Interact at Melton Vale College support EyeGaze
Interact
is a small group, affiliated to the Melton Mowbray Rotary Club,
comprising only four students, all of whom are in year 12 at MV16. They
decided to support Birch Wood’s project to raise funds for the Eye Gaze
program to support extremely disabled students. Eye Gaze is a piece of
software which allows students to control the computer with their eyes.
Once they have mastered the technique it allows them to communicate,
operate a variety of programs and have a voice.
Interact raised the £750 through two main activities. The first was a
Cake Stall at Melton market. This raised about £90 despite the market
being cancelled due to bad weather; families and friends were persuaded
to buy the cakes! The main fund raiser was a quiz, held at MV16 and
with the very popular quizmaster Richard Angrave. Interact held a
raffle and provided soft drinks and a huge variety of cakes. The
evening was well attended with about 80 quizzes - and great fun.
The Interact group plan to continue into the Autumn term, to support
the new year 12 students whom, we hope, will take over as committed and
enthusiastic Interactors.
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A change in approach by some local schools and colleges
to students’ art work and the examination system meant that Catmose College was
the only organisation to participate in this year’s Young Artist Competition
organised by the Rotary Clubs of Melton Mowbray and Melton Belvoir. While
the reduced numbers were disappointing, the very high standard of work
presented by Catmose’s students was impressive and very pleasing.
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| Intermediate Winner – Mara
Bradbury-Harrold |
Intermediate Runner-up – Oliver
Pound |
Intermediate Runner-up - Freya Morton |
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| Senior Winner – Shannon Sage |
Senior Runner-up – Rosie Bangs |
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Another new member joins the club
As
well as the three new members who joined the club on
20th May, we were delighted to welcome another new member, Siobhan Lane
who joined on 10th June. Siabhan runs a bridal shop in
Melton. She was introduced to the club by Ian Neale.
These four new members will all be members of the club's satellite group,
helping develop enterprise in the town as a primary part of their
activity.
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Mock Interviews, Harington School Oakham, June 2019
Three members of the club have helped out at Harington School,
the post-16 college in Oakham. The school is now 4 years old,
and continues to grow rapidly. They have about 130 students in year 12 this
year, all of whom are preparing for their next steps in life, be that
to university, other colleges, oir direct into employment. An important
part of that preparation is developing their skills in interviews and
writing CVs.
The school has brought together a team of about 30 adults who conduct
mock interviews with each of the students, putting them in the
unfamiliar situation of talking about themselves, their achievements
and ambitions to people they have not met before. Constructive
feedback is given, both orally and in writing.
Over a week in June, members of the Melton Rotary Club helped with this
activity. We all found it extremely satisfying. It is great way to
support in our community.
The school is growing rapidly and a larger team of interviewers will be
needed next year. Talk to one of our members who took part if you
would be willing to help in future. |
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Another successful day at the races!
26th May saw this year's Melton Duck Race take place in the Melton Play
Close park. Our club members are grateful to those who sponsired
the ducks, raising about £1200 for the club's funds. These go
towards Rotary's own charity, The Rotary Foundation, and other
activities supported by the Melton Rotary club.
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Three new members join the club
On
20th May we were delighted to welcome three new members into the club,
all of whom will be part of the satellite group within the club:
Shelagh Core Business Promotion, running the town's BID team, sponsored by Andrea Fiford
Rochelle Roffe Primary school teacher, a highly enthusiatic new member, sponsored by Alison Blythe
Tracey Wright Chartered Marketer, who proclaims her strength as "sticking to the point", sponsored by Martin Scholes
We look forward to Siobhan Lane, a business retail manager, also joining the satellite group of the club in a few weeks time.
