Summer 2012 Visit www.erotarylondon.org Club Contact: Secretary, Stella Russell. Email: [email protected]Welcome to my sum- mer’s newslet- ter, the first of a four part volume this service year. I’m particular- ly humbled to be leading my club at a time London will be agog with the Olympic Games and the Queen’s diamond jubi- lee celebrations. It doesn’t get any bigger than that! It is an honour and a task that I con- sider with so much responsibil- ity. This is also a very auspicious time for me to be asked to serve the distict as the Interact com- mittee chairman. There’s therefore a lot to do around here with youths this year. London boasts of some of the world’s most thrilling tour- ist experiences. We’ll be seizing this great occasion to explore every avenue of ser- vice with commit- ment to the highest ideals of selfless hu- manity. Our membership exten- sion programme in August and our new generations activities in September are part of our pri- ority this season. On behalf of my members I’ll be looking for- ward to welcoming as many of you as would be attending these events and personally invite you to share fellowship with us. The district’s rotary office located in the heart of the city at 6 York Gate would equally be buzzing with activities during this time. There is internet access there so avail yourself of these opportu- nities. Don’t forget to bring along your laptop, tablet or other smart communication gadgets for your own use as there are no free computers available to visitors. The London gather- ing I believe will be a wonderful experience and we’d be on the lookout for amazing project col- laborations. eClubs are proving a very popular culture in rotary. This would’ve been unimaginable only a few years ago. In the be- ginning, the idea divided opin- ion and is still courting contro- versy. Of course fellowship is at the heart of the rotary organi- sation but we also cannot deny that access to the internet is pretty much a passport to the rest of life. The new media age is therefore bringing the rota- ry movement closer to people, particularly to those who may not be time-rich due to work or other commitments. This would ordinarily hamper their active- ness in a traditional club. Believe what you choose, it does not alter the facts, the concept of eclubbing is not im- mediately clear to a prospec- tive member and even more baffling to many experienced rotarians. It was a reluctant experiment which in many quarters was deemed a fictitious construct. People appropriately branded it the virtual club with the er- roneous notion that it lacked the very fun live fellowship pro- vided in brick and mortar clubs. Others felt they needed to be IT savvy to function within a club. Fortunately, it turns out it isn’t that complex. Many retiring rotarians were not convinced the idea was sustainable but the truth remains that with the aging rotary population, new drive for younger membership is imperative in order to pre- serve rotary’s legacy for genera- tions yet unborn. Interact and rotaract and perhaps even more excitingly eclubs provide a fan- tastic avenue for introduc- ing the new generations early to rotary. They are effectively trustees of ro- tary’s posterity, engaging them early therefore in the business of mankind can only be a positive de- velopment. No one will pretend to be oblivious to the enor- mous influence they play in the new world order. The future of rotary is therefore in their hands. It is important to move with the times in an age when our soci- ety is laden with mobile commu- nication of all sorts, dominating global businesses and effort- lessly dictating our lives. While not an alternative to a tradi- tional club, it is helping bridge the generational gap and surely there must be something in it also for rotary. I enjoin you to visit our website, interact with our members scattered all over the continents and experience first hand what a brilliant world rotary is. Join us. Francis Uwaechi President 2012/13 Francis shares the eclub’s web link with the RI President Sakuji Tanaka A quarterly publication of the president of the Rotary eClub of London Centenary, District 1130
Welcome to my sum-mer’s newslet-ter, the first of a four part volume this service year. I’m particular-ly humbled to be leading my club at a time London will be
agog with the Olympic Games and the Queen’s diamond jubi-lee celebrations. It doesn’t get any bigger than that! It is an honour and a task that I con-sider with so much responsibil-ity. This is also a very auspicious time for me to be asked to serve the distict as the Interact com-mittee chairman. There’s therefore a lot to do around here with youths this year. London boasts of some of the world’s most thrilling tour-ist experiences. We’ll be seizing this great occasion to explore every avenue of ser-vice with commit-ment to the highest ideals of selfless hu-manity. Our membership exten-sion programme in August and our new generations activities in September are part of our pri-ority this season. On behalf of my members I’ll be looking for-ward to welcoming as many of you as would be attending these events and personally invite you to share fellowship with us. The district’s rotary office located in the heart of the city at 6 York Gate would equally be buzzing with activities during this time. There is internet access there so avail yourself of these opportu-nities.
Don’t forget to bring along your laptop, tablet or other smart communication gadgets for your own use as there are no free computers available to visitors. The London gather-ing I believe will be a wonderful experience and we’d be on the lookout for amazing project col-laborations.
eClubs are proving a very popular culture in rotary. This would’ve been unimaginable only a few years ago. In the be-ginning, the idea divided opin-ion and is still courting contro-versy. Of course fellowship is at the heart of the rotary organi-sation but we also cannot deny that access to the internet is pretty much a passport to the rest of life. The new media age
is therefore bringing the rota-ry movement closer to people, particularly to those who may not be time-rich due to work or other commitments. This would ordinarily hamper their active-ness in a traditional club.
