Latest Club News & Events

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Our speaker on Wednesday 24th February was our own Di King who took us with her on the journey of a lifetime to a Sub National Immunisation Day in Delhi last November. We had an hour by hour description in detail of the events and the impression that it had made on her. She found the short time that they were actually administering the vaccine a little disappointing, but she realised that the purpose of the visit was really to raise publicity. The local Rotarians were very active and undertake the immunisation days every two months. Well done Di for your achievement and for bringing back the banner shown below! - which we are told says "November 8 Polio Sunday".

Harrow Club's Quiz at Civic Centre
Several Club members and their wives attended the quiz organised by the Rotary Club of Harrow at the London Borough of Harrow Civic Centre on Saturday 20th February 2010. The quiz was mostly light-hearted, and although we had lots of laughs along the way we were delighted to find that we had come third at the end of the evening! The food was good and the wine flowed freely, and we had a most enjoyable time. Our only regret was our modest showing in the raffle at the end of the evening - perhaps we bought the wrong tickets!
 

Scholar Chris Hoyt strikes the right chord!
Our speaker on Wednesday 17th  February was Chris Hoyt, who is a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar  who is studying musical composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Chris comes from Tyler, Texas, which is halfway between Dallas(TX) and Shreveport(LA) and is a centre for rose growing in the USA. He worked as a church organist before taking up the Rotary scholarship. Chris talked about his family and his experience of attending a school where his father was the headteacher (not an easy ride!). He also listed the many places he had visited whilst he was here in the UK. A deeply committed Christian, Chris sees many similarities between the ethos of Rotary and the Christian way of life. After his scholarship is complete, he plans to return to Tyler and hopes to have some of his compositions played by the orchestras located just 100 miles away in Dallas. He seems well on the path to his goal since he had a composition played at a public performance just before leaving for the UK, and is now hoping to hear a performance of a work he has written whilst studying here. Asked about his music, he answered 'You can tell that I like a good tune!". We were most impressed with Chris and wish him every success in his future career in music.
 

A Big Thank You Card for a Big Thank You
President Lucille and Sydney visited a local school where the pupils wanted to hear more about the Rotary ShelterBox project. Lucille took along a video showing how the boxes are stored in Cornwall, assembled with their contents according to the needs of the geographical region that they are being sent to, how they are despatched and how they are put to use once they arrive at their destination. To show their appreciation, the pupils made this Thank You card and inside the card, they had all signed it. This is a good example of Rotarians taking their 'story' to schools and enlisting support in the community as a result. The school has now raised the funds for one ShelterBox and hopes to repeat the exercise in the near future.
 

Our Surprise Visitor from Yorkshire
On Wednesday 10th February, we had a Club Business Meeting at which we review the progress of all the Club's work over the past few months and agree the plan for the remainder of the Rotary Year which ends on 30th June. On that evening, we had a visit from Andrew (pictured above with President Lucille). Andrew comes from Yorkshire and is a member of the Rotary Club of Skipton. One of the privileges of being a Rotarian is that we are entitled to visit any other Rotary Club in the world. On this occasion Andrew, who was staying in the hotel attached to our venue, made a quick phone call and spent the evening with us rather than watch reality TV! As a result, he has many new friends in the London area, and will take back news of our projects and programmes back to his own club. Come and see us again soon Andrew!

Another Rotary Young Chef cooks his way to the London Finals
On 3rd February we were away from our normal venue, but earlier in the day there was Rotary work to be done. Here we see the North West London Rotary Young Chef Final winner who prepared a stuffed chicken breast wrapped in parma ham and served with rice and vegetables. In all, 10 young chefs had made it to the final although only 9 were able to attend the event on the day. Pictured above (left to right) are Rotarian Helen Antoniou who had organised the competition in North West London, the student who won the competition and goes on to the All London final at the college where Jamie Oliver studied, Westminster Kingsway College in Victoria, and the Worshipful the Mayor of the London Borough of Harrow, Councillor Eric Silver. Rotary is grateful for the provision of the resources of the commercial kitchen at Barnet College Grahame Park campus, where the event was held. We are also grateful to the two professional chefs, Tony and Kim, who judged the competition. More pictures can be found in the Club Photos section of the web site.

Chinese Meal coincides with Chinese New Year?
Although the Club's tradition is to go for a Chinese Meal on the first Wednesday of the New Year, the weather in early January produced so much snow and ice that the event was postponed. It was therefore on 3rd February that the members of the Club went out for their Chinese Meal at the Oriental Palace Retaurant in Stanmore. The food was up to its usual high standard with a very wide range of foods available. By the time the meal was finished, we were all "full to the brim" and ready to mark the Year of the Tiger which starts on  Sunday 14th February (which follows promptly on our St Valentine's Night Dinner on 13th February!)

Rotary Club of Southall Resurrected!
The Rotary Club of Southall  was resurrected with an Inaugural Meeting at the Crown Conference Centre, South Ruislip on Friday 29 January 2010. The Club was last seen in our District in the Rotary Year 1996-1997 (when Martin Ash was our District Governor). At that time it had just 13 members registered with the Club. In 2010, the club was launched again, but this time with 58 Founder Members. A number of Mayors and MPs were present amongst the 200+ attending the event, and all were entertained during the evening with music, singing and a variety of styles of dancing. Eight members of our Club attended the event and we were joined on our table by a member of Tottenham & Wood Green, and a member of Kingsbury & Kenton. We all wish the new Club every success in its renewed Rotary career.
 

Making a Wish for Children in Need
Our speaker on 27 January 2010 was Rowena Jaber who was a founder of the Wish Centre, a local charity dealing with what she described as the darker side of the raising of children and teenagers. One of the few charities that tackles the problems of child abuse - both sexual and mental - it specialises in helping children who self-harm for whatever reason. Rowena took us through three cases studies where children were self-harming because of problems at home and at school. She also showed us two videos, one of which had been made by a child that had been in difficulties. It takes time for the youngsters to build trust in the Wish Centre, but once they start to improve, they are soon back on the road to normal development. The Wish Centre is always seeking funds, and has received grants from Red Nose Day, BBC's Children in Need, and the National Lottery. The organisation is run with the minimum of staff and is deserving of support - as much for the problems it prevents as for those that it solves. Well done, Rowena and we wish you every success in your difficult task.

