February 2010
Members were absolutely delighted to welcome newlyweds Mike and Usa Brown to the first meeting of the year. Mike, with his wonderful photographs, gave a fascinating insight into his trip to Thailand where he used his teaching skills to great advantage. Although they didn’t have much, the children were always smiling and Mike will carry those memories with him forever.
The appalling weather was responsible for injuries to two of our members. Olga fell and sustained a fracture to her wrist and John fell and injured his knee badly. We all wish them both a speedy recovery.
Ewan Larcombe came and shared his vast knowledge of the Jubilee River and the associated problems with flooding in the local area. It was really an eye opener and made us question the wisdom of building on flood plains. He explained that had we been standing in the room at the hotel in Datchet in 1947, the water would have been up to our waists.
We joined together with the Rotary Club of Windsor & Eton to collect in Windsor for the Haiti disaster and it is thought we raised about £2000. Windsor & Eton will give the final figure when confirmed. The proceeds will be equally divided between ShelterBox and the Disaster Emergency Committee. Hundreds of ShelterBoxes have already been delivered to Haiti and are providing much needed shelter for the homeless and tents are also being used as emergency field hospitals. The scale of this disaster is unbelievable and something we cannot really comprehend.
Twenty four people participated in our Simple Supper and everyone seemed to have enjoyed the evening very much. Many thanks to the hosts who extended their warm hospitality and welcomed guests into their homes.
Andreas, Carolina, David and I joined the Windsor & Eton club to celebrate Burn’s Night and we had a very enjoyable evening. The piper spent the evening with us and is a dedicated soldier. He will be heading off to Afghanistan in September for his first tour of duty there and we wish him well. David Shaw gave a hearty rendition of The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen but couldn’t be persuaded to do an encore.
Sue Handy who has a very successful school of dance came to the club to share her idea for an outreach programme with her students. She would like to work with Rotary to take children into nursing homes and hospitals to provide entertainment and stimulus for the elderly. She explained how she saw a tremendous difference in patients’ level of awareness when her mother was in hospital and she took the children in to dance for them.
Guy presented a flag from the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill, his home town in California, following his trip home at Christmas. Bridget returned from Bermuda where she had been for several weeks and presented a flag from one of the Rotary Clubs she visited. Mervyn has been in Australia for several weeks and has emailed details of his visits to other clubs, a very different experience to the meetings he has been used to in the UK and we look forward to hearing more about it when he returns at the end of February.
David and I attended the Inner Wheel Overseas Supper in aid of Impact at the Constitutional Club in Windsor. This was organised by Pam Hockedy and it really was a lovely evening. The members provided a delicious buffet and they raised quite a lot of money on the night. To everyone’s surprise, David Davis didn’t win the raffle!
Having attended the farewell dinner earlier in the month for Laurie Cunningham who went off to San Diego for training as our District Governor for 2010-2011, David and I attended the Welcome Home lunch to hear about his experiences. The theme for next year is "Building Communities –Bridging Continents". Ray Klinginsmith of the Rotary Club of Kirksville, Missouri, USA will be the RI President from July and he tried to think of a theme that would mean something to Rotarians and non Rotarians alike.
We are now looking forward to our Quiz Night on Friday 26 February and hope members and friends will support the event which is being organised by David Davis as he and Jean have put in such a lot of effort.
January 2010
The first meeting of the month gave us all an insight into the daily lives of the men and women of the British Forces serving on the front line. Peter Davies from Help for Heroes explained how many service personnel are retuning with terrible injuries and often with only one limb. They are alive because of modern medical techniques when they wouldn’t have survived just a few short years ago. We were therefore proud to do a street collection in Windsor in aid of Help for Heroes to help fund appropriate rehabilitation facilities.
The street collection was followed by the Reindeer Parade, one of the highlights of our Christmas activities. Once again the streets were thronged with excited little faces as Santa was led through Windsor on his sleigh by the reindeers. One very small girl looked up at me and asked if the reindeer could fly and I told her they would on Christmas Eve. I’d like to thank Chris Davies and Richard Cox who put in a great deal of effort on behalf of the Club and everyone who volunteered to help with the Christmas events.