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| 84 people attended a Fashion Show by "Colours" organised by Janet
Shortland of Melton Mowbray Rotary Club, and were thoroughly
entertained by models demonstrating a wide range of manufacturers'
clothes from popular, and not so well known, fashion houses including
Next, M&S, White Stuff and Hobbs. The wine and nibbles contributed
to making a very enjoyable evening The clothes were available to
purchase and not many people left empty handed! A total of £671.13 was
raised from the proceeds of the evening which is to help support the
Rotary Club's project to build toilets and washstands in a school in
Tacloban City on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. |
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Young RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award), March 2019
The
Rotary Clubs of Melton Mowbray and Melton Belvoir were pleased to
sponsor Dylan, a young man attending The Hub, on a 3-day Young RYLA
course at the Whitehall Outdoor Education Centre, which is run by
the Derbyshire County Council, during the spring half-term break.
The course is individually tailored to meet the needs of the group and includes a range of both outdoor and indoor activities including a climbing wall.
The aim is to enable young people to develop personal skills by
undertaking, first hand, different and sometimes challenging tasks in a
safe environment that will:
* improve communication skills,
* develop leadership and team building skills.
* develop the use of initiative and improve self-reliance.
Dylan had a very good time and reported back on his experiences to a meeting of the Melton Belvoir club in March.
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Satellite Enterprise Group Update, July 2019
The
Enterprise group, the satellite of the Melton club, has held three very
successful forums recently, all targeted at local businesses and
business leaders.
The first gave thoughts and advice on better use of videos to promote local businesses:
The second was held at the time of International Women's day,
celebrating women's successes in business and building for success:
The third event in this series was held in the new Sol restaurant in
Melton, with the opportunity for a super Indian meal to follow:
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Charter Night, March 2019
The
club's 91st anniversary was celebrated in style in the magnificent
setting of St Mary's church, Melton Mowbray on 18th March. Led by
President Alison and organised by President-elect Adrienne Holland and
her super club service team, the event was one of good company and good
food, all with a great ambiance. 129 Rotarians, friends, family and guests attended, from 23 clubs.
After the meal, Squadron Leader James McMillan gave a fascinating talk
packed with anecdotes about his flying career. He started flying
in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, having moved to NZ with his parents
when he was 10. In 2002 he returned to the UK to join the
RAF. After a varied career across several squadrons, aircraft
types and theatres of operation, he "retired" in 2011,only to join the
Red Arrows as a display pilot. After three years with the Reds,
James retired (again) and now flies for the professional, civilian air
display team, The Blades, based at Northampton Sywell. The
intricacies of training and displaying at as high a standard as both
the Red Arrows and The Blades were well illustrated by James' talk and
the pictures he showed.
Many thanks to the organisers and our speaker for an excellent evening.
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Indian National Immunisation Day - Visit February 2019
Club
members Eric Hall and David Ward joined 30 other UK Rotarians planning
to participate in India’s National Polio Immunisation programme, NID,
organised for early February 2019 in two locations, Bhiwadi and
Amritsar. Owing to organisational issues within the Indian
Government the teams were informed at short notice that an adequate
supply of suitable Polio vaccine would not be available. However as the
organisation for hosting by the two local Rotary Clubs was already in
place the visits took place.
Eric and David joined 14 other UK Rotary members including our past
member Richard Fisher and his wife Anne in what turned out to be the
most exceptional programme of hospitality, hosting and visits to great
projects organised and sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bhiwadi and
their Inner Wheel Club. The overall experience and commitment of the
Indian Rotarians was quite humbling.
The photographs attached detail: -
• Welcome by Rotary Club of Bhiwadi and their Inner
Wheel members, with later presentation involving the wearing of
turbans.
• School for 600 girls from ‘Below the Poverty Line’ families, dancing and singing presentations given.
• School for Disadvantaged children, both Physically and Mentally, again short play presentation by children.
• Presentation of an Ambulance by Rotary Club.
• Visit to a crematorium which we had visited two
years earlier where the six manual cremating areas were being
supplemented by a gas fired automated unit, provided by Rotary.
Cremation is expensive in India.
• Local hospital were the maternity area is to be
refurbished by Rotary Club – greeted by an old friend, a medic from our
previous NID visit two years ago.
• Sewing Machine project, to be extended to
additional buildings, here young girls are taught to be seamstresses to
a National curriculum. On qualifying each girl is given a sewing
machine which ‘Singer’ provide to Rotary at 50% cost.
• A Pharmaceutical dispensary operated and funded by Rotary.
