New
president for Letchworth Howard
Letchworth Howard Rotary
Club has inaugurated a new president and vice-president under a
previously arranged job change part way through the Rotary year. Angela
Silver, who had steered the club from the start of the year, stood down
at the club meeting on Monday November 13, relinquishing her chain of
office to Paul Jeffery, her successor.
Stepping up to the role of senior vice-president,
ready in due course to take over from Paul, is Colin Green. Both Paul
and Colin have had experience as Letchworth Howard presidents in past
years.
Pictured at the meeting are Angela and Paul, his
neck bowed as he receives the presidential chain of office from Angela.
Meanwhile Colin Green tries his
new senior vice-presidential chain of office for size.
Rotary
and Inner Wheel dinner helps some of the world’s poorest children
Letchworth Howard Rotary
Club and Letchworth Inner Wheel have given some of the world’s most
deprived children a £500 Christmas present as a result of their joint
annual Christmas dinner on December 5, with another £500 coming from
matched funding from generous external donors.
The money is going to boost the work of Mary’s Meals, the charity
that serves nutritious school meals to children in some of the world’s
poorest countries. It was raised through a raffle at the dinner
accompanied by the auction of a glorious hand-made quilt created by
former Rotarian Mary Rawlins. The raffle and auction produced £480,
which one of the clubs’ members rounded up to £500. With the matched
funding Mary’s Meals benefits with a total of £1,000.
The event, at the Broadway Hotel, Letchworth Garden City, was
attended by some 60 people from the two clubs and their guests. They
heard a short talk about Mary’s Meals from Keith Mansford, one of the
charity’s volunteer helpers, and also watched a very moving film about
the charity’s work in Liberia and Haiti.
Mary’s Meals provides a nutritious daily meal to 2.3 million
children in 20 different countries. By serving the meals in schools
using an army of local volunteers it not only ensures the children
receive proper daily nourishment but also strongly motivates them to go
to school to help secure their futures.
Assistance to Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust
On Wednesday 3rd of August The Essex & Herts Air
Ambulance trust opened their new charity shop at 17 Eastcheap in the
town centre and the Letchworth Howard Rotary Club was invited to attend
on their special day. Rotarians Dawn and Paul Jeffery can be seen
2nd & 3rd from the right.
It was a well organised event with several of
their staff and other local dignitaries. The shop was well stocked
and a credit to them. They did a trial business open day in the
previous week and took £1847, the most they have ever taken in one day
so they will be likely to keep the lease for a while !
Letchworth Howard looks
to full programme despite pandemic
Letchworth Howard
Rotary’s 2020-21 president sees a bright future for the club despite all
the problems created by the coronavirus crisis.
That was the optimistic
message from Arthur Jarman as he laid out his plans for his presidential
year at the club’s annual assembly on June 1.
It was an assembly with a
difference, as members met for their second online meeting thanks to
Zoom and to club IT guru Colin Green who set it all up.
Members were delighted
to extend a big, virtual welcome to Mary Whitehead, District 1260
Governor, and Karin Weston, our area Assistant Governor who were logged
in to the meeting.
Taking his theme from Holgar Knaack, Rotary International
president-elect, Arthur reiterated Holgar’s motto for the year: “Rotary
opens opportunities”.
But he warned: “We need to prepare for: (a) being very optimistic, the
restoration of activities to pre-pandemic requirements; (b) as is more
likely to be the case, the introduction of social distancing and
procedures for hygiene; and (c) the transfer of activity such as the
quizzes or carol concert to online formats; or (d) the cancellation
permanently of current projects and their replacement by quite different
fund-raising activities.”
Nonetheless, using Zoom for as long as necessary, there could be a great
programme. Speakers from much further afield, and even abroad, would be
invited to address the club. Members could enjoy short talks,
performances, extracts from plays or concerts to enjoy together and then
discuss. We could review books or
television programmes.
When permitted, he would explore the possibilities for resuming regular
evening meetings over a convivial meal, suitably socially distanced if
necessary, with our normal venue.
“I’m sure,” he said, “we can meet all the challenges and together live
up to the Rotary International Theme for 2020-21.”
District Governor Mary Whitehead paid tribute to the way the club had
moved into the digital era.
“You should be proud of yourselves,” she said. The club had achieved so
much in the past year under outgoing president Angela Silver and there
was so much it was planning to do.” You’re a small club, but you’re
thinking outside the box. I’m really proud of you.”
Area Assistant Governor Karin Weston said it was lovely to be with
Letchworth Howard again, albeit in a different format. She hoped to
return to enjoy some of the speaker meetings via Zoom, and was
especially keen on using that to bring in speakers from further afield.
She was also very interested in any plans to run the club’s regular
fund-raising quizzes online via Zoom.