The following week we had our Christmas Party, made all the more special with the presence of children from St. Mary’s School in Datchet who sang a selection of Carols and seasonal songs before the meal. They were each given a gift from Santa who put in a surprise appearance. Among the many very welcome guests were James Lang, President of the Windsor & Eton Club who was joined by Eric & June Malam and Neil Aufflick and Stuart Hyde, President of the Bourne End & Cookham club, accompanied by his wife Diana.
Catherine King and Bridget McDermott were inducted on the evening, bringing the number of members to thirty two and I was absolutely delighted to present a Paul Harris Fellowship to Trevor Morgan, a very worthy recipient as he puts in a tremendous amount of work for the club and for the people of Windsor.
David and I attended the District Carol Service in Henley, a lovely occasion and we were impressed with the Rotary Choir which will hopefully expand in numbers and perform at the District Conference.
The Festival of Christmas Music and Readings at Eton College was a truly magical evening. Dinah was in the choir this year, is this the first time that one of our members has sung with the wonderful Royal Free Singers at this event I wonder? I know that some of the wives of our members were singing.
We were delighted to have Peter Sallis with us as the proceeds this year will go to the Macular Disease Society and he does a tremendous amount of work for them. We were also very pleased that Sir Nicholas Winton could join us as he is a great supporter of the club. He and Peter certainly enjoyed each other’s company and reminisced over a glass of wine about how the world has changed since they were boys!
The evening was slightly tinged with sadness as it’s the last Christmas concert to be organised by Ossie Williams. We cannot thank him enough because the amount of money he has helped to raise is phenomenal. Ossie has masterminded this event for each one of the twenty one years it has been running and has done an extraordinary job. He has now decided to hand over the reins to Trevor Morgan although he will still offer support in an advisory capacity. Thanks must also go to Ruth who has supported Ossie every step of the way throughout his Rotary life.
As the year draws to a close, I wish everyone a happy and peaceful New Year. I know we will continue to work to make Windsor St. George a Club that we are all proud to be members of and one that prides itself on its friendly welcome. Our friendly reputation has been rewarded by the six new members who have joined since last July and I hope we go from strength to strength in our bid to give something back and help others whenever the need arises.
December 2009
The months are certainly flying by and November has been full of activity. David Caswell, our District Foundation Chairman gave a very good presentation early in the month which certainly helped to clear the mists of confusion about the various grants available and the Foundation and Polio Eradication funds.
I was very proud to lay a wreath on behalf of the club at the Remembrance Day Parade. Several members attended what is always a very moving day and it was very gratifying to see so many young people in the parade, led by David Shaw. It’s really important for people of all ages to remember those who have given their lives for their country.
The Town Manager, Paul Roach came to tell us about current developments and future hopes. He described an incredibly busy work schedule that would leave many reeling. We have built up a very good relationship with Paul and hope to continue to work closely with him.
Several members attended the Windsor & Eton Inner Wheel Quiz which raised funds for the Jubilee Sailing Trust. It was an excellent evening and we all had a lot of fun.
The Rotary Club of Windsor & Eton invited us to attend their Youth Speaks event at Windsor Boys School. The confidence of these young people never fails to amaze me and I am full of admiration for their splendid presentations.
Saturday 21 November saw many members marshalling the band and children for the switch on of the Windsor lights. This was a very challenging event as the heavens opened and drenched everyone. The children were carrying lanterns and Carol sheets and although they were soaked, they still sang their little hearts out. When the procession finally reached the entrance to the castle, Wendy Craig, Jess Conrad and Samantha Barks who are appearing in the pantomime at the Theatre Royal, came on stage along with the Deputy Mayor Catherine Bursnall, who switched on the lights. The wonderful choir from St. George’s Chapel sang Carols and the weather didn’t dampen the spirit of the crowd. Richard Cox said his shoes had only just dried out from the Windsor Horse Show when they squelched their way around Windsor!
David and I attended the Windsor & Eton dinner at the Guildhall in the presence of Prince Philip. The club presented the Prince with a substantial cheque for the Prince Philip Trust Fund from the proceeds of their MG Rally earlier in the year.
