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Top Rotary Honours Awarded

Top Rotary Honours Awarded

Two hard-working former presidents of the Rotary Club of Chesterfield have been awarded the top honours in Rotary. Past presidents John Keeton and Bryan White each received a Paul Harris Fellowship for their continuing efforts and dedication to Rotary in a short ceremony performed by Rotary District Governor Peter Moralee on his official visit to the Chesterfield club on Friday 23 August 2013. The two Rotarians, who were presidents of the Chesterfield club in 2010-11 and 2008/9 respectively, are pictured with their medals and certificates.

Paul Harris was the founder of the worldwide Rotary movement in 1905 and it has since grown into an international phenomenon with more than 1.2 million members across 200 countries. The Rotary Club of Chesterfield was first chartered back in 1922 and, in common with all other Rotary clubs, continues to support the disadvantaged in communities at home and abroad through a variety of projects and initiatives.

District Governor Peter Moralee said: “Rotary is at the heart of every community. In just about every town and city, there is a Rotary club, and its members are passionate about the community in which they live and work.”

President Mike Cudzich-Madry said: “Honouring hard-working members with a Paul Harris Fellowship is a tradition of the Chesterfield club and past presidents John Keeton and Bryan White are the latest rotarians to have deservedly earned that recognition.”

Pictured from left to right: President Mike Cudzich-Madry, Past Presidents & Paul Harris Fellows John Keeton and Bryan White, District Governor Peter Moralee

Pictured from left to right: President Mike Cudzich-Madry, Past Presidents & Paul Harris Fellows John Keeton and Bryan White, District Governor Peter Moralee

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DG Peter M’s Musings – August 2013

DG Peter M’s Musings – August 2013

Peter M’s Musings

Rotary International District 1220

Monthly Newsletter of the District Governor

July 2013.

July has just flown by. It seems like yesterday when IPDG Dave placed the DGs Jewel over my head at the Novotel on 30th June, since then Rotary seems as if I have totally enveloped my life. No complaints though, “what a ride!”

Just wish there were a few more hours in each day or a couple of extra days in the week.

I have, since the first of July, had the pleasure of meeting, “on their home patch”, literally hundreds of friendly and dedicated Rotarians, as I started the schedule of the Official District Governors Visits. I have often been accompanied by a driver from my own Club and delighted to take Carol with me on many occasions.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to my Club for their efforts in providing a member to accompany and chauffer me to all the Club Visits outside the ‘Derwent Group’ area. I know they have found the experience, visiting clubs, as interesting and rewarding as I have!

My predecessors have often spoken about the incredible breadth and depth of Service carried out by the Clubs that form our District. I have now seen for myself what they were talking about! I do though ask, “Why do we  keep it to ourselves?” So many of these Projects would be of interest to other Clubs in the District and they may well wish to emulate them in their patch.

Also I know you do not do Service in your community for the plaudits but, Rotary does need the publicity so as to attract those who will follow us into Rotary, those who are going to rise to the challenge and put Service Above Self in the future. Please consider telling the pubic in whatever way is appropriate of the things you do, they, the general public in our communities, are after all are frequently the source of revenue that enables us to carry out our Service Projects, surely they should know where their money is going. Lets tell “our story”!

One of the scariest things I have done this month was to bring greetings and best wishes from all of you to our sisters in Inner Wheel. The event was the Handover and Induction Rally of the Inner Wheel District 22 Chairman 2013-14, Carole O’Conner. Seeing a sea of Ladies, all their best frocks, was enough to frighten even the most hardened mere male!

I hope you are looking forward as much as I am to our District Conference, 4th to 6th October in Scarborough. The Conference Team I know, are all working very hard, under the expert leadership of Conference Director David Curtis, planning to put together a fantastic weekend but, of course, if you are not there it will be all for nothing! So please fill in those Conference Registration Forms either in paper or ‘on line’ and then prepared to be wowed by a weekend to remember!

‘Till next month, keep up your good works!

Peter M.
District Governor

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District 1220 ShelterBox Update August 2013

District 1220 ShelterBox Update August 2013

Thankfully we have no new major disasters to contend with,but the ongoing situations as listed below still need our help.

It is vital for us to maintain the stock of ShelterBoxes in the event of the inevitable happening.

If you would like further information about ShelterBox or want a SB presentation for your own club or local area,just call me!

As ever, I invite anyone who wishes to support SB in any way, to contact me.We are really in need extra helpers especially in the Eastern section of D1220.

If you want to get involved hands on with presentation to clubs schools ,scouts,get in touch.

Without your help Shelterbox would not exist. With your help we can do more and at the same time share the load in our team.

May I also recognise the recent update from our own Aquabox and congratulate the team for their success.

It is important to support these worthy causes, as both are vital to help those in need.

