I
Message from the President (and Editor) always enjoy the handover dinner not
only for of its informality, due to the
ambience and the good food that the golf club provides, but because it marks a special moment in the Rotary calendar. The significance of that moment dawned on me as President John handed me the regalia that was to mark the beginning of my year as President of the Rotary Club of Hornchurch and Upminster. Due to the way the dates fell this year it was a bit of a „phoney presidency‟ for the next two weeks. The last Friday in June fell on the 24th. which meant that the next club meeting fell on the 30th June. John unfortunately had a business meeting on that day which meant that I had to take the chair but as the Rotary year does not begin until July it meant that I had to wait another week before I could officially wear the „Gong‟. Any disappointment I may have harboured was soon dispelled as our speaker for the day was our own PP Raj Naidu who accompanied by his wife and daughter in law, treated us all to one of his splendid „off the cuff‟ speeches. Then of course in the evening it was the council meeting and John was back to chair it for the last time. I should like to thank John and Philippa at this stage for their encouragement in the weeks leading up to this time. In fact I should like to thank all those fellow Rotarians who offered their
congratulations and words of encouragement as I was about to embark upon the job of leading the club during the next twelve months. There is no getting away from the fact that it is a great honour to be asked to represent the club as its President and I hope I will be able to justify your trust in me to do a good job. The comforting thing is that I know I have a lot of good men around to ask for help if I feel the need. This year will also be special for me because my wife Janet is President of the Havering Inner Wheel at the same time. I am not sure if this happens very often but it does offer the opportunity to have some combined functions.
I
was able to hit the ground running as, with the help of JVP Ray and Sylvia
Needham, we got the new Rotary term off to a pleasing start with quizzes at the Engayne Primary and Upminster Junior Schools. There was a flurry of activities with the canal boat trip, the Kids Out trip to Southend, Dick‟s Walk around London and the Jazz night at the Hornchurch Conservative Club (not strictly a Rotary event but nevertheless one driven by Jim Haines) I know I am going to be in for a busy year because the Club Service Committee, under the guidance of SVP Gerry Harrington, has already got many of the coming year‟s activities (including the President‟s lunch) pencilled in the diary.
B
y the time you read this we will have had ,and hopefully enjoyed, the BBQ
and Bowls at the Cranham Court Nursing Home and my thanks go to Shiraz and Indu for once again allowing us to use their grounds , the Town Show, where we will working side by side with Havering East and Romford for the benefit of the St. Francis Hospice , the wine tasting evening, organised by Alison Taffs and Brian and finally if we are a little late getting this issue out, the annual walk also in aid of the hospice.
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