Week 2
In
nature the Queen Bee watches over all her worker bee’s slogging away in the
hive. In Rotary that is honestly not true.
Two
days into the new DG post saw me, with my fellow Carnforth Rotarians, with
sleeves rolled up assisting at the Carnforth Gala. I was given the unenviable
task of running the very popular Tombola stall. It was a lovely warm day and
the turn-out was huge. The stream of people wanting to try their luck on the
Tombola was constant all day and my colleagues were equally busy running the
Coconut Shy. This stall was also incredibly busy and some of the Mum’s and
Dad’s got very competitive as they always do.
All in all in was a great day to promote Rotary Action at its best and if any Club is need of an extra pair of hands, give me a call.
On
Monday I wrote to all the new Members within the District and it really did put
a smile on my face. It was a great opportunity for me to welcome them in to
Rotary, the best voluntary organisation in the world.
To
all those who say we will not increase membership, I say of course we will. We
just have to show people all the good things about Rotary. I often see, on
social media, many members commenting on all the good things we, as Rotarians,
get up to helping in our communities. Let’s not just limit those comments to
social media, let’s get the message out there to our relatives, friends,
neighbours and work colleagues. Let’s tell them about all the positive things
in Rotary like friendship, a sense of belonging, teamwork and all the good we
do not only in our own communities but across the world.
Later
in the week I had the pleasure of attending the Handover evening at Lunesdale
Rotary Club. It was a fantastic evening, the meal was great and the company
just perfect. To cap off a brilliant evening I had the honour of Inducting a
new member to the Club, Ken Kay. I wish Ken all the very best as he sets out on
his Rotary journey with an incredible Club (photo below).
The
end of my first week ended on a high note when I took a call from a member of a
Rotary Club in Thailand. Before speculation starts, no he wasn’t offering me a
two week all-expenses paid holiday. Although I do feel extremely lucky to have
received the call. The gentleman informed me that he has a sister who lives
just outside Chorley, Lancashire, who owns a clothing business. He explained
that she wanted to donate a large quantity of new clothing for babies and year
3 to 4 boys, with a value close to £10,000 to go to those in need.
I
contacted the lady over the telephone straightaway and she was amazing. I’ve
arranged to collect the clothing in the next couple of weeks and will organise
distribution, through a number of agencies, to many vulnerable and needy
families within the District. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.
I
couldn’t thank the lady enough, her generosity at this time when many, many
people in our communities are struggling with the cost of living crisis is
amazing.
This
is just another example of the power and reach of Rotary International and the
random acts of kindness that Rotary promotes.
Instead
of the two week holiday, I intend to attend a virtual meeting with the Club in
Thailand in the very near future.
Please remember if you would like me to visit a project, or your club my diary is getting busy , and I would like to see all clubs.
For the time being – “That’s all folks”
