There were over 200 invited and all volunteers in the town at The Copthorne Hotel. The evening started with a child choir with signing and then they played as a steel band.  The meal was fish and chips and very nice, while we were eating Elvis sang some of his best hits.

After the meal there was a raffle and as the prize tickets were drawn Mayor Christine could name all the winners from memory, very impressive.  There were a couple of singers to finish a most entertaining evening.  I hope the next Mayor is at least half as good if so Slough should be in good hands.

It was the first meeting of the new committees but I am unable to attend as we have some friends staying with us.  Perhaps it is just as well to let the new management get started without undue influence. 

Saturday was Stroke awareness day at Sainsburys and we had an excellent turnout.  It is interesting to note that the number of people in danger of a heart attack is getting lower, in years past we have referred several to hospital in real trouble.  That is good news however, there were still a dozen or so that need to go to their own GP soon for a check-up.

Got some good pictures must find time to put them on the web gallery.  

The Hotel is booked this week so we meet in our alternative venue the Crown.

The tables are laid out in the form of a tee and it works quite well.  This week we have planned the meals better with a pre-printed order menu.  That also works, and as there are a few guests it is just as well.  The meeting is relaxed and we get through the business quite quickly.  There are a number of questions and I think it becomes a game, not letting me push things through without a discussion, pretty healthy that.

Ray makes an impassioned plea for Rotarians to get involved with projects and particularly the walk, I am delighted with the way he has taken over and put some fire into the organisation.  The new teams are all agreed without issue and things are looking hopeful for next year.

Surrinder is in good form to finish the meeting with his joke and I am sure he will do an excellent job with the Stroke awareness next Saturday. 

What a relief that we are back to normal, there was a really good feel in the room tonight and I am relaxed.  Sad that Rajini is traveling to Sri Lanka for a few months but delighted that she introduced two potential new members.

It was a very nice meal with a couple of extra guests and Ram was back from the Eye camp in India where we have supported his efforts in managing 120 cataract operations.  So that is 120 people that can see now that could not before.  Makes you feel that some things are good and worth fighting for.

Lots of projects coming up the Walk so I need to update the web site as soon as I finish this.  Then the golf day and then Terry is doing another of his when I was a reporter talks.  Really happy that we are firing on all cylinders again. 

The Hotel put us down in the cellar again this week, but it worked fine as we were working in Committees the separation was helpful. Had to shout a bit for announcements but I can do that.

Can not really believe that already we are planning the end of my year, no doubt I will have to write a short speech so I need to think just what have I been doing for the past few months.

Some good stuff though Val is planning a charity parachute jump and Simon got mugged into doing a job on the meeting organisation.  Still if you never get involved you never do anything.

Need to get busy with the Slough Together Walk coming up and then the Golf day needs planning, I better get stuck in.

Had a couple of very difficult weeks with a problem member in the club, not getting into any detail except to say it has taken a huge amount of time and energy and my phone bill is broken.  Hope all that is behind me now and we can move forward and focus on the enjoyable business of doing the Rotary thing.

Went to a great party on Friday that was put on by the Slough Inner Wheel I am sure that they will make a lot of money for good causes.  It was somewhat chaotic but then trying to herd 230 people will do that.  Great fun.   

Good turnout following a couple of weeks disrupted by the District Conference.  Quite a lot of items to get through, but a number of good ideas arise and the pace is comfortable.

It is amazing but we are planning already for the next management team and how to improve comunications and marketing.  Had a meeting with Burnham Beeches to consider working together in the future on perhaps grants and things like Youth Speaks.

The council meeting fell into this week as well and again that was lively with some diametrically opposed views expressed.  However, most of the good stuff will go forward and the duff be left behind.

I am going to miss all this in only a few months.

Well we took 25 Rotarians from Slough many old timers but 5 first timers. It was a pretty good event in the BIC although 3 days of sitting on those seats is enough.  It started with a flag ceremony of all the presidents walking onto the stage and being welcomed.  The theme is Peace through Service and a number of the speakers were keen to follow this subject.

