Rotary Club of Gloucester

IT was a bitter sweet moment for Andrew Hurley when he received the Rotarian of the Year award from President Howard. Andrew, an indefatigable worker for the club was this year's winner of an award of which he doesn't approve! Andrew insisted he was accepting the award on behalf of all members of the club rather than as an individual - a typically modest response from a member who has worked unstintingly for the club over many years and set an excellent example of Service Above Self to others

The first two finals in the annual Rotary School Cricket Competition took place on Tuesday, July 11 in superb weather. The matches were played at the King's School Ground which was in a lovely condition.

In the Under 15s final Sir Thomas Rich School faced Beaufort and the game was dominated by batsmen on both sides. Beaufort batted first and posted a very respectable score (108) but STRS got there with an over and a half to spare. Both sides are to be congratulated for a match played with great spirit and sportsmanship throughout.

A team from Sir Thomas Rich was also in the 13 final where they faced Crypt. Though play throughout was of a high standard (particulary the fielding) a strong STRS outplayed Crypt in every department and were worthy winners.

The"Jewel in the Crown" was the Thursday evening game between Churchdown and STRS at U12 level. In all 22 years of the competition all were agreed that we had not seen a game at this level of such a high overall standard. Both sides players could bat, bowl and field really well and were well versed in the game.

Churchdown were blessed with a captain who had a maturity well beyond his years and it was his outstanding leadership that was the difference between the sides. Churchdown had a comfortable win. It was good to see them back in a final - not for the last time if this team continues to progress.

Once again the competition has been a great advertisement for competitive school sport. Thanks go to all those Rotarians who gave up their time to umpire and to King's School for such a splendid venue.

A combination of factors - including a beautiful summer's evening - resulted in a disappointing attendance at the Look Good Feel Great fashion evening so ably staged by Sue Smith at the beginning of June.

Despite generous sponsorship by Graham Howell and lots of work by a few dedicated Rotarians only around 70 people attended the event at St. Andrew's Chuch Hall at Churchdown where they had been warmly welcomed by resplendently dressed doormen Ken Watson and Roy Lewis.

As in previous years the women's clothes were provided by Just In - a company with shops at Churchdown, Winchcombe and Stow-on the-Wold and for the men by Beaus and Balls of Gloucester. Jean Ford for Just In and Pam Aspinall from Beaus and Balls provided a running commentary.

The 'models' included Rotarians Jeremy Keck, senior vice president Robert Hall and Ginny Ring (wife of Rotarian Ron)

However the loudest wolf whistles of the night were for Romanian solicitor George Balon who spoke to the club in May.

In addition to the fashion show, visitors could also enjoy the three exhibits - one staged by Rotarian Colin Rogers of the Gloucester Natural Therapies Clinis, a second by Rotarian Neil Normington (Gloucester Severn) of the Cotswold House Dental Clinic and the third by Anisa Indawala who showed her Indian jewellery.

Sue would also like to thank David Seed, Andrew Hurley Angela Seddon and, of course, President Howard Johnson all of whom provided valuable assistance on the night, particularly helping with the interval refreshments.

She hopes that the event will see a profit in the region of £500.

CONGRATULATIONS go to outgoing president Howard who has achieved several goals during his year in office.

These have included raising around £8,000 for the Acorns Children's Hospice at Worcester and providing an item of equipment for a play/leisure area for the young people at Quedgeley.
With the help of many local schools, the club has also successfully filled 98 aquaboxes which will ultimately be sent to areas of natural or man made disasters where their contents provide essential walter filtration and other life saving equipment.

Again on the international stage the club has provided vital water and sanitation to four schools in Ecuador while in South Africa it was one of five clubs to help finance a new sea rescue vessel for a dangerous area of the South African coastline.

In addition to all this members entertained nearly 200 senior citizens to a party at King's School in April and last month took 230 children from seven Gloucester schools on a 'Kids Out' day to the Cattle Country Adventure Park at Berkeley.

Howard is also hoping to donate funds for a Jaipur Limp Project camp in either Zambia or Malawi which will ultimately provide new arms and legs for those who have suffered their loss as a result of accidents, war or disease.

