District 1220 Magazine June 2002

With thanks to Rotarian Ron Walker Editor District 1220 Magazine
(To email Ron, click on the link above)

The magazine this month is full of information.  It has been divided into three parts

ROTARY REVIEW JUNE 2002 - Part2

Derby – A Very Charitable Half Year

PRO Jim Cownie reports that since last December the Club has donated over £10,000 to charities and good causes from money raised by a variety of activities. A presentation of £3,800 went to help starving children in Afghanistan and to establish and equip a cancer pathology laboratory in Nepal. A cheque for £500 was sent to Feed the Children for its work a refugee camp in north-west Afghanistan where 40 children a day were dying because of malnutrition and freezing weather. The Club had also donated £500 for Aquaboxes for refugee families in Afghanistan. Derby contributed to the cost of a histopathology laboratory at the Bhaktapur Cancer Care Centre in Nepal.

In January the Club donated to Childline, Guide Dogs for the Blind and Headway. In April a cheque for £1,300 was presented to the Rainbow Children’s Hospice at Loughborough, money raised by a trolley dash at Sainsburys in the Wyvern Centre, Derby. April also saw the culmination of a three year project when Pres. John Rice presented the Rotary Club of Derby Jubilee clock - in the shape and colour of the Rotary Wheel - to the Mayor of Derby to commemorate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

Other projects involve much work without raising money. Over 9,700 Christmas gift shoeboxes were collected by members of the Derby Club from local schools and collection depots - a record number and nearly ten times as many as when the project was first undertaken in 1996.

TWO NEW DISTRICT PHFs Report by David Turner

Ladies Night is always rather special for the West Ashfield Club, but this year's event proved to be very special indeed for two District 1220 Officers. Phil Renshaw and Ron Walker were both "off-duty" and minding their own business when they found themselves called to the top table by District Governor Brian, in order to receive richly-deserved Paul Harris Fellowships from Club President Michael Kirk. Our picture shows (l to r) Rotarians Kirk, Renshaw, Walker and Darlison after the presentation.

Philip Renshaw has been a member of the West Ashfield Club since 1987 and has been President and a long-serving Secretary as well as holding many Chairmanships. He now serves at District level as Membership and Attendance Officer. Ron Walker is a founder-member of the Club (1986) and has served as Secretary, President, Rotary Foundation Officer, Bulletin Editor and PR Officer, together with numerous other posts of responsibility within the Club. For the District, Ron has served with distinction as Rotaract Officer and Assistant Governor Western Group. He is currently an outstanding District Editor, but he has not written this.

DISTRICT ASSEMBLY APRIL 27TH 2002

As is our tradition, the Assembly was opened and the delegates welcomed to the pleasant and business-like surroundings of The Nottingham Trent University by Rotn Trina Fitzalan-Howard, SVP of RC of Nottingham, home Club of next year's DG, John Bendall. Current DG Brian Darlison handed over the Rotary Global Quest banner to his successor, exhibiting inordinate glee at "getting rid of the [I didn't catch the next word] thing".

Supported by a wealth of hi-tech visual aids, DGE John outlined the targets being set by next year's District Officers. These included an increase in the number of Rotaract Clubs, and the aim of raising the equivalent of £50 per Rotarian in District 1220 to help complete the eradication of polio. Other programmes took in Rotary Blood Pressure Day – the anti-stroke campaign; a WaterAid project in Tanzania; stronger emphasis on RYLA, Youth Speaks and other youth programmes; and the need for more – and updated – Club websites.

The DGE's talk ended with a short but moving clip from a video speech by incoming RI President, Bhichai Rattakul. Expanding on his theme "Sow the Seeds of Love", he said, "Rotary can make gentler the face of the world". If only more people could hear and receive such an inspiring message!

Delegates will have their own opinions of the group sessions, but the three that I visited to give a five-minute Communications "plug" showed good attendance and a lively atmosphere. My verdict – a very successful and well-spent morning!

Ron Walker

ERIC POTTER GOLF

Over 70 Years of Competitive Rotarian Fellowship and Friendship. By Bruce Liddle

The 71st Eric Potter District 1220 Golf Competition is to be held on Friday 21st June 2002 - tee off between 2.00pm - 3.30pm.

The magnificent Eric Potter Trophy has been won by the Rotary Club of Beeston for the last three years. Beeston members feel they should give other Clubs a fighting chance and have agreed to the event being held away from Beeston Fields Golf Course! The event this year will be held at Wollaton Park Golf Course, Nottingham. The entry fee is £37 per person.