We Finally Say Farewell to the District Sports Cup
On Monday 25th January 2010, a team of our members travelled south of the river Thames to visit the Rotary Club of Putney. Since June 2009, we have had the District Sports Cup for the most improved performance in the Sports Competition held in our Rotary District. As mentioned before, we tied with the Rotary Club of Putney for the trophy, and so we took the trophy with us and left in in their safe keeping. Pictured here (left to right) are Immediate Past President Helen Antoniou in whose year the trophy was won, President Lucille, President Jonathan Nish of the Rotary Club of Putney, and Immediate Past President Chris Wyatt of the Rotary Club of Putney. Having been a best improved club, it is unlikely we will see the cup again next year, so we will have to find another way of collecting some more silverware!.
 

Haïti Collection Catches Editor's Eye
The Rotary Club of Northwick Park's collection at Morrisons in Hatch End on the weekend of 16-17 January 2010 for the victims of the Haïti earthquake caught the eye of the local newspaper the Harrow Times on 21 January to the extent that one of our collectors - Sydney Parker - appeared on the masthead of the edition that week. Also inside the newspaper was a full story. It reported, "The Rotary Club of Northwick Park was out collecting cash at Morrisons supermarket, in Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, during the weekend and a total of £3,000 will be used to buy shelter boxes (Shelterboxes) for the victims. Each pack contains a large tent, tools and survival equipment for a family of about ten people and is designed to provide accommodation for a year. Josephine Mediratta, a member of the Rotary Club, thanked customers for their donations. She said, 'It was an emotional experience to see £20, £10 and £5 notes being put into the collecting buckets'. "
 

The Work of the Family Division Explained!
Our speaker on Wednesday 20th January 2010 was Ros Reece JP. who sits in the Family Division in West London. Ros took us through the history of the magistracy from 1195 to the present, explaining the origins of Justices of the Peace and from where their power comes. JPs work for the 'good of the country' and are responsible to the sovereign rather than the government. Ros then introduced us to the Children Act of 1989 which is focussed on the welfare of the child and how courts are to protect their welfare. Family Division courts deal with Public Law and with Private Law. Public Law covers the Emergency Protection Orders (which last 8 days), Interim Care Orders during which reports are prepared and Final Care Orders which decide where the child shall be brought up. All of this information was particularly germaine given a current case in the news. Private Law allows individuals to bring applications, and Ros emphasised a recent case concerning grand parents, bringing up an illegitimate child as their own child, finding that they could not obtain a passport for the grandchild. The court also works on adoptions which Ros described as "a happy ending to a drawn out process". Ros's talk was all too short and most interesting, and delivered with the light touch of humour. We all very much hope she will visit again!
 

Ten-Pin Bowling Team Stretches the Sinews
 The Club managed to produce two Ten-Pin bowling teams for the District Sports competition on Sunday 24th January 2010 at the District Sports ten-pin bowling competition held at the Hollywood Bowl at Finchley in North London. Whilst the experienced Club bowlers turned out, we also had a bowler who had never seen the sport and never rolled a ball towards skittles before. The competition is not taken very seriously by our club, but we keep on turning out because it is so much fun. The photo here shows some of the members of the team (less our photographer) clearly having a good time. The event covers several bowling locations across London, so it will be a few days before we know our final position.
 

Let's Not Forget the Earthquake in Malawi
Malawi suffered a sequence of earthquakes in December, starting on 6th December,2009 then on 7th December and 8th and 12th December, with another quake on 20th December. Although none of the quakes matched the power of the Haiti earthquake on 12th January, they varied between 4.9 and 6.0 on the Richter Scale (each whole number on the scale represents a ten-fold increase in power over the previous whole number). With a club member from Malawi, we have been kept well informed over the need for help and the best way to help. The photo shows Ms Flossie Gomile-Chidyaonga, Deputy High Commissioner of Malawi in the United Kingdom with the Club's cheque for £250.00 towards the aid being provided through the government of Malawi. Ms Gomile-Chadyaonga expressed her government's appreciation of the support give to the people through Rotary International, and expressed her appreciation of the donation given by the Rotary Club of Northwick Park.
 

Harrow's Amazing Response to the needs of Haïti
Following the devastating earthquake registering 7 on the Richter Scale in Port-au-Prince, Haïti on January 12, 2010 at 4:53:10 PM (local time), Lucille led members of the Club out on a collection at Morrisons Supermarket at Hatch End, allowing members of the public to make a donation directly to an organisation that is active in Haiti. There are 17 Rotary Clubs in Haïti, and the clubs are being used by the Shelterbox Team to assist with distribution of the boxes. Haïti is a little larger than Wales, and has a population 3 times the population of Wales. One third of the population are currently homeless, and a Shelterbox tackles that problem head on. The Shelterbox contains a 10-man tent, 10 blankets, collapsible water containers, cooking utensils, tools for building/repairing, and materials to keep the children busy.
To see the Sky News feature on Shelterbox, please click here.
To see the Five Live News item on Shelterbox, please click here.
To see the Earthquake itself in Haïti, please click here.
To learn more about Shelterbox, please click here.
To make a Donation towards more Shelterboxes, please click here.
 

Another New Member joins Northwick Park
On 13th January 2010, President Lucille had the most enjoyable task of inducting Laura Wirth to the Club. After visiting the Club for several months, we are all delighted to welcome new Rotarian Laura, who will be on our Community and Vocational Service Committee. We wish her every success in her Rotary career and look forward to working with her. Her classification is Dental Practice.

Sue Shorter and Sounds Like Fun
Our " speaker" on Wednesday 16th December 2009 was Sue Shorter, whose subject was " Sounds like fun!" . Sue is an accomplished drummer who also plays flute, piano, violin and many more. She brought with her a range of musical devices and instruments, as well as a flock of soft-toy birds with their own bird-song generators and her family of lemurs (shown in the photo). With rain sticks, frog croakers and the occasional owl, we were asked to create the sounds of dawn in the rain forest. Sue played a voice drum and the mbira to accompany us. Although it sounds strange, we were all agreed that it was definitely fun and a most enjoyable evening for our last meeting in 2009. Well done Sue and we hope to see you again!

