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Diary, cashiers and hosts JULY 2 Club meeting. Presidential Handover. Shirley to Chris H. Host: David Walters. Cashiers: Walters E and Williams. 9 Club meeting: Speaker Prof David Painton on The Dickens Story. Host: Winnicott. Cashiers: Alvey and Baker. 9 Club Board, Brookfield Hotel, Emsworth, 7pm 16 Business meeting. Host: Barnard. Cashiers: Blake and Clear. 23 Club meeting. Speaker Lynne Dick on Making Space. Host: Cope. Cashiers: Cox and Cullen. 30 Club meeting. Speaker Rtn David Hogg on Yesterday in India. Host: Davies. Cashiers: Fuller E and Galloway. AUGUST 6 Club meeting. Speaker Malcolm Wells on Canine Partners. Host: Jackie Branson. Cashiers: Coombe and Edgell. 8 Three Churches Fete, Hayling Island. 13 Club meeting, Speaker Michael Frost on Military History. Host: Griffith. Cashiers: Harvey and Hogben. 14 Club Board meeting, The Brookfield Hotel, 7pm. 20 Club Business meeting. Host: Hogg. Cashiers: Holmes and Hooper. 27 Bank Holiday, No club meeting. Rotary Stall at Emsworth Horticultural Show. SEPTEMBER 3 Club meeting. Speaker Robert Winnicott on Life Education. Host: Kent. Cashiers: Meeke and Model. 10 Club meeting. Speaker Tim Gower of Portsmouth Museum on The Beam

Engine. Host: Moore. Cashiers: Nightingale and Ponsonby. 11 Club Board meeting, The Brookfield Hotel, Emsworth, 7pm. 17 Club Business meeting. Host: Nightingale. Cashiers: Ponsonby and Poulton. 21 Charity Golf Day at Rowlands Castle 24 Club meeting. Mayor Coun. Gerry Shimbart visits. Host: Rasheed. Cashiers, Roberts and Sellis. OCTOBER 1 Club meeting. Speaker Jan Groom on A Link Between Businesses and

Schools. 8 Club meeting. TBA 9 Club Board Meeting, Brookfield Hotel, Emsworth, 7pm. 15 Club Business meeting. 18 Vocational visit to Portsmouth Grammar School. 19-21 Rotary Wessex, District 1110, conference, Torquay. 22 Club meeting. TGA 29 Fifth Monday. Venue to be arranged.

The deadline for the next Bulletin is September 1, 2012

Bulletin July 2012

The Rotary Club of HavantThe Rotary Club of Havant

Havant club President: Christopher Heath, in District 1110 Rotary Wessex. Club number 856 of RIBI. http://www.havantrotaryclub.org.uk

Festive mood: Members and guests as you rarely see them at President’s Night, See p9

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This malaise at the top end of our society throws into sharp contrast the abiding principles on which Rotary was founded over a hun-dred years ago and which it continues to display to this day. The Four-Way Test demands Truth, Fairness, Goodwill, and that all that we do and say is beneficial to all concerned. As Rotarians, we need no reminding that the Objects of Rotary re-quire, among other things, high ethical standards and that we put Service before Self. The Rotary Club of Havant has a record of sheer hard work by its members to provide beneficial service both to the local community and abroad. There has rarely been a time when the principles of Rotary as demonstrated by us as a club have been more in need. We show time and again that we can make a difference. The pro-grammes put forward by the various committees at Club Assembly give a heartening indication of what we can do and I am sure that other members, like me, felt an emotional sense of pride at what the club achieved when working in support of our Havant Rotary School Games. We should now seek to build on our strengths and one way to do this in a structured form is to utilise the Presidential Citation Scheme which will help us to improve our achievements in service, member-ship and PR. Our club thrives on fellowship, good humour and working together, and a happy club is more likely to retain its members and be at-tractive to those who think of wanting to join us. The old values are not dead and we in Rotary make sure of that. Christopher Heath

From the President

I make no apology for blunt words. The shock-ing scandals in recent years involving the very pillars on which civilised society is based. In banking and financial mis-selling on a titanic scale, the greed exhibited by certain politicians and the corrosive relationship between the na-tional Press and the police have all led to a fa-talistic sense of resignation on the part of Joe Public who feels that they are all as bad as each other and that he can do nothing to change things.

