The David Digest District Governor s Newsletter April 2011 Magazine Month. (produced in 10pt font increase to 14pt to read on Computer). Building Communities, Bridging Continents The King is dead Long Live the King Well, not quite yet! We are now well into the Rotary Year 2010/11 and I am amazed at what our District has achieved over the last 9 months. I have decided to produce a book for this Rotary year to include the information and achievements of all the District Clubs. The book will be held in the archives at York Gate for view. Very shortly I will be sending out a request for information. I have visited all the clubs within our District, the last club was Crystal Palace and Norwood on 28 th March. Can I thank all the Club Presidents and their members for the very courteous way you all looked after Carole and myself. It was greatly appreciated. It was also very informative going to the 4 Rotaract Clubs in our District and to the Charter of various Interact Clubs. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the Inner Wheel Rally in February due to attending the RIBI General Council. IPDG Martin Gudde deputised for me. The Presidential Citations have been received from 21 clubs and 5 Interact Clubs; these have been forwarded to the Rotary International President. Rotary in London Magazine. The magazine is in the process of being distributed. This issue is the only one being circulated this Rotary Year. Jane Hammond (Putney) has been appointed the new District Editor and the first edition under her editorship will be sent out in July or August. Inner Wheel. Message from Immediate Past District Chairman Valerie Bunn: District Secretary Brian invited me to insert a few lines in the Rotary Newsletter about the money Inner Wheel had raised last year and for those who perhaps did not read my notice, it went as follows:- Having had the privilege of attending the District Services Committee meetings this year, perhaps the Rotarians of District 1130 would be interested to know that last year, Inner Wheel District 13 raised over 20,000 for numerous local and national charities, plus nearly 10,000 for overseas charities. This is in addition to many hands on service, of course. I do hope this gives Rotarians an insight into what we ladies of Inner Wheel get up to. Again I say, thank you to you all for the welcome you have given me. Rotaract. Recent Events: Thursday 10 March Monday 14 March District Rotaract Cinema Night Charity Event for World Rotaract Week, 159 raised for End Polio Now double the amount raised last year; great attendance as well. Rotaractors helped out back stage at YMM; also submitted article for the YMM brochure. Current Projects/Issues: Nominations are open for next year s Rotaract District Executive. Some concern as no District Chair nominations so far. Following up leads on possible new Clubs with RC Harrow; RC Barkingside; RC Paddington and Imperial College. Support continues for growing the number of members at the HHGG club. Still some concerns over Canary Wharf; Rotaract Exec to approach sponsoring Rotary club directly. District to submit article for next edition of Rotary in London. RGBI is testing out the use of teleconference and web conferencing facilities to improve meeting attendance.
Page 2 David Digest April 2011 News from the Committees: Community & Vocational. (Chairman Scott Maclachlan) A) Community Service Resilience Co-ordinator Rtn. Steven Seager of RC of Redbridge has been asked to be Resilience/Disaster Co-ordinator as part of the District C&V team. He attended the RIBI Resilience Seminar on 15 th March on behalf of the District. Stroke Awareness Day 9 th April. A guideline on Insurance cover for this event has been circulated to Clubs, and is available on the website/blog. I have asked via AGs for clubs to inform me or the co-ordinator if they are taking part so nearby clubs could join in to find out what the day entailed. Kids Out Day 8 th June I have already had an enquiry from Kensington Club to find out which clubs are doing Kids Out. Therefore I have asked via AGs for clubs to inform me or the co-ordinator if they are taking part so nearby clubs could join in to find out what the day entailed. B) Vocational Service Vocational Seminar A District Vocational Forum was held on 2 nd March 2011 at York Gate. This I hope raised the level of understanding about Vocational Service across the District. The speaker from CAF gave a great talk on Ethics in a Charitable Organisation. Business Ethics There was a planned Ethics Seminars for local businesses in West London co-sponsored by Institute of Business Ethics, Glaxo Smith Kline and the Rotary Club of Greenford. There was zero response from the 130 local businesses contacted, so it has been called off. The model is in place for other Clubs in the District and it will be offered to RIBI for possible use in other Districts. Events, (Chairman Lucille Parker). Key District Events for this half year are: For the next half year: District Assembly/PETS - City of London Boys School, Saturday 7 th May Dragon Boat Race, Sunday 15 th May. District Council at ISH on 11 th May. District Quiz Final, Tuesday 2 nd June. Sports Dinner, Tuesday, 7 th June. District Changeover Chigwell Golf Club. 3 rd July. Foundation (Chairman Tim