Another new Rotary year begins but this Rotary year is special, it is the first year of the second century of Rotary service.
RI President 2005 / 06 Carl Wilhelm Stenhammer when deciding on this year’s Rotary Theme chose ‘Service Above Self’ because he believed it encapsulated the spirit of Rotary and Rotarians. It also fitted in with his aims to maintain continuity, best practice and where possible opportunities to recycle.
When I met the Rotarians of this District at our Assembly in May and experienced their enthusiasm for Rotary and their commitment to helping others, I was immediately cognizant that Rotary in this District is in excellent health. It is also clear that the Rotarians I have the privilege to lead for the next twelve months will deliver ‘Service Above Self’ energetically, whilst having fun, for the benefit of the many thousands of people less fortunate than ourselves.
Carl Wilhelm asks all clubs to do something about the problem of literacy worldwide. It does not have to be an overseas project, the presentation of a dictionary or books to a primary school in the local neighbourhood can make a difference to a child’s life chances.
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and Mercy Ships.
‘Hearing Dogs’ is an excellent, though small, charity working to make the lives of deaf people more comfortable and more importantly safer.
Mercy Ships is without doubt one of the most successful humanitarian charities currently operating. Their work saves and changes lives, where other major medical charities cannot function. Please support Rtn. Margaret (my wife) in her sponsored run for Mercy Ships taking place in August. (sponsorship forms have been sent out)
This year I am supporting Caring for Young Carers and Adopt-A-Minefield:
Caring for Young Carers is now a project featured in the RIBI Opportunities to Serve directory but was started in this District by the RC Newport Uskmouth. Clubs should consider how they can make a contribution, which is not necessarily financial, to this well founded project. President Paul Stephens
(Newport Uskmouth) will be happy to advise.
Adopt –A- Minefield project was featured at the District Assembly and will do so again at the District Conference in Torquay. It is not often that a project can be guaranteed to save lives but this project does just that. Every 27 minutes someone somewhere is killed or maimed by a land mine. One third of these victims are children. It is a fact that £1 will clear 1 square metre of ground.
It is also clear that if we adopt a minefield in one of the countries formerly know as Yugoslavia The United Nations Development Programme will match our funding. I hope that by now Rotarians throughout the District are aware of this project and share my view that removing the lethal danger of land mines, deserves our support. In order to progress this initiative I will be contacting club Presidents personally requesting ‘feedback’
This years RYLA camp is going to be longer than previous years with more student participation. By now all documentation should have been sent to Rtn. Hugh Clatworthy. If not, I would suggest an emergency phone call.
This year’s District Conference takes place in Torquay Between the 7th – 9th October 2005. Registration forms are circulating and the advice ‘book early’ to save money is true once again. I am confident that this year’s Conference will be the best ever, with top entertainment and lots of fun, not to mention platform presentations. Don’t forget we finish at 2.0pm on Saturday, so have the afternoon off for shopping!! or enjoying the Fellowship Bar, with live entertainment, in the Belgrave Hotel.
In the next Newsletter I will give you details of the incoming GSE Team from District 3190 in India. In the mean time we are awaiting applications for the post of outgoing Team Leader.
At this time club Speaker Secretaries are filling the programme. Don’t forget District Chairmen, they will be delighted to sing for their supper (or lunch) and share with their colleagues their knowledge of Community and Vocation, Foundation, Membership, International, Youth Activities or Communications.
Do look at the District Website it will be changing and not everything will be sent out in hard copy. I will keep you posted on developments.
Yours in Rotary,
David Whiltshire
District 1150 Governor