11

International

The aim was to enable the clinic’s medi-cal staff to receive patients at the clinic, interview and examine them, take blood samples, then using our equip-ment, analyse these to arrive at a sound diagnosis used to plan and deliver treat-ment in one day. Diagnoses would in-clude HIV/AIDS, diabetes, schistosomi-asis (caused by parasitic worms) and malaria. In February, when I was in Uganda, I travelled to the clinic with William Okello and Dr Faustine, who is the director of St Francis Medical Centre in Njeru, Jinja. We set off at 5am to travel the 93 miles to Soroti. It took us until lunch time as the roads are truly appalling. By the time we arrived the temperature was 39C and we were hungry so the lunch of posho, beans and pineapple prepared for us was very welcome. The members of staff were welcoming and embarrassingly grateful for our do-nation. They and Dr Dominic are work-ing for below national salaries such is their dedication to improving the health of the people who come to them for help. I met about a dozen patients, most of whom had either malaria or ter-rible leg ulcers due to diabetes. Of the many lovely people I have met during my times in Uganda, these mem-bers of staff were the nicest bunch ever

and, if they had not been so far from my base in Jinja, I would have loved to have spent more time with them. Before starting back for Jinja, we visited Soroti General Hospital where medical staff are working in awful conditions: emergency surgery conducted by hand-held torches because they can’t afford a generator to use during power cuts, very little basic equipment, and patients who have left treatment too late because they can’t afford it. I am continuing to work with William Okello, Sister Margaret, and Dr Ahimbisib we to see what can be done, but these things take a frustrating amount of time. We finally arrived back in Jinja at about 10:45pm by which time we were all very tired and not very clean! Then, only three weeks ago, I received an email from the St Francis Medical Centre Administrator Angela Okula. She described how our medical equipment underpinned the day of Medical Out-reach they held recently. It says: “We carried out free HIV testing and screened people for diabetes etc using your donation to us! Then I remem-bered you and all your friends of the Rotary Club of Havant who enabled this to happen. Just to let you know that we appreciate the support so much.”

Ann Chawner

Outreach: The team at the Soroti clinic

Uganda clinic is so grateful During the past year our club financed the purchase of medical equipment to facili-tate blood analysis at St Francis Medical Clinic in Soroti in eastern Uganda. This was arranged by the Rotary Club of Jinja work-ing with the Rotary Club of Soroti.

10

International

Serious business: Tony Cox (above) takes his turn in the annual skittles match against Inner Wheel at the Victory Social Club, Hayling Island. Despite our best efforts, President Shirley had to hand the cup back to Inner Wheel President Beryl Mintoe (left).

Inner Wheel wins back skittles cup

What a superb event it turned out to be with at least 150 Rotarians and guests attending. Following a reception with sparkling wine and canapés, a formal meeting, virtually a club assembly, was followed by the exchange of collars and badges Dinner was served at 11pm, during which a traditional Neapolitan wander-ing troop serenaded the guests and gifts

were exchanged, and concluded at 1.45am. The next morning we visited Mt. Vesuvius, climbing part of the way in temperatures of 33C. (Jan is pictured on the left). Fortunately specialist safari-type vehicles took us most of the way to the summit so the final climb took a mere 1½ hours! Perhaps we might consider twinning once again? Derek and Jan Holmes

Twinned clubs forge new link We were invited to attend what must surely be a unique event in the annals of Rotary. The Rotary Club of Pompei Oplonti Vesuvio Est in District 2100 (Naples, Italy) and its twin club the Rotary Club of Tarraco August in District 2202 (Tarragona, Spain) had decided to “sopar de canvir de collars”. This dual changeover was in Naples at the rather smart Villa Balke on June 22.

