horizons Rotary SUMMER 2013 Yorkshire District 1040 newsletter ROTARY KEEP THE ROTORS TURNING Supporting the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

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1 Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland Rotary Yorkshire District 1040 newsletter horizons SUMMER 2013 ROTARY KEEP THE ROTORS TURNING Supporting the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. (YAA) Proceeds from a concert performed at Airedale Academy s Phoenix Theatre, along with monies from a bucket collection carried out in Carlton Lanes contributed to a donation of 1,000 for our counties air ambulance service, to help them carry out the life saving work in the local community. Alan Drewitt said Donations of this nature were very much in keeping with Castleford Rotary s desire to support local needs. Over 500 has been allocated to volunteers who organize a soup kitchen here in Castleford. Earlier this year we sponsored Alana Chambers a student of Airedale Academy to take part in Rotary s Youth Leadership Awards scheme. Alana then went on to address our District Conference at Scarborough, voicing her praise for the leadership awards and her sponsoring club of Castleford. Alan added We are an informal club of mixed gender with members from Castleford and the surrounding areas. We meet weekly, on Tuesday tea-time, at the Magnet Hotel, Castleford, for a meal. We come together socially, share friendship and plan fund raising for local and overseas causes adding You are welcome to join us. Contact Rotary Club President Alan Drewitt and YAA representative Pat Lee following her presentation to club members and guests during their recent meeting at the Magnet Hotel, Castleford Bradford West and their Racy Ladies... Posh frocks and hats were the order of the day at a charity Ladies day organised by the Rotary Club of Bradford West at Sandal Farm restaurant,thornton attended by over 60 members and friends. Horse racing was streamed live from Cheltenham onto a big screen so that we had the atmosphere of being there and a licensed bookmaker added to the fun. We enjoyed a Champagne reception, followed by an excellent buffet lunch, with the racing in the afternoon. The event raised 1056 for The Ear Trust a local charity which particularly helps Children who have severe hearing difficulties. Photo shows President Sandra Wilkinson seated centre left and President Elect Dr Anne Raine seated on her right

2 Well this is my last submission as your District Governor and as I sit and write my piece for this edition of Horizons although sunny it s still very cold and snow still lies around. Let s hope as you actually read this the weather is warmer and we have a much dryer summer than last year so enabling us to hold and have successful events throughout the summer Again, whilst writing this, the RIBI Conference is now only 4 days away, 12th-14th April, in Harrogate. I hope that many of you actually attended the Conference, it was an ideal opportunity, given it was held here in our own District. I hope those that did attend enjoyed the experience and it will prompt you to go to Birmingham next year The forthcoming RI Convention is attracting record registrations. It will be the last chance we have to attend a Convention without very long journeys for some years so I would encourage you to take the opportunity and joins us in Lisbon, 23rd 26th June The Rotary year is nearing its end but there should be no full stops between this year and the next, only a slight pause to change our officers and then onward with good continuity plans in place. This should help us move forward, developing what we do and attracting new members. If Rotary is going to continue the vital work it does, not only through its local connections, but also through its International work in supporting communities, it has to change to meet the expectations of those who we are trying to attract to join us and continue this work. More and more people actually want to support a cause not just be a member of another Club. It is recognised worldwide that the most successful clubs have an annual event that unifies the club and gives it a central focus and aim. Along with this there is still the space to support other projects and causes. It is important to involve all members of our clubs in the running of the club and so make all feel equally valued and part of things. Delegation of work is an absolute must, we all have the member that takes on too much and, although feels at times put on, is reluctant to ask others for help. I would like to take this opportunity, as I say my last submission to Horizons as your District Governor, to thank ALL the Clubs for the welcome that has been extended not only to myself but also to Edith when she has been with me. It has been a joy and, although an extremely busy year, it has been an experience we have both fully enjoyed and would not have missed for anything. I would also like to thank all the District Officers, Assistant Governors and Committee Chairmen and Committee members for their support and help as well. It has been both an honour and a great pleasure being your District Governor over the past year. I was very proud to be a Rotarian before this year started, but the welcome, friendship, fellowship alongside the insight into what is happening in 78 clubs, has reenforced these feelings and makes me look forward to many more years in Rotary and to being part of the organisation that worked hard and succeeded in helping eradicate Polio from our world for the benefit of all, but particularly our children. Peace through Service has been our theme for the year and this will always be the case as we have seen through our Rotary Service and the projects we are involved in always, in some way or another, gives people a better and so more peaceful life. Edith and I, not only wish Mark and Jo and all the District Team for the next year all the very best for the forthcoming year, but also ALL the Clubs and Rotarians in District Edith + Keith - May DG Keith Davison speaks.. Keith And not only from Keith - but also from Edith... May I offer my personal thanks for getting me out of the cooking on so many occasions when we have eaten such delicious meals and been hosted by truly dedicated Rotarians. Also for the beautiful flowers and gifts I have received through the year, they have all been very much appreciated. Thank you all so much. Good luck to you all for the next Rotary year 2013/2014 Edith A little old man shuffled slowly into an ice cream parlour and pulled himself slowly, painfully, up onto a stool... After catching his breath, he ordered a banana split. The waitress asked kindly, Crushed nuts? No, he replied, Arthritis. A Flower Festival organized for 26 & 27th April at Halifax Town Hall when the various entrants were showing off their flower arranging skills. At the end of the exhibition the flowers were sold on behalf of the club. Organiser, Rotarian Geraldine Carter, was delighted with the support from the local flower groups as well as sponsorship of the event from a number of local businesses, ensuring those attending were well catered for by way of tea and cakes. The Friday evening launch also included wine and canapés.

