Page 27 - Phonebox Magazine September 2016

Newport Pagnell Rotary Club
A Busy Month
It has been another busy and enjoyable month for Newport Pagnell Rotarians. We had a stand at the Newport Pagnell Strawberry Fair, raising funds for local
charities.
On 23rd July we held our Summer Concert at the Chrysalis Theatre, Milton Keynes. The large audience enjoyed a wide range of songs performed by the award winning Northampton Male Voice Choir, and renowned local soprano Emily Haig. Money was raised through ticket sales and a well supported raf e for Willen Hospice, Rotary’s “End Polio Now” campaign, and local charities.
At our weekly meetings we have had talks about the work of Milton Keynes Community Foundation in rural areas, and on “publicity and social media”. We have also enjoyed several end-of-Rotary-year social events. On 13th August we had a “bucket collection” in Newport Pagnell to raise funds for a public de brillator, to be located in the High Street. On 3rd September we will have a bucket collection in Olney for Willen Hospice.
We are now busy organising a Family Barn Dance to be held in Lavendon Village Hall on 29th October. For further information or to book a place please e-mail rotary.np@btinternet.com
We will also hold two Information Meetings to explain what Rotary does, and to exchange ideas on any community needs that Rotary can address. The rst will be held at Wavendon Golf Club at 7:30pm on Thursday 20th October, and the second at The Swan Revived Hotel at 7:00pm on Wednesday 2nd November. For further information or to book a place please email rotary.np@btinternet.com
Following our Presidential handover reported last month, our Club interviewed incoming President Paul Campion about why he joined Rotary. His responses are summarised below: IT: Hello Paul, now that you’ve taken on the job as President of the Rotary Club of Newport Pagnell I wanted to nd out a bit more about both you and Rotary.
PC: I joined Rotary about ve years ago at a time when my work commitments had eased a little. My neighbour is a long term member of the Club and so I already knew something about Rotary although, in fairness, I didn’t really understand the extent of its activities in both this country and internationally.
IT: Why did you choose to join?
PC: Basically, I wanted to put something back in to the community and also develop my social network. The demands of having run my own business for many years, particularly
the long hours, meant that I had few contacts outside work acquaintances.
IT: People often use the expression ‘putting something back into the community’ - what do you mean by this?
PC: I feel very privileged to be in good health with a supportive network of family and friends. Unfortunately, there are many people whose personal circumstances are not nearly as good and whose lives are affected by various challenges and where some input from Rotary has a major bene cial effect.
IT: Can you give me some examples?
PC: To give just a few examples: locally, the Rotary Club maintains the URC garden on the High Street; we have provided large grants to the Cedars School for their sensory garden project; one of our members carried out a piece of plumbing work at the Brooklands Club; our Club is one of several in the area raising large amounts of money for Willen Hospice and we also support a good many humanitarian projects overseas, particularly ‘End Polio Now’.
IT: You mentioned the social side - what happens there?
PC: Apart from our weekly get together at the Swan Revived, we organise a number of events such as a summer BBQ, cheese and wine evening and a variety of outings. Very often though, fund raising has some social element built in - after all, if you can’t have a bit of fun when you’re working then what’s the point? The blend of service and fellowship whilst forming lasting friendships is the essence of Rotary.
IT: Is it expensive to join Rotary?
PC: There is a cost but it needn’t be prohibitive. The total annual membership subscription works out at under 50 pence per day. There can be additional costs such as meals at the Swan Revived should you choose to eat before a meeting, or for some of the social events to cover the cost of food and drinks but that is a matter of personal choice.
IT: What about the time commitment?
PC: There are weekly meetings plus monthly committee meetings. However, there are no hard and fast rules about attendance and the importance of family and other commitments is fully appreciated. We have members with both family and work commitments who are still able to nd time for Rotary. Clearly, for someone to make a meaningful contribution to Rotary activities they would have to be prepared to put some time in but it should not be onerous. Like most things in life, the more you put in the more you get out.
IT: If I was interested in joining, but not absolutely certain, what would you advise?
PC: Like all voluntary organisations we want to raise awareness and expand membership. Rotarians are the life blood of the organisation and without a thriving membership we shall not be able to continue doing our work in the community. Deciding to join though can be seen as quite a large step so potential members may want to come along to one or two meetings to nd out what we do and to meet current Rotarians. Alternatively, they can have a private chat with me or another Rotarian (see our website for contact details). The other factor to bear in mind is that even if now is not the right time for an individual to join, we will always welcome support to help with some particular project or event.
IT: Is there anything else I should know?
PC: In my year of of ce as President I want to raise the pro le of Rotary in the local communities of Newport Pagnell, Olney and surrounding villages. We are far too shy about letting people know about the positive difference we make because I’m sure that once they know they will want to join us. We are holding a very informal open evening at the Swan Revived on Wednesday 2 November and I hope to have the opportunity to spread the word about Rotary.
September 2016 | Phonebox Magazine 27