Freezing Weather Causes Cancellation
Normally in the week running up to Christmas Day, the members of the Club are out each evening in a different part of Harrow bringing the spirit of Christmas with their float,  seasonal  music and with Santa Claus. In 2009 however, there was a week of poor weather in the run up to Christmas, and although most of the snow, ice and slush had gone by Christmas eve, we were treated to a series of rainy showers on that evening. We are very sorry that our team was not able to be there for the many families that look forward to our arrival each year, but our Safety Officer ruled that the risk was too great for Santa and the members to take to the streets. Hopefully, we will have better weather in 2010 and we will be able to bring back the spirit of Christmas with our new float - pictured right - which was specially developed for Christmas 2009.
 

Queensbury Club Is Off to a Flying Start
During the weekend of 12-13th December 2009, we were helped by the new Rotary Club of Queensbury with our Christmas Collections at Morrison's Supermarket in Hatch End. The members of the Rotary Club of Northwick Park agreed that the new Club should receive the proceeds of our joint effort in proportion to the time the two clubs attended on collection duties. This was duly calculated by the Club Treasurer once the collection had been banked, and the photo here shows President Lucille presenting a cheque on Thursday 17th December 2009 made out to the Rotary Club of Queensbury's Charity Fund for £500.00 to President Navin of the Rotary Club of Queensbury.This will be the seed funding that will start the charitable activites of the new club, bringing relief and support to people in need.
 

Another Success with Harrow Homestart
Once again the Club put on a Children's Christmas Party for the Harrow Homestart Charity in Trinity Church Hall in Central Harrow. The guests of honour at the party were the Worshipful the Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Eric Silver and the Mayoress Evelyn Silver. A full spread was provided for the children (and their parents!) by the Club with the assistance of the Inner Wheel Club of Northwick Park, and the Club provided a professional entertainer to amuse the children. The event has now become a regular fixture for the Club and we are already looking forward to next year's event! Pitcured here are (left to right) Barbara - a volunteer from Harrow Homestart, Mayoress Evelyn Silver, President Lucille and Mayor Eric Silver. Homestart provides support for families with a child under five years old.
 

Our Thanks to Morrisons, Hatch End and all their Customers
The Christmas Collections moved to Harrow and Hatch End on the weekend of 12-13 December, and here we see some members of the team at Morrisons in Hatch End, supported by a member of the new Rotary Club of Queensbury. A Christmas Collection at Morrisons was a new venture for the Club this year, but we found the staff and the customers were most supportive of our work and our projects, and their generosity delighted us. On behalf of all the members of the Rotary Club of Northwick Park, we thank the staff and management at Morrisons, Hatch End for their help and support over the weekend, and we most especially thank all the members of the public who so generously supporting the charitable work of the Rotary Club of Northwick Park.
 

Our Thanks to Tesco, Harrow and all their Customers
The Christmas Collections moved to Harrow and Hatch End on the weekend of 12-13 December, and here we see some members of the team at the Tesco Supermarket in Central Harrow.  The weekend was mostly wet and very cold but the customers came all the same. The support of members of the public at Tesco in Harrow never ceases to amaze us, and their generosity almost matched last year's figure. On behalf of all the members of the Rotary Club of Northwick Park, we thank the staff and management at Tesco in Harrow for their help and support over the weekend, and we most especially thank all the members of the public who so generously supporting the charitable work of the Rotary Club of Northwick Park.
 

Our Thanks to Sainsbury's,  Kenton and all their Customers
The Christmas Collections moved to Kenton on the weekend of 4-6 December, and here we see some members of the team at our local Sainsbury's Supermarket.  In one weekend we think we saw the entire gamut of English weather, with warm sunshine (at the time of the photo) and a frost the staff of Sainsbury's also had an inspection from top management (which we hope they passed). The support of members of the public at Sainbury's in Kenton never ceases to amaze us, and their generosity just exceeded last year's figure. On behalf of all the members of the Rotary Club of Northwick Park, we thank the staff and management at Sainsbury's, Kenton for their help and support over the weekend, and we most especially thank all the members of the public who so generously supporting the charitable work of the Rotary Club of Northwick Park.
 

Variety Club's Easy Rider Campaign
Our speakers on Wednesday 2nd December were Neil and Pamela Sinclair, who represented the Easy Riders Campaign run by the Variety Club of Great Britain. The Variety Club is a children's charity that is supported by show business personalities, and not a " Show Business Charity" , we were told by former  " Chief Barker" Neil. The Easy Riders Campaign aims to provide wheelchairs to those under 19 years of age where no provision is being made. They have had particular success in the provision of sports wheelchairs for a variety of different sports, and have a number of Olympic hopefuls amongst their clients. Pamela and Neil proved to be accomplished and persuasive speakers for their cause, and the case studies shown in a brief video moved many members of the Club deeply. Given that this is also the chosen charity of the Mayor of Harrow, we are sure that we will be seeing them again before the end of the Rotary year. Well done Pamela and Neil, and we look forward to seeing you again!

A Third New Club in Less than a Month!
The trend for new clubs forming in London got another boost on 1st December 2009 when the third new club in less than a month formed in Surrey Quays. Surrey Quays is located in part of London that used to be docks, but since the development of Docklands, the area is now a mix of desirable low-rise housing with ample provision of shopping malls and restaurants. The Rotary Club of Surrey Quays Officers are shown here with District Governor Martin at their Inaugural Meeting. The Club currently has 22 members but a number of potential members are in the 'pipeline'. We all wish every success to President Ann and all of the members of this new Rotary Club.

Our Thanks to Waitrose,  South  Harrow and all their Customers
The Christmas Collections season is with us again, and here we see some members of the team at our local Waitrose Supermarket in South Harrow. In one weekend we think we saw the entire gamut of English weather, with warm sunshine (at the time of the photo), a near frost and a day of torrential rain on Sunday. That said, the support of members of the public at Waitrose never ceases to amaze us, and their generosity just exceeded last year's figure. On behalf of all the members of the Rotary Club of Northwick Park, we thank the staff and management at Waitrose for their help and support over the weekend, and we most especially thank all the members of the public who so generously supporting the charitable work of the Rotary Club of Northwick Park.
 