3 SHEEP MADE THE RUNNING Aireborough Nomads, a satellite group within the Rotary Club of Aireborough, attracted a full house to its first charity fund-raising event, a race night featuring competing model sheep. The fact that the sheepherders (wheel-winders) for each of the six races were drawn from the audience by ballot added to the tension leading, as the evening wore on, to an increasing number of knowledgeable coaches advising the contestants on the best technique (and other things) to bring their charges first to the finishing line. The Nomads are indebted to the Rotary Club of Bradford Bronte for coming up with the format and loaning the sheep for one night only. All was returned safely to the wool city THEY ALL WANT TO SUCCEED. ANNA BRADNUM TALKS ABOUT PUPILS IN BRAZIL A local Dalton teacher says: I really was taken out of my comfort zone. I have never travelled abroad and have never spent any time in the company of strangers. All my life, my education and my work have been here in West Yorkshire. But now I am a changed person. Returning from a month s vocational and cultural visit to Brazil, Anna Bradnum who is a teacher at Dalton Junior and Infant School told Mirfield Rotarians: You have given me the chance of a life time. I ve seen and experienced things in Brazil which I will never forget. Anna also said: There was marked disparity between schools in Brazil but the eagerness of the children to study and do well compensated for the lack of facilities. But they all wanted to succeed. The ambition of the pupils and the commitment of their teachers were striking. Anna described how she felt overwhelmed by the generosity, hospitality and welcome by local people Rotarians, families and professional people to the visiting Yorkshire team. There were four members in the team chosen by Yorkshire Rotary leaders for this all expense paid vocational experience in Brazil. In Brazil, the team stayed with local Rotarians, who arranged a packed programme for each member. Each year, about 5000 young professionals get the chance to spend a month in another part of the world thanks to Rotary s unique international connections. Mirfield President Chris Philip said: This is the first time our club has sent a young person abroad under this scheme. We are proud of Anna and hope that through her enthusiasm and powerful personal message we will all become aware of our responsibility to those who are less privileged than ourselves. The evening ended with the six individual race winners (who were all rewarded with a jar of mint sauce) fighting it out for the accolade of Champion of Champions. Robert Outhwaite took the shepherd s crown, dextrously reeling in Rosemary in a noisy, closely fought finale. Gratefully received contributions were made to the charity total by main sponsor Standard Wool of Bradford and a variety of heat sponsors Horsforth Golf Club, Rodley Nature Reserve, Barry Bootland, Marshall Wooldridge, Walker Computer Services and Matt Hawker Dentist. A raffle with imaginative sheep related prizes and very busy betting queues all helped bring up the total profit. London paralympic cyclist and London gold medallist David Stone, who lives in Rawdon came to the Club and presented cheques for 350 each to Sarah Tarpey of Martin House THE ROTARY CLUB OF HALIFAX CALDER BRINGING HOME THE BACON A very successful and amusing evening took place in early February when the club held a Pig Race. The evening saw the adoption of the little creatures, then wild betting taking place with the battery operated pigs wearing their colourful numbered waistcoats viying for first place (with encouragement from the punters). Their waistcoats were changed before each race to prevent any insider dealing! The event was hosted by The International Committee and the photograph shows the workers with their prize bits of bacon. Hospice and Club member Doreen Hodgson of Chameleon (supporting education in Africa) The Aireborough Rotary Club s last charity evening, the Band Concert, led to more than 3,000 being shared between Help for Heroes, ABF the Soldiers Charity and other local Aireborough charities. Would your home have to be sold to pay for your care? Do you need professional advice? Rtn Clive Barwell TEP FCSI CFP an accredited member of the Society of Later Life Advisers can help you plan for the future by explaining the rules and what you can and can t do to protect your family s eventual inheritance. Call free on clive.barwell@towergate.co.uk 3

4 THE FIGHT GOES ON Rotary s 108th anniversary on 23 February marked a year of achievements in the fight to eradicate polio and a stepped-up commitment to finish the job. Worldwide, 222 polio cases were reported in 2012, a little more than one-third of the 650 cases reported in India marked its second year without polio on 13 January. Overall, the annual incidence of polio has decreased more than 99 percent since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched in Then polio infected about 350,000 children per year. Although the wild poliovirus is now endemic only in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria, it could spread from there back to other countries. Among Rotary s chief responsibilities in the eradication initiative is advocacy, an increasingly important element of this latter stage of the effort. In addition to contributing more than US$1 billion to the GPEI, Rotary has helped secure over $9 billion from donor governments since the initiative began in Rotary is boosting its advocacy work in the 200 countries and regions where Rotary clubs exist to encourage every national government to help meet a $700 million shortfall (as of 1 February) in funding the GPEI through Willy s Eyes Having reached the milestone of 80 years young Willy decided to go for a full medical check up. All of his tests came back normal so the doctor said, Willy, everything physical looks great. How are you doing mentally and emotionally? Are you at peace with God? Willy replied, God and I are great. He knows I have poor eyesight, so he s fixed it that when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, poof!, the light goes on. When I m done, poof!, the light goes off. Wow, that s incredible, the doctor says in a slightly mystified and worried manner trying to appear normal. Once Willy left, the doctor called Willy s partner. Joan he said, Willy is doing fine but I had to call you because I am confused about something he said about his relationship with God. Is it true that when Peter gets up during the night poof! the light goes on in the bathroom, and when he s done, poof! the light goes off? OH GOOD GRIEF! Joan exclaimed, He s peeing in the fridge again! Four members have now joined the Halifax