Teams to consist of four Rotarians representing their Rotary Club. The best three scores will be counted. The fee includes coffee and biscuits on arrival, an evening meal and, of course, outstanding prizes.

For further information please contact Bruce Liddle, Rotary Club of Beeston on 0115 9431251. Details about this event have been sent to Club Secretaries - letter dated 13th March 2002.

LIFE STYLE from David Fish

A) The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. B) On the other hand, the French eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. C) The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. D) The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. It's speaking English that kills you.

WANTED - A ROTARY CHRIS TARRANT

Can you help run the New District Quiz? A Plea from Charles Tyrie.

Volunteers are needed to help run the District Quiz in 2002/3 as part of the District Membership Services Team sports and fellowship activities. Outgoing Chairman, Rotn Neil Sharman, has provided great fellowship and inter-club intellectual rivalry with his testing questions and I am looking for a small team to co-ordinate and run the District Quiz next year and give it a new look. Full details are available.

Another vacancy for an enthusiastic Rotarian is the post of the Rotary Fellowships Officer, to market the Rotary leisure and hobby and vocational clubs through visits to Rotary Clubs within the District. A full set of amusing slides and a comprehensive set of documents is available, demonstrating the different recreational and vocational fellowships. It is also an excellent medium for experiencing great fellowship and spreading the message about Rotary's Best Kept Secret to Clubs who would like to see the presentation.

Please contact Rotarian Charles Tyrie (West Bridgford) 0115 9232511 Incoming Chairman Membership Services Committee

ROTARY FOUNDATION CHRISTMAS CARDS 2001

By David Crowson

The sale of cards last year in District 1220 raised £154.55 for the Foundation from the seven Clubs that participated. Just think what could have been raised if the other 51 clubs had joined in!

My grateful thanks go to Bakewell, Derby,Long Eaton, Nottingham, Retford, Sutton-in-Ashfield and Worksop Dukeries for their support.

At the national level, sales last year were £38,672, which allowed a profit of £15,191 to be put into the Annual Programmes Fund of the Rotary Foundation. The profits raised by the sales in each Club are credited to that Club's Foundation contribution for the year.

David Crowson (D. Foundation Chairman)

ROTARY MILLENNIUM WOOD PROJECT

By Lionel M Howard (Wollaton Park), Hon Sec. & Treas. to the Wood Committee

Sponsored Walk

Thanks to the help of several of the sponsoring Clubs, including in particular the Clubs whose members walked on one of the four walks, this fund-raising event raised £2500 for the project.

The following Clubs provided members who acted as marshalls and in many other organisational activities: Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottingham, Sutton-in-Ashfield and Wollaton Park.

Walkers from the following Clubs took part in at least one of the four walks: Alfreton, Bingham, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Mansfield, Nottingham, Ravenshead, Sherwood Forest, Sutton-in-Ashfield, West Ashfield, Wollaton Park

It is often said that taking part is the most important but from the selfish viewpoint of the Committee, of equal if not greater importance was the amount of sponsorship money raised. In that connection three Clubs were outstanding, namely Mansfield (£810), Wollaton Park (£388) and Alfreton (£310).

Repeat apologies are also due to those who walked the 12 and 25 mile walks; my admiration has no bounds for those from the Bingham Club who made the finish having walked over 18 miles on the 12 mile walk and from the Mansfield Club who reached the finish having walked over 35 miles on the 25 mile walk!

Viewing Point Working Party Thanks to those sponsoring Clubs (Bingham, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottingham, Sutton-in-Ashfield and Wollaton Park) whose members came to the working party week-end when we completed work at the viewing point/ picnic area (the highest point at the new wood. This was creation of bases for the picnic tables and benches and securing the latter to the former, and laying the base for the Trig Point.

Unfortunately, the relatively low turn-out meant that it was not possible to erect the Trig Point with the usual form of compass and direction indicator top. The Committee members hope to be able to complete this work themselves.

The Committee is hugely indebted to Ray Harper (a former Clay Cross Rotarian) of Industrial Ancillaries Limited for the manufacture and provision of the Trig Point top for no charge.

Individual Rotarians and their families are recommended to visit the Rotary Wood and the Viewing Point, preferably having parked at and looked at the exhibition in the Ollerton Visitors’ Centre and walked from there along the ‘Rotary Walk’ to the Wood.