Kindest Regards
Yours in Rotary
Peter

Peter H Swift FRICS
Swift & Co Chartered Surveyors.
Rotary District Governor, 2000-1
Rotary International, District 1220.
District Shelterbox Co-ordinator D1220

ShelterBox Operational Information

Total Boxes Deployed since 2000 – 129,600

Philippines – Typhoon Bolaven – Monitoring and evaluation

Team: John Cordell (US), Alison Ashlin (UK), Alison Wallace (CEO visit), Maribeth Lloyds (Corporate visit), Ana Krasojevic (Corporate visit with JTI)

Aid distributed: 354 boxes, 760 tents

Comments: Typhoon Bopha hit in December 2012 on the island of Mindanao, Philippines, wiping out tens of thousands of homes in the provinces of Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley. ShelterBox distributed a total of 852 boxes over several months due to the enormity of the disaster. Now, four months after the last team returned home, a monitoring and evaluation team has gone back to the affected areas to collate information to improve ShelterBox’s overall response by speaking to beneficiaries and collecting their feedback, interviewing in-country partners and assessing the conditions of the ShelterBox aid in the storm-hit areas. Alison W. has gone out to witness first-hand ShelterBox’s work along with Maribeth, ShelterBox’s Corporate Fundraising Manager, who is also with Ana from JTI, one of ShelterBox’s corporate funders.

Syrian conflict – Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan & Iraq

Turkey/Syria – The SRT has returned from Turkey and Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) will continue distributing ShelterBox aid in Syria. Due to political concerns, there is no publicity for this response and is internal only – for any publicity enquiries please contact samh@shelterbox.org or sbicomms@shelterbox.org.

Aid distributed: 150 life straws, 150 water carriers, 150 solar lamps, 150 mosquito nets

Lebanon – Operations department is considering new areas of need and preparing to send more aid including thermal liners in preparation for the winter. The pack for a further 448 boxes will take place on 6 August at HQ.

Aid distributed: 1053 boxes

Iraq – Kurdistan – Awaiting the end of Ramadan before assessing needs of new influxes of refugees.

Aid distributed: 514 boxes

Jordan – Distributions on hold as need is currently being met by other agencies in Jordan. Ongoing monitoring of situation.

Aid distributed: 100 boxes

Ops monitoring

– Flash floods have affected northwest Pakistan. Operations are in touch with ShelterBox’s implementing partner the National Rural Support Programme (NRSP), who have 324 of our tents prepositioned with them in their warehouse, and we stand ready to respond if necessary.

– Awaiting the government’s approval in Uganda on ShelterBox aid being prepositioned in country to enable quick responses to future disasters and possibly the current DRC refugee disaster, which Operations continue to monitor.

Thank you for your continued support!

Posted in: Shelterbox

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Zulu Wars speaker

Zulu Wars speaker

The Rotary Club of Long Eaton Dawnbreakers are proud to announce that they have secured the services of internationally renowned Historian and Zulu Wars expert, Rob Caskie to speak at a charity fund-raising event later this year.

Rob is on a brief visit to the UK from South Africa and has agreed to speak at the Chatsworth Arts Centre in Long Eaton on October 22nd 2013 at 7.30pm. Rob is an acknowledged historian and tour guide who takes visitors around the battle sites of the Anglo – Zulu Wars and is famous for bringing “ history alive”. He will provide an informative, passionate and enthralling account of the Battle of Rorke’s Drift.

Tickets are just £10 each. All profits from the evening will go to the Club’s International Charity project to improve the lives of the residents of the Kings Village in Ghana.

Tickets can be obtained by contacting SVP Paul Burrows on 07539 228682 or e-mailing p.burrows37@ntlworld.com

Download (PDF, 282KB)

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Carlton Rotary supports local schools with ‘Dictionaries 4 Life!’

Carlton Rotary supports local schools with ‘Dictionaries 4 Life!’

Thanks to a ‘Dictionary 4 Life’ project championed by Rotary Clubs across the country, some quarter of a million children have received a free copy of The Usborne Illustrated Dictionary over the past 4 years! The scheme is aimed primarily at Year 6 primary school leavers as a leaving gift or a “rite of passage” to secondary education.

The dictionary comprises 1,000 illustrations, 10,000 entries and 20,000 definitions printed in full colour. With school budgets increasingly being squeezed, Head Teachers have readily welcomed this book as a valuable and long lasting source of learning.

Locally, The Rotary Club of Carlton has participated in the scheme since its inception and recently donated over 150 dictionaries to the Burton Joyce Primary School, All Hallows Church of England Primary School, Gedling, Carlton Central Junior School and Netherfield Primary School. Each dictionary is personalised with the pupil’s name and the Rotary Club logo.