It's an enviable list of achievements and although Howard would have preferred to have 'done a bit more for Africa' it's still a programme of results of which he should feel justifiably proud.

Inner Wheel's new President, Joy Picken, is already well known to many local Rotarians, as the wife of Trevor, a past President of the Rotary Club of Gloucester and still one of its staunchest members.

Born in Redditch during the war, Joy attended local schools before completing a secretarial course, after which she worked for a year in Germany. She then returned home and joined a shipping company in Birmingham.

She enjopyed sport, particularly tennis, and in 1962 met her future husband on a tennis court. On their first date he took her to a motor club meeting - perhaps a taste of things to come.
They married in 1964 and set up home in Minchinhampton, Trevor's new business having moved to Gloucester the previous year. Their daughter Gail was born in 1966 and son Mark arrived two years later.

When both were at school, Joy went to the Stroud Technical College to hone her culinary skills, and then opened 'The Coffee Bean' café in Minchinhampton in 1973.
Joy and Trevor have four grandchildren, living in Nottingham and Reading - and both are doting grandparents.

Retiring from 'The Bean' five years ago, Joy then joined Inner Wheel. However, before then she had provided innumerable cakes for Rotary and Inner Wheel events.

Joy's secret ambition on leaving school was to an air hostess - an ambition to travel being one of her principal interests even now. In fact during Trevor's presidential year in 1983, they travelled to the Toronto Rotary International Conference and, more recently, they attended the Bribane RI Conference.

Inevitably being married to brass band maestro Trevor, music and concert going have become a major interest - despite having to carry Trevor's drum kit on occasions. Visits to Salzburg, Vienna and Verona, having been some of the highlights in more recent years.

Joy is very much a 'people person' and is looking forward to a busy and stimulating year as President of one of the oldest clubs in district.......working with her many firneds in Rotary will be an added bonus.

LAUGHTER and fun were the order of the day at the Cattle Country at Berkeley when 500 children descended on the adventure park as part of Rotary's annual Kids Out programme.
This year eight clubs from district, took part in the day but the biggest single contingent of children - more than 200 in all - went to the event courtesy of our own club. They came from Calton, Moat, Kingsholm, St James', St. Paul's, Linden and Coney Hill schools. In addition Rotarians from the Gloucester North club took pupils from the city's Milestone school.

Other clubs involved were Ledbury and Stonehouse while the remaining clubs were based on Bristol.

Despite uncertain weather at the start the sun shone later and the kids had a terrific day on the slides and rides at the park. In addition to teachers, helpers and Rotarians, there was a group of helpful sixth form pupils from Gloucester's Crypt School provided by club member and headmaster David Lamper.

In addition to enjoying the apparatus and the animals, the children also had the opportunity to go on a train ride around the park as well as sampling refreshments, ice cream and soft drinks. Nearly all sported special Kids Out T-shirts and hats provided by their Rotary clubs.
Gloucester Inner Wheel members took the leads in providing more than 500 plus lunches for their hungry guests.

The day out was part of a nationwide programme - now in its fourteenth year - and last year 27,000 youngsters from all over the UK took part in a similar experience.

The organisational supremo behind the event was again club member Andrew Hurley. He thanked Tony Cullimore, the owner of cattle country, who gave Rotary sole use of the the site for the whole day at discounted rates. He also praised the Gloucestershire Community Foundation who provided a significant part of the costs which exceeded £6,000.

DESPITE England's opening World Cup match, huge crowds still flocked to Westgare for the annual Medieval Fayre which recreated the sights and sounds and the thrills and spills of the Gloucester of yesteryear.

Visitors could try their hand at archery, enjoy a knights' tournament, listen to music, enjoy medieval games, such as Splat the Rat, refresh themselves with a mouth watering pig roast washed down by local wines and ciders, stand in awe of such demonstrations such as chainsaw sculture and Morris dancing ...... or just wander the many stalls exhibiting local arts and crafts.

Amid the multi coloured tents, the candy floss, toffee apples and face painting, there really was something for everyone from nine months to ninety years.

This superb day out was the work of the Westgate Association in partnership with the Central Gloucester Initiative and our own Rotary Club - and here full marks must go to Colin Rogers who has again been the vital link man on our behalf.