• Home for retired cows, production of methane gas for cooking and lighting, milk, etc....
At this point one of the party discovered through her Rotary contacts
that a supply of Polio vaccine was available in the District of
Ghaziabad, a city some 2.5 hrs away to the N.E. of Delhi – in an area
known as the Haarlem of Delhi. Contact was then made with the
District Governor and the area Polio Champion who at very short notice
professionally organised an immunisation programme for the ‘Bhiwadi’
team.
The remaining photographs give an insight into the environment and
living conditions of the families, but particularly the children
existing in the slum areas of Ghaziabad.
David Ward and Eric Hall.
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Young Chef competition - Preparation for the next round:
At
the local heats for Rotary's Young Chef competition in November Chloe
Young and Annabelle Maddy, students of Long Field Academy, had shown
particularly high culinary skills, and are now preparing for the next round. We
have been wonderfully supported by Stapleford Park hotel, who gave the
two students the chance to rehearse their cooking skills under the
experienced eye of the hotel’s head chef, Anthony Fitt. This visit's
training session should, we hope. prepare them well for the forthcoming East
Midlands district final.
Melton Rotary Club and the students are grateful for the excellent
support provided by Stapleford Park Hotel and the time invested by
Anthony.
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Burns Night Supper, January 2019
On the 19 January 2019, the Rotary club of Melton
Mowbray celebrated its 15th Annual Burns Supper at the clubs
headquarters, The Sysonby Knoll hotel, Melton Mowbray. 67 guests attended, made up of Rotarians their
families and friends. As normal, they had a great time celebrating the life of
the Bard. The event is based on a traditional Burns Supper structure as found
in Scotland and the world at large. It
is a formal night, full of pomp and circumstance, good food and an excellent
piper who has become a fixture at our Burns supper over the years.
At this point I would like to explain the clubs agenda for
the Burns evening, its running order and
why we as a club continue after 15 years to
celebrate the life of Robert Burns, using the same format.
A Burns supper might readily conjure up images of revellers
washing down alcohol beverages and forkfuls of peppery Haggis with wee drams of
malt whisky, but the historical origins are often taken for granted and
forgotten.
So who was Robert Burns and why is revered not only in
Scotland, but all over the western world? He was a poet and a song writer from
humble beginnings, who penned more than 550 poems and songs until his death in
1796. He was also well known for his
astute social commentary. One would say
he was a revolutionary figure in his homeland and beyond.
Burns Supper running
order explained.
The Burns supper is an institution of Scottish life; a night
to celebrate the life and works of the National Bard. The running order covers all the key elements
you need to plan a Burns Supper.
Piping in the guests
It is important for large Burns Supper to have an elected
Chairman for the evening and a piper to welcome in the guests. It is also important that the audience should
stand and applaud their arrival. Once
the guests are seated, the Chairman and the Club President welcome everyone to
the evening’s proceedings.
The Selkirk Grace
A short but important prayer which is read to usher in the
start of the meal, preferably by any Scot present in the audience.
Piping in the Haggis
All guests stand for the piping in and out of the star
attraction ”the Haggis” which is delivered on a platter by a procession comprising
the chef carrying platter, the piper (who will address and slay the haggis),
the Club President and anyone who has Scots blood in their body, especially
those in formal Scot’s dress. Note, a whisky- bearer will ensure that the
whisky toast carried out by the guests is well lubricated. During the
procession, all guests stand and clap hands in time to the “pipes” until the
Haggis reaches its destination. It is
then everyone waits in anticipation of the address and mutilation of the
Haggis. Once the address is completed
the piper will ask everyone to raise their glasses and shout in unison, “The
Haggis”.
The Immortal Memory
Preferably a Scottish speaker delivers a speech on the life of Robert Burns. The speech must paint a colourful picture of Scotland’s beloved Bard, his highs
and lows, his human frailty etc.
The Toast to the
Lassies
The humorous highlight of most Burns Supper comes with this
toast, which should be designed to praise the role of women in the world today,
in particular to those present.
The Toast to the
Laddies
Normally it’s revenge by the Lassies on the role of men in
the world today – a few home truths are told!
