The Brickhills Rotary Club

As you know, it's been a strange weekend but how good it was to have the opportunity to visit The Brickhills today. Rtn Tracey Smythe (Hitchin Tilehouse) accompanied me to the MK Dons Stadium where this Club has recently relocated to. A stunning setting and a superb environment at the Hilton Double Trees hotel.

Some of you will remember that The Brickhills chartered in 2002 and is what was described as a 'new model' Club. This means that they have to meet only once per month. I was very interested to see how this would work and how they have been able to generate the fellowship aspects of being a Rotarian with this model.

President Elizabeth led the meeting - as you would expect is was a business meeting as are all of their 'official' monthly meetings. Each service area was reported on and decisions taken for implementation of plans for Club activities. What was clear, was that everyone has a voice. There was plenty of banter proving that the 'fellowship' I thought might be missing was there in abundance.

Elizabeth explained to me that the Club has only one formal meeting but that there are social and fundraising activities happening at all times through any one month. The use of technology has been fully embraced and members are kept abreast of activities and opportunities through email and the Club website - a really efficient mechanism.

The Brickhills run an event service - they are available for hire! The service is a Casino Night...  basically, if you are running an event (fundraising/ promotional or just for the fun of it!), The Brickhills Rotary Club can provide entertainment for your guests. The Casino is set up (large tables or small) and guests can 'bet' with chips that at the end of the night result in different prizes (paid for by the event organiser) being won depending on what the organisers are looking for. For example the person with the most 'chips' might win or the person with the least! It could be a team prize or an individual one - just decide what you want and have a fun filled experience...

Another excellent fundraiser is their Teddy Bear Tombola... over the year, Rtn Helen (Club Sec.) collects teddy bears from all sorts of places such as eBay, jumble sales, free-exchange groups and so forth. These are then brought to the Club, the members take a selection home with them to check over for suitability and to clean the ones to be used. A really easy idea that enables a high interest tombola to be run in the Community Area of the Centre-MK - brilliant idea and so simple...

Check out what's happening at The Brickhills on http://www.brickhillsrotary.co.uk/