The Rotary Club of Eastbourne Annual General Meeting
Monday 28th May 2012 – 6pm
Annual Reports
Club Secretary / Ian CoombsClub Service / Nicola Williams
Membership / Bob Hamblyn
PR, Marketing / Nigel Greaves (to follow)
Community/vocational / Alan Wenham
International / Joe Smedley
Youth / Graham Marsden
Jazz Concert / Geoff Williams
Alone at Christmas / Kevan Regan
Sports and Social / Andy Kinniburgh
Tripartite / Ian Hunt
Stroke Aware/Organ Donor / Barrie Gent
Representatives on Local Committees
3VA (Formerly EAVS) / Alan Wenham
Eastbourne Sea Cadets / Bob Hamblyn
Annual Reports
CLUB SECRETARY
At the start of 2011/2012 Rotary year, we had 52 active members. During the year we have received Alan Budgett’s resignation and Geoffrey Williams will leave at the end of this Rotary year. Sadly, Fred Warren passed away at the end of last year. Fred will be very greatly missed.
However, during the last twelve months, the Club has welcomed two new members that is Rodney Browne and Brian Higgins. We wish both of them many happy years of Rotary Membership and service. Philip Coekin, Vicki Pickering and Anne-Marie Awcock have become guest members and we hope that they will enjoy visiting the Club.
Membership therefore now stands at 52.
Sadly, again, we said fairwell to Honorary Member Tom Alston in January. He also will be remembered with great affection and for the contribution he made to the Club.
Our weekly lunches at the Chatsworth Hotel have generally run smoothly and without so many of the problems we have had with sound systems and projectors in the past. President Simon has conducted affairs with admirable panache and speed.
CLUB SERVICE COMMITTEE REPORT
Once again this Committee has continued to operate successfully without meetings - something which some of you know is about to change under Joe's chairmanship!
I would like to thank all committee members for quietly and efficiently getting on with their duties, not only for this Committee but in the Club as a whole, and making sure that our administration runs as smoothly as ever.
The Club Service programme I announced at Assembly last year was as follows:
1. Fellowship and Fun - certainly achieved I believe!
2. Manage the delivery of Club Service - achieved as I have already said.
3. To increase membership ~ definitely achieved!
Congratulations are due to Bob Hamblyn for his hard work and initiative. His detailed report will follow.
4. Communication with other clubs - this has been perhaps a little less successful in terms of members' visits. This in no way reflects on Arnold who has tried to encourage us to spread our wings. Regarding working with other clubs, the forthcoming Eastbourne Carnival - although not strictly part of this report - is a good example of local clubs pooling resources and working together within the community.
5. Membership Survey - achieved. Thanks to all who participated. The overall result, as previously reported, was a satisfied membership. Criticisms and suggestions have or are being addressed.
1 am pleased therefore to report a good year and once again thank everyone for their commitment and hard work.
Nicola Williams President Elect
Public relations, and marketing Report
Regular meetings with the local press and the ETC magazine have been fruitful in getting our case for the publicity of our activities heard.
During the year the club has received relatively good coverage of events that have increased our standing as an active Rotary club in the community. Just recognition for events like the Alone at Christmas event once again received good coverage. The prestigious Achievers award at the Winter Garden saw two club members, Bob Hamblyn and Peter Goldsmith being recognised for their very worthwhile efforts in the company of several hundred community minded people. Good coverage followed in the Eastbourne Herald and the ETC magazine
Pictures and reports of many speakers and other events were published in the local press and ETC magazine giving readers and many potential members a good flavour of the club's activities.
The Rotary Club News was published in digital form and now includes more photographs of club and committee activities. There is still a need however, for more information to be submitted so that the publication can achieve its goal in being an accurate record of club activities during each two month period.
The committee worked with district during the year to produce a public information stand at the Arndale Centre. Whilst this involved many clubs on the area, it was considered a worthwhile effort for our club to be seen addressing the challenge of helping people who are alone at Christmas.
There were more pictures and reports during the year showing many club activities with partners and this is considered worthwhile publicity for the attraction of new members who can see the membership receiving the endorsement of partners who can very often join in the activities.
Nigel J Greaves
Chairman PR and Publicity
Report from Membership Committee
The year has again seen the club keep Its membership up, starting the year with 51 members and finishing with 52. Whilst Freddie Warren sadly passed away we were pleased to welcome Rodney Browne and Brian Higgins into the club.
We are a club which consistently bucks the trend of declining membership seen by most other clubs. I put this down to the relaxed and enjoyable nature of our meetings and a strong social event programme where we can encourage new members to bring their partners along to meet other partners and enjoy the interaction.
We have Z potential new members, with forms lodged: Norman Kinnish and Philip Cokein, and 2 guest members'. Anne-Marie Awcock and Vicki Pickering.
Membership Focus groups of three have produced a target list of 15 other persons. We need members who know them to invite them along to a club meeting. A board for this purpose is circulating.
A bespoke foreword to the New Members booklet based on R C Maidstone's idea has been drafted and is being circulated to members for final comment before issue.
Bob Hamblyn Committee Chairman
FOUNDATION AND INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE
The Foundation and International Committee have met nine times during the year. The committee comprised the following members:
Joe Smedley (Chair), Michael Barrett, Neil Cleverton (Foundation), Ken Dobell, Frank Eveleigh,
Chris Hanover, Jessica Gisby, Ken Rawlings, John Rabbitts, Kevan Regan, Chris Smith, (Vice Chairman).