District Quiz Team Wins Through
On Wednesday 25th November, it was our District Quiz Team's turn to shine. There being no speaker on the evening, the slot after the meal was devoted to the District Quiz where we were pitched against the Rotary Club of Hendon. Our team, President Lucille, Stan and Mike and our scorer Sydney did the Club proud. Our team took an early lead, and despite a ferocious come-back in the final stages, they held on to their lead until the final whistle. Well done to all the team, and our thanks to Robert Morris who stood in as Quizmaster.

Another New Rotary Club forms in London
On 23rd November 2009, another new Rotary Club had its Inaugural Meeting. This time it is the Rotary Club of Pall Mall who meet in the Brasserie at the Institute of Directors at 116 Pall Mall, in central London on Monday at 6.30pm. Featured in the photograph (left to right) are Club Secretary Silvia, Assistant Secretary Kadour, District Governor Martin, Club President Caroline, Club Treasurer Manfred, Club President Elect Christian and Club Vice President Max. The new Club starts with 38 members, including our District Extension Officer Leonard! We all wish them every success in their Rotary careers and look forward to meeting the club of future occasions.

Bagel Brunch raises £300 for the Rotary Foundation
Some 60 people turned up to enjoy the hospitality and traditional cuisine prepared by the Parkers at our annual Bagel Brunch. This year, the District Governor Martin Gudde attended with Estelle, as well as many members from a variety of clubs from various parts of London. The food was up to the usual high standard and our thanks go to Lucille and Sydney for all their hard work in preparing the event. Furthermore, the proceeds from the event and from the raffle will go towards the Rotary Foundation. Well done to all those involved on organising another super event!

Beijing's Gain is our loss
Although we had a business meeting on 11th November 2009, we took the opportunity to say " Farewell for now" to our member Helen Boyle who is hoping to transfer to the Rotary Club of Beijing in District 52. Helen spent most of the Rotary year 2008-2009 in Beijing and contributed to our Club Blog (see rcnp blog) whilst she was there. She presented us with a Rotary Club of Beijing Banner, and hoped that we would be able to work with the Rotary Club of Beijing on a project for internal migrants who effectively have no source of income once they relocate within the People's Republic of China. Although our Club is participating in the Future Vision Plan pilot programme from 1st July 2010, Beijing is not, so we are hopeful that we can find a grant to help the project in Beijing. So we say Farewell and Good Luck to Helen

Dinner Dance Raises £1,400 for Easy Rider Wheelchairs
On Saturday  14th  November, a group of Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Northwick Park attended the Mayoress of Harrow's Fundraising Dinner Dance at the Harrow Arts Centre in Hatch End. The evening was a great success and raised - with a grant from Barclays Bank plc - some £1,400! Congratulations to all those at the Civic Centre and the Arts Centre for organising the event, and to the band who entertained us during the evening.

Sandy's Job Talk as an Assistant Governor
Our speaker on Wednesday 4th November was our own Sandy Myrants, who also acts as Assistant Governor for the North West area of London. Sandy gave a job talk, talking about her Rotary job as assistant governor, explaining what the job is and how one goes about it. Not everything runs smoothly in life, and it is the same in Rotary. However Sandy demonstrates the skills needed to be an assistant governor in a quiet and efficient way. There is a lot to do with helping develop the skills and knowledge of the new Club Presidents, and making sure that the changes that occur each year get through to all the clubs in an area. The treat for her is the District Quiz, as the Assistant Governor in an area becomes the questionmaster for the event in each area. Thank you Sandy for explaining one more piece of Rotary so clearly and so lightheartedly. Well done!

Quiz Night is a " Stinker" !
The Club held a Quiz Night on Saturday 7th November in the Blackwell Hall in Stanmore. The event was well attended with support from many local Clubs, including the newly inaugurated Rotary Club of Queensbury. The questions however proved too difficult for some of the participants, although others were not too discontent. Despite the eight rounds of " torture" , those that attended enjoyed the meal provided by Skipjacks of Queensbury who have clearly mastered the art of cooking and wrapping fish and chips without them getting soggy! If another quiz is held, the evening will be less demanding on the little grey cells!

Inauguration of the Rotary Club of Queensbury
Rotary rejuvenation is spreading! Pictured here is the birth of a new Rotary Club in our locality. At the table, left to right are Leonard Specterman, the District Officer responsible for setting up new clubs, the District Governor Martin Gudde who leads us this year, and Navin Varsani, President of the Provisional Rotary Club of Queensbury, and Tina Patel, Secretary of the Provisional Rotary Club of Queensbury. As the picture below shows, this is a club of active young Rotarians. and we will all be offering them as much support and encouragement as we can. The Rotary Club of Northwick Park was selected by the District Governor as a Sponsor Club for the new Rotarians, and we will be taking our role as sponsor very seriously. We all wish them every success and look forward to supporting their events in the near future!

Foundation Seminar fails to deliver the New Vision
Members of the Club arrived at our London Headquarters in Regents Park on 4 November to get details on the new Rotary Foundation Grants Programme called " The Future Vision" . However, the seminar which ran for two hours did not deliver information on what the clubs need to do internally before the new programme starts on 1st July 2010. The evening was described as an opportunity to put our views forward so that they could be discussed with the leaders of the Rotary Foundation at another seminar being held in February in San Diego, California. Many present felt that the design was a fait accompli for the first year, and some more technical information would have been appreciated. That said, the fellowship on the evening was good.

Another Project Gets Under Way ...
Most Rotary Clubs have a stock of bannerettes - a small token that they can present to visitors as a momento of their visit to the club. Similarly, when our members visit another club, we collect a bannerette and bring it back to our Club. The boards on which we display our bannerettes are looking a little tired, so President Lucille, supported by Sydney, has led the way by starting on a painting job. All the bannerettes are carefully removed, the hinges on the boards are replaced, and the boards are then painted prior to the bannerettes being carefully refixed to the board. All members in the Club agree that the bannerette boards create a special atmosphere at the meetings and serve to remind us of the second word in our title - Rotary International!