President Howard, dressed in appropriate Middles Ages garb as a smiling jester, joined the platform party for the opening ceremony and subsequent street parade.
Everything went like a well oiled machine - the only obvious problem being a swarm of bees which gathered on the corner of Westgate and College Green ..... in itself a nice medieval touch which added a little buzz to the whole proceedings!

A former club member Phil McCormick, MD of Nick's Timber and one of the day's sponsors, dressed in style to publicise the Rococco Players presentation of the Two Gentlemen of Verona, staged at Painswick last month.

A balmy summer's evening, nostalgic music courtesy of Eureka Jazz, a Hog's roast followed by temptingly delicious desserts provided the main ingredients of President Tony's smashing incoming party at Minsterworth Village Hall.

The evening, which also included a variety of games organised by Tony, had been delayed because of the World Cup final.

Tony and his wife Jo, circulated among their guests and set the seal on a delightfully informal evening and provided the ideal launch pad for Tony's presidential year in office.
We are grateful to Clive Kingscote for taking photos at the event.

Ex-Beaufort School headmaster Tony Tetley is our new president. He came to Gloucester as deputy head at Beaufort in 1974 and became its head in 1988. He retired in 1996 when he became principal education welfare officer with the county council until 2002. He then worked the Government Office for the South West and for the Gloucestershire Police Service. He now works part time for Gloscat.

A keen cricketer, Tony played for Winget Cricket Club for 15 years and was club chairman for eight. Tony's interests now are golf, National Hunt Racing, cinema, theatre and walking. He is married to Jo. The couple have three children, Jane, Colin and David.

A Rotary Service Recognition Award was presented to Maureen Curtis - retiring shop manager for Gloucester's Salvation Army....and a great friend of Rotary. Maureen, who received the award from President Howard , was introduced by past president John Smith, a Salvationist, with whom she is pictured above. John told members of Maureen's unstinting service not only for the Salvation Army but also in helping the club with filling aquaboxes and assisting Rotary in general.

Welcome back Richard

Past Gloucester Rotarian and former Gloucestershire Chief Executive Richard Cockcroft came to the club recently and is pictured with President Howard. Richard spoke of several education schemes with which his Rotary club in South Africa is involved and suggested our club might want to involve ourselves in one or more of bursaries which make such a huge difference to the students who receive them.

NOT only did Gloucester's Medieval Fayre raise Rotary's profile in the city but it also gave a useful boost to the club's charity account!.

Here we see President Howard Johnson receiving a cheque for from Chris Brookes, chairman of the Westgate Association. Rotarian Colin Rogers was again the club's representative on the organising committee. I understand he's looking for a replacement for next year....any volunteers?

On another happy note, members have raised well in excess of in its Tea Caddy Appeal. In exchange for Yorkshhire teabags all Rotarians in RIBI were challenged to raised money in whatever way they thought appropriate - all monies to go to Rotary Foundation. The amount raised by our club is thought to be the highest in district.

THE three Rotary clubs in Gloucester have hit the headlines .......in Africa. In a recent edition of Rotary Africa - a magazine which goes to all clubs on the Continent...the pictures and story on page one featured a project that involved the Rotary Club of Gloucester and its two 'daughter' clubs Gloucester North and Gloucester Severn.

The three city clubs plus that of Wolverhampton St George's here in the UK and the Rotary Club of George in South Africa, contributed towards the cost of a new 5.5 metre rescue vessel which was presented to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) earlier this year.
Present at the launch was Gloucester Rotarian and former club president Colin Eynon who had masterminded the project with the help of matching grants from the Rotary Foundation.
Wilhelm van der Vyver, president of the George club in South Africa, said: "The NSRI provides a crucial resue service along this particular stretch of the Southern Cape Coastline. We are proud to be associated with them in the business of saving lives. "

In recognition of Rotary International's recent centennial celebrations, it was decided to name the vessel Spirit of Rotary 100. Bishop Donald Harker blessed both the vessel and its crew.

FOR many Ecuador, besides being a far away country, was only a word which had figured in the minutes of our international committee in recent years.

But all this changed when Juan Prinz, a member of the Quito club and next year's district governor there paid Gloucester a visit recently.