Joint Presidents Mick Ellis and Ian Scott, of the Rotary Club of Carlton, comment, ‘In this digital age, we feel it’s good to promote learning in the traditional way too. Our Club is committed to continue this project in future years and we are looking to supporting other schools in the area’.

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Conference on-line booking now available

Conference on-line booking now available

On-line registration is now available through the official conference booking website at www.1220conference.org.uk

Alternatively, if you prefer to pay by cheque then there is also a copy of the Registration brochure available on the Conference page on this site. Click on the menu item District, and then Conference. At the bottom of the introduction you can access the brochure.

Remember that the Conference Registration fee will increase on the 27th August, so please BOOK EARLY and SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!

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News from Aquabox

News from Aquabox

Aquabox continues to send out is humanitarian aid, thanks to the generosity of supporters and volunteers alike.

500 Aquabox Golds (each containing an AquaFilter Family unit, capable of sustaining a family group of 5 with all of their safe water needs for at least 20,000 litres / 6 months) have just been shipped to the Lebanon. Once there, they will be distributed to Syrian refugees by our partner organisation, Muslim Aid.

We will also be shipping 60 of our AquaFilter Community units, each for placing in schools, clinics and other shared facilities (and producing a minimum of 600, 000 litres of safe drinking water), to Lebanon in the coming week.

We then have 500 Aquabox Golds to ship to Rawanda, via or distribution partner organisation there, Christian African Relief Trust (CART).

Aquabox’s policy is to use local distribution partners in order to ensure that our aid reaches those in most need, and that they do so with support from a local NGO that they know and can trust. We think this is better for assuring effectiveness of aid than might be parachuting in individuals unfamiliar with local needs, traditions and circumstances. It also means that funds donated to us are spent directly on aid, rather than on travel for individuals.

There are regular Aquabox updates on our Rotary:Aquabox Facebook page, as many District Rotarians already know and access, of course.

on behalf of Aquabox trustees, John Dolan, RC Wirksworth

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Ashover Charity Classic Car & Bike Show was a success

Ashover Charity Classic Car & Bike Show was a success

Local charities are set to benefit after a record number of classic cars, bikes and enthusiasts turned up at the picturesque Ashover Show Ground, near Chesterfield, this last Sunday for an all-day rally, which has raised thousands of pounds for local charities.

Organised jointly for the third year running by the Rotary Clubs of Chesterfield, Chesterfield Scarsdale, Clay Cross and Matlock, the charities to benefit this year from the Ashover Charity Classic Car and Bike Show will be Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline, Weston Park Cancer Charity, Hope Springs Recovery Centre – which helps local people with drugs and alcohol addiction, McMillan Cancer Support, Samaritans, and First Taste – which is a charity that promotes arts educational and stimulating activities for older people in care homes and centres.

The event on Sunday 28 July 2013 was attended by over 3,000 enthusiasts and spectators from all over the region and is expected to have raised around £12,000 for charity.

The Ashover Classic Car winner was Ivan Spurrier-Smith from Wirksworth with a 1931 Blown Super-Charged 2 litre very original T2 Tourer Lagonda. Ivan Spurrier-Smith said: “I am very proud of my Lagonda so am delighted its very original features have been recognised by the show. It’s been a great day out.”

Ashover Class Car winner 2013b

The Ashover Classic Bike winner was Billy Batholomew from Sheffield with a 1971 BSA Rocket 3. Billy Batholomew said: “I am really pleased with this recognition for my BSA and look forward to next year.”

Ashover Bike Show winner 2013

For the bulk of the day the show was held in glorious sunshine, which tempted the crowds to turn out despite major thunderstorms the previous night.

There was entertainment in the main event arena including performances by Chesterfield based female vocalist Diana Edwards, renowned UK violinist Kate Chruscicka, Ashover Brass Band, and musical dance by Direction Theatre Arts. There was also a large side show with Autojumble and an Arts and Craft Fair, plus refreshments and a licensed bar.

The main sponsor of this charity event was Autoworld, one of the leading New and Used Car dealerships in Derbyshire and the Midlands, along with along with Stuart Bradley Jewellers, PCS Motor Factors, BRM Solicitors, and Castle Graphics.

Past president Stuart Bradley, a member of the organising committee said: “Once again I want to thank everyone for their wonderful support and look forward to seeing everyone next year once again at Rectory Fields on Sunday 27 July 2014.”

Membership Note: If you would like to join a local Rotary Club, or one of the other 100-plus Rotary clubs across the Derbyshire, Nottingham, and South Yorkshire area, visit www.ribi.org .

083

 

Posted in: Chesterfield, Chesterfield Scarsdale, Matlock

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DG Dave’s final newsletter

Dave’s Diary 

The Monthly Newsletter of the District Governor

30th June 2013


June has been a funny old month. The love hate relationship I have with technology has got no better. It started with my car breaking down and me having to wait almost five hours for the recovery service to arrive. (A long story) It followed with me dropping my mobile phone into the water butt on my allotment and ended with my computer crashing just after my return from the RI Convention in Lisbon resulting in me losing lots of data.

