Who Needs Rotary?

Going to Rotary meetings at District level can usually be relied on to give me a lift about why I’m in Rotary and yesterday’s District Assembly was no exception. Around 280 of us squeezed into the Majedski Theatre at Reading University to go through how our District intends to support us over the coming year and what particular emphasis is preferred. We saw evidence of the power of Rotary in the words of Bill Gates – see video footage of his announcement of a further $250 million of support for our work towards the eradication of Polio worldwide and his passion for helping us achieve this goal – and this is man who isn’t even a Rotarian – he just believes in the integrity and worth of our organisation. We were also reminded by incoming Rotary International President John Kenny that the work of Rotary is rooted in the strength of each and every Rotary club – kind of makes it seem quite important that those of use taking up office in July do something worthwhile, then!



We also saw a video clip entitled featuring the work of Rotary, particularly with children around the world, to “You Raise Me Up” – brought a tear to my eye – and I was not alone – when we’ve checked the copyright use I’m hoping to include it here.

Update - the video has now been remastered with a different track to overcome copyright issues. Watch this - oh & by the way - have that box of tissues handy!!


I’ll be saying more about the specifics of the worthwhile things we’ll be attempting for the next year during the coming weeks, together with more about our continuing work on Polio.

Rotary Club of Elthorne Hillingdon AGM

Big step forward last night. We’ve confirmed the team that will be leading the club through its various aspects in the coming year. I’ve been very lucky to assemble a very strong team to help me. In addition to my already-elected successors David Thorpe and Norman Jones, with Alan Lane as Treasurer and Alan Prue as Secretary (together with current President Derek Knight);

Joan Greening will be dealing with our efforts to recruit more Rotarians and in publicising our work;
Terry Ruby will be leading our Fundraising efforts and our work with and for the Rotary Foundation;
Mike Udall will be taking our Service Projects forward.

In the next couple of weeks we’ll be putting our programme for the year starting July 1st together – most of us are off to our District Assembly on Saturday where we’ll be sharing our ideas with those of others in the District (1090 - from the Western edges of London out to Oxford to the NW and West towards Swindon)

For starters........

This blog is meant to be multi-purpose. It’s intended to: keep members of the Rotary Club of Elthorne Hillingdon up to date with what their mad President for 2009-2010 is up to/thinking about in the run-up to and during his Presidential year; and also to keep casual observers up to date with what Rotary is about, why we’re important contributors to the communities of the world in our own small ways and finally to occasionally (perhaps) mildly amuse anyone who reads it

To find out more about our club, click here click here. For the latest news feed from Rotary International go here