Another Delivery goes to Computer Aid International
Another car load of computers left for Computer Aid International in the last week in October. Many computers are being replaced now with the advent of the new version of Microsoft's Windows, and that means that there is plenty of work for the Rotary Club of Northwick Park collecting used computers,  clearing  down  confidential  information  and taking them to Computer Aid International. Computer Aid International does a professional job in clearing down the computers and shipping them to various countries in Africa where Information Technology Resources in schools are in short supply. Not everything is acceptable to them however, and they provide an up to date list on their web site at http://www.computeraid.org .

Shooting Stars tell their storey
Our speaker on Wednesday 21st October was Vernon Watts of the Shooting Stars Hospice for Children in nearby Hampton. Vernon described the history of Children's Hospices from the start in 1982 to the current 44 hospices in the UK. The Shooting Stars Hospice started fundraising in 1995, and opened its purpose designed facility to its first patient 10 years later. Vernon described the differences between adult hospices and child hospices in particular we heard about the respite services offered to the parents of the " life-limited" children. With just 10 child rooms, the hospice cares for 260 families, mostly through its outreach programme. With 92% of its funding coming from public support, Vernon has a major task each year in ensuring that sufficient funds are found for the hopsice to continue its work. With a wealth of facts and information at his fingertips - including programme changes announced that day, Vernon impressed us deeply. Thank you for a truly inspiring talk Vernon!

Fellowship Cup goes to President Elect Stuart
As we had a business meeting on 14th October 2009, we did not have a speaker. However, President Lucille awarded the Fellowship Cup to Stuart for getting everyone going to the District Conference at Eastbourne in order, and also for organising the open evening the Club held on 30th September 2009. Some 14   people visited the Club on that evening, and we are hoping to see them all again as time and opportunity permits. In the meantime, well done Stuart!

Scholar Noriko introduces Hiratsuka and their Rotary Club
Our speaker on Wednesday 7th October was our Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar Noriko Furuoya. Noriko Furuoya. Noriko took us on a tour that covered the basics of Japan and the four islands, the Kanagawa 'prefecture', her home town Hiratsuka City, and her sponsor Rotary Club in District 2780. We also had information on two projects being undertaken by the Rotary Club of Hiratsuka West. Hiratsuka has a beech where lots of people try surfing,  windsurf and scuba diving. To our great surprise, Noriko told us about the immigrant workers in her city who come from South America, making an ability in Spanish an important skill in some companies. Thank you Noriko for a most interesting talk. We look forward to meeting you at Eastbourne next week with the other Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars studying in London this year.

Group Study Exchange provides inspiration for Doug
With our president due to fly away for a break in the United States, and our Secretary and Treasurer away in Italy, it fell to our own Doug Try to organise the visit of the inbound Group Study Exchange team on the visit to North West London. Under Doug's capable leadership, there was a visit to Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden, a visit to the RAF Museum at Hendon, and a quick cup of tea at Sydney and Lucille's home. Then it was off to the Comfort Inn in Harrow where the team gave a presentation. In recognition of all his hard work setting up the day and organising the dinner, Doug was awarded the Club Fellowship Cup, complete with a bottle of wine. Well done Doug!

Kerry Sternstein receives a Paul Harris Fellowship
Kerry Sternstein, the deputy headteacher at Shaftesbury School in Harrow received a surprise Paul Harris Fellowship from the Rotary Club of Northwick Park on 7th October 2009. Kerry was sponsored by Rotarian David Parker, and was presented the Fellowship by President Lucille, watched by Noriko, for her services in support of the Rotary Kids Out Day in June each year. The Rotary Club of Northwick Park works on this project jointly with the Rotary Clubs of Harrow, and Edgware & Stanmore both clubs were represented at the Presentation. Kerry had missed a meeting at her school to come along to our Club, but those in the 'know' had told her that she would find the evening most enjoyable. In her response to the presentation, she confirmed that the evening had been in fact most enjoyable! Well done Kerry and thanks for all your help over the years.

Laura - an example of the best that youth has to offer
Our speaker on Wednesday 16th September was Laura Varsandan, the Rotary in London Youth Exchange Student who comes from Romania. Laura is here to perfect her english by studying for a year at a school in London. Laura comes from Arad, in the western part of Romania. She talked about her country in impressively fluent and colloquial english, dealing with the origins of the country, the geography, religion, science, culture and sport as well as the international personalities from the country. She then took us on a photo-tour of her home town of Arad, including her family, her pet (Sophie) and her friends. Chosen by the Rotary Club of Arad (founded in 1930), Laura is an outstanding example of the best that youth has to offer the world. We were all deeply impressed by her and know that she will work hard to succeed at everything she tries. President Lucille was the USA, so the chair was taken on this occasion by President Elect Stuart.

It will be Fun Fun Fun for Martin's Year as Governor!
Our speaker on Wednesday 2nd September was our District Governor for 2009-2010, Martin Gudde. Martin expressed his appreciation of the work done by the Rotary Club of Northwick Park and described us as one of the top Clubs in London! He urged us to help Rotary through its membership plateau by both finding new members and supporting new clubs. Although there are  no national or international project priorities this year, Martin urged us to concentrate on Youth Projects, on the Rotary Foundation and its " Thanks for Life" project, on having Fun in Rotary, on his project to feed AIDS orphans in South Africa, and on Kids Out. Martin chose not to sit at the top table during the meeting, but preferred to move to a different location with each course during the meal - a habit practised by our founder Paul Harris when he visited Rotary Clubs. Martin also talked about the District HQ in York Gate, by Regents Park and about how he joined Rotary. Well done Martin! - You know that you have our support during your year as District Governor.

