Club News

It’s that time of year when Rotary Club Presidents around the world hand over their regalia to a new President.

At a garden party on a delightful summer’s evening, outgoing President David Kirsch-Mills presented the chain of office to incoming President Clarissa Hanna.

David mentioned some of the highlights of his year, including a very successful Carol Tour and the Family Bike Ride which attracted more riders than ever. The Community Chest initiative continued to support many local organisations in need. In January the club welcomed a new member, Lin.

Internationally, the club helped to fund the building of latrines in Taonga School in a very deprived area of Zambia and there was continued support for small businesses around the world through Lend with Care. There was also a wonderful weekend of fun and fellowship with our contact club friends in Soest-Lippstadt, Germany, where we were joined by our friends from Harderwijk in the Netherlands.

David concluded by thanking members, partners and friends for their efforts throughout the year to effect changes in their local community and internationally.

Incoming President Clarissa Hanna shared her thoughts for the coming year. 
"I am determined that together we will sustain a successful, friendly Club where Friends feel they play a valued part in several of our activities. I am keen to strengthen collaborative relationships with other Rotary clubs and local community organisations. Recruitment of new members remains vital to building a vital, dynamic Club and I am optimistic about our search for an enthusiastic corporate partner. 
Above all I understand the importance of Rotary in enabling us to engage in warm fellowship based on key values of caring, sharing, showing respect and good humour in the way we interact as Members & Friends and in our empathy towards others in need.”

In June a group of club members, partners and friends visited Provender House, the home of Princess Olga Romanoff, whose father Prince Andrew was the eldest nephew of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia.

The house dates back to the 13th century and was named after its first owner Sir John de Provender. An extraordinary succession of people have passed through Provender over the centuries, with its connections to Joseph Banks and to Jane Austen’s family.

The tour of this fascinating house takes in the history of English architecture and of course the stories of the remarkable people who have lived there. The Rotary visitors heard first hand recollections from Princess Olga as she guided the group around her family home.

The visit finished with tea and cake in the dining room. A splendid setting!

www.provenderhouse.co.uk

At the end of May, a party of seven Rotarians and their partners travelled to Germany where they were hosted by the Rotary Club of Soest-Lippstadt. They were joined by a group of fourteen from the Rotary Club of Harderwijk in the Netherlands, the third club in this contact group.

As usual on these occasions there was a busy programme of varied activities throughout the weekend, starting with an informal get-together and barbecue on Friday evening.

On Saturday morning we all met at Lippstadt golf club to discover how agriculture had given way to golf and leisure, followed by a friendly putting competition and lunch.

A cultural visit in the afternoon took us to the Abbey Museum at Liesborn where the Liesborn gospel takes pride of place. This manuscript has only recently been returned to Liesborn where it was created over 1000 years ago.

Another change of mood – and clothes! – was needed for the formal dinner on Saturday evening. A delicious meal was followed by speeches from the Club Presidents. The Harderwijk guests entertained everyone with their performance of how all the Dutch learn to swim – essential in a country where so much land is below sea level !!

A leisurely start to Sunday found us at a gallery of modern art in Soest before moving on for lunch in a local restaurant. All too soon it was time to say good-bye to friends old and new.

It was certainly an action-packed weekend, but there was also plenty of time for fun and friendship, two of the cornerstones of Rotary.