Sir Max Hastings was excellent and took us through his book on the second world war but from the truth perspective.  Some very uncomfortable facts emerge about who did what to whom.  It really makes you think, just how far some Rotarians are prepared to go in the name of, service above self.  A number of awards were presented, sadly none for Slough.

All the meals were very nice and Mary did a good job on organisation.  The travel was very easy as Peter did the driving for us.  A good weekend all in all. 

25 of the Slough Rotarians are off to Bournemouth this weekend for the District 1090 Conference, so for the rest it is an opportunity to visit other clubs and make new friends.

Slough Rotary celebrated its 80th. Anniversary since the original charter in 1932 and there were over 70 members and guests invited to enjoy the evening.  DG Judith and DG elect John Mayor Christine Presidents Ian and Keith and of course the Inner Wheel in force.  Several guests were very welcome and the evening all started badly.

The photographer was caught in traffic and arrived long after the original plan to take a picture of everyone.  Move on.

Well we got it going and the food was excellent, the Mayor wished us well and I did a bit on the original team that set up the club.  Good stuff.  DG Judith was generous with her description of our efforts while awarding Slough its 80 years certificate from the Sakuji Tanaka President of Rotary International.

I then presented some long services awards on behalf of the club to Rotarians with service above 25 years. Robin has 39 and Geoff has 50 in all a wonderful commitment of Service Above Self.

In line with the Valentines touch we then had 6 Rotarians talk about their Rotary Moments for a couple of minutes each.  This worked really well and it is amazing how old and new members can have so many contrasting views that get them to the same place.

The raffle and the adverts were amusing and Surrinder made us smile with his joke.

Then the photo, well of course everyone was getting tired and ready to go so it finished in a muddle, but you know I’m not sure anyone noticed, so perhaps if I don’t say anything, no one will notice.

A really excellent first 80 years.

John the District DG elect joined us tonight to introduce himself so that we would know who he was next year when in office. Good plan.

It was a fun business meeting and somehow it was fun.  All the reports were short and to the point and injected with a hint of humour.  The business does get done and all the Rotarians are aware of what we are doing but most of us enjoyed the experience.  It was lovely to see Mary relaxed and laughing again.  Most of the business was discussed at the Council meeting on Tuesday so it really was just to bring all the rest up to date.

The high spot is the report on the Rotary Slough High Street shop, we have given away the best part of 30,000 books and worked with a number of local charities.  So far we have not missed a single Saturday and a good number of locals think it a valuable service.

Nice to see John though.

Being the fifth Thursday in the month as usual we invite the wifes and ladies of the Inner Wheel to join us in fellowship.

We put back the Burns Night Haggis from last week to allow the ladies to enjoy it. This week we also had Jessica doing her My Job speak presentation, and this was really interesting all about her journalism specialising in herbs. It was amazing what can be done with herbs and Jessica has written many books about them. There were a lot of questions and great interest from all.

This was following the Haggis meal which turned out to be stuffed inside chicken pieces and absolutely delicious. Now usually we follow the address from Robbie Burns but as it came inside the chicken I was not ready and quickly had to pass on to Terry who was to do the address. Well he really on top form and was very entertaining in his Scottish and then English translation, quite difficult to tell the difference.

In short a very good night enjoyed by all including Fiona.

Still very cold out there and a few of our number are away skiing or in the winter sun. Then the main road is being dug up and a new gas main going in so long delays. There were also a few no shows due to over running meetings or just forgot to go.

However, when you are down to 10 and all sitting round one table it gets quite interesting as everyone can hear what is being said and the discussion about Conference was enjoyed by all. We also have an 80 year charter celebration to plan and that was very actively discussed. All the time though there is a humorous theme running but somehow without damaging the content, and as the meeting was simply fellowship it worked very well.

No doubt all the hard work going on behind the scenes at the moment the planning and scheduling and staffing will come together in the next couple of months

I allowed a couple of jokes this week and that was fine, but we mustn’t get carried away. Great fun, with good food and good company.