Rotary to the Rescue
Many elderly residents in and around Harrow qualify for a government grant towards the cost of improving their home insulation, so that each pound spent on home heating goes a good deal further. One such person had received the letter confirming the grant and had also received an appointment from the insulation contractor. However, the grant was only payable if the loft was empty and clear before the contractor started. Many elderly people cannot clear their loft - in fact many cannot even enter their loft! One such resident contacted the Rotary Club through a personal contact and asked if they could help. This particular resident had bought his home 43 years ago, and the previous occupier had left a number of items in the loft. During 43 years, a number of items had been 'put up in the loft' but nothing had ever been taken out! It took more than two days to repack the contents of the loft and lower it through the trapdoor, but the task was completed in time and the elderly resident has now had his insulation significantly upgraded. The first photo shows a selection of the items that were in the loft. President Lucille was impressed by this story and decided to present the Club's Fellowship Cup to the two Rotarians involved as shown in the second photo. Well done to all those involved!

Cycling Home from Siberia
Our speaker on Wednesday 26th August was Rob Lilwall, who talked on the subject " Cycling Home from Siberia" . After teaching geography in an Oxfordshire secondary school, Rob felt the need to explore the world and see some 'geography' first hand. His journey started in Siberia and took him into Japan, South Korea, China, the Philipinnes Papua New Guinea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, China (again), Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium and England. The journey took 3 years (without any breaks) and Rob has an interesting story for each country. Needless to say, the journey has changed his life and has affirmed his belief in the enduring kindness of the individuals met on the route. His greatest danger was not wild animals or snakes or insects the greatest danger was the traffic! Rob also knows what goes wrong with bicycles and how to fix them! Well done Rob, you are to be congratulated. We look forward to hearing more from you at our District Conference in Eastbourne in October. You can see more at his web site Cycling Home from Siberia.
 

'Like Rotary on a Monument'
Rotary had to wait a long time for an opportunity to appear on an important platform in front of the public in London, but like London buses when an opportunity came along, there were two in very short notice! The platform in question was the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, and now Rotary has appeared twice on the plinth. The first occasion was on a Saturday morning when the Rotary Club of Amwell took the opportunity to promote its annual Duck Race taking place the following day in Ware in Hertfordshire. Inside the duck was Tim Manning, son of Rotarian Paul Manning from the Amwell Club. The second occasion was at a less favourable time - in the very early morning on Thursday 27th August. Rotarian Jasmine Morris from the Rotary Club of Hertford Shires took to the plinth at 4.00am dressed entirely in purple to highlight the Purple Pinkie aspect of the Polio Eradication campaign - The Purple Pinkie is the name given to the finger that immunised children put into a purple dye to show that they have been immunised. Fifteen minutes before the end of her hour, Jas received a phone call from the BBC Five Live and was interviewed at length on the programme. You can listen to the interview if you click here. Well done to both 'plinthers', and well done to all the Rotarians who turned up to support them - especially those who gave up a night's sleep in the process!

Don Merritt gives a Thanks for Life talk
Our speaker on Wednesday 19th August 2009 was Past District Governor Don Merritt (making it two PDGs in a row!). Don came to speak about important matters however, namely a new project for the current Rotary Year - " Thanks for Life" . In January 2009, Rotary International received a visit from Bill Gates he came with his cheque book and donated an additional $255m to our funds for the Eradication of Polio (he had donated $100m just two years before). $200m of the total $355m has to be " matched" by our fundraising, and " Thanks for Life" is the project to raise our share of the match. Since Polio is a disease that paralyses  children of school age, we are to contact schools and gain their involvement with the children's parents. Thanks Don for an informative talk on this important project. You can see our progress on eradicating polio by following this link to the Weekly Case Count. You can see Bill Gates addressing Rotary in San Diego by clicking on the link below.

Alan Coleman's Dry Humour favours Water Aid!
Our speaker on Wednesday 5th August was Past District Governor Alan Coleman. As usual, Alan brought his own dry sense of humour with him, and had us in fits of laughter. There was some doubt as to the topic that he was going to speak on, so he ended up speaking on more than one! As District Water and Sanitation Tsar/Specialist, he had come to talk about WaterAid, a charity supported by Rotary for many years. For £15, Wateraid guarantees safe drinking water for one person for their lifetime - a prospect he described as a " no-brainer" . He also spoke about the experiences of his own in club in recruiting new members. To find out how you can get an invitation to our Club on 30th September, click here. We also had our first meeting with our Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, Noriko Furuoya, who comes from near Tokyo, Japan and is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Hiratsuka West in District 2780.

Club meets new Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar
On Wednesday 5th August, the Club met our new Ambassadorial scholar for the Rotary Year 2009-2010, Noriko Furuoya. Noriko comes from near to Tokyo in Japan and is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Hiratsuka West in District 2780. Noriko is here to study Public Health for 12 months at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a school with which Rotary in London has had a long-standing relationship going back to the days of Dean Spencer. We all wish Noriko well in her studies and look forward to seeing her regularly during the coming year.

Mayor of Harrow has the right prescription
Our speaker on Wednesday 29th July was The Worshipful the Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Eric Silver, accompanied by the Mayoress Evelyn Silver. Eric was born in the East End of London to Polish parents. He has been married to Evelyn for 46 years and together they have two sons, two daughters -in-law and 4 grandchildren. The whole family takes part in his year as Mayor! Eric has been a Harrow Councillor since 1990, although he did have a short break from his post when his electors chose another. After the break, he was put straight back in office and is still there. He has done 114 engagements since the start of his year in May, and the job is a real 24/7 task. The part he enjoys most so far is teaching children about the Mayoralty. Earlier in July he visited Douai for the Fêtes de Gayants and celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the twinning of the two towns. His chosen charity for the year is Easy Riders Wheelchairs, a Variety Club project. Eric entertained us with many stories from his experiences as a Pharmacist, and had us in stitches! The meeting was further distinguished by the presence of the Chairman of the Inner Wheel Clubs in London, District 13, Valerie Bunn.

Business Carried Over from Last Year
Some business was carried over from last year at the meeting on 29th July 2009, and full advantage was taken of the presence of the Worshipful the Mayor of Harrow and the Chairman of the Inner Wheel Clubs in District 13, Valerie Bunn to make several presentations. However, the meeting started off with the induction of a new member, Mohammed Enus who has been a regular visitor to the Club. Mohammed was proposed by Pushpinder Wadhwa and inducted by President Lucille.