Gernot, our dear friend and visiting Rotarian from Austria brought along his guitar and serenaded members and guests last week as he will now be away until January. Afterwards, the remarkable Amy Griffiths told us about the current position with The Walk School in Nakuru, a project we have been involved with for a number of years. A tremendous amount has already been achieved for the children found living in a slum as they now have regular meals and a school. We hope to continue to support this fine young woman with her humanitarian efforts for a long time to come.
Friday 27 November again saw members of the club working to marshal the switch on of the Eton lights and although it was very cold, at least it was dry. Santa switched on the lights and children were given rides, pulled along by the huskies.
We were very pleased to welcome a good number of guests during the month. They all seemed to enjoy the warmth and friendliness of the club and expressed an interest in coming again.
As this is the last newsletter before Christmas, I would like to thank you all for your hard work and tremendous support over the past few months, this has meant so much to me and I wish you a very happy and peaceful Christmas.
November 2009
What a busy and enjoyable month October has been.
We started off by marshalling the Sunrise Walk for Thames HospiceCare. The seven hundred walkers left Saville Court Hotel at 6am, it was dark of course but they all wore flashing headbands and it was a spectacular sight. We are grateful to Judith Diment and Gaby Gaut who walked on behalf of the club and raised a considerable amount of money which Gaby's company matched. Members of the Merry Wives also walked and were in very good spirits when they passed our check-point.
This was Judith's second walk in the space of a week as she did the Maidenhead Boundary Walk with David Davis on behalf of the club in aid of Polio Eradication. Phil Lenton and Nina also walked, we are very lucky to have some very fit members. Watch out for Phil, he is planning his next adventure which involves climbing three peaks in twenty four hours and will be encouraging other members to accompany him.
Our RYLA candidate Will Joy came to tell us about his experience, what a fine young man he is. He found the challenge stimulating and explained how very nervous candidates were empowered by gaining leadership skills. He impressed how important this project is and how it changes the lives of a great many young people.
We visited the Natural History Museum at Eton College and were treated to a very informative presentation by George Fussey who joined us later for dinner. The most popular attractions were the two headed kitten and the four footed duck!
The Gala Performance of Orpheus in the Underworld in aid of Thames HospiceCare and other Rotary charities was a tremendous success. It was a hugely entertaining production by the Windsor & Eton Operatic Society. The Mayor and Mayoress of Windsor & Maidenhead were present and we were delighted that Sir Nicholas Winton was able to join us.
All members played a part in the success of the evening and I was so proud to be there as the President of such a fine team of Rotarians. Very special thanks must go to Trevor Morgan who masterminded the event and devoted his attention entirely to making it a memorable evening for everyone. We are indebted to him for all the work he did.
Our Foundation Chairman Phil Lenton has instigated a couple of initiatives to raise funds. He set the club up on E-Bay so that a percentage of anything we sell is donated to Foundation and now he has another web-site which will do the same but this time, members, family or friends can be encouraged to purchase items from some of their favourite stores by accessing them via a link to our club instead of going direct to their web-site. This will not cost the purchaser anything but the club will benefit from a percentage of the sale.
October 2009
September began with the annual cycle ride from Richmond to Windsor and we thank all those who participated and raised funds for the important work done by the British Heart Foundation. Tom, proudly wearing a medal, appeared to be the first one back which was something of a surprise as he didn't set off with the other riders. It turned out to be a hoax as he obtained the medal from a friend but he paid for it when Trevor found out and fined him at the next meeting.
At a meeting early in the month it was my privilege to induct two new members, Vicky Kapur and Julia Collis, they are both very enthusiastic and will be a great asset to the club.
We agreed to purchase four additional boxes of dictionaries which have now arrived and Trevor has distributed most of them to local schools. The final distribution to Dedworth School will take place on Tuesday 06 October 2009.
On Tuesday 15 September, eighteen members (including Gernot) plus my husband David who was celebrating his birthday, visited the Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh. They were delighted to welcome so many of us and we all enjoyed a very good evening of friendship. They had a speaker on the Shaw Trust which works to ensure disabled people have the best possible chance of securing jobs alongside the able bodied.