As I start to write this, my last newsletter, as District Governor at 5.50am on the last day of June and looking forward to the District Handover at lunchtime today, I have been reflecting on my year in office. I did not set out with a big shopping list of things that I wanted to achieve, but I did ask that Clubs should give attention to their local communities, as indeed DG Gordon had done the previous year. In that aim I am sure I have been successful.

I also wanted to improve the relationship between the District and the Clubs, something that I perceived as being lacking. To this extent I have attempted to improve the format of District Council meetings, with various changes being made over the year, introducing speakers from Clubs bringing forward projects they have been involved with etc. I have also tried wherever possible to reduce the formality of meetings, ensuring that they achieve their aims whilst at the same time creating a sense of togetherness. I hope I have achieved this, but that is for the membership to decide.

The year has been full of activity for myself and Gail. We have attended literally hundreds of meetings and events together and I have been to many more myself. We have been made extremely welcome by all the clubs in the District and to thank everyone involved for this.

There have been many highlights – The GSE Team exchange with Nepal, the District Conference, the Hospice to Hospice Walk, the club meetings and charters, the fund raising events, visits to the Inner Wheel, the social occasions etc etc. I could go on.
I would like to take the opportunity of thanking every Rotarian in the District and all our friends and supporters for all the friendship and support they have given and for their messages of goodwill to Gail and myself as we come to the end of our year in office.

Finally may I wish DGE Peter every success as he takes on the role as Governor of District 1220 for 2013/14 seeking to “Engage Rotary Change Lives.” I am confident that you will give him and his wife Carol the same level of support and encouragement that Gail and I have received.

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DG Dave’s June Newsletter

DG Dave’s June Newsletter

Dave’s Diary 

The Monthly Newsletter of the District Governor

31st May 2013

Sponsored Walk for Bluebell Wood and Rainbows

Well, we did it. Andy Ledbetter (Dronfield), Kevin Brown (Sherwood Sunrisers), Owen Briggs (Ripley) and myself walked the whole route from Bluebell Wood to Rainbows. Phil Stone walked three days of it but in addition walked 26 kms whilst on holiday in Spain the week before – just so he could say he had done the full distance.

We were joined by members and supporters from at least fourteen Rotary Clubs. In addition my two daughters Nicola and Sarah with their four children Maddie, Francesca, Xanthe and Sebastian (together with quite a few family friuends) all came and joined the walk in the Belper area – with banners and baloons creating a real party atmosphere at a time when I was feeling very sore and tired. I’m not sure exactly how many people ended up walking a part of the route with us, but it was well over thirty. Thanks to all of you.

As well as the walkers, on the final day, my sons in law Craig McAughtrie and Chris Tatham, together with Chris’s brother John and a friend “Nog” rode their bikes from Belper to Bluebell Wood and then on to Rainbows – a total of 107 miles for the same cause. The hope was that they would arrive at Rainbows about the same time as the walkers.

As Gail and Carey Toplass leading in the support car and all the walkers reached a point about 100 yards away from Rainbows Steve Lawes said to me, “Wouldn’t it be great if the cyclists turned up now.” As they had been out of contact all day we had no idea where they were, but I happened at that moment to turn and look behind me – just in time to see all four of them come riding into view. We were then all able to enter Rainbows en mass.

Our reception there was great with bunting and lines of people, staff, supporters, residents and their families, all cheering us on as we arrived. We then enjoyed a cream tea reception which was a great way of rounding off the four days. Rainbows are also having a glass brick in their wall dedicated to the walk.

I want to take this opportunity to personally thank each and every one of the walkers, the cyclists, the support crew (Sean Murphy, Gail and Carey) and all the people and clubs that have contributed towards this project, for their invaluable contribution to the fund raising cause and also equally importantly to the sense of fellowship that developed during the walk. Apologies that I cannot name them all individually.

I am not able to give a precise amount we have raised just yet as contributions are still coming in. Suffice it to say that we have achieved and exceeded our target of £5,000. If you have any contributions still to make, please let me have them asap so that we can finalise the accounts.

Thank you – Thank you – Thank you

District Conference

Yet another reminder – District Conference at Scarborough is fast approaching. The dates are Friday, 4th to Sunday 6th October. If you have not booked yet then do it now – don’t be left out. You are guaranteed a fantastic weekend of Rotary Fellowship, presentations, inspirational speakers and a fantastic House of Friendship.

Talking of Speakers, if you wish to hear Michael Portillo speak, then you MUST book for the lunch – it is a complete package. If you do not book the lunch you will not be able to hear Michael Portillo speak.

 

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