REFLECTIONS OF MY PRESIDENCY IN A COVID YEAR
As the Rotary year draws to an end I am reflecting on the past year, the surreal situation we have been in but come to accept. A pandemic, lockdown, Zoom meetings and a long dark winter, I am thankful that my presidency gave me a focus during this period of time and thankful to be a member of a caring and active Rotary Club.
Judie's story continues at "Read More" below.
Contd:
Members have generously contributed the monies they would pay for breakfast at a weekly meeting to our charity account. This has enabled us to contribute to the needy food banks and a variety of charities, local, national and international. Fundraising events have been mainly on Zoom, quizzes, guided tours of Cambridge and London, a variety speakers. Our last speaker event was a fascinating talk by Andrew Green OBE, holder of the World Land Speed Record which raised £1000 for the local Air Ambulance. In total we have donated £23,000.
Zoom has been a lifeline and opened the World to us, linking up with Wahroonga, Bali, Bangkok and India. Coffee mornings, Cocktail party, Mad Hatters tea party, we have worked it. Whilst I look forward to face to face meetings in the future we will forever resort to Zoom, especially during the winter months, avoiding the early rise on cold and dark mornings, scrapping the ice from car windows, so this will be the new normal!
Our Handover Meeting is planned for 30th June, not on Zoom but out first face to face social meeting in 15 months, after the planned lifting of restrictions on 21st June.....hopefully? The location is the Chiltern Open Air Museum, around the Village Green amongst a variety of beautifully restored buildings from the Chilterns region. These range from a variety of cottages, a tin church, a wartime prefab, an old schoolroom and a couple of barns. We plan a late afternoon reception of Prosecco and canapes around the Village green, the Handover ceremony and the handover of eight smart and comfortable chairs that MM has purchased for the Museum. Plenty to Celebrate! All fingers crossed that restrictions are fully lifted.
Judie