The first six months of my session of being District Governor seem to have flown by with two District Council Meetings and two General Council Meetings as well as visits to over 35 Clubs.

The last General Council Meeting at Alcester was a very interesting one because the results of the Quinquennial Review as well as the 2020 Vision Group report were considered.  All pretty heavy stuff – but it was good to hear so much sense being talked about the future of Rotary in GB & I. This has resulted in a number of changes being proposed to the way RIBI is run.  Broadly, the impact on Clubs will be minimal but from an organisation perspective the changes are significant and will bring RIBI into line with the way RI is organised. A presentation is to be circulated to Clubs early in the New Year which will detail the changes being considered by General Council.  However, a summary can be seen by visiting the RIBI website at http://www.ribi.org/resources/reorganisation-of-ribi. The page can simply be found by clicking on Resource Downloads on the left hand side of the RIBI Home page. 

If these changes are approved by the majority of Districts, then they will be firmed up into some detailed proposals to go the Business session at the RIBI Conference in April.  The crux of the changes is that the Executive and General Council are abolished and replaced by a Management Board and District Governor Forum.  Further, the RIBI President is released form a number of administration responsibilities to concentrate on improving the public image of Rotary in GB&I as well as spending more time in Districts and with Clubs. 

The District Council meeting on 23rd November was one of the best attended in the history of District 1260.  All of the motions that had been proposed by the various Clubs on the subject of length and location of the annual Conference as well as those associated with the amount taken from the annual sub to support conference were well put, debated and voted on.    The only proposal that was agreed by the voting delegates of the District Council was that proposed by Harpenden Village Club that up to £10 per member could be used to assist with funding of the annual District Conference.   Members present at the meeting are to be congratulated on the business-like manner that they adopted for the whole proceedings associated with the motions. 

The Interact Club of Stevenage was successfully charted on  Friday 7th October at the Novotel, Stevenage - congratulations to all those that had worked tirelessly to make this Club a success, but  particularly to Rotary members in Stevenage and Iola Samuels – the District New Generations Chairman.  An excellent crowd of people attended – including the Mayor of Stevenage.

One quarter of the Rotary year has now gone – the whirl of activity continues!  The visiting of Clubs continues apace – including one where it was announced when I arrived that they were going to have their “Frugal Meal” on that night.  Well done to Wolverton and Stony Stratford for a very well organised meal of cheese, biscuits, bread and grapes – I thoroughly enjoyed it!  They were able to raise £180 as the food was donated by the local supermarkets. I understand from District Communities Chairman, David Cassell that several Clubs have either held or are setting dates for holding their own “Frugal Meal” events.