The subjects and projects discussed and action taken are set out in the following paragraphs:
6.
Haenertsburg ‘Youth in Action’: This project involved the training of 32 young people with potential but from a poor background and attending a school in the Haenertsburg area to equip them to become leaders in their community. It began in 2010 and is now just completed. They were taught leadership, team building and given training in gardening, building and other skills to take with them when they left school. The project is being sustained by the replacement of those that leave school by younger children. The youths with the support of the school have setup an Interact Club. The Club has developed the training through the Haenretsburg Club of South Africa. This project was supported by a District Grant for which a final report was made to District. Simon Seath made a number of visits to the school and club during the development of the project.
7. Kololo - Kampala Project. This is a project being developed in conjunction with the Kololo Club of Kampala, Uganda. It involves the acquisition of a mobile X-Ray machine for the Nsambya Hospital. The machine is to be used to avoid the movement of patients who are too ill to be transported to the hospital’s static Unit. In conjunction with this purchase, there will be a public health campaign to reduce the number of accidents in the area and to offer advice to residents about ways of achieving better health. This project received a TRF Global Grant and is now being implemented. Chris Smith is representing the Club by being a member of the project Implementation Committee.
8. Zimbabwe Student: A student from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe was assisted by the Club through her A Level course when she achieved straight A’s in four subjects, one of which
was an A*. Following these results, the Club decided to support her through university. Nontokozo is now in the second semester of year one of her five-year medical degree course. She hopes to become a Paediatrician. This project has received a District Grant. Apart from accommodation costs, the Club has supported her studies by purchasing text books and a laptop.
4* Kabubbu, Uganda. A request by the Quicken Trust has been received. This is about an ambulance that was funded by the club in 2006 for use in Kabubbu, Uganda by the club which now needs to be updated at a cost of £1250. This is being considered and will form part of the Donations Plan for 2012/13, which will be put to the Club Assembly meeting.
5. Lesotho, South Africa. The club has received a request from the Rotary Club of Sevenoaks for assistance towards a water and Sanitation project to benefit 500 orphans in two schools in Lesotho, South Africa. The last known financial support for the project is set out below:-
District Total $1500
TRF Match $1500
Rand Water $1560
Absa Sesego $ 3650
Club contributions
(Sevenoaks $4117, SA clubs $2,600, Chiselhurst £1,000 i.e. $1560)
Total $8277
TRF Match
(50%Top-up of club contributions) $ 4138
Total contributions $47625
Shortfall $ 492
Project cost $48117
This project will be included in the Donations Plan if necessary; current indication is that it will not be necessary
6. Other projects. The club has supported SheiterBoxes over a number of years and was rewarded with a Bronze Certificate recently. The Club has donated to the Rl Polio Eradication project over the last three years,
7. Adddition. Simon Seath attended a number of meetings to discuss the Tombola which he organized and was held at the Arndale Centre just prior to Christmas.
Joe Smedley Chairman, 14 May 2012
Community & Vocational
The Committee arranged two old folk's outings for cream teas at Birling Gap.
Three vocational visits occurred in the year and where partners were welcomed. The venues were the Towner Art Gallery, the Town Hall, where we were shown round by the Mayor, and Eastbourne Heritage Centre.
It was decided to discontinue with the Rotary Fun Run as numbers had dwindled significantly due to bad weather and a coincidence with a cancer charity event that was proving far more popular. We decided that we should look at other ways of assisting local charities to raise money for themselves.
We elected to experiment with a Rotary Charity Fair where 20 local charities held a table-top sale and at no cost to them. The venue was the Sea Cadet HQ. The concept proved to be sound, but lessons were learned. In spite of using a newspaper advert, a community newsletter and handbills, throughput was disappointing. A wash-up session with participants showed that they would come again but the event needed to be held in a more central location in future. We also needed to work harder with publicity.
The Committee oversaw the development of the year's Donations Plan. It is pleasing to note that a good range of beneficiaries were identified by Club members and through everyone's efforts all organisations will receive the amount intended.
The Committee was approached by the President-Elect to generate some ideas as to how the Club's impending 90th anniversary should be marked. It will of course be a matter for her to announce initiatives that she wishes to promote. Meanwhile, the Club is funding hanging baskets in the town centre and plaques will explain that this is the Club's way of marking the Diamond Jubilee as well as its own 90 years of service to the town.
Finally, I would like to thank members of the committee for the robust support and generous assistance they have given over the past 12 months.
Alan Wenham. Committee chairman.
Youth - Chairman - Rtn Graham Marsden
9. The year has continued to prove frustrating in seeking to develop Rotaract Clubs in our town. Sussex Downs College has maintained interest in principle but continuing financial pressures and restructuring tend to reduce enthusiasm for additional commitments. The focus is now upon developing links with their older students involved in higher education or degree courses. From our perspective young people do need adult motivation within their environment or else they will not establish a structure. Needless to say the committee is not downhearted and will continue to work towards the required end.
10. My thanks go to Tony Cameron for his work in maintaining our link with Bishop Bell School through which two students attended a R.Y.L.A. weekend. They were duly ferried and returned from the Arethusa Venture Centre in the Medway Valley. Both of them expressed satisfaction with their visit and members will recall that a few weeks ago they attend Club, confidently answered questions on their visit, and confirmed their pleasure at being selected. It is expected that another two students will be invited to attend the next special RYLA weekend in October, 2012.