Thursday 25 August 2010 - Sewing for Foundation!

Sherwood Sunrisers will never let me forget that I am just a club member!

We had an evening of laughter making Christmas trees to be sold for Foundation funds. All materials have been donated.

Terry kept well out of the way!

Wednesday 25 August 2010 - District Executive meeting

The Executive met for the regular meeting to prepare for the September District Council meeting at the Novotel.

Tuesday 24 August 2010 - District Finance Committee meeting

Finance meetings can be enjoyable too!

District Treasurer keeps us in check. DGE Gordon McGlone is seen her lending District Secretary Pauline Johnston £10 with DGN David Ashley keeping his hands out of his wallet!
Peter O'Donnell and IPDG Tony listen intently.

Seriously, a lot of hard work and expertise keeps our District funding in good shape.

Sunday / Monday 22 and 23 August 2010

Yes, this is the home of RIBI in Alcester! I spent Sunday and Monday in General Council which was quite an experience. I have done a report on matters concerning us in my District Council report.
Life is never easy when all of the RIBI District Governors are debating issues and making decisions!

Saturday 21 August 2010 - Rotary visitor from Canada

This weekend it was wonderful to have Patricia Rooney and her son stay with us.

Patricia is a member of the Rotary Club of St. Catherines, Canada and we first met six years ago when Patricia and her late husband Watson came to stay with us for a short while.

We had a great deal to talk about and again it shows that Rotary unites people from all over the world.

Thursday 19 August 2010 - visit to Chesterfield

President John Keeton, RC of Chesterfield.

I was delighted to be presented with a cheque for the Indian housing project after a very interesting and enjoyable meeting.

A guest at the meeting had just returned from Hyderabad and knew exactly what I was talking about when showed photographs of children in schools sitting on the floor. He had done this himself for a few years and his old school still does not have toilets!
He is now an eye consultant at the Chesterfield Hospita!!.

Wednesday 18 August 2010 - Rotary Club of Mapperley

If it wasn't for the Rotary Club of Mapperley I would not have become a Rotarian!

In 1994 Doug St John, Derek Brown and John Berrington helped to set up a new "daughter" club - Sherwood Sunrisers.

Here, Mother club is looking after one of their "daughters" - me!
SVP Bill Handslip, President David Ward and JVP David Gratton.

Tuesday 17 August 2010 - Helen Franklin, Nottingham Rotaract Club

Helen Franklin, Nottingham Rotaract, has returned from Ghana where she has been part of a team from West Notts College in Mansfield helping to build a school in a village.
Whilst there a new Aquafilter from Wirksworth was installed and being used in the local hospital.
Helen was thrilled to see this and send the photographs to me and Aquabox.

Tuesday 17 August 2010 -Afternoon visit to see PDG Arnold Crosby

This afternoon Terry and I visited Arnold in the Royal Derby Hospital. We found him to be alert, as bright as a button and with a twinkle in his eye!
We spent some time looking at the my Blog and Arnold was delighted to see photographs at the various Rotary clubs.
Before we left Arnold asked Terry to empty the water glass. He then asked me to look in his locker where I found a supply of cans of gin and tonic! We left him with a smile on his face and the glass in his hand. He knows that we are all thinking about him and he asked to be included on today's blog.
We all wish him well.

Tuesday 17 August 2010 - 7.00am breakfast at Sherwood Sunrisers

At 7.00am this morning I made the official DG visit to my own club, Sherwood Sunrisers.

There was a very large attendance including four potential new members. President Kim Armstrong has set an ambitious target of 10 new members this year and the club is doing its very best to bring new people along each week.

The support that I am receiving from the club is fantastic and this is an opportunity to publicly thank them.

Monday 16 August 2010 - Rotary Club of Newark

A very enjoyable meeting at the club with President Denis Power-Neads who is also the District Health and Safety Chairman.

It was good to see Barrie Ellis and Kate who brought greetings from the Rotary Club of the Isles of Scilly, a club that I know well.

Sunday 15 August 2010 - Time for a celebration!

Well, what can I say?
Today we celebrated the Golden wedding of Malcolm and Joyce Whitt (Rotary Club of Wollaton Park) whom I have known for over forty years.

It was a fabulous occasion and thoroughly enjoyed by family and friends. We wish Joyce andMalcolm well for their long trip in the New Year.

Please leave the District cheque book here, Malcolm!

Saturday 14 August 2010

We had a useful meeting with James Pinder, Rotary Club of Mansfield, who is leading the GSE team to India in January. We hope that we have not put him off!
The rest of the day was taken up with watching the cicket Twenty20 Finals and Nottinghamshire were robbed by the weather!

Friday 13 August 2010 - A reunion with a GSE team member.

We were delighted to meet Sarah, Simon Keeling's wife of two months. Many will remember the quiet, nervous tall young man who went to India with Terry's GSE team.
Simon is living proof that GSE changes peoples lives! He is now ready to become a Rotarian and the club that he joins will be very lucky. There will soon be three Rotarians as a result of the exchange.

Thursday 12 August 2010 - Rotary Club of Carlton

Senior Vice President Steve Speak took the meeting as President Paul Hicking was on holiday.

After the meeting our DG had to ring the "Dogsbody" (Terry) to ask where the light switches are in her new car. It was the first time out in the dark in it!