He was en route elsewhere but stopped off to thank the Rotary Club of Gloucester for its contribution to several projects in his country.

He explained that Ecuador was a poor country with many problems, foremost among them was the state of its schools many of which were single teacher establishments in remote locations lacking basic sanitary provision.

Using slides, Juan and international committee chairman, John Sargent, illustrated how our club, with the help of matching RI grants, had made a significant difference to some of the schools there and in one area had not only ensured a safe water supply and proper toilet facilities for its schools but also for an entire village as well.

Juan said there was no shortage of needs in Ecuador and in order to address some of these Rotary project fairs were held (the next one being September/October 2007) which encompassed not only schools and fresh water but also training workshops and Forestry. He hoped some of our members might be able to visit and be better informed as well as making lots of new friends.

He was introduced by John Sargent who praised Juan for his energy, vision and drive, which through Rotary, had improved the lot of those living in Ecuador.

The other, Derek Bentley, had been detained by unavoidable family circumstances - and had in his possession the very slides they had intended to show us! Unfazed by this setback, Ashley gave an entertaining account of his week with 35 other students, split equally between the sexes.

He explained that the chief theme of the week was the accomplishment of set goals. Early tasks were forming teams for practical routines such as the daily kitchen and cleaning duties, playing leadership games and writing a Bill of Rights as a way of introducing the major issues facing mankind today like democracy.

Goals were set each day, and Ashley felt he gained tremendously both from the daily problem-solving, and from the critical analysis offered and accepted as one group watched another perform a particular activity. He learned that to be a good leader, you need good followers! Rotary members take note.

One task set the teams on an outing to Wells, was to raise £10 for charity. His team's initial idea of visiting the supermarkets collapsed when they found other teams already in residence, so, ever resourceful, they turned to the town's bookies and, by carrying out menial tasks raised the required funds. His own favourite parts of the week were outdoor pursuits such as abseiling and rock-climbing.

Ashley, Crypt School Captain in the year just ended, amply demonstrated his leadership qualities during his talk and his self-assured management of questions afterwards.

Joy's chosen charity is The Milestone School at Gloucester, a Special School, opened in September 1998, following the amalgamation of three special schools. It provides a wide range of special educational needs for more than 280 children.

The Milestone is one of the biggest of its type in the country. It offes many specialisms, including curriculum adaptation for children with special educational needs, Conductive Education, provisions for Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Social Use of Language Programme.

The school offers the full National Curriculum as a basis for curriculum development, and adds to this a wide range of additional activities for personal and social growth.

Links with mainstream schools are developed through joint projects in certain subjects across the key stages. Its integration programme is important in ensuring that children who are transferring to mainstream are supported throughout the transition.

By virtue of its distinctive blend of expertise, facilities and resources, The Milestone School plays a significant role in the network of services the Education Authority provides for meeting the special educational needs of pupils in Gloucestershire. The school provides advice and support for teachers of pupils with physical and learning disabilities in mainstream school.

Following two successful Beacon School projects, The Milestone School has subsequently been awarded Leading Edge status. This will involve working with another special school and local secondary schools in order to share expertise.

A partnership comprising several interested parties including the city council, police, the parish council and the young people themselves have worked for five years towards providing a new Fieldcourt Drive Skate Park and Multi Use Games area.

Financial support towards providing facilities came from a number of different funders including the club and our photo shows the official opening of the facility by the city's mayor.
Fifth from left in the back row is the familiar figure of Martyn White, club member and the partnership's chairman and second from the right in the same row is the then club president Howard Johnson.

PRINTING as an industry has been changed beyond all recognition by the arrival of the computer. In just a few years a traditional professsion has been transformed literally at the touch of a button.

Some memories of the history of printing were conjured up by Martin Seccombe, a member of the Gloucester North Rotary Club, who spoke to members at a lunchtime meeting recently.
In just a few minutes, Martin transported members from the advent of printing in Europe in the 15th century, through the intervening centuries when printing was very much a hands-on profession to the high IT printing world of today.

He illustrated part of his talk with examples of the equipment used in the profession of yesteryear when slugs of type, 'sticks' formes and mangles were essential ingredients to the work of the printer and when emns, ens, points and picas, ascenders and descenders were all part of the profession's jargon.