Raath) Ambassadorial Scholars (Inbound) District expects 15 Ambassadorial Scholars to visit our District in the next Rotary Year. Host Counsellors will be approached over the next month or so. Global Scholars There are four Global Scholars currently visiting our District. These Global Scholars are not required by The Foundation to make presentations to clubs. Scholars may wish to do so but it is not a mandated requirement as it is with Ambassadorial Scholars. However, clubs may wish to invite a Global Scholar to address their club or participate in the Club s activities. As our District has not contributed any DDF or cash to their projects; it is for the sending District to make any further requests of reporting that they may require for themselves. Clubs have been appointed to be Hosts to each of the Global Scholars purely to be available should the Global Scholar appointed to them require some assistance or help. Rotary World Peace Fellowships: At this time there has been one enquiry from a Club who will be proposing a candidate for this Programme. 2
Page 3 David Digest April 2011 Vocational Training Team (VTT) The outgoing VTT left for Buenos Aires (D4890) on 2nd April where the trip will be focussed on "Water and Sanitation". The Team Leader is Rtn Cowsi Magol of the Leytonstone & Woodford Club. He will be supported by: Jason Murphy, Michael Wheeler and Edward Phillips. Before departing the Team made a presentation at York Gate on Tuesday 29th March. Group Study Exchange: District 4890 Buenos Aires October 2011 The GSE Team is expected to visit us here in London from 24/25 September to 24 October 2011. The Team is expected to address Conference at Eastbourne on their Theme of The Environment Problems and Solutions. Grants: Matching Grants (MG s) The District has nine Matching Grants that are still ongoing which are up-to-date on their reporting. It is proposed to arrange a follow-up Grants Management Seminar. Polio. There are at present 45 clubs representing 1007 members that have contributed to Polio to-date. But 29 clubs representing 641 members have made no contribution to date. Club contributions: Clubs continue to find it most difficult to achieve their Dollar contributions against their Targets. No. of Clubs For the Rotary Year 01-Jul-2010 to 30-Jun- 2011 Rotary US$200 Million Challenge Contributions 01- Dec 2007 to 21-Mar 2011 77 total Contributors 50 67 Non-Contributors 27 10 Fundraising strategy: The DRFC is to also endeavour to increase the fundraising of the following Programmes: Rotary Foundation Sustaining Members. At present there are 110 Sustaining Members in District 1130. Paul Harris Fellows. There are apparently 24,159 Paul Harris Fellows in RIBI. District 1130 has 1,620 which is the highest for any District. International. (Chairman Adrian Faiers) Earthquake/Tsunami in Japan: The 6 th largest earthquake since records began in a country that has frequent Earthquakes. Thanks to a country that is prepared for these types of disaster, water was a priority and the whole of the area badly affected now has regular tanker deliveries of fresh water and stand pipes so everyone has access to fresh water. ShelterBox has been asked for 500 boxes (as of Friday night, there are 444 boxes in the Country, 468 on the way and access to another 5000 if required). Regular contact has been made with all the clubs in the District and my recent appeal to all clubs got a good response for ShelterBox. Earthquake in New Zealand Andrew Hughes (Chairman, RIBI International Resource Group) was sending out emails about this disaster as he has connections in this part of the world, these were passed on to the clubs by District Secretary Brian. There was a huge need for ShelterBoxes, AquaBoxes & Water Survival Boxes. As New Zealand begins to rebuild itself, I am sure there will be a call for Trade Aid Boxes to be delivered. I have since heard about flooding problems in Bolivia & Madagascar, but nothing more at this time. 3
Page 4 David Digest April 2011 Youth Opportunities. (Chairman Shirley Kirk) Youth Competitions: Five Areas took part in the Youth Speaks competition (Central, East, North East, West and North West). The attendance at the District Final was much better than last year and the event was very successful. Six Areas took part in the Young Chef competition (Central, East, North East, West, North West and South East). This was another successful event, with a prestigious panel of judges. The Final was sponsored by Caprice Holdings, who own The Ivy restaurant among others. The sponsors provided personalised aprons for each of the competitors and prizes (chef s knives) for the winner and runner-up. One of the judges also provided expensive chocolates for each competitor! Three Areas are holding Technology Tournaments (Central, West and North West). For the first time, the District is taking part in the Young Musician competition. Rebecca Leung was the winner of the Regional Final in Colchester and will go on to be our District representative at the RIBI Final taking place on 14 th May. We received one entry for the Young Photographer competition and no entries for the Young Writer competition. Membership Services. (Chairman David Smith). The next New Rotarians (New Members) Meeting will be held at 6 York Gate on 12 