Well I made it but not very friendly outside.  The snow is here and looks like staying for a while.  There are a few members away at this time of year and a few sensibly decided to stay at home, so we were down to 16.

But it was lively especially for committees, particularly as there is not a lot to be managing yet this year.  That will start to build up though as we get going with the Walk and the Golf Day.

Food again excellent and as I switched the meeting around to finish and then move into committees it was all very relaxed.   

Had a couple of weeks off, and pretty much done nothing. Now trying to get focused again and kick start the New Year.

It comes thick and fast a Council meeting on Tuesday, the Weekly meeting on Thursday and our Away Day on Saturday, then the Innerwheel Frugal Supper Saturday evening.  It is just fun, fun, fun.

This weeks meeting was really good the food much improved back to where it was and every one seemed refreshed and ready to go.   

This year we had a super dinner at the Grovefield Hotel with the Salvation Army Band.  It all worked very well and the singing was excellent.  Lovely to catch up with a few guests and past members.  The food was good and it looks like it will be a good run into the Christmas week.

On that note a Very Merry Christmas to all.  

It was going so well until we got to the core of the meeting, the Standing Order Proposal, it is a trivial matter that should be proposed discussed and then voted on. Somehow, it was very heated and there was more passion than necessary. However, it was discussed and a free vote taken and in the end carried 21 to 8 (72.4% for) and the 6 month trial will start next year. It will be reviewed after 5 months to see how it is progressing and if any fine tuning necessary.

On the plus side a cake was donated to Slough Rotary for the first year anniversary of the high street shop, this was a super idea and a very nice cake. The surplus cake will be distributed in the shop on Saturday, wonderful.

The Rotary shop event last week to bring all the caring bodies and local government in Slough together worked very well and was great to be at, but it has also generated a donation of £500 for local charities. It gets better and better.

There is such a lot going on all the time these days and every one working to try to improve working relations within the club and with other clubs I guess there will be tensions from time to time. We have a Christmas party next week and then a break let’s hope it is all good next year.

Merry Christmas to both my readers.

I was early to the Hotel as Val was having trouble sending me pictures of some of the recent events for the web site. Fine, that worked ok and I wanted to be early as the speaker Diana Coad needed to be met and looked after.

Well, Amanda arrived and explained that Gordon was not coming as he was unwell. Ok would she manage, yes of course she would but Surrinder is on holidayas well and I do not know who is standing in for him. Ok we get on with it but it all falls on Amanda.

Doug has been away sick for a few months and it nice to see him again, Maura has brought him I cannot believe it must be 20 mile out of her way, what a fantastic gesture.

We have a speaker Diana and having pushed the meeting along with a lot of help from Fiona President in Inner Wheel, Diana proves to be a hit very funny and interesting telling some rambling stories of her life without all the politics.

Amanda is on again as guest thank you, and almost as funny certainly very entertaining.

I do the Birthdays just to give Amanda a rest and David wins the wine in the raffle but we do not have it as Gordon is ill, must try to remember to ring him soon to make sure he is ok.

Then there is some finance sorting out, as a couple of, no shows, cause us to need a cheque but the treasurer is away. I pay by cheque but it shows that something needs to be done to improve the system.

Andreas is back from Germany and he stands in for the Surrinder joke, he has a wooden tie that in itself is worth a laugh. This Rotary club must be at the leading edge of nonsense, oh but it is fun.

First meeting since returning from Holiday and I have walked into a wall of noise about the vote. That is to say who can and who cannot vote for a minor change in the way that we collect annual subs and meal costs. The discussion is not about the change but about who can vote.

This seems silly, if we want to change the procedure that is what the discussion should be about, not who can vote.

So the council agree to change the voting procedure to ensure that all members can vote, and I hope we can look sensibly at the management of change.

I made a point about cash systems that you cannot pay cash for a car now over £10.000 and was advised that it is now £7.500. Anyway, either way it will be a majority of all members of the club that decide.