Final Remarks and
Auld Lang Syne (Piper)
By the Chairman, the Club President and the Piper plus all
guests; a hearty farewell to one and all.
The format that is used by the Club has been established
over the years; we are comfortable with it, it suits us and we have great fun
with it, and we believe it reflects Robert Burns and his life.
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At
the Senior Semi-Final of Youth Speaks held at Bourne Methodist Church
recently, a team sponsored by the Rotary Club of Melton Mowbray and
representing Harington Sixth Forrm College was selected to go forward to
the District Final. The team consisted of Miriam Culy,Thomas Randle and
Scott Willard. Their topic was 'The effect school has on mental health'
This is the first time Harrington Sixth Form College has entered a team
in this competition. We wish them well in the next round.
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Over
200 people joined the 2018 Melton Santa Fun Run, organised by the
Melton Rotary Club. The weather was much kinder to us this year,
with the rain staying away and the sun coming out for the run.
The event was enjoyed by everyone, from ages 3 to 78.
It was a sea of red and white on 9th December as hundreds of
participants took part in the Melton Santa Fun Run and Walk. The event
saw 210 runners participate in silly red hats and thick white beards.
Entrants had the option to do a brisk 1 mile route or tackle a harder
5km course around Melton Country Park.
Alison Blythe, president of the Rotary Club, said runners raised £2,860
for their own good causes with an additional £1,000 being raised for
Rotary charities. "We were really pleased with the turnout
considering the snow-induced interruption last year". said Alison. "The
weather stayed good and lots of people did it just to have fun. Thank
you to Rotarians and friends that helped us on the day". The winner of
the 5km distance was 13-year-old Charlie who finished in a time of 19
minutes and 16 seconds. A warm-up with the Healthy Elf proved popular
as did the best dressed dog competition.
See the video here
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Minor Sports - Skittles Triumph, November 2018
We
had a great night of pub skittles at the Plough at Stathern last night
(27th November). The Melton Rotary Club vs RC Bourne - and we won
- so we are through to the next round of District1070 Minor Sports 😊😊
Thanks to Pres-Elect Kriss for herding the cats.
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Alan Odom and Martin Scholes' Induction, 26th November 2018
Great to welcome two new members today. Alan and Martin are here with President Alison.
They’re joining at a busy time for Melton Rotary but we’re sure
they’ll enjoy the two sides of the Rotary coin - “fun & friendship”
and “service above self”.
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Young Chef Competition - local heats
The
local Young Chef Competition was held at Long Field Academy on 26 Nov
2018. I've only included a fraction of the photos taken on the day!
Melton's answer to the Bake Off competition was held at Long Field
Academy. Eleven eager competitors confounded the judges with tasty
dishes prepared with flare, care and speed. After thoroughly
considering all aspects of the skills displayed and after multiple
re-tastes by the judges, they eventually chose Annabelle Maddy as the
winner closely followed by Ellie Bendall, Isobella Freeman and Chloe
Young as worthy runners up.
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Winning main course
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Annabelle Maddy, Winner
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Winning dessert
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Melton Rotary Clubs Plant Trees, November 2018
Rotary Clubs of Melton Mowbray: Tree Planting Project
Supported by the Woodland Trust & Melton Mowbray Town Estate
Dozens of Melton Rotarians from the three Rotary clubs in the town
planted over a hundred new trees in Melton Town Estate’s Prior Close on
Saturday 24 November.
The event kicked off National Tree Week in Melton Mowbray and was also
part of a worldwide challenge for Rotarians to plant a tree for every
member in 2018. Supported by The Woodland Trust, Rotarians from the
three Clubs of Melton Mowbray planted a mix of trees, including oak,
hawthorn, rowan, blackthorn, silver birch, hazel, that will encourage
birds and wildlife for many years to come.
At 11:00am the Presidents of the Melton Rotary Clubs planted their
trees and handed them over to the Senior Town Warden of the Town Estate.
President Alison said: “This is a fine example of Rotarians enjoying
working together for the environment, to help build a sustainable
future for our local community.”