Believe what you choose, it does not alter the facts, the concept of eclubbing is not im-mediately clear to a prospec-tive member and even more baffling to many experienced rotarians.
It was a reluctant experiment which in many quarters was deemed a fictitious construct. People appropriately branded it the virtual club with the er-roneous notion that it lacked the very fun live fellowship pro-vided in brick and mortar clubs. Others felt they needed to be IT savvy to function within a club. Fortunately, it turns out it isn’t that complex. Many retiring rotarians were not convinced the idea was sustainable but the truth remains that with the aging rotary population, new drive for younger membership is imperative in order to pre-serve rotary’s legacy for genera-tions yet unborn. Interact and rotaract and perhaps even more excitingly eclubs provide a fan-
tastic avenue for introduc-ing the new generations early to rotary. They are effectively trustees of ro-tary’s posterity, engaging them early therefore in the business of mankind can only be a positive de-velopment.
No one will pretend to be oblivious to the enor-mous influence they play in the new world order. The future of rotary is
therefore in their hands. It is important to move with the times in an age when our soci-ety is laden with mobile commu-nication of all sorts, dominating global businesses and effort-lessly dictating our lives. While not an alternative to a tradi-tional club, it is helping bridge the generational gap and surely there must be something in it also for rotary. I enjoin you to visit our website, interact with our members scattered all over the continents and experience first hand what a brilliant world rotary is. Join us.
Francis Uwaechi President 2012/13
Francis shares the eclub’s web link with theRI President Sakuji Tanaka
A quarterly publication of the president of the Rotary eClub of London Centenary, District 1130
lette2r.indd 1 02/05/2012 11:36:47
Chris’s office was in the former vicarage of Tring Parish Church in Hertfordshire. The Sutton Housing Trust had been established in 1900 under the Will of William Sutton, a City of London businessman who left his vast fortune, equivalent to over £70 million today, to pro-vide good quality rented housing for poor peo-ple in England. It was managed by a board of 7 Trustees appointed by external organisations. The Trustees met each month and twice a year spent 2 days visiting estates and regional offices to meet tenants and staff. Chris described how tenants were encouraged to become involved in the management of their estates through the setting up of residents committees, the train-ing of committee members, the circulation of a regular newsletter and the holding of an an-nual conference for members of tenant com-mittees from housing estates across England. Chris found it very rewarding to see tenants to discover management skills and other talents they did not realise they possessed. Eventually
one of the women tenants became a Trustee. There were over 10,000 young people on the Trust’s estates. In the early days young people were thought of as a problem. When it was decided to treat them as cus-tomers, there was a major change in approach. A Youth Strategy was introduced which promoted
a range of activities on the estates for young people organised by tenants and supported by Trust staff. This helped give young peo-ple the opportunity to contribute positively to the community life on the estates.Over their careers housing managers tend to have had quite a few memorable experiences as a result of such things as neighbour disputes, criminal behaviour, acts of bravery and accidents. Chris told about a large amount of money being found under a tenant’s carpets, a tenant light-ing a match to look under the floorboards for a gas leak, a pony being kept in a first floor flat and other similar stories. It was a light hearted evening.
(Chris is our Foundation Chairman)
Shelter is one necessity we all take for granted. With the world’s population grow-ing exponentially, housing particularly in urban com-munites needs to be revisited. On the 12th of April 2012, Chris Edwards made a pres-entation to the Rotary eClub of London Centenary on his work as a housing manager. Chris became a member of London Centenary in July 2011 after being a member of Rotary clubs in Zimbabwe, the USA and the Nether-lands.
Chris explained that housing management was a profession involved in the wide range of activities associated with managing rented hous-ing, such as acting as the client in the design of new properties, the selection of tenants, the set-ting and collection of rent, the provi-sion of specialist services to elderly and disabled peo-ple, the provision of a repairs service and much more. Being a profes-sional involved acquiring the rel-evant specialist knowledge and skills, working to a high standard, treating customers and colleagues well, acting in the interest of the customer, and achieving high ethical standards. Chris sought to apply the concept of professional behaviour not only to his work but also to his activities as a volun-teer and Rotarian. Rotary’s Four Way Test fit-ted perfectly into the concept of professional-ism. Chris became the Deputy Chief Executive of one of England’s largest housing associations in 1978 and remained in the post for 19 years. His staff of over 500 managed the homes of 31,000 people on housing estates spread across England. Most members of his staff lived and worked on the estates, whilst the remainder were in 5 regional offices and at the Trust’s head office in Tring, Hertfordshire.