She was, she said, “very impressed” with how the club was approaching
the coming year. She made a
special plea for the club to keep Foundation and the End Polio Now
campaign in its sights in the light of their appeals for members to keep
funding them.
Overall, she saw Letchworth Howard as “very forward looking” as it
looked to keep going in the best way possible.
Letchworth Howard
deals hospice a winning hand
Bridge enthusiasts played their cards right on
Friday March 13 when Letchworth Howard Rotary Club’s bridge drive raised
over £500 for Garden House Hospice Care in Letchworth Garden City and
other Rotary charities.
The annual event has long been a fixture on the
local bridge playing calendar and, despite the possibly inauspicious
date of Friday the 13th, was once again thoroughly enjoyed by all who
took part.
In addition to the bridge tournament, there was
a raffle that alone raised £180 and participants also enjoyed a
sumptuous home-made afternoon tea prepared and served by Rotarians and
their partners.
The hospice is the principal beneficiary from
the event, while other Rotary charities will also benefit.
Pantomime outing fun
Local
children receiving support from Home-Start Hertfordshire, the charity
that helps young families through challenging times, again enjoyed a
happy outing to the pantomime this January with a helping hand from
Letchworth Howard Rotary Club. Much fun was had by all, as you can see
from the Home-Start Facebook page below. We’re glad everyone enjoyed it.
Mentalist keeps
Letchworth Rotarians and Inner Wheel members guessing
Astounding feats of mind-reading left members
of the two Letchworth Rotary clubs – Letchworth Howard and Letchworth
Garden City – and Letchworth Inner Wheel both bemused and entertained at
their joint pre-Christmas dinner on 2nd December.
Working with audience members picked at random mentalist David McGuire
kept everyone guessing as he unfailingly identified seemingly random
numbers and words picked by his volunteer helpers.The
evening, at the Broadway Hotel in Letchworth Garden City, was organised
this year by Letchworth Howard. It also featured a lively
musical entertainment from the Bygrave Handbell Ringers. The
early Christmas spirit among diners resulted in £382 being raised for
Garden House Hospice Care in Letchworth through a raffle, the auction of
two splendid patchwork quilts made by Letchworth Howard member Mary
Rawlins, and, to conclude the evening, the sale of table decorations
created by fellow Letchworth Howard member Val Aitken.
Letchworth
Howard event helps young cancer sufferers
CLIC Sargent,
the UK's leading cancer
charity for children, young people and their families, will benefit by
more than £800 thanks to a Christmas concert sponsored by Letchworth
Howard Rotary Club on 27th November. The event,
Sounds of the Season, featured City Chorus, one of the area’s leading
musical ensembles, with a programme of Christmas music old and new
performed at Letchworth Garden City Free Church. Among
the highlights was a performance by local recording artiste and YouTube
star Eirra of her own composition
Alive. She is one of the many young people CLIC Sargent has helped.
She received a rapturous reception.
With hot mince
pies – generously donated by the Letchworth branch of the Morrisons
supermarket chain, which has made CLIC Sargent its charity of the year –
and wine and soft drinks on sale to complement the glorious music,
audience members were lavish in their praise for what was widely agreed
to have been a terrific evening.
The photographs show the full Choir, and
of Eirra giving her performance.
Letchworth
Howard scores bullseye for Hospice
Letchworth Howard Rotary Club scored a
bullseye for Garden House Hospice Care at the club’s darts marathon
evening on 14th November, which raised over
£3,500
with the Letchworth Garden City based hospice the principal
beneficiary. Other Rotary
charities will also receive donations as a result of the event.
The event
attracted well over 100 participants, with 19 teams of five darts players
and scorer competing to see which could score the most in an hour.
So popular did the evening, at
the Broadway Hotel, prove that the darts had to be spread over two
sessions to enable all the entrants to take part.
The pictures show one of the top-scoring
teams, the wonderfully named We Drink and We Throw Things, the ladies’
team Just a Trim, and an entry from Letchworth Howard Rotary Club
itself.
The last photo shows a winner of one of the many
spot prizes, with that T shirt nobody argued !
A smiling welcome for
Letchworth Howard’s new vice-president
It was smiles all round
at Letchworth Howard Rotary Club’s November 4 meeting when new
president-elect Arthur Jarman was formally inducted as vice-president.
Doing the honours is the current president, Angela Silver, while club
secretary John Bush looks on approvingly. When he succeeds to the top
role next year it will be Arthur’s second time as club president.
Arthur is a former top
executive with the National Union of Teachers and has been a local
councillor in North Herts and a governor of the Letchworth Garden City
Heritage Foundation, the charitable body that is responsible for
ensuring the continuing vibrancy of the world’s first Garden City,
maintaining its distinctive atmosphere, and devoting the profits from
its large property and farming portfolio to improving well-being in the
town.