th May 2011, 6.30 for 7.00pm start. Please encourage your new members to come along. There is a free buffet. New Club Development. (Chairman Leonard Specterman). No report due to illness. Communications/PR (Chairman Eve Conway). Thanks for Life/End Polio Now Focus on the Crocus Rotary Day on 23 rd February, 2011: Articles in local media and on their websites about Crocus bulbs planted in Regent s Park with special St. Marylebone Rotary Club ceremony with Lord Mayor of Westminster on Rotary Day, 23 rd February, 2011. Press release sent out with PDG Don Merritt photos of bulbs planted at Olympics site near View Tube which have Rotary signage and thousand bulbs planted in Blue Peter Garden at TV Centre. Rotary Young Citizen Awards 2010/11: Several nominations from London Clubs. This is the fifth year of the Rotary Awards in association with BBC News. The five Award winners will be featured on BBC News, receive 500 and a trip to BBC TV Centre. The winners will be featured at the RIBI Annual Conference in Dublin in April with a live Awards programme being broadcast on BBC News. Local Young Citizen Awards: Nominations for the RIBI Young Citizen Awards included those by RC s Redbridge and Golders Green Club who are running the own local Awards with their local newspaper and also getting sponsorship. Rotary in London Young Chef and Youth Speaks: Press releases sent out and articles in local media. Youth Makes Music. The Youth Makes Music concert on 14 th March was a great success and thanks to all who assisted with the arrangements. RI PR SEMINAR Successful Rotary International PR Seminar took place at York Gate on 26 th February with 60 people attending, including DG David Storrie and numerous Rotarians from Rotary in London. Former managing Director of Channel Five Mark White, RI Media Specialist for Europe and Africa Sandra Prufer, RIBI Press Officer Rebecca Wallace and Assistant Zone Coordinator Nan McCreadie (who will be first woman RIBI President in 2013-14) were among the speakers. I shall organise another one. 4
Page 5 David Digest April 2011 London Olympics I am working hard through Inter-District Committee and RIBI Committee with Olympics Chairman Clive Amos and DG David Storrie and DGE Trevor Johnson to make sure that Rotary in London is part of this great experience. I have produced newsletter to be distributed throughout District, at RIBI Assembly and RIBI Conference. York Gate will be open for the duration of the Games. There will be projects to help particularly with the Paralympics and disabled athletes. Olympic Torch Relay, Meeting and Greeting, Home-hosting are all being looked at and a six-point plan for Clubs is being drawn up, to be published shortly. There will be an Olympics/Paralympics Rally with LOCOG and others for Rotarians at York Gate on Saturday, 14 th May, 2011. News from the Clubs. Congratulations to 4 clubs in our District who have celebrated anniversaries this Rotary year: Hammersmith (85 th ), Barkingside (60 th ) Loughton & Buckhurst Hill (75 th ) and Balham (80 th ) District Assembly will be on Saturday 7 May at the City of London Boys School - only two months to go - make sure all your 2011-12 officers have it in their diary. Booking forms will follow in due course. There will be a New Members meeting at 6 York Gate on 12 th May 2011, 6.30 for 7.00pm start. The date of the District Quiz Final at York Gate is on Thursday 2nd June, commencing at 6:30 pm. Rotary in London Athletics Meeting for Schools: This year's event, open to schools throughout the District, will be held at the Crystal Palace National Stadium on Sunday June 26th. The Rotary Club of Northwick Park is holding an ABBA themed dinner dance on Saturday 16 April at the Watford Hilton on behalf of The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and other Rotary Supported Charities. Tables are for 12 persons and tickets are 35.00 per person. For tickets and further details, please telephone Mo Enus 020 8421 4023. Please come to support us and make it a night to remember. The Rotary Club of Gants Hill would like to invite fellow Rotarians, family and friends to the President s Ball, on Saturday 23rd April 2011, at Stanstead Hilton Airport Hotel, Round Coppice Road, Stanstead, CM24 1SF, phone 0127 968 0800, 7.00pm till late, dress code smart, 35.00 per person including drinks. For tickets e-mail secretary- Sheila: sheilapatel@btinternet.com The Rotary Club of Barkingside is staging a Night at the Proms concert in aid of Local and International charities. This will take place on Saturday 30 April, 7.00 for 7.30pm, at St Mary s Church, 207 High Road, South Woodford, London E18 1LR. Tickets are just 10.00 each and are obtainable from Rtn Philip Lester on 020 8530 5422 or 07860 552211 Rotary Club of Crystal Palace and Norwood is putting on a Spring Dance on Saturday 14th May at Virgo Fidelis School in Upper Norwood. The proceeds will go to St Mary's Family Centre and Water Aid. There will be a live 6 person band, licensed bar and delicious 2 course buffet, all for a very reasonable 15 per head. Tickets from Helen at b.wates@btinternet.com or telephone 0208 6501873. The next issue will be forwarded at the beginning of June. DG 2010/11 - David Storrie District Headquarters 6 York Gate, London NW1. dg@rotaryinlondon.org 5