Calder club under the Associate initiative. They have already become involved in hands on Rotary work Hannah Cockroft, double gold medal winning paralympian, was made an honorary member of the club and at a dinner in her honour she was also made a Paul Harris Fellow. Hannah brought along the torches she carried to the Olympics. (The gold one for the Olympics and the silver one for the Paralmpics) and her two medals. far left - Beverley Carter, Martin Walker and Naomi Nash - Assoc members near left - Naomi receiving PHF certificate Rotary Supports York Mind. David Smith,CEO York Mind Darrell Hind,President Rotary Club of York Charlotte Wylie,Intern Alison Moore,Counselling Manager, Mind York Discover the comfort... at Kettleys Comfort is knowing you ve paid a fair price. Comfort is knowing you ve bought from a company who cares. Comfort is knowing delivery is free and we will even take away your old furniture. Kettleys Furniture Centre The ComForT specialists York Rotary Club President, Darrell Hind said:- The team at York Mind are unsung heroes and have over the years guided many individuals who have suffered the trauma of mental illness through the many stages to recovery. They have developed a very successful mentoring and counselling service which has a proven record of achievements because of the practical and realistic steps developed for each individual. I know that the Rotary contribution towards maintaining some of this service will be money well spent 4 Visit us from monday to saturday, 9am and 5.30pm ivegate,yeadon, ls19 7re Telephone: Chief Executive David Smith said:- Fundraising is always a real challenge for us in mental health and we are particularly grateful to York Rotary for their support again this year as there has never been a greater demand for our counselling service. Donations such as these make a massive difference to organisations like ours and help us do what we do best helping people stay well and recover from mental illness

5 Keighley Rotary Club Keighley Rotary Club welcomed new member, John Wray to the club on Monday 4th February John who lives in Keighley is a retired Bicycle Technician. On Jan 26th 2013, Keighley Rotary Club held a Young musician Competition at Keighley Shared Church. Eight young people took part and three were selected to attend the Regional Final on Feb 23rd in York. - photo shows the entrants and President of Keighley Liz Joyce and District Governor Keith Davison. Dragon Boat Racing events are coming up soon - the two I have heard of in our district are Scarborough Cavaliers RC being held at Wykeham Lakes just outside Scarborough on Sunday June 2 and the York RC event on the Ooze bank side on Sunday July 14. Oganisers Peter Howgate ( peter@peterhowgate.com Tel.: Mobile ) and Sally Brown ( sallyhattonbrown@live.co.uk) of Scarborough Cavaliers tell me that last year the feedback was very positive in terms of people having a fun day out and the 16 team event has raised over 20,000 for local charities over the last two years. They also tell me that the headline cause this year (Rotary nominated cause) is the Rainbow Centre in the Scarborough Old Town (to add to last year s contribution to enable the purchase of a replacement vehicle). but as before boat sponsors can nominate their own charity to share in the funds raised by the paddlers. Help for Heroes will be the principal charity to benefit from this years York Rotary Dragon Boat Challenge. Over the last 10 years the paddlers have raised nearly 700, 000 for over 140 charities. says organiser Frank Paterson ( Rotary Club of York - Service above Self. Charity ) Lt Col Chris Green, Major John Mayo and Major Martin Baxter of HQ15(NE) Brigade helped Frank and the York Rotary Dragon, launch the 2013 team recruitment. As a result we have six service teams out of the 36 selected to take part Julia Marshall President of Rothwell and District Rotary Club reports A chance to try something new! Is it Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc? How good is your palate or do you just know what you like and enjoy? Rothwell and District Rotary Club held a Call my Bluff Wine Tasting Evening on Friday 10th May in the Rothwell Parish Rooms (Next to Salute) For 12 a head club members and guests blind tasted a range of wines you may not have considered trying and, with clues from a Panel, decided (or not) what they were drinking. A fun evening with a pie and pea supper, a very painless way to support local charity with the proceeds split betwen the Senior Citizens Brass Band Concert and the Clubs Christmas Lunch Project which provides Christmas Lunch to those who may otherwise be at home alone. Members of the Scarborough Club collecting in their local Sainsbury s store for Marie Curie in March. After a full day s collection they were able to pass on A great success and went towards a well worthwhile and respected cancer support charity As part of Rotary International s Climate week the Rotary Club of Otley held a mass litter pick alongside Otley By-pass. Members filled over 30 black bin liners in a three day period, from the one mile stretch of the By-pass. Otley Club was presented with the Bronze award for its work as an ECO-Rotary Club during 2011/2012 by Dales Group AG Ian Carling at their Charter Dinner with DG Keith Davison in attendance. photo left to right Rtns David Johnson Bryan Kitching,and Stuart Angus 5

6 rotary district 1040 conference Scarborough October Jenny Bond Calendar Girls six Tribute Bands The Diamonds Mystery Speaker Black-tie Dinner let s have fun! Pipe Band 6 Dear Rotary Colleague As your district governor in 2013, I have great pleasure in extending a warm invitation to you and your family to join Jo and myself at next year s District Conference in Scarborough, October. The theme will be: Rotary yes we can! We are planning a really special fun-packed diary of events with inspirational speakers and tip-top entertainment. We know how much you enjoy coming to Scarborough it s like going home an opportunity to meet up with friends old and new. So pack your glad rags and kilts! to support what promises to be a fantastic event. Needless-to-say with Conference Chairman Willie Clark and his team at the helm (or should that be help!) we can promise you friendship and, of course, lots of fun and laughter. What better place to celebrate everything that s good about Rotary? See you in Scarborough! DGE Mark Stewart-Clarke district conference project food bank collection Organised by the D1040 Com & Voc committee, we are inviting delegates and/or clubs to donate tins of food that will be distributed throughout Yorkshire. Further details, including list of items, coming soon but don t order in any caviare specially!

