Posted by: Amanda Watkin in DGs Blog, 2010 on
Oct 09, 2010
The next few days are clear of Rotary Club visits. Just a Conference Meeting scheduled for Thursday 9th.
Today (Wednesday) I am taking my nephew by to University in Leicester. It's always good to spend time with my niece and nephew, they are 19 years old so you can imagine have lots to say and always have an opinion to share! Sam is studying Journalism, who knows whether they'll be an jobs at the end of his course but at least he has a plan... my niece Beverly is definitely Rotary focused - she regular helped Hitchin Tilehouse with Lend-a-Hand and having moved now to the Orkney Islands (she is a nanny) has already worked out where the Rotary Clubs meet - won't be long before we get her to join!!
Posted by: Amanda Watkin in DGs Blog, 2010 on
Oct 09, 2010
After a late night I was up early to take my Dad to hospital for a cataract operation. Just day sugery but nonetheless something that's going to stop him from digging the garden for a little while!
It was good to spend some time with my parents (mum and I went garden centre shopping whilst dad was having fun...) but there's always something to do as DG, so it wasn't long before it was time to go home once more and get ready for a visit to Luton North Rotary Club.
Posted by: Amanda Watkin in DGs Blog, 2010 on
Oct 09, 2010
A new week is upon us and it's time to get back to Club visits... lunch time was a quick drop-in to Hitchin RC to deliver their Thanks for Life materials. AG Pamela is delivering to AG John's clubs and I'm making sure Pamela's clubs receive their materials; we don't mind mixing and matching roles here you know!
Prior to my evening meeting with Hitchin Priory Rotary Club, Rtn Noel picked me up and took me for a Conference AV Meeting. It's important at this early stage that we consider how the on stage technology for Conference is going to work. We are fortunate to have technicians from the Spa Conference Centre supporting us but that's only half the story because we also need a stage manager. Past Rotarian Keith Warren is fulfilling this role and he is being fully supported by Rtn Tim Ray to make sure we cover all angles to give you the best expereince we possible can in June next year. This meeting has given Morag and I an opportunity to explain what we are looking and for the 'experts' to explain some of the technicalities that are required to achieve our vision - great fun!
Posted by: Amanda Watkin in DGs Blog, 2010 on
Oct 09, 2010
A day of rest! Especially as last night Hitchin Tilehouse held one of their infamous Foundation fundraisers - Tipples and Tongues...
This event was a wine tasting with a difference - dessert wines and puddings yum, yum! The team worked so hard, erecting portable car-ports and gazebos, preparing the puddings and food for the evening BBQ.
Posted by: Amanda Watkin in DGs Blog, 2010 on
Oct 09, 2010
Today is a special day as I received an invite from Luton Rtn Jack Durrah to visit Bletchley Park and today was the day we had booked.
Jack and his late wife have been collecting Churchill memorabilia for over 40 years. His collection is amazing; a giant exhibition of the life and times of Sir Winston Churchill, who visited Bletchley Park on many occasions during the War. Churchill famously said of the workers at Bletchley Park that they were 'The geese that laid the golden eggs - but never cackled'. Jack's privately owned collection has many rare and interesting pieces and his fascinating stories just add to the whole experience.
Posted by: Amanda Watkin in DGs Blog, 2010 on
Oct 09, 2010
I'm looking forward to today; meeting with Janet Peirce at lunch time and then on to meet with Assistant Governor Gavin Plews leading nicely to a night out at a 25th wedding anniversary celebration for one of my own club members Rtn Steve Wilson and his wife Tracey.
Janet and I like to get together from time to time for a general catch-up but specifically at the moment to talk about progress with our RIBI Membership Marketing grant. The clubs in the Luton zone are working together to complete a membership drive in their area. Janet wrote our initial application and we have subsquently heard that we have been successful in securing the grant (amount not known yet). The next stage is to put the detail down and plan the campaign to get maximum involvement from all of the Clubs and attract new people to consider joining Rotary - it's a big challenge but once we've completed it the first time, we'll be able to roll the model out across the District and hopefully have learned lessons to make it even more successful.
Posted by: Amanda Watkin in DGs Blog, 2010 on
Oct 09, 2010
No Club visits scheduled for this week so time for a couple of days off which is great!
We've been spending time in Cambridge looking after Liz's mum who is poorly, so that has taken me away from internet connections and the email - not a bad thing really as I'm able to work through my inbox and file/delete all those messages that have been psychologically labelled as 'work-in-progress'... Of course when I get home again, the system delivers another 40 - 60 a day to keep me on my toes!
Posted by: Amanda Watkin in DGs Blog, 2010 on
Oct 09, 2010
As I said, today was meant to be a holiday but I have to tell you that I was not disappointed by arranging to meet Rtn Dr Bob Thurlby of Hitchin Mimram Rotary Club. The purpose of our meeting was to look at something called The Climate Change Game that Bob had told me about when I visited his Club back in July.
Bob explained how working with the Sustainability Institute he has been involved in the creation of a computer game in which 3 teams of players make policy decisions on their CO2 emissions and then see what impact these decisions will have on global temperatures. At the heart of the game is a dynamic climate model which explores the impact of CO2 emissions and global temperatures.
Posted by: Amanda Watkin in DGs Blog, 2010 on
Oct 09, 2010
Time away from Rotary is planned for the next few days. So we're off to Cambridge without the laptop!
I had in fact planned for a whole week off, but the diary gets a bit tight so where I've penned in 'holiday' for the coming week, some of that has already been taken up with Rotary business bookings! Oh well, good job I'm enjoying this so much...!
Posted by: Amanda Watkin in DGs Blog, 2010 on
Oct 09, 2010
Work and emails, work and emails, work and emails then Thanks for Life conference call - good day so far...!
This evening Rtn Alan is escorting me to Dunstable Downs Rotary Club. Their venue is familiar to many of us, in fact it might be a good place for me to leave my sleeping bag - that's right it's Tilsworth Golf Centre...
