when Simon spoke to me, while I was cautious, I was just not aware of the various restrictions that needed to be made. Indeed this is made obvious by the following general statement by the Rotary Foundation Head of Humanitarian Grants sent out to all districts just yesterday which may put the matter into some sort of perspective.
"I think there is confusion over the construction with the tsunami recovery projects. Determining how funds collected by TRF via the Solidarity in South Asia fund is up to the Committees established in each country (there are no restrictions on the use of the funds in relation to construction). However, TRF has not changed any of its matching Grant policies. MG funds used for tsunami (or other disaster) recovery efforts cannot be use for construction or renovation of buildings where people live, work or engage in gainful
activity.
Anne Gross
Division Manager Humanitarian Grants Program"
I am sorry this problem occurred. I wish we could have acted on this wonderful effort of the Rotary Club of Sevenoaks Amherst but Bob Burge [ District Grants Subcommittee Chair] was absolutely right to question every point from the start, for had you paid money to The Rotary Foundation to be matched, it is possible that this matching would have been refused and then the money you donated to Foundation could not legally have been returned and would have gone to the general fund.. In the event you do know that your money did arrive and was employed as you wished.
12.6.06” [sic]
Forthcoming events
something old, something new
THE ROTARY CLUBS OF
SEVENOAKS and SEVENOAKS AMHERST
PRESENT
CALENDAR GIRL
TRICIA STEWART
"Miss October" on that calendar
Preceded by Wine and Cheese Reception
Aisher Hall, Sevenoaks School Saturday 13 May 7.30
£15
In aid of Rockdale House Appeal
ANNUAL
CHARITY GOLF DAY
WILDERNESSE
APRIL 21
IN SUPPORT OF HOSPICE IN THE WEALD
Club Events
AGM 3 May
Rotary Fun Day at Detling 11th June
Garden Party at Cornstalks 18th June tbc
Raid from Amherst Ohio w/c 26th June
Battle of the Bands 8th July
Quiz of Quizzes 13th July
Cyclo Sportive 17th September