Amazing how quickly two weeks can go past.  But back now, and need to read all the email about 400 awaiting me mostly junk or Rotary stuff so I will need to get reading and deleting or the other way around.

There is quite a lot to do on the web site as well so better get an early night and start tomorrow.

On Wednesday the District Governor Judith was doing a Motorthon to celebrate WORLD POLIO DAY.  So that required attending the gathering at the Pines to present the cheque with Robin, Marlene and Surrinder.
 
Then an invitation from our friends at Burnham Beeches Rotary to attend their inauguration of a new Interact club at Burnham Beeches Grammar School.  This meant missing my Slough meeting but that was fine as it was committee’s night.  President Ian did the introductions and moved into the process.  The new members of the club are students all aged about 12 years and there are about 10 of them to start the club.  Their confidence and demeanour throughout the event was remarkable particularly during their speeches and acceptance.  Watch out for a future Prime Minister.  Good food good company an excellent meeting.

Tuesday was then the club Council so that went on a bit as there is a lot to discuss but not too late.

Then it is Wednesday again and an Orange sector training meeting with the 1090 brass teaching us about Foundation Future Vision.

Next it will be Thursday again and another Rotary meeting this time at the Crown so that will be fun.
 
Then two weeks away on Hols.

I knew we had a guest this week so I left early to be there in plenty of time, trouble is Slough in traffic at 5.45pm is silly and it takes twice as long to get there. When I arrive I realise that I have forgotten my glasses and so am blind. I meet a lovely lady Manisha from Mumbai district 3140 but have to worry about seeing the agenda. Amanda has also brought a guest Tracey and she has some reading glasses and will lend them to me, saved.

The meeting is fine but the food seems very slow, I press on with the business as I want to get to Ramesh who is going to do his job speaks presentation.  There are quite a lot of items different Rotarians want to raise and then Inner Wheel President Fiona wants to add another, ho hum. Well I get Ramesh on and he tells us about a very tricky and difficult job in the voluntary sector managing various different sections and situations.  He makes light of it but it is a vocation and he does it very well.

It is very interesting finding out a bit about Mumbai and it could be possible that they want to find an exchange partner club, we will see.

A good number of us got up at 4.00am to be in Farnham Common for the coach at 5.00am and a smiling Colin the driver. We set off on time and made the ferry at Dover then on down to Cabourg. On the way we stopped to view the Pegasus Bridge, very interesting, and a couple of times for necessary breaks. The dinner in the hotel was one of the best for quality and very enjoyable.

The next day we were off to Bayeau to view the tapestry and it was just as I had been lead to believe it would be at school, magical. A nice French lunch with a glass of red and then a bit more sightseeing. The evening was scheduled for the Presidents Reception to be followed by the Banquet. It all went pretty well and my address was ok I think I got away with it.  A very nice Chateau at La Cheneviere.

Saturday rained a bit so we changed the plan and went into Caen for some shopping and local sightseeing, all very easy and stimulating. On Sunday we start to return journey, the bar on the coach is doing quite good business, and we stop at a Calvados Ciderie for a tour and lunch all very acceptable. No trouble getting to the ferry and the sea is smooth again. Colin has kept up his amusing dialogue and the banter on the coach is excellent.

Everyone seems to be on time, except one or two, we get started and I am trying to push the business along so that we can get into the meat of the evening the committee meetings.  We have a guest, one of the Innerwheel ladies and she is always welcome as they all are.  However, they do know how to talk.

 I press on and am reminded that one or two of the lady members have not received their new Bling Rotary Pins, we have them and so let’s just do it now.  Good.  Again I am trying to move on but there are quite a number of items Geoff is very quick as he has a sore throat, but then it is about an Innerwheel item.  Kavasha has an excellent real other club visit to tell about in South Africa.

Following the first course, I ask Tom to do his amazing live translation of the French sister club paper for those of us that are lacking.  It is very amusing and simply brilliant.  We push on and John talks about this blog, most of the members have not found it yet, but Pinstripe Phil asks if there is a comments facility, not yet but a good idea I must work on that.