We had three visitors on 22 September. The first was our speaker Eleanor Cracknell, District 1090 Rotaract Chairman. Eleanor had been a Group Study Exchange (GSE) student earlier this year and gave a very interesting presentation on her experience with the team who went to Canada. Eleanor is an archivist at St. George's Chapel and she visited locations in Canada where their documents are relatively modern in comparison to those she is used to dealing with and she was thankful to return to her familiar, well loved documents which are often in Latin. Other visitors were Keith Payne from the Rotary Club of Heston and Isleworth and his friend Bill Pettigrew from the Rotary Club of Aspley, Queensland, Australia. Bill brought greetings from his club and very kindly presented a flag.
I was invited to a meeting at Windlesham Golf Club with the Rotary Club of Ascot, Round Table and the 41 Club. The speaker was Adam Afriyie, MP for Windsor and Shadow Minister for Innovation, Universities and Skills. Adam told us about his upbringing in London and how he decided as a child that his life could go in one of two directions. He chose to work hard at school and has since gone on to form successful companies and is proud that he is able to offer employment to over five hundred people.
We had several visitors in addition to our partners on 29 September, Past District Governor Ian Black, our speaker who gave a humorous insight into the life of a Scot, Assistant Governor Moya Harvey, Colin Corio (President of the Rotary Club of Ascot), Colleen Jones, Bridget McDermott and Mary Fitzgerald who has been to club before but this time brought along not only her husband James who is a member of the Rotary Club of Langley but also her daughter Kate.
The evening was made even more memorable with the induction of my good friend Mervyn Simmonds, our fourth new member in this Rotary year. We are indeed fortunate as all of our new members are very committed and will contribute a great deal to the club.
Dinah visited the Rotary Club of Romans sur Isere in France during her holiday and was presented with a flag. This club has an interesting history. Founded in 1933, the Club appeared in the 1934 directory as: Rotary Club Romans. From 1935 - 1946 its name was Rotary Club Romans Club de la Drome. 1947 - 1950; Club de la Drome. Another Club in the Drome area was founded in 1950 and so it was renamed Romans - Valence. This club then divided into two - one in Romans and one in Valence. From Rotary year 1959/60 the Club has been known as Romans sur Isere.
Our thoughts are with those suffering as a result of the recent Tsunami and earthquakes where many hundreds have been made homeless and have lost everything that was dear to them. Shelterbox are appealing for donations as their supplies have been considerably diminished with these simultaneous disasters and we will undoubtedly contribute as much as we can.
September 2009
I have really enjoyed the past month. A highlight for any President, is inducting a new member and I was delighted to induct Guy Moore who will be a great asset to the club. Vicky Kapur, Julia Collis and Mervyn Simmonds have been attending regularly, their membership applications are being processed and hopefully all three will be inducted by the end of September. We have also been visited regularly by Catherine King who is very interest in becoming a Rotarian.
We had several visitors to the club including our District Governor Terry Kenyon who told us about her exciting time at the Rotary International training week in San Diego. Terry said how proud she was that we have a Rotary International President from the UK this year and spoke about his goals and ambitions for the future of Rotary. I was pleased to have my daughter-in-law Anne present at this meeting as it happily coincided with a visit from her home in California. Anne was sponsored by Terry when she became a member of the Rotary Club of Reading Matins about fifteen years ago and she went on to serve as Club Secretary for three years.
Other visitors included Stuart Hyde, President of the Rotary Club of Bourne End and Cookham & Gernot Grasl from the Rotary Club of Bruck-Neusiedl in Austria. Gernot is working over here until the end of December and has chosen to come along each week until he returns home. We are really going to miss him when he leaves as he has become very involved with the club and is certainly a firm favourite with members.
Rodney Richardson, a senior tour guide from Windsor Castle captivated his audience when he spoke to the club. He related a fascinating story of the history and gave members an insight into parts of the Castle that are not usually seen by the general public but private tours are bookable for groups. He also amused everyone with tales of the humorous things visitors say, such as "Why did they build the Castle so close to Heathrow"!
I was absolutely delighted that at the President's at Home lunch, we were blessed with sunshine. This enabled us all to be in the garden and share a lovely afternoon together. It also gave us the opportunity to congratulate Ken and Jacqueline on their diamond wedding anniversary. I would like to thank David and Andreas who did a sterling job by cooking up a storm on the two barbecues.
Andreas presented another flag that had been sent to him by a Rotarian en route to the International Convention in Birmingham, this one was from the Rotary Club of Okayaha in East Japan.