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Celebrating the Olympics

Hundreds of pupils take part in Games

The Mountbatten Centre was the main venue in this, possibly the biggest pro-ject in the history of the club, but we should not forget that finals were held at six other venues during the week. Primary School day on the Wednesday promised to be a considerable chal-lenge with some 1,200 four to 10 year olds having to be transported to and from the Mountbatten Centre, coaxed along in coachloads into the centre by grandfatherly/grandmotherly Rotarians and registered by even more. With Trevor in charge what could go wrong! Not even one was lost. The pupils were all assembled in the sports hall and a big powerful man named Lee Tindall (the schools’ sports co-ordinator) barked out instructions as to where each group should go and start their day of sport.

The excitement was tremendous with many never having been to any venue like the Mountbatten Centre and never been in a gathering of so many schools. The only ones with a slight frown were the instructors leading each sport with their youth leaders from senior schools. Frowns soon disappeared as everything got under way and, in many cases, the super-looking medals were handed out. Thursday was a doddle with only 800(!) senior pupils taking part. It was a much more competitive day with serious chal-lenges in all sectors. The track sports were interesting but hockey, netball and particularly off-road cycling caught my attention. No serious injuries reported but Mayank and his team were on hand to deal with any mishaps on both days. Friday morning saw the swimming finals at the Waterlooville Leisure Centre with about 200 competitors split into primary and secondary groups. This started with a race for tiny ones supported by floats and finished with some really talented seniors. There was lots of support from their parents, friends and the Mayor, Coun. Gerry Shimbart. In his interview with Expressfm the Mayor stated he had no idea how our Rotary club managed to organise such a major event and make it such a great success. Praise indeed. Well done all.

Peter Poulton (Turn to p6 and 7 for pictures)

Much has been said in club about the Havant Rotary School Games but the achievement of Graham and Chris in pulling it off so success-fully was of gigantic proportions. Just in finals week alone, well over 2,000 pupils competed in a vast range of sporting activities some of which I had never heard.

Masterminding the PR: Peter Poulton chats

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Looking forward

Plans for Rotary year revealed

Committees’ proposed budgets had been trimmed to take account of the amount the Fundraising Committee envisaged rais-ing, Club Assembly was told at the Bear Hotel on June 18. In the chair was new President Chris Heath. The President Elect is Stan Pike, and Junior Vice President is Malcolm Smith. Secretary Chris Fuller and treas-urer Colin Hunt continue in office. Also continuing in office is Fund-raising chairman Graham Smith. He said that money-spinners would in-clude the traditional Christmas events, but it was hoped to make the season less stressful. It was yet to be decided whether Tesco or Havant Garden Cen-tre should be the main base for Father Christmas. Other ways of raising cash being consid-ered included a fun run, the quiz, a golf day, e-Bay auctions, a race night and making more use of the facilities offered at Emsworth Horticultural Show. Chairman of the Youth Committee Mal-colm Smith said that plans included helping Young Carers and running the Lamont Youth Award, nominating young people for the Rotary Young Leaders’ scheme and organising heats of selected District competitions. The Foundation Committee, led by Mike Valentine, would continue the 49-club lottery. It was said that our chairmen

should be aware of cash being avail-able for certain projects in the form of Simplified Grants from a District fund. Gwilym Griffith, Community Service chairman, said that their activities could include the Hayling Island Three Churches Fete, Emsworth Horticultural Show, and the Drive Out for elderly peo-ple which has become an annual event, plus other no-cost services that came to the notice of members during the year. International Committee chairman Mike Sellis reported that projects being con-sidered included sponsoring the 12-year education of a disabled Nepalese girl and another protected spring in Uganda ‒ both through Rotary clubs in those regions; funding another Shelter-Box and continuing to support the Liter-acy Box scheme with contributions com-ing from the collection box circulated at meetings. The Club Adminstration Committee, headed this year by Stan Pike, reported that greater effort would be put into social visits and opportunities for fun events. Maintaining membership would remain on the agenda.