7 rotary district 1040 conference speakers /entertainers include Jenny Bond Calendar Girls Pipe Band Mystery Speaker conference programme Friday 11 October Golf Competition South Cliff Registration Main Foyer Official Opening & Welcome and Afternoon Tea Sun Court House Of Friendship Sun Court Food Bank Collection Sun Court Reception for: First-timers Club Presidents Fellowship Promenade Bar Black-tie Dinner featuring for one night only the Mystery Speaker Saturday 12 October Ocean Room Registration Main Foyer House Of Friendship Sun Court st Plenary Session Grand Hall Tea/coffee Rear Grand Hall nd Plenary Session Grand Hall Lunch Ocean Room Saturday 12 October (cont) Service Chairs Presentations also featuring Jenny Bond Dinner in Hotels Book Now for Conference! It s so easy Grand Hall Entertainment Grand Hall Dancing to The Diamonds Sunday 13 October Grand Hall House Of Friendship Sun Court Tea/coffee Rear Grand Hall rd Plenary Session Grand Hall featuring The Calendar Girls Thought for the Day & Jo and Mark Stewart-Clarke look forward to welcoming you and your family, friends and fellow members to another great conference Conference Close Grand Hall To book for the 2013 District 1040 Conference, including the Golf Competition and Black-tie Dinner simply go on-line: 7

8 The eleventh Rotary Technology Tournament gets under way at the National Railway Museum The engineers of the future gathered at the National Railway Museum in York to compete in the 11th Rotary Technology Tournament. Organised by York s three Rotary Clubs, the brightest sparks from the region s schools worked against the clock to demonstrate their inventive and engineering skills. The competition on Tuesday attracted 52 teams from 20 schools in the York area who were tasked with designing a weight-powered vehicle, capable of powering itself up a slope. David Hopton, a member of York Vikings Rotary Club, said: Each team of four had to construct a small vehicle. They were given bits of wood and equipment. It had to be powered by a weight, which would lower, creating forward movement and climb a small slope. He said the point of the competition was to stimulate team work and translate concepts into reality. Fulford School: Sam, Alastair, Aisha and James get their heads together It was quite remarkable, regardless of age, how well they did. Andrew Rogerson, Rotary project coordinator, said: Attracting 52 teams is a considerable achievement and shows how the reputation of this annual Rotary event has really caught the imagination of schools in the city. Most of the appropriate York schools have entered one or more teams. The great thing is that no preparation or homework is necessary so the pupils were all playing on a level pitch. This Tournament s costs were met by sponsorship from the Shepherd Building Group, the University of York, Dayfield Graphics and the NRM. Tadcaster Grammar School: From left, Lady Lumleys School, Pickering: Dan, Callum, Danny, James, Jacob and Sam get down Chris and Tyler get stuck in to work Former All Saints pupil and now teacher at Vale Academy at Brigg, Leah Buckle, with her former teacher James Glover, and All Saints students Rebecca, Ben, James and Abigail. Now Leah is a teacher she brought her team all the way from Brigg to take part Winning Teams Foundation Age (11-13) 1 Vale School, Brigg 2 Lady Lumley s, Pickering 3 Fulford School, York Bootham School: Liam, Fred, August and Kishori begin their task Intermediate (13-16) 1 Fulford School, York 2 Millthorpe School, York 3 Tadcaster Grammar Joseph Rowntree School: William and Katie show judge Frank Paterson their ideas Sixth Form Category 1 Lady Lumley s, Pickering 2 Easingwold School 3 Bootham School, York Woldgate School, Pocklington: Nicola, Jessica, Paige and Matthew tackle the problem A small selection from the 3 York Clubs tournament held at the National Railway Museum. 52 teams entered from 20 schools. Vale School, Brigg, entered because they didn t have a competition in their area and they won the junior section. All across Yorkshire these Young Technicians Tournements were taking place that Tuesday and these pictures could in truth have been taken at any one of them, our District Officers were in evidence at many giving support to the very many Rotarians needed to act as Judges or stewards and the like to ensure the smooth running of the events. There is no doubt that the pupils and teachers alike gain much from the day where taking part and seeing how one schools teams compare to another. It must be said that that it was very evident that the young people and older (only in body though) Rotarians enjoyed the challenges set out that day - and they really are looking forward to next year. Wakefield Club members and guests celebrated Burns Night in fine style, helped by members of Wakefield Caledonian Society. One of the highlights of the night came when a somewhat ill-rehearsed 13-strong choir of Rotarians, assembled by David Pickover and conducted by honorary Rotarian Canon Roger Cressey, sang My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose. The haggis was piped in by octogenarian Tony Hindley and addressed by Andrew Kidd, a member of Pontefract RC. Toastmaster for the evening was Bill Sim. Tony toasted The Lassies and his wife, Cynthia, responded. At the end of the evening everyone joined hands in a circle of some 80 people for Auld Lang Syn 8