The three Presidents are:
Alison Blythe – Rotary Club of Melton Mowbray
Paul Saxby - Rotary Club of Melton Aurora
Jim Schofield - Rotary Club of Melton Belvoir
Senior Town Warden of the Town Estate is John Southerington
This was a very successful and happy occasion at Burton Lazars village
hall. Approximately 36 guests arrived with their volunteer drivers and
enjoyed sandwiches, trifle and ca
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Contact Teas, October 2018
This was a very successful and happy occasion at Burton Lazars village
hall. Approximately 36 guests arrived with their volunteer drivers and
enjoyed sandwiches, trifle and cakes provided by Rotary members. They
were very chatty and enjoyed sharing stories and jokes.
Many thanks to everyone involved from the cake bakers and tea-pourers to the washers-up and table storers!
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Classic and Vintage Vehicle Show, September 2018
A big
thank you from the Melton Mowbray Club for all the support we received
for our 4th Annual Vintage and Classic Vehicle Fun Day in the Market
Place last Sunday. We had over 60 Vehicles and crowds enjoyed the
wonderful weather entertainments a great selection of vehicles and
motorbikes, St Georges Morris Dancers, Tombola, cake stall, Hattie the
Clown with the balloon making skills, hook a duck from the Aroura Club
and Sponsored Cycle from our Satelite Club.
Best in Show voted by the public was Nigel Green from Melton Mowbray
with his Mark 1 Ford Mexico. It's his boy racer car and he loves
it! The car was 6 years old when bought it and he has owned it
for 40 years. He restored it with a friend 26 years ago.
Hhe did the mechanics and his friend did the paintwork. He loves his
cars as he also has an X3 convertible, another Mexico and a Fiesta XR2.
Music and commentary was provided by 103 The Eye. All funds will
go to our local charities and projects supported by us in 2018.
See our website for details of all our events. Interested: check
us out on www.meltonrotary.org.uk.
1st prize of £50 in our raffle was David Sharpe, 2nd prize (a meal for
two at Sysonby Knoll) was Jean Hamblin, 3rd prize (tea for two at
Gates) was Sabina Silcox. Prizes will be in the post. How
many ducks in the Triumph Stag? The £10 prize was won by a young
lady called Alisha.
Organiser Ian Neale said, "We are delighted the event is growing, so we
have set the date of Setember 1st 2019 for next year's event.
Note this in your diary. We look forward to welcoming you next
year. Please check out our website
www.meltonvehiclefestival.org.uk. Follow us on Facebook and
Twitter to see the vehicles attending this year.
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The Rotary Young Citizen of the Year Award 2018
This
is a Rotary award which recognises and rewards young people who have
demonstrated on - going acts of good citizenship. Those nominated
do not necessarily have to be working on a Rotary project, what matters
is that they individually, or as part of a group, have made a positive
difference which has been recognised as worthy of nomination.
The Melton Rotary clubs’ award for 2018 has been made to Zoe Glasgow
who is seventeen and lives in Rempstone. She was nominated by her
tutors at The Hub where she has been a student, two days each week,
studying for BTEC awards in beauty and catering. She has also
been a student at East Leake Academy where she has just completed her
GCSE course.
What makes Zoe very special is that she was born with Turner Syndrome,
a female genetic disorder affecting one in every two thousand baby
girls. These girls have only one X chromosome, instead of the
usual two, which means that they may have a range of resulting
disabilities.
Zoe is very involved in the Turner Syndrome Society (tss.org.uk) and is
very active at regional and national level. This year she is the
national team representative and gives talks to raise awareness of the
condition and is also involved in fundraising. In spite of these
commitments Zoe has gained distinctions in all her course work and her
tutors describe her as lively and bubbly, possessing a natural empathy
and usually the first to help others.
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Presidents' Handover, July 2018
After an enjoyable year full of achivement, joint-Presidents Adrienne
Holland and Janet Shortland handed over the presidency to Alison
Blythe. Janet had already gone away; the photo shows Adrienne and
Alison, both looking very pleased, possibly for different
reasons.
Our new secretary Graham Bett monitors proceedings in the background. |
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