District directories now available on line or in PDF Only two copies of the District’s direc-tory and Handbook for the Rotary year 2012-13 are being given to each club. The saving to District will be about £3,000 to £3,500 in printing costs. The argument for the reduction also includes the fact that once printed, these directories are probably out of

date before they are issue. An up-to-date PDF version is available from District Webmaster Mike Chapman, [webmaster@rotary1110.org]. Members can then print the entire document [124 pages] or as much of the directory as required. There are no plans to print hard copies. Chris Fuller

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President’s Night

The three most successful racers when our club took 11 young carers to Bolwextric at Clanfield for a fun eve-ning of Scalextrix were … young car-ers! Graham, Trevor and Stan from Rotary and Vicky and Gina from Off the Re-cord, the local youth counselling ser-vice, had joined in with various de-grees of success. (Trevor and Gra-ham's misspent youth put them in good stead). We recharged our batteries with fish or pizza and chips. We were soon back in action and competition intensified as the evening wore on. Stan Pike

In the Rotary year that has just ended an aver-age of 35 of our 48 members attended each meeting, varying between 30 for the worst and 43 for the best-attended occa-sions. I keep a record of indi-vidual attendances if you want to know yours but I do not plan to publish these. However the best individual at-tendance was at 96 per cent of meetings.

John Baker

Kids enjoy day on the water

President’s Night goes with a swing

Attendance recorded

Young carers in Scalextrix win

Getting into the swing of things: Alan and Barbara Davies join in Rule Britannia.

Kids Out on the Water stalwart John Blake has been presented with a bottle of whisky in May to mark his 25 years of involvement. This year 136 children supported by 80 helpers, went out in 48 boats with crews totally over 100, all un-der the RNLI’s watchful gaze. The event held in Chichester Harbour is run by the Rotary’s In-ternational Yachting Fellowship. Alan Davies ensured their picnic lunch arrived on time.

dent of Havant Inner Wheel Beryl Mintoe and her husband Douglas. A delicious dinner was followed by dancing and some rousing com-munity singing was pro-vided by Steve Kings-lake. District Governor Caroline made the re-sponse to the toast to Our Guests.

Shirley’s President’s Night was held at the Brookfield Hotel on May 21. Our picture below shows, from left, President of our mother club of Cosham Roger Wilkins, District Governor Caro-line Millman, President of the Waterlooville Club Neil Clifton and his wife Sandra, Barbados South Past President Charles Briggs, President Shirley and her husband Peter Varnish, Presi-

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In the community

Kids Out is part of a nationwide Rotary event with each District providing cen-tral guidance to constituent clubs The weather had been horrific so it felt like something of a miracle to leave the school with the sun peeping through. Indeed the weather was kind to us all day. We arrived at the adventure park where maps were collected and children “firmly” told to stay in sight! The chil-dren’s paradise has everything from heart-stopping rides to gentle round-abouts. The latest addition of an area devoted to Peppa Pig was a delight to some of the smaller or less adventurous children while the Raging River Ride made up for it being a rain-free day. Dot and Colin Hunt could be located

wherever they were because their two young charges had the loudest screams in the park once they were on a ride. As always the park was also host to many of the clubs in our District and it was humbling to see how some of the clubs cope with children with serious physical and/or mental disabilities. There were lots of wheelchairs about but, cru-cially, many happy children. Then, after a picnic lunch, it was time to head back to school. I have to mention Deputy head Ruth Witton who organises the trip from the school’s end every year. Whatever the request from Rotary, she deals with it promptly and efficiently and is a huge help in the build-up to our Kids Out day.

Tony Cox

Kids Out Day, June 13, saw 13 mem-bers taking 17 children from Glen-wood School, Emsworth, plus five members of the staff and our guests ,the Mayor and Mayoress of Havant, Coun. Gerald Shimbart and his wife Elaine to Paulton’s Park.