9 WITH her sights set on a career in catering, 16-year-old Emma Firth, from Cathedral Academy, emerged as winner of Wakefield Rotary Club s first young chef competition. (She progressed to the regional final held at Betty s Cookery School in Harrogate on February 5.) Judge of the event, held at the Gaskell Suite at Wakefield College on Wednesday (January 16), was food technologist Jennifer Tickle, who said: They all did amazingly well. It s just wonderful to see so much young talent coming through. Certificates were presented to the five contestants by Rotary club president Peter Rhodes. Apart from Emma, these were Megan Houghton and Emily Orr, both aged 12 and from Wakefield Girls High School; George Key, also 12, from Horbury Academy, and Cameron Dawson, 16, from Silcoates School. Philip Platts, chairman of the Rotary club s Young Generation committee, thanked the college staff for their support and for providing facilities for the event. NEW EDITOR PLEASE SEND All contributions for next Horizons to Colin Perrott perrott.c.rotary@gmail.com WAKEFIELD Rotary Club has earned an accolade as an Eco Rotary Club for its work planting bulbs at Pinderfields Hospital and its nursery school, and bulbs and a Christmas tree at Wakefield Hospice. The certificate for the silver Yorkshire District 1040 award was presented to the club by assistant district governor Mark Lovett (right) at its meeting at the New Brookhouse Club on Thursday (March 7). The award was accepted by the club s environment officer Ann Hallaways, with community service chairman, Peter Clarke, and president Peter Rhodes People raising money for charity through sponsored events are concerned at the amount of money being retained by some charity donation websites. They provide handy pages for fund-raisers to sign up sponsors. Donations can easily be made online and the money is passed direct to the charities. In particular, the focus is on JustGiving, the market-leader which handles 85% of online giving and works with 9,000 good causes. It charges the charities 15 a month to be on its system. But although JustGiving describes itself as a social business, it is a commercial venture and takes 5 pence in every pound out of all straight donations. You might be forgiven for thinking that a 10 donation made by a friend online means a 10 donation directly to your charity of choice. In reality, however, it can be much more or much less depending on the site and whether or not the donation includes Gift Aid. Admin fees: Some sites charge charities an administration or a transaction fee for processing your donation Card charges: Some sites may also charge fees for using a particular credit or debit card, which will again dent your donated amount. VAT: Finally, there is the potential of a VAT charge which the site must pay and will take from donations Gift Aid; UK taxpayers making online donations always have the option to pay via Gift Aid - meaning that charities can claim back the tax paid on each donated amount. Most sites will hold your money for a period of up to a month before passing on donations to the end charity. MyDonate comes top, giving charities from a 10 donation with Gift Aid. It has no charges for the charity itself, but with only around 240 charities signed up you might struggle to find your cause listed on their site. Virgin Money Giving gives a competitive per 10 to your chosen charity but crucially, among the 1,600 charities it lists, it includes all 10 of our big charity picks. Every Click hosts the UK s 220,000 registered charities in partnership with the Charities Trust. It s free for charities to use, and of your 10 donation with Gift Aid goes to the charity. JustGiving is probably the best known of the online fundraising sites with over 8,000 charities registered on it. It is a profit-making site and attracts the big names like Cancer Research and the British Heart Foundation, but this does come at a cost to charities, which the bigger organisations can probably afford more than the smaller charities of your 10 donation with Gift Aid goes to the charity. Source; MoneySavingExpert.com Page 3 - Bradford RC March Bulletin. 9

10 Yes: there is life after Rotaract! In a warm pub in the Lake District, a group of people in their late twenties gather on an autumn evening for a chance to rest weary limbs, enjoy good food and a few drinks whilst partaking of plenty of good fellowship. They have spent the day on the Lakeland fells and are experiencing that warm glow of achievement. The year is 1988 and the group are all former members of Harrogate Rotaract Club. And thus the GOPHERS were created; that is the Gregarious Order of Past-it Harrogate Ex-Rotaractors. Over the years the group has grown; members brought along partners and in due course children arrived. Since that first weekend, we have been all over England, Scotland and Wales. We have stayed in large hotels, small guest houses and even youth hostels; but we have always managed to get together twice a year, every year, for a weekend of fellowship and the chance to stretch our legs. Twenty five years on and the group is still going strong despite the members being scattered all over the country. We have continued to get together twice a year for weekends of fellowship, and whilst the walks may not be as strenuous as they were, it doesn t matter because the key is that we are all together again. On the Mayday Bank Holiday weekend, we will hold our 50th GOPHERS weekend at the Shap Wells Hotel in Cumbria. There will be 35 of us in total including the children, some of whom are now in their early twenties. The children, who once came because they had to, are now returning from as far afield as Aberdeen and London, because they wouldn t miss this for the world. One of the youngsters is currently studying Outdoor Tourism at Derby University; he is organising a number of outdoor activities for the group including rock climbing, a gorge walk and something for the oldies too, hopefully! We will also have a celebratory meal on the Saturday evening to mark the milestone of the 50th weekend, and to look forward to the next 50, perhaps! Some of the GOPHERS still have an involvement with the Rotary movement as members of either Rotary or Inner Wheel, and the youngsters receive regular encouragement to find out more about Rotaract. Some of the group are involved in fundraising and community service independently and with other organisations, but essentially the spirit of Rotaract Fun, Fellowship and Fundraising lives on with the GOPHERS - there is life after Rotaract! The first photo was taken in September 1989 when we were staying in Llangollen, and the second was taken at Ingleton Caves in February 2012 when we were staying at Clapham Report and photos supplied by Rob McLennan.