Then we finally get to the Committee bit, all in a Rotary meeting.

Lovely meeting this week, we started with the induction of a new Rotarian Simon who is keen to get involved and able to do so.  He made it clear that he was quite capable of standing up for himself and gave a short but entertaining overview of his past.

This was followed with a presentation by Captain Bob Marshall, we thought about bomb disposal but actually about the VC and George medals. Captain Bob is currently President of the Chertsey Club and distributed some hand-outs that were very good, might have to steal that idea.   The talk was fascinating, interesting and very absorbing.  Most of us had no idea about much of the detail how these medals were won and why.  It was really well presented and made very easy listening.  

We have a quiz coming up and he may well join us with a team for that, excellent. Well done Captain Bob and Simon.

It is an interesting time in RI now, having spent years learning how to get projects through the Foundation system, it is to be simplified.  Robin, our Foundation expert does an excellent job in presenting the changes using Powerpoint but there are many questions and I have to stop the discussion or we will be at it all night.  It will be fine I am sure but we need to find out more detail and then follow up as we can.

Went to a Slough Council for Voluntary Service (SCVC) meeting yesterday on Sloughs Future Priorities in the Masonic Hall and met lots of important power players.  The information was interesting and informative, not all good, but not all bad.  If we know what is lightly to be happening then we can plan and try to make the most of what we have.  The financial situation is not going to be better for a while so it is important that we maximise the use of that which we can raise and working together with other groups to spend it well.

SADSAD had their annual Games last week, just wonderful, and presented me with a framed thank you, but Ram has done all the work over the years, so I presented it to him tonight.  I like this job.

Not sure the Slough Rotarians had thought it through when they asked me to be President. I play a bit of golf and it sort of gets in the way of quite a lot of events.  I try to plan around it but stuff keeps happening.
Got home yesterday and found over 300 emails waiting for me, nice.  Many are junk but of course it is finding the important ones that takes the time. There is quite a lot going on at the moment with planning projects and liaising with the council and I have not been to the shop for a few weeks.
I have quite a few Rotary photos to put on the web site but again it all takes time to do the work.  It sounds like I am making lots of excuses so I better stop. 

Today is the fifth Thursday of the month and we have a Fellowship meeting this time with a speaker Eveleen Hatch.  Eveleen is a specialist in PR and we hope will help give us ideas as to how to improve the clubs image.

Well to start with the Hotel also have an event on and there is no parking left for Rotary, they have not informed us and to top it all we are put down in the cellar.  This is usually not a problem but we have informed them the numbers of nearly 50.  Well it is a squeeze, and far too late to change anything so we get on with it and make the best of it.

To be fair the food is very good and with the additional guests the mood is fine. We wiz through the business items, and move on to the presentation.  Eveleen is very good and there are a lot of questions, we all know a bit about PR but there are some simple obvious approaches that she explains.  Much food for thought and a lot we can do if we can get our heads around it all.

Surrinder has a cracking joke to finish with and no problems getting out of the car park now.
Note to self:-  the Hotel have to be better at communications than that, need to let them know.

What a lovely Mayor we have in Slough, she and her daughter, Mandy managed to survive a Fellowship meeting this week with very good humour and seemed to enjoy themselves.

There were a number of wife’s and guests including Inner Wheel Present Fiona so I expect trouble.  We inducted two new members Andreas and Daljit who will fit well into this growing and professional club.  The ladies were awarded the new Rotary badge a bit more bling according to some.

 
Jeremy did his jobs-speaks and was very entertaining, interesting and erudite. Amanda then followed up with a fantastic thank you.  It all passed very quickly for me and I hope that the Mayor enjoyed herself as much as she indicated.

It was nice to get away for a week, with the guys, playing golf albeit in the rain. Marlene the Vice stood in and by all accounts did a good job, which bodes well.