Vocational ServiceHousing
Christopher Edwards
Chris’ office in the former vicarage of Tring Parish Church, Hertfordshire
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Our International Menu Ogbono Soup
Background: Ogbono soup is a delicacy of the South Eastern peoples of Nigeria. When cooked, it is thick and slimy and traditionally served with fufu, garri, pounded yam or other carbohydrate-rich food. Most of the ingredients required for this dish can be sourced from African grocery markets but typically Nigerian or Ghanaian shops where the names would be very familiar. The cuisine described below would serve at least six diners.
Ingredients: 10 fl oz red palm oil 2 chopped medium-sized red onion bulbs 100g crushed ogbono 50g crushed crayfish 10g crushed fresh scotch bonnet chilli1lb chopped pumpkin leaves (ugu) or whole leaf spinach2lbs chopped curry goat (dry fish or beef are good alternatives)4 cubes maggi or other seasoning Table salt
Preparation:1. Season the meat properly with some chopped onion, salt and cook properly in low heat until tender and ready.2. Heat the red palm oil for about 4-5 minutes in a pot until hot (do not bleach).3. Pour the chopped onion and chilli into the hot oil, stir andallow to fry for about 4 minutes to release the full onion flavour. 4. Next, sprinkle the crushed ogbono powder and stir briskly until well mixed with no bubbles. 5. Pour in the crushed crayfish and cover to boil. Allow contents to steam for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally to check burning.6. Add the curry goat and top with some water if too thick. Bring to boil and notice that the dish gradually becomes slimier.Continue to cook for further 10 minutes.7. Add the leafy vegetables, stir vigorously and allow to boil up.8. Season with maggi cubes and add salt to taste.
To serve:Continentally, the dish can be served like any other contemporary soup - scooped with a spoon. A fork and knife can help with the curry goat. However, by tradition, it would be served as a main course with garri (dry-fried cassava flour) or fufu (fermented cassava) or even pounded yam all of which are kneaded in boiling water. When ready, it is rolled into a ball in the palm of the hand and used to scoop the soup to swallow (not chewed as many unfamiliar with the culture would naturally do).
Suffering from regular 12-16 hour electric-ity cuts, Nkulumane Clinic, in Bulawayo Zimba-bwe, was in a very bad situation. The maternity section of the hospital had to operate by can-dlelight, and cold water during the night - un-fortunately babies do not wait for the daytime hours! The need for hot water for baby births and for the sterilization of equipment is well chronicled but when there is no power there is no hot water and the clinic was desperate. Be-sides the critical need for a supply of hot wa-ter, many times women in labour need oxygen for their sometimes very difficult births. Also of course so did the babies themselves, yet the staff was using candlelight to work alongside oxygen cylinders! This was a tragedy waiting to happen and a very dangerous situation indeed. Their cry for help was heard by a Rotarian from Ha-rare who is a solar energy expert while work-ing on another project with the Director of the Zimbabwe Development and Democracy Trust (ZDDT).
Appalled by the situation, Rod Beadon of the Rotary Club of Borrowdale Brooke in Ha-rare appealed for help to an ex-member of his club now living in London and a member of the eClub of London Centenary. The club’s committee recognized the urgency of the situ-ation and co-operated magnificently to ensure the money raised from a golf competition the previous year was put to excellent use. Said Cynthia Grund, a member from Greve in Den-mark, “When solar energy is so inexpensive, we need to concentrate on utilising our hard earned funds in such projects where we get so much for so little, in terms of money”.
Working with the ZDDT Rod Beadon of AEC (Alternative Energy Consultants) together with two Zimbabwean Rotary Clubs and our club, facilitated the donation, which consisted of the geyser* and its installation as well as solar powered lights and solar roof panels. *(a boiler as it is known in Europe). Instead of being heat-ed by electricity, the water flowing through the solar pipes becomes very hot in the sun’s rays and is stored in the tank which retains the heat-sometimes as high as near boiling.
Community ProjectNkulumane Clinic
The geyser
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President Vincento exchanges bannerettes with DG Trevor at York Gate.
L-R: Haagen, Stella, Francis and John Minhinick - President Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland
(RIBI) at the Bournemouth conference.
Club community in action
Stella Russell and Haagen Cumlet - our voting delegates at the RIBI conference in Bournmouth.
Exchanging pleasantaries with the Rotary International president Sakuji Tanaka during his visit.
With Assistant Governor - South East, Mac Purcellat the “audience with the presidents” March 2012.
L-R: Club members; Michael, Tweet, Jo Ann, Kalyan Banerjee & wife Binota and Francis at the India Welfare
Society meeting.
CLUB BOARD: President – Francis Uwaechi PHF, President Elect – Jo Ann Ross PHF, Immediate Past President – Vincento Martinelli , Secretary – Stella Russell PHF ,
Treasurer – Michael Scott, Vocational/Community Service Specialist – aXel Brodehl PHF , International Service Specialist – Giorgio Cambiè PHF, Foundation Chairman – Christopher Edwards