Next came the presentation of a Paul Harris Fellowship to John Cone, who has worked so hard on many of the Club's projects, and in particular on the Club's Community and Vocational programme for the past few years.

It was then the turn of John's wife, Rosemary Cone, who, apart from being very active in Inner Wheel also finds time to be a stalwart of the projects undertaken by the Rotary Club as well. Rosemary's father was also a Paul Harris Fellow and her citation and medal will take pride of place next to her father's in their home.

Last but not least was the presentation of a Paul Harris Fellowship to Margaret Billington, this year's President of the Inner Wheel Club of Norhwick Park. Over the years, Margaret has been a regular and energetic helper for the Rotary Club of Northwick Park, and without her assistance many things we have achieved would not have happened.

Ron Bishop starts new style Job Talk
Our 'speaker' on Wednesday 22nd July 2009 was our latest recruit, Ron Bishop. Many new Rotarians find it difficult to talk about themselves, so we had President Elect Stuart, with a big red folder, interviewing Ron about his life and his work. Ron talked about his early days and his time at school. Everything changed however when he discovered he had a talent for technical drawing, and that led to a course on production engineering at nearby Willesden College. His big break came when he was asked to set up a new subsidiary of RTZ. The company did well for a while, but was not a core RTZ activity and after a few years it was put up for sale. At that point he formed his own business building specialist bodies for commercial vehicles and never looked back. The current recession has been hard on vehicle body builders with the industry down nearly 70% on last year. Ron's optimism however seems as strong as ever. Thank you Ron for an interesting talk, and as you can see this time the photographer had film in his camera!

Visit to Local Artist's Studio brings on the rain
On Friday 24th July 2009 a group of Club members went to visit the studios of local artist Cheryl Gould (centre with the white t-shirt) in nearby Harrow Weald. Cheryl came to the Club as a speaker on 24th June and offered a guided tour of the three studios in her back garden. Despite the pouring rain, a group of eight of us were given the guided tour and we got to see the works of art that before we had only been seen as photographs. Given that Cheryl is principally a sculptress, seeing and touching the items made all the difference. Several members of the club expressed an interest in attending Cheryl's next course at the Harrow Arts Centre, so we are all waiting with baited breath to see if she can turn Rotarians into talented artists (apart from the Club member who is already a talented artist - of course!).
 

Rotary Year off to a cracking start
President Lucille got the new Rotary Year off to a cracking start at the District Council Meeting on 3 July 2009 by collecting a Presidential Citation signed by Rotary International President 2008-2009 D K Lee. The Citation was presented to Lucille by Immediate Past District Governor Wally K Daly. The Citation was awarded in recognition of the Club's successful efforts during the year when measured by the criteria set by the World President of Rotary International. Needless to say, the citation will have pride of place in the Club and will be on display at every meeting for a long time to come. Well done to all those who worked so hard last year!

President Helen completes her year as Club President
President Helen gave her address on the achievements of the Club over the past 12 months on Wednesday 1st July 2009, as her year as Club President came to an end. The club has had a most successful year, recruiting three new members with more to come in the near future, and reaching a record-breaking figure on its fundraising for its projects in the local community, in the country and in other parts of the world. After recognising the individual contributions of the members of the Club, she handed over the Club President's Collar to her successor, President Lucille at the start of what promises to be another record-breaking year.

3-Sapphire Sydney!
One of our Founder Members has been particularly busy over the past 12 months setting up and helping run the International Convention of Rotary International as the Treasurer on the Convention's Committee on Hosting. For the four days of the event from 21 June till 24 June 2009, Sydney had almost no time to sleep and reckons he walked many miles each day ensuring that the money was counted properly and that the events were kept open until the last minute. We were all delighted when President Lucille called Sydney forward to receive his pin with three sapphires in recognition for his work on what was reported as a most successful convention. During the four days, Sydney was shadowed by his successor who will be responsible for the convention taking place next June in Montreal, Canada.
 

Year Comes to an End with a Bang!
President Helen's (left) last task as Club President was to present Park High School with two Dhol Drums. The school has an active Dhol Drum group under the auspices of Lisa Harris (2nd left) who is the school's Curriculum Leader for Music. Pictured with her is the Dhol Drum tutor (3rd left) and three of the younger members of the Group.

The Park High School Dhol Drum group had been one of the most memorable performers at the Rotary Youth Makes Music concert held at the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank in March 2008.

We all wish the members of the group every success in the future.

Public Releations Team wins All London Award
The Club's Public Relations Team was recognised in the all London Rotary Club Public Relations Competition. Jo (left) had been particularly successful in getting the Club into the local press on a number of occasions during the year. Dick (centre) had worked on the Club's Web Site for the year, and the Web Site was recognised for the friendliness and ease of use. Ros (right) was recognised for her work on producing the monthly bulletin for the Club. Well done all three of you for being selected as the best team in the London District!

Teaching Art in Harrow get Cheryl Going
Our speaker on Wednesday 24th June was local artist and sculptress Cheryl Gould. Cheryl was determined to be a professional sculptress, but found it difficult to develop a steady income as an artist. To assist, she took up art teaching in 1981, and is still teaching today. Like many artists, she moves her studio from location to location as and when required, and in the process had met several members of our Club. Some members had also been her students. She now teaches a regular Life Class at the Harrow Arts Centre in Hatch End, and it would appear that one member of our Club is interested in posing as the model for the class! She describes her passions as being from Jesters to Icarus,  via Foxes to Falconry. A fascinating talk that is very likely to result in a Vocational visit in the coming Rotary Year. Thank you Cheryl!

Scholar Brad visits to say Farewell to the Club
Our Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar Brad Wilson came to visit the Club on Wednesday 24th June for the final time. He has completed all his examinations now and just has a 10,000 word dissertation to complete during the summer. Brad has been studying hard at the London School of Economics and has taken full opportunity of being located in London to visit a number of places during the year. We all wish him every success in his career, and asked him to take our warmest greetings and best wishes back to his sponsoring Rotary Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and also the members of his family.

