Foundation Report for year to 26th April, 2006 (AGM)

1. Introduction

This report covers the year up to the 2005 AGM. Our club's major Foundation event is a Garden Party in early June - reporting at the AGM only on the Rotary year to date would mean this was never included - so last year's Garden Party is covered herein.

2. Committee

The committee for the Rotary year 2005/06 is Roy Bowles, Gordon Butcher, John Smith and Brian Millis (Chairman). A meeting was held on July 13th, President Alan Penny attending, to agree proposals for the year's program. Informal meetings and e-mail exchanges have occurred to discuss specific issues during the year. My thanks to my colleagues for their help.

3. Foundation Contribution

The club's major contribution to Foundation was agreed at the same level as last year, at £35 per member, and this has now been paid to District. In addition £150 was raised in our club from contributions to the Yorkshire Tea Caddy appeal and this also sent to District.

4. Ambassadorial Scholars and Garden Party

Last Rotary year a very successful garden party was held, on June 5th, 2005, kindly hosted by President David and Ann Jones and their neighbours. Section 7 below gives more detail. A garden party is scheduled for this year, on June 4th. Past President Nigel and Cynthia Norris have kindly agreed to host that in their garden at Talgarth, Gorse Hill Road, Virginia Water: Trumps Green village hall being reserved as a fall back in case of inclement weather (absit omen! - as ever). Linda's Kitchen are to provide the catering, as last year. This year we have invited two visiting scholars, Asami Endo from Japan and Oyuntuya Shagdarsuren from Mongolia, and Lisa Morris, a scholar from our own District sponsored for a year in South Africa. Gordon Butcher, John Smith and I attended the "Meet the Scholars Rally", hosted by Reading Maiden Erlegh Club on October 11th 2005, and invited the visiting scholars - I met Lisa Morris at District Conference where she gave a very good talk. We are also inviting some participation from this year's District GSE team but see also below.

5. Group Study Exchange

This Rotary year there were reciprocal visits between 1090 District and Australia District 9710 (Canberra and parts of New South Wales). Our District's team visited there from 14th October to 12th November 2005 and theirs visited us from 11th March to 7th April 2006. I attended the Welcome back rally for our team, held in January and John Morris, Ann Keen and I attended the Farewell rally for the Australian team in April - very good presentations at both of these. There were also presentations at District Conference. Two of our District team are now booked as speakers at our Friends meeting on July 12h. Inter alia I hope this will raise interest in our community for future GSE interchanges.

6. Other Activities

Malcolm Boddington, this year's District Foundation chairman, gave an interesting talk at our meeting on September 7th on the wide ranging aspects of Foundation. There was a very good attendance from our club's Paul Harris fellows at this year's luncheon -14 including partners. As well as the presentations in the main District Conference programme, there was a Foundation breakout meeting which I attended.

7. Report on 2005 Garden Party

Our Garden Party on 5th June, 2005, was successful - despite anxieties about the weather before the event! We were most grateful to President David Jones and Ann and to their neighbours Alan and Gill Jones for the splendid double garden venue. We had excellent talks from Ambassadorial Scholar Sarah Fortune and from the 2005 District GSE team leader, Rotarian Terry Kenyon, and team member Nick Grayson. Also thanks to Rotarian Peter Todd and his wife Jenny who were Sarah's Counsellors and conveyed her. Including club guests 67 people attended. Donations from some members unable to come were also much appreciated. The event was very well supported by Inner Wheel members. An excellent hot buffet was provided by Linda's Kitchen. The standby facility for bad weather of the Cheapside Village Hall was kindly set up by Sam Mossop, but fortunately not needed. The event yielded a net gain of £465 for our charity fund. I am very grateful to all those who helped at the event and with the preparations, as well as to those who otherwise contributed to its success.

Brian Millis
Foundation Committee Chairman 29th April, 2006