- I have contact details which I can pass on to interested parties. EX-BANJO PLAYER DRUMMED OUT OF ROTARY! Wakefield president Peter Rhodes, whose misspent earlier years included playing the banjo, tried out the drums when club member and trad jazz band leader John Hummerstone (right) and his fellow musicians played a night of Songs of the Delta. April s event was the fifth in the hugely popular series at which retired optician John and his band have appeared. Instant Results From bare grass to this in a single day 10% discount off retail prices for Rotary members (proof of membership required) 10

11 CHARITY BRASS BAND CONCERT Jo and Mark invite you all to the District 1040 Handover Dinner Dance on Saturday 29th of June 2013 at the Harrogate Pavilions 7.00pm for 7.30pm formal attire 34 per person. full and detailed reply forms will be in the May District mailing. The Rotary Club of Ilkley Wharfedale are holding its 3rd Annual Charity Brass Band Concert featuring the City of Bradford Brass Band on Friday 21 June 2013 at Christchurch, The Grove, Ilkley starting at 7.30pm. Tickets ( Adult ) cost 9.00 each Tickets ( Children under 15 ) cost 6.00 each (both ticket prices include a programme & refreshments) can be obtained (by beginning of April) from :- Tourist Information Office, Station Road, Ilkley & Yorkshire Building Society, Station Plaza, Station Road, Ilkley or by contacting Bob Smith rsmith6pj@btinternet.com All of the money raised from this Charity Concert will be going to support the Rotary End Polio Now campaign (see item below) We are extremely grateful to the Aagrah Restaurant Group our Main Sponsor of this event :- Raising Voices and Raising Pounds! Fun and fundraising were the result when Members of the Rotary Club of Sowerby Bridge paid to use the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Executive Box at Huddersfield Town to watch the local team play Birmingham City. Although the match ended in a draw, a great time was had by all and, in the process, raised 375 for this very worthy Charity. The attached photograph shows Andy Booth, Club Ambassador, with members in the home team s dugout during a guided tour York optometrist Ruth Perrott has just returned from an 11-day trip to Malawi in eastern Africa, where she helped hundreds of people to see properly again. STEPHEN LEWIS reports SEEKING BETTER SIGHT: Ruth Perrott with a mother and her baby FROM THE TOP: Polio victim Nowell having his vision tested BEING PATIENT: People waiting for eye tests in the clinic held at the Tree of Life church Ruth s vision for Malawi FEBRUARY is the rainy season in Malawi. The rivers turn brick red and the dusty, bumpy roads become squelching mud tracks. In a makeshift eye clinic in the capital, Lilongwe, York optometrist Ruth Perrott found herself conducting eye tests in the rain. The problem was that the room in which the clinic was being held was too small. There was nowhere indoors to hang the eye chart. So it was taped to a brick wall opposite the open door. A helper with an umbrella stood outside, pointing to letters on the chart while the patients sat inside trying to read them. Back home in Copmanthorpe, Ruth laughed at the memory. That s part of life there! It s just Malawi, she said. It is a country where people just put up with the rain in the rainy season, she said. There s no point wearing a coat, because it is 25 to 30 degrees and you sweat. So you get wet, then you dry out again. Ruth, who practices in Acomb, and fellow optometrist Sarah Dineen, from Glossop, had arrived in the country a few days earlier, just missing a three-day airport strike. Their mission was to tour the towns and villages of northern Malawi, holding nine eye clinics at eight different locations along the route. It was Ruth s tenth visit to Africa since Originally she went with Vision Aid Overseas, but this was her third visit to Malawi in five years as part of the Madalitso Optometry team. Madalitso, she explained, means blessings in Chichewa, the local language. The charity was founded by David and Gillian Mason, preachers on the York Methodist Circuit. The original aim was Bible teaching with village pastors, but this quickly extended to literacy work especially with women, who in the past were excluded from education. A few years ago, David went to preach at Ruth s church. She had already been to Africa many times to prescribe free glasses but never to Malawi. She was intrigued by his accounts of Madalitso s work there. I said, can they see the Bibles you are THE glasses Ruth gives to patients in Africa are all recycled glasses that she collects in the UK before a trip. She has a team of spectacle collectors and for more than 20 years members of The Rotary Club of York Ainsty have been meeting once a month to sort, wash, measure and adjust the glasses. There is proper quality control. Ruth said: We Ruth Perrott in her optometrist clinic in York Picture: Anthony Chappel-Ross make sure they re not scratched. So if you have an old pair of glasses you don t use any more, don t just throw them away. Instead, send them to Ruth Perrott