February 07

Rotary Blog Monday 19^th February 2007

Joint meeting held with Princes Risborough club at the Princes Risborough Golf Club. The meeting was well attended by both clubs. The meeting was chaired by Rotarian Ken Brazier, the junior vice of the PR club, who welcomed our Club and also a few members from “Mother” including their President and past President Keith Tattersfield.
An excellent meal was followed by an amusing talk given by David Howe (stage name Gerrard Hayley) on the pleasures and pitfalls of being a “Supportive Artist”. I confess that I had never heard of such a vocation, and initially I wondered if it involved assisting actors and actresses who needed physical support during their performances, remembering the likes of Oliver Reed and Richard Burton. I was soon disabused of this notion and learnt that a supportive artist is what I have always called an “extra” in a film or TV production.
Gerrard has been in the business for many years and has made appearances in “Casualty” and “Midsomer Murders” and took the part of the Vicar in ”Last of the Summer wine.” We had a detailed insight into the big breakfasts, the travelling, the long waits, and frustrations of being a supportive artist.
Probably the most important fact to emerge from the talk was that all our club members, regardless of age, disability, lack of personal hygiene, obesity, appearance, or manner of speech, are still eminently employable as extras. A Director is not looking for acting ability, he is looking for everyday “background” people, warts and all.
A thoroughly enjoyable evening was rounded off by a vote of thanks given by Tony Maisey, who achieved more laughs than the speaker.

Rtn Martin Hector.

Rotary Blog Monday 12th February 2007

This week saw the Club celebrate two important occasions, Alan Dichler’s sixtieth birthday and the birth of Nigel Pledger's first grandchild. As is customary, the drinks were on them. Thank you and our very best wishes to both of you and the newly arrived Joshua.
Our speaker for the evening was Dr Tony Maisey, who is a member of the Rotary Club of Princes Risborough. His subject for the evening was spare part surgery and surgical aids, which have a surprisingly long history. For example, there is evidence to suggest that one form of contraceptive, still in modern use, was known to the ancient Egyptians.

Dr. Tony Maisey begins his tour de force, (or was he forced to tour?), on Spare Part Surgery, holding one of the earliest heart pace makers.

The venerable Doctor, not quite believing his own ears, when asked a question by one of our Rotarians about colostomy bags!

Club members were given their first, fgbgb hopefully their last, sight of such things as glass eyes, hip replacement joints, breast implants, pace makers and a

As might have been expected, questions were many
and answers illuminating

Club members were given their first, and hopefully their last, sight of such things as glass eyes, hip replacement joints, breast implants, pace makers and a variety of the bags used for managing the body’s waste products.
Using a high content of humour, Dr Maisey gave the club an insight into the workings of the NHS, the problems that confront doctors and the ethics of decision making. Deciding who should get what and when can be very complex. It soon became clear that the profession of Doctor is a definitely a vocation and advances in medicine are not necessarily making the job easier.
The evening was both excellent and entertaining, but for those advancing in years, it was also somewhat sobering.

Rtn Paul Haworth

Rotary Blog Monday 5th February 2007

Tonight’s Club meeting was a business meeting and, remarkably, the turn out was impressive. Either members were keen to attend their particular committees or had forgotten that it was indeed a business meeting this week. Before being served a sumptuous repast of gammon, egg and chunky chips, various matters were reported, including a lunch for Paul Harris fellows held in Beaconsfield. Our Club has the honour of five Paul Harris Fellows and four were able to attend. The award is one of distinction and made for outstanding service to our Club and to Rotary and is named after the founder of the Rotary movement.
Tonight Club members were assigned to go to other Rotary Clubs founded in 1987 within a hundred miles radius to spread the word about Eurotary 87 (see last week’s blog) which our Club is organising in September 2007 based in Oxford (details elsewhere on our web site). Obviously we were not being sent out to the rest of Europe: those clubs will rely on the superb DVD made by Chris Behan and Brian Holt and distributed to all 1987-founded European Clubs.
After supper the Club broke up into its committees and, re-convening, the chairmen of each committee reported on their activities. Notable items included our contribution to the national Rotary event of ‘Kids Out’ in which we take a party of special needs children from Stoke Leys School in Aylesbury to Thorpe Park every June. We and our sister Thame Rotary Club will be running a Stroke Awareness session in late April in Thame and it was reported by International that our recent very successful Burns Night, held in Thame and organised by Keith Smith, had raised over £650. While on the subject of fund raising our Moshi Schools project has raised £8,000 this year, making the total raised for this project of £20,000 a remarkable amount for a smallish Club.
After the Committee Chairmen had concluded their reports, Nigel Pledger’s being the longest, Frank Readman won the raffle and John Crowle, our newest member, presented the Grumpling Trophy to the said Nigel Pledger.

This was for good verbal reportage, or was it for the length of his report...???

Rtn. Martin Andrew