 
Came back to find that the website had been Hacked and taken offline. It is very disappointing that some idiot is targeting a charity site presumably for some kind of gain.  All that really happens is that we cannot communicate for a week, and I get to spend many hours recovering the code and data.  However, I think it is all back now so nothing lost.

Had to plan a bit this week, on Wednesday we had a Club Council meeting but the usual venue at the Farnham Common Sports Club was already booked so me meet at my house. Everyone is on time and my wife is very good with providing us with coffee and biscuits and we set off at a pace.  However, there are a number of tricky issues and we get a bit bogged down.  It is difficult to keep the level of detail to a minimum and still get to the nub so that we can evolve a solution.  It is a good meeting and we make good progress with a number of items for me to follow up on.  I need to get busy tomorrow. 

 
Thursday, is a Fellowship meeting and the food is very good in the hotel. There is a good noise and hubbub so I think everyone is comfortable with the chat.  With only a few notices we quickly get to the final joke, it goes very well and we finish on time.  I get one or two come and thank me for keeping to time, so that we can all get home and catching up on the Olympics.   

We meet at the Crown Inn in Crown Lane this week as there is a wedding at The Taplow House.
As a committee meeting I expect a lower turnout, however the pub has been refurbished and is much lighter and more than usual turn up, excellent.

The owner has setup 3 tables one for each committee and the spacing proves very effective.  One or two of our Rotarians have, how shall I say it, loud intrusive voices but this layout works very well.

 
I decide that we will do all the business first together with toasts etc and I think achieve some sort of world record.  This also works well and permits the separate committees to get on with their business items and the members to leave as they will without having to wait for a final procedure.

We have a guest Rotarian, back from having moved to Stranraer in Scotland, he enjoys our meeting and we swap good wishes.  We finish well on time and I am pleased at the format and the pub where the food was very acceptable.

This morning I joined two other Rotarians Mary and Jessica and we went to a local school to distribute English Illustrated dictionaries to the students. This is always a wonderful and most enjoyable task meeting the staff and the pupils and seeing the different ways that they receive the dictionaries. Some love them, some are indifferent, some are not quite sure how to deal with them at all. Food for thought, but we are assured by the staff that they are well received and always worth it.

This evening it was the first Fellowship meeting under the new management. It was a nice meeting; I love our meeting place at the Taplow House Hotel. The food is usually very good and the staff want us to enjoy ourselves. There is a good flow and much banter, I am beginning to enjoy being president. The Surrinder joke is managed in the same vein by Ram this week (as Surrinder is recovering from a back operation, get well soon) and it seems to be an approach that is very amusing.

First meeting as President tonight and realised that the chain weights a ton.  The meeting starts and we have Judith Diment District Governor on her first of 63 club visits to talk to us.  Information begins to flow and the weight of the chain is forgotten.  It is a business meeting and there are quite a lot of announcements as well (we are a very busy club) but we get through them ok.

The meal is good and the conversation is interesting we learn a lot about what District is doing and Judith seems very interested in what we are doing.  There are a number of ideas and projects that we agree to follow up on and keep in touch. Judith has some tickets for the Paralympics and will take some disabled children with her.  Some of the information on this web site is not as up to date as it could be on Polio eradication, need to get that up to date.   

 A number of the members want to make points and there is a good feel in the room, one of the key factors for me this year is getting everyone to enjoy Rotary.  So far so good. Nice to get the regalia off though.

Funny old day

This evening we went through a procedure where Past President Richard passed the regalia over to me and all of a sudden I am President. This is a great honour and I wonder if I can live up to the high standards set by 80 past presidents!  Then the Inner Wheel President Fiona interupts the meeting to sell her wares to my Rotary members and I realise I have a new set of concerns.

Looks like it could be a very interesting year with lots of events planned and I want everyone to enjoy their Rotary while we contribute to the Local 50%, National 25% and International 25% charities.

There are a number of potential new members which is really exciting and I would like to get the best ideas out of them while growing the club.

Past President Richard said that he felt he was just steering the club for a year and was trying not to do much damage, I agree and think it is a big responsibility.