Since the Rotary Club of Retford last met on 16th March, a lot has happened. Fortunately, modern technology has been able to play its part whilst lockdown rules prevent normal club meetings. Video conferencing using Zoom has meant that both the members and in particular the officers and its ruling body, the Club Council, ‘meet’ regularly.Members have agreed to allow the club’s Executive Committee to spend up to £250 on immediate worthwhile causes relating to the coronavirus situation. So far, £250 has gone to Bassetlaw Hospital towards purchasing iPads, etc (to help patients contact relatives), £216.67 to the hospital for staff overnight goods, £100 to Retford Oaks School for their face shield project, £250 to Women’s Aids and £250 to the Rotary Club of Sheffield Vulcan for their face shield project.
Meanwhile, an application has gone to Rotary District for £750 to support Bassetlaw Food Bank. If accepted, the club would ask members to approve match funding making £1,500 available.
The AGM was another victim of the lockdown. Voting was by email to agree on next year’s (ie from 1st July) honorary members, a vacancy on Club Council and members for the Percy Laws Memorial Fund Management Committee (members replaced every three years in rotation).
This PLMFMC has donated £1,000 in a joint venture with Retford Lions towards purchasing a bicycle for a 16 year old girl in East Markham suffering from Holistic Cerebral Palsy.
President Adrian has also given two talks using Zoom technology. The first was on a visit to India and Nepal. This was primarily as part of Rotary’s programme to eradicate Poliomyelitis but also included some sightseeing including a visit to the Taj Mahal and the foothills of Mount Everest. The second was on his work in Myanmar post cyclone Nargis in 2008 for the Rotary charity ShelterBox.