Letchworth Howard
keeps it in the family
It
was all in the family at Letchworth Howard Rotary Club’s handover
evening on Monday July 1 when president Tony Silver stood down at the
end of his year of office – to be succeeded by his wife, Angela.
The sun shone – mostly – and threatened rain held
off as Rotarians and guests enjoyed a garden party at the home of club
member Colin Green and his wife Karen to mark the Rotary year end.
Among the guests were representatives from various
organisations the club had fund-raised for during the year, who were
presented with ceremonial cheques. Sue Plummer, chief executive of
Garden House Hospice Care in Letchworth, received a cheque for £2,883;
Faith Hojeer from Herts Home-Start, the charity that helps families with
young children, was presented with a cheque for £500; and Ray
Shakespeare-Smith, chairman of Helping Herts Homeless, received a cheque
for £205.
The club also welcomed Sean Abbiss and Peter
Mountney, winners – both on points and in level of sponsorship moneys –
of its darts marathon evening in November, who were presented with their
prizes.
The event came a day after club members had enjoyed
a fascinating visit to the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance base at North
Weald, which left everyone far more knowledgeable about the invaluable
work of the air ambulance service. The only sadness was that the
ambulance normally based at North Weald had been called out just as club
members arrived, continuing its vital life-saving work rather than being
available to inspect.
The pictures show:
1. Guests at the Garden party.
2. Darts winners Sean Abbiss (in the dark shirt)
and Peter Mountney receive their prizes from outgoing Letchworth Howard
president Tony Silver.
3. Sue Plummer, chief executive of Garden House
Hospice Care, with Tony Silver
4. Faith Hojeer, from Home-Start Hertfordshire,
tells Rotarians and other guests a little more about the charity.
5. Tony Silver presents a ceremonial cheque to Ray
Shakespeare-Smith, chairman of Helping Herts Homeless
6. Having told guests that the Rotary president’s
chain of office was actually deceptively heavy around the neck, outgoing
Letchworth Howard president Tony Silver has difficulty removing it as he
passes the presidency on to his wife, Angela.
Club gains
Rotary public relations award
Letchworth Howard
Rotary Club has been named winner of the 2018 public image award in
Rotary District 1260, which covers 59 Rotary clubs across a wide swathe
of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Mike
Thorpe, the district public relations supremo, was a guest at Letchworth
Howard’s meeting on Monday April 1 (and no, it wasn’t an April Fool
joke) to present the trophy shield. Our picture shows
Mike (right) presenting the award to a clearly very happy David Walker,
who is responsible for Letchworth Howard public relations.
Letchworth
Howard quiz raises £1,500
They may not have known
all the answers but enthusiastic quizzers came up with the right result
on Saturday March 30 when Letchworth Howard Rotary Club raised around
£1,500 for charitable causes.
The principal beneficiaries from the club’s
annual quiz night will be Garden House Hospice Care in Letchworth Garden
City and Mary’s Meals, the charity that provides a sustaining daily meal
to over 1 million schoolchildren worldwide who would otherwise stay
hungry or be unable to attend lessons.
With 14 teams of eight players, St George’s Church
Hall was filled to capacity as they tested their knowledge across a wide
range of topics and enjoyed a luxury ploughman’s supper during the
midway interval. The fund-raising was boosted by a raffle that
contributed £243 to the total.
The picture shows contestants enjoying a good
tuck-in as they get their brains in gear for part two of the quiz.
Race fans
deliver £400 prize for Letchworth Howard pantomime outing
Letchworth Howard Rotary Club’s annual pantomime
outing for under-privileged children was the clear winner at the club’s
race night on January 26, which produced net proceeds of £400 to pay for
this year’s visit to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Gordon Craig
Theatre, Stevenage.
The evening included a bumper raffle which saw one
lucky punter have no fewer than three of the tickets in his strip of
five drawn for a prize. He
insisted that two of them be discounted and tickets re-drawn.
Working in conjunction with Home-Start, the charity
that helps families with young children, the club had already taken 22
local children and nine accompanying adults to the Gordon Craig show
earlier in the month.
Hospice scores again at darts marathon
There was another great score for Letchworth
Garden City’s Garden House Hospice at Letchworth Howard Rotary Club’s
darts marathon evening, which raised an estimated £2,000-plus for Rotary
charities with the hospice the principal beneficiary.
The event, at the town’s Broadway Hotel on November
15, attracted some 70 participants playing in 13 teams across two
sessions in a lively, fun-filled atmosphere.
The full financial results will not be known until
January when all the sponsorship monies come through, but the total is
thought to have been at least £2,000, including about £250 from the
raffle.
The club has another charitable event coming up.
On January 26, is a race night to raise funds for
the annual pantomime visit for under-privileged children organised by
the club. Other Rotary charities will also benefit.
Tickets are £10, which includes supper (though it’s
bring your own drinks). The evening starts at 6.30 for 7.00, See our
Special Events page for details.
|