at VisionCare Optometry, 30 York Road, Acomb, York YO24 4LZ. They could, after being cleaned and repaired, make a huge difference to the quality of life of someone in Africa. using? If not, I could come and help. A simple pair of glasses can make a huge difference in a country such as Malawi, Ruth said. Because of poor diet and high levels of ultraviolet and infrared light, eyesight deteriorates more quickly than it does here. It is common to start needing reading glasses in Malawi by the age of 30. And if you can t see to read or to thread a needle or perform other work, then you can t house, feed, educate, clothe or provide healthcare for your family. The first time she went to Malawi with Madalitso was in This year was her third trip. She and Ruth were met by Bishop Rutherford Banda and his wife, Pastor Tsahai Banda, in Lilongwe. They spent the next 11 days driving around the north of the country on those roads churned into squelching red mud. Their clinics had been publicised in advance and at each place they set up, they would be met by queues of locals desperate to get glasses so they could see better. As word spread that they had arrived, more and more people would gather. The longer you were there, the longer the queue grew, Ruth said. In one town, Mzuzu, they eventually had to pack up and go without being able to see everyone. They were coming faster than we could see them. They met some extraordinary people. In Mzimba, it was Nowell, a 58-year-old who wanted to study the Bible. He d been crippled by polio as a child, and his lower legs were withered. He got around on his hands and knees with a special pair of gloves for his hands. Ruth said she couldn t help with his polio. But at least he got his reading glasses. In Nsaru, it was Hilda, a 57-year-old local farmer. Back in Linlongwe, at the end of the trip in an impromptu clinic at Bishop Rutherford s home, it was Sheibu, a timid 13-year-old schoolboy. Because the clinic hadn t been pre-planned, the team s helpers went out into the streets to invite passers-by in. Sheibu was one. He needed strong glasses to be able to see. The team tested his sight, then fitted him with a pair. He was in a state of shock, Ruth said. I remember thinking nobody would believe him when he got home and showed them. They d be saying: What do you mean, somebody dragged you off the street and gave you a pair of glasses! In Mzimba, where the clinic was held in the Tree of Life Church little more than a large wooden hut with a mud floor Ruth was given a lift to the clinic on the back of a bicyle taxi. In Mzuzu, where they stayed for nearly two days, they held two clinics in a room with no electricity or running water in a house belonging to a local woman, Beatrice, who had set up a women s sewing group to help to support local families. They fitted one of the sewing group, a woman named Esterline, with a pair of glasses. She was delighted at being able to thread her needles again, Ruth said. The first clinic at Mzuzu was oddly quiet. There was a funeral in a neighbouring village and when there is a funeral, everybody goes. The second day s clinic more than made up for it, however. It was also in Mzuzu that Ruth observed Beatrice s young daughter kneeling to address a man who was visiting. If a girl is addressing an older, mature man, then if he is sitting down it is customary that she kneels in front of him to address him, she said. During their tour of northern Malawi, the Madalitso team quickly established a routine. They would arrive, then set up four workstations. There was a registration point, an area to test visual acuity using a chart, a darkened area for the optometrists, Ruth and Sarah, to examine eyes and prepare prescriptions and a dispensing area, where glasses were handed out. Often, a translator was needed. Sometimes, a special eye chart was used, with pictures instead of letters, for patients who couldn t read. The glasses they dispensed were not new, but recycled ones donated to Ruth and Sarah in the UK (see panel). It was a question of prescribing a pair that was the best possible match to a patient s needs, Ruth said. They weren t perfect, but they were a lot better than nothing. Altogether, during their 11-day tour, she and Sarah tested the sight of more than 1,100 people and prescribed and dispensed about 800 pairs of glasses. Everywhere they went, they were met by the same delighted response: I can see! I can read! That was never more true than in Nsaru. On a previous visit in 2011, Ruth had run out of glasses to prescribe. She made a list of 76 people who had come to the clinic but who she had not been able to help and promised to come back. There was a sceptical reaction. They must have had a lot of broken promises, she said. But she made a point of returning to Nsaru this time and those 76 people were at the head of the queue. The reaction was typical. When we gave them their glasses, it was: Wow! I can see. I can read. There is probably no other profession which can change the lives of so many people, so dramatically, in such a short space of time, she said. I m privileged, really, to be able to do this. TAKING A BREAK: Ruth and Sarah beside Lake Malawi TAKING THE TEST: A mother has her eyes tested 11