We were pleased to welcome our partners and Pat Eaton when Louise Skelly came to talk to us about Global Xchange and explained about her imminent trip to Africa. She ended the presentation with a quiz which tested our knowledge of both Africa and the UK. We were asked to name our teams and I am pleased to say that "All the President's Men" won, thanks to Terry, Roy and Mervyn (with a little help from Jane and Chris Davies who kindly shared their knowledge of Africa with our team as well as their own).
Trevor is gathering bottles for the Gala "Basket of Wine" raffle prize and has asked members if they would donate a bottle. He steamed ahead at a rate of knots by commandeering any bottles that members may have dared to win in the club raffle. He even presented a bottle to David Pike in thanks for a favour and promptly took it back for his basket. I am sure to be fined for this disclosure!
August 2009
It has been an eventful month with interesting speakers and events.
David and I attended the Buckingham Palace Garden Party on 21 July 2009 along with Trevor & Sue and David & Jean who very kindly set the scene for the day by opening a bottle of Champagne before we set off. The weather was not particularly kind but fortunately, plenty of shelter was provided and the cucumber sandwiches and cakes weren't soggy! Apart from Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip, we didn't recognise many other people but nevertheless, it was an experience that we will remember always.
My three young grand-daughters were thrilled that we had been to Buckingham Palace and say they are going to tell all their friends when they get back to the USA. We have been out and about with them over the past week and on one occasion, we took them on the Windsor Wheel which they thought was "Awesome".
Mike Brown presented the Club with two banners from Thailand, one from the Rotary Club of Khon Kaen in District 3340 and the other from the Rotary Club of Bangkapi, Bangkok. We look forward to hearing more about Mike's trip when he addresses the club later this year. Andreas also presented a banner from the Rotary Club of Cleburne County in Arkansas, USA which was given to him by Rotarians visiting Windsor en route to the International Convention in Birmingham when they called into the restaurant for a meal. The restaurant was also visited by members of the Rotary Club of Okayama-East, Japan, Andreas said the ladies were in traditional dress and looked absolutely stunning.
Martin Denny spoke to the Club about the Windsor Festival and gave us a tremendous insight into the intricacies of organising this event. We are delighted to be supporting the Festival this year for the first time.
The initial feedback from this year's RYLA trip is extremely positive and it appears the team gained a great deal from this unique experience. Our candidate, Will Joy will be visiting the club in October to tell us his story. Many thanks to Trevor who puts such a lot of work into RYLA, this programme has proved itself over the years and really does change the lives of the participants.
We will shortly be inducting a new member who came to us via the Rotary Roadshow at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May. This proved to be a great success, not only for our Club but Chris Davies has contacted many other districts and put them in touch with visitors from around the country who expressed a keen interest in Rotary.
Many of our members will be stewarding in the Windsor Castle Moat Gardens throughout August. This is another opportunity for us to serve the community and we are very pleased to be involved once again.
I am still hoping for fine weather on Sunday 16 August for the President's At Home!
July 2009
I was very proud to be inducted as President of the Rotary Club of Windsor St. George and look forward to working with a very special group of people. I would like to thank Immediate Past President Emrys for leading us through a very busy and successful year; he can now enjoy a well deserved cruise to the Norwegian Fiords.
My first duty as Club President was to attend the District Handover at Sindlesham Court. It was a splendid evening where guests celebrated an outstanding year for District 1090 under the leadership of Malcolm Boddington and welcomed Terry Kenyon into office as District Governor for 2009-10. Terry will be visiting the club on Tuesday 11 August when she will enlighten us about her hopes and dreams for our District and the RI President's hopes for Rotary International.
I look forward to welcoming members to the President's At Home on Sunday 16 August and will keep my fingers crossed for fine weather.
In September there are plans for a joint meeting with Windsor & Eton and of course we have our Richmond to Windsor Bike Ride on Sunday 06 September.
The following was in one of the good luck cards sent to me and I thought it would be good to share it.
"Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. Like a hummingbird, we aspire to love and savour each moment as it passes, embrace all that life has to offer and to celebrate the joy of everyday. The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation".
I hope we all embrace what life has to offer and that much laughter will be heard in the club during the forthcoming year.