Exmoor Rotary: Club News

Club News on this page follows the main events in which the club has been involved this Rotary year - from July 2017 to June 2018. Do check out far more info via our Bulletins available on-line.

Updated: July 21, 2018

News archive from 2002 to 2017 - here

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Handover

The annual July handover from one Presidential year to the next has taken place in two stages.

Past president Jane affixes the chain of office to Michael, and Michael welcomes the new president-elect Trevor. We look forward to another great Rotary year ahead!

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Youth Challenge Presentations

Park School had both the Junior Mixed team winners, and the Overall joint winners of the 2018 Youth Challenge. They were presented with their shields on 14th June.

Below: Kingsmead School Team 2 won the Junior Girls shield and were one of only three teams to get around with no time penalties.

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President's Night

Saturday evening 2nd June saw the Club taking a trip on the horse
drawn canal barge from Tiverton Canal Basin. We were celebrating
a very successful year under the leadership of President Jane. It
was a lovely warm evening and the pace of the trip was
wonderfully slow (2½ miles per hour) with Ross, our horse, pulling
the 14 ton barge with consummate ease.

We had swans and their
cygnets, moorhens and ducks to keep us company. Our Fish &
Chips supper was delivered on the way and when we stopped to
turn the barge around to come back, there was a pleasant walk
along the tow path to see the
Brunel aqueduct. A thoroughly
good finish to a great Rotary
year.

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Paul Harris Fellowship

On 15th May, one of our members was presented with a prestigious Rotary award, the Paul Harris Fellowship.

Alan Orsborne has been a Rotarian for many years, and is a Past-President, as well as being involved in running youth activities and in the thankless task of claiming Gift Aid on donations.

Whatever activities the club has been running, Alan and Daphne have always been there to help!

 

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Rotary Exmoor Youth Challenge

Rotary Exmoor Youth Challenge took place on 5th May.

Young people aged 11 to 18 walked on a circular route of 16 miles on Exmoor, based from Dulverton Junior School.

We are delighted to say that some 484 children took part in teams of 4, and of these a remarkable 447 completed the Challenge and received their medals from Exmoor Rotary President Jane Wilson.

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Rotary Exmoor Challenge

On Sunday 15 April some 103 Rotaraisn, friends, and families took part in the sponsored walks based from Oakford village hall. The weather was a bit on the damp side, but that did not curtail the hardy walkers!

Devon District 1175 scored 68 points, Somerset District 1200 scored 91. Here the photo shows Preident Jane presenting the shiled to ADG Dot Cretney from Frome Club. About £1000 was raised, shared between Children's Hospice SW and Sand Dams Project.

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New Member

At our meeting on 13th February, Tim was inducted into the club.

He was warmly welcomed by President Jane at the George, Brompton Regis.

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DG Visit

On Tuesday 6th February our meeting was graced by the presence of our District Governor George Eamer and Asst DG Diane Sheppard.

The use of the new Rotary logos was emphasised.

It was a memorable event.

 

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Shelterbox Lunch

Since 2004, fund raising by Exmoor Rotary has provided almost £50,000 to provide Shelterboxes all over the world from the SE Asia Tsunami in 2003 to Syria in 2017. This annual event in Bampton has taken place every January as a community Sunday lunch with the specific purpose of donating to Shelterbox, a wonderful charity based in the south-west.

“Right now, around 85 million people around the world have been made homeless by natural disaster and conflict. We're working to change this.”
By providing emergency shelter and tools for families robbed of their homes by disaster, we're transforming despair into hope.

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Club Xmas Lunch

The Club also has a very healthy social life, and not only had a Christmas breakfast at the Swan, but also a full Chrstimas dinner at the George, Brompton Regis, a week later!

See here is just one of the tables of diners haveing a thoroughly good time. Happy Christmas!

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Santa Collections

In the run-up to Christmas, our Santa Sleigh visited Dulverton, Brushford, Bampton and Shillingford to rattle tins collecting money for charity.

People were again amazingly generous and over £2000 was raised, most of which will go into local causes and projects.

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Bampton Charter Fair

The Club is respoinsible for a big chunk of the organisation of the Fair. A few days before, the big tents need to be erected by the riverside. Cups of tea are proved as fuel to keep the chaps going - it is hard work!

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Inter-Pub Quiz Seven local pubs took part in this event on 19th October and it became a fiercely contested battle! The winners, seen here being presented with the shield by President Jane, were the Bridge Inn, Dulverton. They won by 187 (/195) to beat arch-rivals the Red Lion Oakford (185). Congratulations! The raffle also raised a significant sum for which many thanks to all who contributed. £667 raised will go to Calvert Trust (Exmoor).

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Sponsored Dog Walk

President Jane organised a sponsored dog walk at Wimbleball Lake on 2nd September. Some of those who took part are pictured here with their cannine friends. Proceeds from the sponsorhsip of owner or dogs will go to Sand Dams project.

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School Dictionaries As part of a national Rotary scheme, Dictionary4Life, we presented all the 11-year-old leavers in our three local primary schools with illustrated dictionaries, to help them with their literacy when they get to 'big school'. Photos here show Bampton, Dulverton, and Bolham schools.

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Dulverton Cup

At Dulverton Junior School, the best team that took part in the Rotary Exmoor Youth Challenge was presented with a school cup by President Jane. This was done at the same occasion when the dictionaries (above) were presented.

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Club BBQ The club BBQ at Whittenhayes, thanks to Trevor and Maggie. Thanks to all who provided food and Edward and Richard who did the cooking!

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Youth Challenge

Exmoor Rotary Club organises the Exmoor Challenge every year, which is a walk where young people have to navigate unaided across a course over Exmoor. The ‘Chulmleigh Friends’ team managed to get round with zero penalty points and came in not only to be the fastest Senior Boys team but also the Best Overall Team. Alan Woolley from Exmoor Rotary Club visited the College to present the boys with their well deserved awards. Team: Sam Stuart, Tim Western, Will Stredwick, & Silas Rowe.

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Handover

At the meeting of the club at the beginning of July, the short but significant ceremeony of the handover took place. New President Jane had just received the chain of office, the President-Elect Mike is on the left, and immediate past president Derek is on the right.