12 UKEREWE CHANGING ONE OR TWO LIVES Many Rotarians yearn to help the needy and do so to the best of their ability. However, helping the needy is not always straightforward. Needy communities, especially in Africa, pose complex challenges. Such challenges may be due to intractable problems inherent in the system, but sometimes they are caused by donors. For example, at times, there is wasteful duplication of projects; sometimes well meaning charities appear to compete rather than work in cooperation and some projects are driven by donors which alienate recipients.. Rotary has invested huge resources to help the needy in Africa providing water, sanitation, education and health care to some of the very disadvantaged communities. There are some success stories but also many failures. During the last three years our members had generously supported projects on the Lake Victoria island of Ukerewe. The island has a population of 350,000 many of whom scrape a meagre living by subsistence farming or fishing. We were anxious when we got off the ferry at Nansio in Tanzania after a long journey from Manchester to Dar es Salaam and then to Mwanza. Our aim was spent a about 10 days assessing the impact of our previous work in the community and to discuss new projects. Visiting the waiting hostel for pregnant women was a particularly emotional experience. A pregnant woman who has been there about a week said: this is a safe place to be at this stage of my pregnancy. It will save my life, as it has of many others. A visiting team of eye specialists was grateful for the eye equipment we had shipped out two years ago. We saw many primary school children queuing during the break for a drink of water from the sand filters we had installed in seven schools. The teachers at Bukongo secondary school said of the library: All our pupils love this place. On their behalf - thank you. The play ground now green with grass had some equipment broken but was full of smiling children showing off their new skills on the climbing frame and slide. The fruit juice bar was always busy used by clients a day a glass of thick avocado juice was just Tsh 500 (20p), less than a bottle of coca cola (Tsh 750). Lake Victoria Children s Centre a refuge for orphans had been registered as a children s centre thanks to the improvement Rotary made. The jewel in the crown was the microcredit programme which had helped 17 groups to step on the economic ladder. Having shared ten days of our life with the people of Ukerewe many are now good friends to us we bid farewell enthusiastic about another project visit in the Autumn. Here is a hands on project, where the funds actually reach the beneficiaries and the projects are donor driven. As before we will work alongside our friends, offering them a helping hand. We know that we cannot bring about any radical changes in this complex and proud community, but we may change one or two lives. Who knows what they may then achieve! For more details of our next Phase please contact John Philip, johnphilip@btconnect.com ROTARIAN COMMENDED FOR CHARITY WORK WITH OLDER PEOPLE Batley Rotarian Hilary Thompson has been recognised for her work with Contact the Elderly, a charity which tackles acute loneliness and social isolation among older people, aged 75 and over by organising Sunday afternoon teas for small groups in volunteers homes. Rotary International Theme for 2013 / explained RI President-elect Ron Burton will ask Rotarians to Engage Rotary, Change Lives in He unveiled the RI theme during the opening plenary session of the 2013 International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA, the annual training event for incoming district governors. It takes everything that is wonderful about Rotary and raises it to a new level by encouraging bigger, more sustainable projects while providing increased flexibility for local projects, both of which address the needs of the community being served, he said. Now, I have to believe that some of this is money that The Rotary Foundation probably would not have received had I not asked. And I think that this is an important lesson he said. If you want somebody else to do something, you can just sit around and wait for them to get the idea, or you can ask. If we really want to take Rotary service forward, then we must make sure that every single Rotarian has the same feeling about Rotary that each one of us here has today, Burton said. We need to make sure that every Rotarian has a meaningful role to play, that they re all making a contribution, and that their contribution is valued. Burton said the July launch of The Rotary Foundation s new grant model, Future Vision, makes it an exciting time to be a Rotarian. He said the new grant model, which has been used by about 100 pilot districts since 2010, represents a new era for the Foundation, and will help Rotarians get excited about Rotary s ability to change lives. 12 Burton asked the incoming district governors to take the lead in helping their clubs through the transition, with the assistance of their district Rotary Foundation chairs, who also attended the assembly this year. The training sessions are focusing heavily on equipping these leaders to go back to their districts as experts on the new grant model. Before the assembly, Burton asked each of the incoming governors to make a donation in their name to The Rotary Foundation in order to demonstrate leadership by example. At the assembly, he announced that all 537 governors-elect had complied; along with donations from all RI Board members and Foundation Trustees, the contributions totaled US$675,412. Burton applied that lesson also to membership development, which he insisted is the responsibility of every Rotarian. He told the audience that although he had been an active member of the Key Club, a youth program of Kiwanis International, he went on to join Rotary simply because the Rotary Club of Norman, Oklahoma, invited him to. You have to ask, he said. But Burton emphasized that the job doesn t end when a new member joins: It s not done until that new member is engaged in Rotary, inspired by Rotary, and uses the power of Rotary service to change lives. The next edition will be distributed at the District Council meeting September 7th 2013