DG Blog 19th January 2021
There are several calls to action in this blog – do please take the time to consider how you might be able to help with some of these initiatives:
- Marshalling at vaccination hubs
- Encouraging local schools and individuals to take part in youth competitions
- Assisting with recycling of laptops
- Joining in the next 4-district meeting
- And don’t forget your questions for our key (virtual) conference speakers!
VOLUNTEERING AT VACCINATION HUBS
I am delighted at the response from clubs and Rotarians offering help and taking part and thanks also go to David Welch and his team for their role in co-ordinating the effort. I was at the coal face myself on Saturday at the hub in Taunton and have booked further slots including tomorrow when we are threatened with a deluge of rain! You feel the buzz of knowing that you are making a contribution and in the company of so many volunteers greeting the apprehensive elderly as they arrive for their vaccinations. However, I have to say that much of the excitement was in the car park with kerbs being mounted, and rubber bollards scattered or run over! I have definitely decided to leave my car elsewhere.
Please remember to wear your Rotary tabards so that the public can recognise us in action and also (without videoing individual patients) take and send me video footage for a collage that I hope to present at conference. If a member of the public does happen to be in the shot, we can blur out faces and car registrations.
CONFERENCE
It was a massive disappointment that our outward-facing conference could not go ahead last July, nor can it physically happen this coming April. Instead it will be virtual, but the great news is that it will be 100% free for everyone! It will showcase what we do in our communities and internationally and we hope will be an invaluable tool to help you grow membership by inviting non-Rotarians to join in on the conference date, but also after the event as a legacy product referencing the work that we do. The date is still to be announced as we’re trying to navigate avoiding key dates such as the Six Nations and Rotary training, whilst allowing us the greatest window of opportunity for filming our key speakers – hampered of course by current restrictions!
“Eddy the Eagle”
A Q and A opportunity – please send in to me by 31st January (rory@fulfordhouse.co.uk) your questions for Eddie the Eagle, the famous Olympic ski-jumper and featured in the film of the same name: ‘Eddie the Eagle’.
Simeon Moore
Also for Simeon Moore, an ex-gang member who has turned his life around and devotes his time to persuading young people not to be lured into these criminal activities, and who is now studying for a degree in business management – see the conference website to learn more about him.
https://district1200.co.uk/presenters#about-3
YOUTH COMPETITIONS
Despite the restrictions caused by the pandemic, we have received many entries for Young Writer, Photographer and Musician competitions and so we should not assume that the competitions are not taking place. Quite the contrary as we also have our first entry in the District for Young Environmentalist and one school has enquired via RGBI as to how they can submit their entries as they hadn’t heard from their local club! Obviously schools and young people are very competent in using technology and many competitions are easily operated this way. Our Youth Chair has a National District Leads meeting on 22nd January so there will be an update following the meeting. Some good news for a change!
RECYCLING COMPUTER LAPTOPS
There are many children distance learning with no or inadequate equipment. Several individuals have already started to support their local communities in this and I have been asked if Rotary can help with different tasks and also publicising the work even further. Do please let me know if you are already involved in such a scheme or know of individuals in your area who could do with some help, and let’s see where we can try and give some practical help.
Specific things – finding old equipment, collecting and distributing to schools, using IT skills to wipe them clean, publicising and even taking phone calls in respect of the schemes.
SOCIAL MEDIA
We had a very successful 4-District joint seminar on Friday with over 100 attendees learning how to create flyers and post them on Facebook and Instagram. The great news is that we had a step-by-step guide which was recorded, so please find the link to the You Tube Video https://youtu.be/8yqkNLQ4pH4
The next joint seminar is on Thursday 18th February, entitled A Glimpse into the Future presented by Nicki Scott, Rotary International Director 2021 – 2023, and will provide a valuable insight into the plans for the development of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland.