Game of Golf - What Rotary Is All About

Two weeks back we had a great business meeting where the support and fellowship was in massive abundance. Then, this past Monday we had no meeting due to the August Bank Holiday weekend. But the Friday of the Bank Holiday weekend we had the annual Barry Austin Golf Classic at Erewash Golf Club.

The whole gang

What an incredible day. The weather was perfect, the course was packed with golfers and 8 RCCW members were out enjoying the greens and competing for the trophy. I tagged along and enjoyed watching them tee off and putt on holes 1 and 2. I was all ready to see them play the third green but then John told me to go walk up to the signature holes (5 & 6) and wait there. I did so and was I in for a real treat.

Holes 5 & 6 are in the old quarry and you tee off at the top of a cliff for hole 5 which is at the bottom on the other side of the quarry. It was absolutely breathtaking. Then when everyone lined up at one end of the quarry to tee off for hole 6 they all looked very small from where I was standing at the top of the cliff. I hear you ask "what were you doing all day?" My job was to take pictures. A very tough task!

Ray looking the part teeing off the cliff face for hole 5

If you are into golf and never played Erewash's course then I suggest you do. You will not be disappointed at all. The club house and all the facilities are top notch. However, the best part of this day was the fellowship I thoroughly enjoyed with all RCCW members who came out to compete.

The fellowship and support everyone gave each other and the warm welcome accorded me was fantastic. I would suggest that this Club event should be promoted with more vigour and participation from more members regardless of ability to play golf. I for one will be competing at next years competition. I am on the lookout for a cheap set of clubs. So if you hear of any sets of clubs going cheap let me know.

I hope you enjoy the pictures of the day below. Oh, by the way, almost forgot to mention. The winner was John Astell. Congratulations John on a fantastic round of golf.

Barry, the thrust behind the day teeing off on hole 5. He really looks professional

First four working the putting green on hole 6

Looking down towards the tee-off area for hole 6

John being presented with the winners trophy

 

Back In The Saddle And A Great Speaker Night & Fellowship

So, back from my two week holiday in Scotland. In case you re interested in boring yourself with my holiday snaps and stories you can go to Greg& Gail's Scottish Adventure and find my holiday blog complete with sightings of the Loch Ness Monster! Or, if you prefer I can come over your house and bore you in person! LOL


CANAAN TRUST
Back to Rotary - It was so good to be back in the saddle again and at the Club meeting on Monday that featured our guest speaker from Canaan House - Kevin Curtis, Project Manager. Kevin gave us an amazing talk on all the help Canaan Trust give homeless men on our patch. He also dispelled many misconceptions we have of the homeless. 

Me & Kevin. What two nice guys!

Kevin showed us a video all about Canaan Trust that featured some of their clients they had helped. One client has continued with the Trust in returning the favour and helping the Trust when and where he can. For more information on the evening go to our website and read Rtn Peter Woods in depth report at: 

http://www.churchwilnerotary.org.uk/recentevents-August12-2013.htm

Don't Look Down On Someone Unless You Are Helping Them Up
One thing that stuck with me was when Kevin told all of us about the sign above the front door at Canaan House. There is a sign their that says "Don't Look Down On Someone Unless You Are Helping Them Up". How many of us don't do that? I know I have from time to time but Kevin's talk and sharing of his first hand experiences over many, many years will make me work harder to avoid that pitfall. 

If you want more information on The Canaan Trust then go to their website at:

http://www.canaan-trust.co.uk

Rtn Rev Gary Dundas and Kevin sharing some thoughts.

My thanks to Rtn Graham Markwell for arranging Kevin as our speaker and to Rtn Peter Woods for writing up a fantastic report on the evening.


SPECIAL GUEST
We also had another special guest at the meeting and that was Rtn John Cook's father in-law Peter Hall. By all accounts Peter enjoyed his time with us and is now interested in joining a Rotary Club near where he lives. We wish Peter well in his Rotary career.

Me & Peter Hall. Again, two really nice guys!

PRESIDENTIAL MOMENT

Once again I educated the Club on the finer points of Presidents of the USA. We are now on our 6th President - John Quincy Adams. I awarded this President to Stephen Woolley as JQ Adams was a lawyer, diplomat, loved walking and wine. Other than the diplomatic part Stephen fit all other aspects. Oh, there was one other thing - JQ Adams enjoyed bathing in Potomac River nude! We really did not want to know if Stephen did such things in the River Trent and he assured us that he does not.

Can you believe he liked to bath nude in the Potomac River?

Finally, I gave out a quiz on the first six Presidents. I have marked the quizzes and the results are OK to BAD! I will have to put some revision material on Dropbox as there will be a few more quizzes and then the final exam in May. The Rotarian with the highest overall marks wins this:

I brought this back from Scotland and it is for the smallest and one of the last privately owned distilleries in Scotland. Believe me that this is a very special bottle and the taste is superb. Well worth revising for.

ANNUAL HORSE RIDE FOR DERBYSHIRE AIR AMBULANCE
Looking forward to the Business meeting this Monday as so many exciting things coming up, not least the Annual Horse Ride. 

Please try to attend and please forward this to anyone you may know who rides or anyone you know that knows someone who rides. All the money raised goes to Nottingham Air Ambulance.

Today a tweet was made by the DET about how the Air Ambulance responded to a farmer in need and may have saved his life. We tweeted back our support. Here is a screen grab of the tweet.