On 1 July, Gail Woodford ended her year as President of Cranleigh Rotary, passing the ‘baton’ to David Barry. Here is David’s introduction to himself and his plans for the coming year:
“I am very pleased, even if also a little fearful, to have been selected as Rotary President after some 16 years as a member (and almost 50 years living in Cranleigh).
“Part of my lengthy ‘postponement policy’ was linked to my role as a trustee in a significant local charity, my continuing professional involvement in UK and overseas projects addressing historical industrial pollution risks, and considerable domestic carer responsibilities.
“So now I am on the ‘front line’ but, I am sure, will benefit from the wealth of colleagues’ experience in Rotary protocols, whether at Club, District or National levels.
David Barry
“Fortunately, there has been no diminution in the essential strength of Cranleigh members’ resolve to regain our pre-Covid status vis-à-vis activity and membership. Indeed, in that particular regard, it is pertinent to refer to the indefatigable efforts of our previous President, Gail Woodford, and the untiring supporting efforts of, in particular, Terry Stewart regarding new membership.
“At a practical level, so to speak, many members have significant skills in organising and managing community support events, and obviously a strong focus on teamwork can greatly enhance the benefits of those skills, i.e. a crucial part of our philosophy. Furthermore, such teamwork can be greatly enhanced through Rotary’s own social events; for example, inviting some family members and friends can be invaluable as we get to know each other better, such as at last week’s delightful ‘hand-over’ party.
“While the socialising aspect is just one facet of the club’s routine, it can enable our core strengths to be harnessed more productively as we try to optimise our choices of the community projects that we will support in the near future.
“Overall, therefore, the club’s resolve will continue to be based on sustaining and enhancing our fraternal well-being through our social engagements, all in full recognition of a key truism, namely that, “If we do not look after ourselves effectively, we cannot look after others”!
“We continue to look for people who would like to share our philosophy, whether through Full or Associate Membership, or as Corporate Members who would enjoy supporting our community work. If you would like to know more, then we will be most pleased to hear from you.” (Find more details at https://www.cranleighrotary.org.uk/)
September Concert
Following their sell-out concert in October 2021, the London Welsh Rugby Football Club Choir will make a return visit to Cranleigh Arts Centre on Saturday, 3 September at 7.30 p.m. The concert will raise funds for Cranleigh Rotary’s charity work and Cranleigh Arts Centre.
Tickets are now on sale at the Arts Centre Box Office, which is open 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Telephone 01483 278000 or book online at https://cranleigharts.org.
Meanwhile, Rotarians had great fun at the Lions’ Carnival on 25 June. Their new ‘Scrabble Grabble’ tombola was a very popular, raising the sum of £155.50. The proceeds are being shared between Cranleigh Rotary’s Charities Fund and One Cranleigh, which helps displaced Ukrainian families in our village.
“Many thanks to everyone who generously donated a prize, or tried their luck to win a prize,” said Club President Gail Woodford.