CORRESPONDENCE School Exchange With Ukraine?

From John Moffatt, RC of Burton-on-Trent

Dear Fellow Rotarians We have had an approach to the Burton upon Trent Club from the Sumy Rotary Club in the Ukraine, regarding a potential exchange with the Golden Fish School in Sumy and a school in the U.K. The contact is Rotarian Tatyana Tsukanova, who is also Head of the school.

I give brief details below, and would be grateful if you would enquire in your area with any schools you think may be interested . I will be pleased to provide further details, (e.g. introductory letters/photographs of the pupils) and establish contact for any schools wishing to follow up further. The school is a small private school, with about 180 students (boys and girls) from 6-17 years old, although the age range for the exchange would be 11-17. They are all from wealthy families and able to fund their own travel costs and other expenses.

They are very interested not only in visiting and staying with families in the UK, but also welcoming children back to the Ukraine to stay with them and see the sights of Sumy, Kiev etc. Initially it is envisaged that the children would exchange letters/emails, before planning exchange visits. This may ideally be of interest to independent schools teaching Russian, but any school interested in the exchange should contact me. I have already enquired around schools in the Burton area, and although there is some interest, none are ready to proceed with an exchange at this stage. I look forward to hearing from you,

Yours in Rotary,

John Moffat Chairman, International Service Committee, Rotary Club of Burton upon Trent Reply to moffat@ukonline.co.uk

GOODBYE POLIO?

 A short extract from the notes of the presentation given at District Assembly by PDG Keith Hammond

What Has Been Achieved

Around $500 million committed already. Polio now only remains in 10 countries. Well over 2 billion children immunised. 4 million running and playing who would have been crippled. Once polio eradicated $1.5 billion will be saved each year in immunisation costs alone. It was Rotary who devised the model of partnership with WHO and UN to eradicate polio. This model has been so successful that it has been adopted by them and in partnership with the Red Cross they plan to eradicate measles.

Present Situation The WHO considers that there are 3 remaining obstacles to the eradication of Polio: Funding shortfall of $400 million. Accessing all children. Sustaining Commitment. This is the real problem. If we sustain commitment, we will reach children e.g. tranquillity days in war zones etc. If we sustain commitment we will achieve the funding needed. If we sustain commitment, we will eradicate polio from the world

So What Is Rotary Going To Do?

Rotary International has agreed to have a final push to eradicate polio. The Target -to raise $80 million for Polio eradication from July 1st till June 30th 2003. This will be doubled and matched by organisations such as the Gates foundation and terms have been arranged with the World Bank which will cover the remaining $320 million.

It can be done. IT WILL BE DONE

What Does It Mean For Us In 1220?

The Target for Rotary is $80 million. This equates to $67 per Rotarian or in £ terms around £50 per Rotarian. £100,000 in the District. It does not mean that each Rotarian should necessarily give this amount but it is a target figure to which a Club can work. – but some Rotarians who were not involved before might wish to. What we are asking for is each Club to try to raise the equivalent of £50 per Rotarian. A Club of 60 Like Derby needs to raise £3000 whilst a Club of 20 needs to raise £1000. How it is to be done by the Club is up to the Club

What Is District Doing?

Set up a Polio Eradication Fund-raising Committee. Members are Keith Hammond, Colin Brockington (Bretby) from the Southern group; Bibek Pradhan (Mansfield) Northern; Peter Clark (Wirkswirth) Western; Val Lindley (Sherwood Sunrisers) Eastern. Committee reports to David Crowson. Meeting soon to plan strategy and consider how this should be achieved. Will keep Clubs informed.

So Why Do It – Will It Ever Be Achieved?

The eradication of polio is achievable. We said 16 years ago it could be– we must fulfil that promise. For the children of the world – no longer need there be a fear of polio with death and paralysis and the ruination of lives and families. Savings of $1.5 billion a year on vaccine and move onto other major health programmes in the future. Show the world of the strength and belief of Rotary to benefit humanity.

Finally, I realise it is extra above a normal year of activities for Foundation Fund Raising. But it is special. Given the will it is achievable. It is a challenge. Please - do all you can to meet this challenge - to raise the equivalent of £50 per Rotarian in your Club.

I shall be asking you for your target figure in September so that we can know what we will achieve.

Footnote: PDG Keith's full notes have been e-mailed to all Clubs. Large amounts of information, including photographs, on polio eradication are available from the District and RI websites.