I am receiving tremendous support from my own club, Sherwood Sunrisers. On this occasion I was accompanied by Rotarians Margaret Hunt and Marian Merry.

Wednesday 11 August 2010: Bakewell for lunch then Hope Valley in the evening

Lunchtime visit to Bakewell. President Rita Hickin works at the Derbyshire Building Society next door to the venue - very convenient Rita!













Hope Valley: PP Karina Guarino with Rotaract President Sarah Philips and Rotaract Secretary Rachel Wardle. Great to hear that a group of Rotaractors will be at Conference in Southport.





After the lunchtime Bakewell meeting we decided to spend the afternoon on retail therapy before moving on to the evening meeting at Hope Valley at the Grouse Inn, Longshaw. There was some time to spare so we parked in a layby for a break and checked with the Satnav that we were about 2 miles from the required Postcode. Time to move off! The Satnav sent us almost into Sheffield before turning us round and finally telling us that we had arrived at our destination - a car park on the Longshaw estate! Knowing that the club did not meet there we travelled down the road towards the layby where we had stopped and discovered that the Grouse Inn was 100 yards from the layby and we had passed it whilst half asleep. Moral? Don't trust a Satnav! Pictured here are the three Presidents for this year, Jane Weightman, Keith Jones and Chris Kraushaar.

Tuesday 10 August 2010 - District Team meeting

Today began at 7.00am with a visit to my own club, Sherwood Sunrisers.
This evening we had the first meeting of our District Team at the Novotel. The main topic for discussion was communications and this was led by District Communications Chairman Mike Herbert and District Secretary Pauline Johnston. Three groups looked at different topics relating to communications within Rotary and we will now be analysing the outcome to see what changes need to be made for improvement. Here is your team at work! It was really good to see Mike Herbert looking so well and in good form.

Val with Mike Herbert, Communications Chairman



Tony Bethell, Assistant Governor Peak Group, Tony Storer, Youth Opportunities Chairman, Gail Ashley, International Chairman and John Scotney, Magazine Editor









IPDG Tony Stimpson and DGN Dave Ashley










Sandra Morrey, Community & Vocational Chairman, Colin Gell, Fellowships and Steve Lawes, Assistant Governor Trent Group






Peter Moralee, Assistant Governor Erewash Group, David Pedlar, Marketing and Jill Bethell, District Membership Chairman










John Scotney, Magazine Editor, DGE Gordon McGlone and Michael Longdon, Assistant Governor Sherwood Group










Jeff Naylor, Assistant Secretary and Don Mackenzie, Sergeant at Arms











Denis Power-Neads, Health & Safety, Terry Leivers, Foundation Chairman and Noel Harrison, Assistant Governor Central Group






Anni Gell, Thanks For Life Co-ordinator and District Secretary Pauline Johnston deep in thought!

The next District Team meeting is on Wednesday 17 November 2010 , 7.30pm at the Novotel. The main topic for discussion will be "Thanks for Life " and Rotary Awareness Campaigns.

Monday 9 August 2010 - vlisit to Rotary club of Sutton in Ashfield

These members insisted on being in the photograph with President Nigel Harrison!

Congratulations to Nigel who is the current District 1220 Snooker Champion. Next stop the Crucible in April 2011?

The selected GSE team to go to Chennai in January 2011

Ben Rose is from Langley Mill and he is a Design for Environment Engineer with Bombardier in Derby


















Carl Makins is from Derby and is the Head of Schools and Community Projects for St John Ambulance.






Marianne Knight is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sherwood Sunrisers and is the Comminity Partnerships Officer for Framework based in Nottingham.







Hollie Venn is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Mapperley and works for Nottingham Community
Housing.

Sunday 8 August 2010 - Selection of GSE team

The selection committee interviewed a number of excellent candidates to represent us in District 3230 around Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India.

Back row: DGE Gordon McGlone, GSE Chairman Rob Gray, District Foundation Chairman Terry Leivers.
Front row: GSE Team Leader James Pinder, me, John Lewington GSE committee and Steve Lawes, Assistant Governor - Trent Group.

How would you like to walk into a room to be interviewed by this line up?!!

Thursday 5 August 2010 - Club visit to Swadlincote

President Neil Durrant, Rotary Club of Swadlincote. A lively meeting!

Thursday 5 August 2010

Today it was the Memorial Service for John Almond from the Rotary Club of Mansfield. Unfortunately I was not able to attend but Terry represented me and Sherwood Sunrisers.

Club visit to Bolsover on 4 August 2010

Wow, what a venue! The Ringwood Hall Hotel in Brimington near Chesterfield is well worth a visit.
President Robert Richards welcomed me with chauffeur Hannah Fleming-Hill.

Club visit to Melbourne 3 August 2010

Awaiting photograph from the club. President Mike Thornett. I visited with Pauline Johnston and we hope that Fred Heathfield survived our company. For the first time ever Fred put a whole £1.00 into the Happy Box instead of the 98p which he usually does. We hope this trend continues!

Monday 2 August 2010 - Club Visit to Belper & Duffield

President David Harris, Belper & Duffield.

Sunday 1 August 2010 - A day in the garden!

Breakfast with Archie! We all have a day off!