Waiting for the coach: The Mayor and Mayoress Coun Gerry and Elaine. Pupils and helpers

Group goes to Kids Out day

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Club says thank you

Our retiring President Shirley Varnish was made the club’s 36th Paul Harris Fellow after she handed over the President’s collar to Chris Heath earlier this month. Chris’s first duty was to present her with the award. The Fellowships are given in perpetual mem-ory and honour of Rotary’s founder who es-tablished the organisation in 1905. Derek Holmes, who read the citation, said: “It is the view of our board that Immediate Past President Shirley, through her actions and commitment while President and her involve-ment in club affairs and the community, both locally and internationally, meet the criteria and accordingly we want to say thank you.”

New President’s first duty

Chris Heath presents Shirley’s PHF After obtaining her degree at Bangor University in Bio-chemistry, Shirley spent four years at Girton College, Cam-bridge, carrying out a research project and received a Doctorate. She and Peter, whom she met at Ban-gor, were married in 1968. In the early ‘70s, by then with two young children, the family went to Washington DC when Peter took up an appointment in the British Embassy, returning in 1979. With Peter’s deployment in the MOD they looked for a home with conven-iently located for access to the various MOD establishments he served. Rowlands Castle met the criteria and here they stayed. In 1981 Shirley became a science teacher at Oak Park School. Unhappy with the education system, a year later shemoved to Ditcham Park School to teach chemistry, physics and maths and became head of science after four years., staying until retirement. She then was invited to attend a Havant Rotary meeting where she enjoyed the experience, the friendly environment

and the buzz and joined in 2004. She has served on the International, Fund-raising, and the Youth committees, the latter then launching a number of initiatives including the MADD project in which her expertise and experience in education were very useful. In 2008 Shirley chaired International. She passionately believed in the philosophy of Microcredit, designed to enable indi-viduals in developing countries, in our case Malawi, by means of a small cash loan to establish a business or activity which generates income. Shirley visited some 20 clubs to promote the scheme District-wide and suc-ceeded in raising £25,000 to establish five banks. In 2010 Shirley became President Elect and chaired the club Administration Committee. Shirley said later she was astonished at the huge amount of work carried out by many members. Ending her year with the School Games was wonderful -– a real high. The memorable week had made the hard work worthwhile.

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Havant Rotary School Games

Horndean juniors won the award for the junior schools and a second for obtaining most points

for the school run

Celebrating the Olympics coming to UK

Final ceremony: President Shirley with the Mayor and Mayoress Coun. Gerry Shimbart

and his wife Elaine, and county Olympic torchbearers at Havant Leisure Centre

Setting up: Seniors at Mountbatten centre Stakes Hill Infant winners

Morelands won the primary school award

Warblington School won the senior award

Gala day: Swimming at Waterlooville

Get set: All ready for the school run

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Well, the 19 months that Graham and I worked on the Games are now over. Our special thanks to all our helpers and “volunteers” on the lead-up and during the week of the games. On the dismal Sunday, June 23, half the club membership and several la-dies from Inner Wheel helped set up, marshal and clear the one mile route at Staunton Country Park. To say we outnumbered the runners is no exag-geration. Helpers at the two Mountbatten sports days and the finale at Havant Leisure Centre amounted to three-quarters of the club membership. Thank you. A special thanks to three stalwarts: Peter for his excellent handling of pub-licity, Trevor for his fine detail and or-ganisation of the coach operations and Shirley for handling the concert, MADD, the Horizon Leisure staff and the last minute wheelchair guests. We would also thank our sponsors for helping with the costs and to Rotarian Frank Power of Brentwood club for his help in the production of tee shirts, lanyards and the gorgeous medals. We had help on the Thursday at Mountbatten from our mother club in the form of (Past) President Roger Wil-kins and three Rotarians. Now we can look forward to 2076 when we can do it all again!

Chris Fuller Break time: Concert trio David, Chris and Jas

Teamwork: Chris, Eve, Robert and Trevor

Problem solving: Mayant, Alan, Chris and Viv

Working lunch? Mountbatten centre duty

Sport for all: Events including athletics and hockey were held at the Mountbatten centre