CHARITY HORSE RIDE 2013

On Sunday 8th September Rotary Club of Church Wilne held its 8th annual Charity Horse Ride in aid of Derbyshire Air Ambulance. We had a record number of riders registered at 250. The weather was most cooperative and I suppose we must thank Rtn Rev Gary for speaking to his senior manager about that one!

There is so much to say about the day and the event itself and it would take hours to write and read. So I will only say big THANK YOU to all of RCCW and Inner Wheel for making the event such a major success. I will let the pictures do the talking and you will notice that everyone has a smile on their face. Helpers and riders alike.

The first horse of the day

Lucky rider 13

A very young rider

Rtn Roger - The mastermind behind this years ride. Thank you Roger!

Inner Wheel running the whole catering tent.

After all is done some hearty congratulations

Sitting down and enjoying the evening after the ride is over.

Looking At South Africa & Planning The Future But Keeping Our Eyes On Today

LOOKING AT SOUTH AFRICA
Our first meeting of September was another great one. This time featuring our own fellow Rotarian Peter Woods giving a talk on South Africa in general and Cape Town in particular. We were treated to some humorous slides of South African life. My favourite was the major hazard in the road where you had to go to the right to avoid it but the sign said "keep well left". Peter then explained that "keep well left" is a very popular South African phrase for advising people to avoid anything in life.

Another great photo Peter shared with us was a sign next to a scene near a hospital that we would all like to avoid. LOL

One of the most fantastic aspects of Peter's talk was the joined up Rotary being practised by the Rotary Club of Melkbos with a Rotary Club in Alaska of all places! They were able to raise quite a substantial sum of money to by a mini bus for the Emanuel Care Centre whose work includes helping the young, disadvantaged and disabled person. I would imagine there is some specialist equipment on the mini bus as well.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
Peter suggested that we may want to look at a joined up Rotary project next year with Melkbos to raise substantial sums to help them with other needs for their centre. It was pleasing the positive reception this idea got from Club members and we look forward to an update from Peter in the Spring. 

It is also heartening that even at this early stage planning is in motion for SVP Geoff's year in July 2014. The Rotary Club of Church Wilne is such a vibrant club whose members are passionate about all it does and willing to work hard in planning for its future, short, medium and long term.


KEEPING OUR EYES ON TODAY - MANNA RESCUE HOME, UGANDA
One thing we can't do is stop thinking and working towards our goals we set out for our Foundation/International project for this Rotary year: Manna Rescue Home in Uganda. We have raise a very good sum of money for it from the balloon race but there is much more to do and I know every member of the Club will work hard to attain our goals with this project.

Don't forget about our fundraising concert for this project to be held on Saturday, 9th November 2013, 7:30pm at Ockbrook School, Ockbrook, Derbyshire DE72 3RJ. I will be performing in the 1st half and then my jazz quartet (Greg Maskalick & The Midlands Express) will be performing in the 2nd half. You can listen and join my jazz quartet by going to: Greg Maskalick & The Midlands Express Facebook page. It's going to be a fantastic evening of entertainment so I hope to see you there.

PRESIDENTIAL MOMENT

Our 7th President of the USA - Andrew Jackson - went to fellow Rotarian Quentin as much of Jackson's personality and line of work completely matched Quentin's. 

Jackson was a general in the US Army and beat the British in the Battle of New Orleans. This news went over like a lead balloon with Club members. I don't know why. LOL

CHARITY HORSE RIDE

Our annual Charity Horse Ride is this Sunday and it's not too late to saddle up and join the 200+ riders that will be on the 12 mile course through some of the best countryside in the UK - Derbyshire. We are so fortunate that several landowners have opened up their property to us for this very worthwhile fundraising activity for the benefit of Derbyshire Air Ambulance. 

I can't thank Rotarian Roger and the whole Horse Ride Committee for their incredible work to make this event a success before it even starts. Let's just keep our fingers crossed for the weather to hold. Personally, I can't wait for Sunday. Giddy-up!!!

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.