Pictures from the Rotary International Convention
Between 21st June and 24th June, some 20,000 Rotarians travelled around the world to attend the Annual Convention of Rotary International, which this year was held in Birmingham. England.

The first picture shows the Convention Hall where the House of Friendship was situated. The hall was full of Rotary Projects and charities that are supported (or are hoping to be supported) by Rotarians around the world.

Amongst the Key Speakers at the Plenary Sessions of the Convention was Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki Moon. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was also a Key Speaker at the Event.

President of Rotary International until 30th June 2009 D K Lee saw a fitting end to his year of promoting the theme,  " Make  Dreams.  Real" .

Northwick Park Rotarian Sydney Parker acted as Treasurer for the Hosting Committee running the four day event.

Sydney was ably supported by the incoming President of the Rotary Club of Northwick Park, Lucille Parker.

The Relationship between Rotary and Charity
Our speaker on 17 June 2009 was a former member of our Club (until 1985) who had moved on to work away from our locale. Tim Lambert is now Chief Executive of the Electrical and Electronic Industries Benevolent Association,   (please visit http://www.eeiba.org) and came to talk to us about the relationship between a Rotary Club and a Charity. Tim started with a quick précis of the history of charities, starting with the Crusades and including Anthony Trollope's Barchester Novels (" The Warden" , 1855).  He then brought us up to date with the current situation by looking at the consequences for charities arising from devolution. He gave us the benefit of his own research into the factors that lead members of the public to support a particular charity and also described the sad outcome of a poorly worded trust deed for a charity. He spoke about the strategic use of charities by Rotary Clubs, and tackled the subject of chief executives' salaries. Thank you Tim for an insight into your profession, and a perspective which members of the public will seldom see.

Sports Triumph for Rotary Club of Northwick Park
Although our meeting on 10 June 2009 was a Club Business Meeting, we took full advantage to celebrate the fact that the club has been awarded a Rotary in London cup for the most improved club in the District Sports Competition - a prize that we are sharing with the Rotary Club of Putney (www.putneyrotary.org.uk). Pictured with President Helen is Andrew Baldwin who, despite his modesty, came in as runner-up in the District Table Tennis Competition. Not present for the photo session was Roy Juster, who came in as runner-up in the District Golf Competition, but as you see we managed to catch Roy during the meeting on 17 June 2009. Well done Andrew and Roy, and also to all the other members of the Club who have participated in sports competitions over the past 12 months!

District Walk Gets a Record Turnout
Some 37 Rotarians, Partners and Friends assembly at Bromley by Bow Underground Station on Sunday 14th June 2009 for another Rotary in London District Walk. The walk led by local guide Peter Finch took us through the Lee Navigation and the Lee River footpaths, taking in a diversion or two. We saw the interesting Three Mills distillery site - sadly no longer distilling gin - and the locations used by the television company Channel 4. We then moved up to the construction area that is going to the Olympics Site and then walked back to Bow via the Old Ford Locks. A really interesting walk with a knowledgable guide even if the scenery was a little industrial!

Kids Out Day - Fun and Rain!
Despite the poor weather forecast for the day, a group of 10 Club Members gathered at local schools to accompany a group of disadvantaged pupils on a day out at Thorpe Park in Surrey. During the day there was a heavy shower of rain, and most of the Rotarians and pupils got soaked. The difference was that the pupils did not seem to mind nearly as much as the Rotarians! The financial pressure on this event has mounted significantly this year with the Credit Crunch and the recession in the economy. The determination of the members of the Club however has ensured that the necessary funds were found, and the children had their day out. Planning for next year's day is already under way!

Gurkha Meal Event is enormous success
For many years the Club has supported a Gurkha pensioner living in Nepal who served in the Gurkhas but failed to qualify for a pension. In addition to the many members of the Club who took part in the dinner on 27th April 2009 who, with a raffle on the night, raised over £200, the owner of the restaurant volunteered his own donation to the Gurkhas of £100! Mohammed (pictured here with President Helen) came to the Club to make his presentation, and we all expressed our thanks to him. Furthermore, we are hoping to see him on a regular basis in the new Rotary year!!
 

Literacy is more than Reading the Runes
Our speaker on 27th May 2009 was our President Elect, Lucille Parker. She took as her subject " Rotary in London's work on Literacy" , a subject very close to her heart as she had a long standing role as a provider of books to a number of local schools. In the last 10 years, some 3 million children have left primary school without literacy skills. Many children who have missed out on reading are able to disguise their lack of skill and the problem does not get tackled until it is too late. A link has been established between Rotary and Volunteer Reading Help (www.vrh.org.uk). The organisation will provide free training, place a Rotarian in a local school for 1 - 1½ hours per week, and makes a charge on the school for the service. Alternatively, the Rotarian can approach a school on a personal basis and ask to participate in the school's own programme. The school would benefit, and thereby so would the local community. The question of CRB checks was raised in questions, and Lucille provided a plan of action for those wanting to take part. Well done Lucille, and good luck next Rotary Year as Club President and District Literacy Specialist!

Scholars Attend Farewell Tea Party
Ten of the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars currently in London attended a farewell tea party at York Gate on the evening of 28th May 2009. Amongst them was our own Club Scholar Brad Wilson, seen here in the back row with DG Wally K and Scholars Coordinator Mary Barrett. The Scholars spoke about their experiences during the Rotary Year in London, and also talked about their hopes for the future. Brad will be staying on in London during the summer so that he can complete his dissertation whilst the college's library is still close at hand. After that he returns to the USA and his next assignment. Before long, another group of scholars will be arriving in London, and once again our Club has been asked to host and counsel a scholar.

Spring Planting Proceeds at Northwick Park Hospital
Despite the difficulties, plans and revised plans for the garden area in the centre of the grounds of Northwick Park Hospital, it is with great delight that we see the Rotary Garden is still there and still being used by the staff, patients and visitors alike. On the weekend of the 23rd May 2009, a team of flexible Rotarians picked up their trowels and got on with putting out the summer bedding plants in the garden. After a little tidying up, the new plants were watered in, and the prospect of a colourful summer was secured once again. With fine weather in the forecast, the plants should get off to a good start. Our thanks go to all that took part in the working party.