April to June 2012
CLUB member Gerald Atkinson, former chief executive of the Calderdale Partnership, described the history of this group of key West Yorkshire businessmen whose aim was to restore and improve the Halifax area. The support of the Prince of Wales had sometimes been crucial to its success.
Gerald highlighted some of the organisation's most significant projects, including the Eureka! children's museum and the re-opening of the Rochdale Canal, and its strong support for the restoration of Halifax's historic Piece Hall.
He added: "This was a chapter of my life that I couldn't foresee, but it was wonderful. It never felt like hard work."
A vote of thanks was proposed by club president William Smith.
HOSPICE CHRISTMAS TREE
Rotary club president William Smith adds a formal spadeful of soil to mark the club's gift of a Christmas tree to Wakefield Hospice.
The 8ft Serbian spruce - botanical name Picea omorika - was imported from Germany by Brian Smith, from BRS Garden Group, of Wakefield, who shared the cost with Rotary.
Brian, who actually dug the hole while Rotarians looked on, said: "This is a really special tree. It grows into the shape of a church spire and will look splendid." It has been located close to a power source and will be lit each year.
The planting ceremony was watched by (from left) hospice caretaker Trevor Clover, the hospice's hotel services manager, Tony Donkin, Wakefield Rotarian Ann Hallaways (head of voluntary and chaplaincy services at Pinderfields Hospital), the club's community service chairman Peter Clarke, and Brian Smith.
When Lloyd Clarke QPM spoke to the club about politicians in the public eye he knew what he was talking about. This former Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police and before that West Yorkshire Deputy Chief Constable, served for an unprecedented seven years on the Committee on Standards in Public Life, which in 2009 carried out the high profile inquiry into MPs' expenses.
He recalled that the committee had been set up in 1994 in response to the much-publicised ‘cash for questions' scandal. He talked about its work and said that ethical journalism had a big part to play in maintaining standards, such as its exposure of the expenses issue.
A vote of thanks was proposed by Rotarian David Pickover, himself a former West Yorkshire Assistant Chief Constable. At the end of the evening club president William Smith presented Lloyd with a cheque for Home Start, one of the charities he supports.
25th May 2012
Wakefield club members have a long tradition of volunteer work at Pinderfields Hospital, a link which led to Ann Hallaways, its head of voluntary and chaplaincy services, becoming a Rotarian. She and three of her volunteers - including Rotarian Roland Mold - explained to the club some of the extensive unpaid work that goes on at the hospital.
Pictured here are (from left) are Roland, Janice Porritt, Brian Hamill, Ann and club president William Smith. Janice talked about her work on the children's ward while Brian, former head of classics at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, spoke of his involvement with the chaplaincy service and the stroke ward.
Roland recalled the many years during which Wakefield Rotarians pushed patients in wheelchairs to Sunday chapel services when the hospital was at its former site. This work finished when the new hospital opened with a multi-faith centre but Roland carried on with other duties, including a Patient and Public Involvement committee whose discussions about missed appointments led to telephone reminders.
DUENDE SAXOPHONE QUARTET
Club president William Smith admits to being ‘musically challenged', which is perhaps why he needed some instruction when the Duende Saxophone Quartet performed at a charity concert organised by his club at Woolley Village Hall.
The four talented young musicians, all of whom studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire, include alto sax player Alastair Wright, whose father, Les, is a member of the Wakefield club. They are pictured on the right with (from the left) Daniel Milverton, Bethany Liley and Rebecca Hastie.
Their programme included jazz, swing and modern classics.
A ‘gobsmacked' Peter Clarke has been given the highest honour the club can bestow - a Paul Harris award named after the founder of the Rotary movement.
Making the surprise presentation at this evening's meeting at the New Brookhouse Club, president William Smith congratulated Peter on his many years service to the club, including five as secretary and a number of years as community service chairman. It was in this capacity that three years ago he launched the successful annual Scootathlon, which this year will be held in Thornes Park.
Recent club activities have included a visit by a group of Wakefield Rotarians to the Mulhouse club in France, a jazz night with the Big Easy band led by club member John Hummerstone, and a visit to the ambulance headquarters on the 41 Business Park.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
THE club has already settled on its president for next year, retired veterinary surgeon Peter Rhodes, but at its annual meeting this evening it elected five members to its governing council - Ralph Wardle, David Garforth, John Southall, Colin Moran and Sheila Wainwright.
Reports were received from committee chairman whose reviews of the past year showed an active club with a growing membership. With few changes, chairmen for 2012-13 will be: community service, Peter Clarke; international, Michael Townsend; vocational, Stuart Livesey; ways and means, Ken Pinder; foundation, David Garforth; membership, William Smith; communications, Geoff North; youth, Philip Platts and Neale Clark; environment, Ann Hallaways.
Colin Robertson, William Smith and Peter Gallivan were elected representatives on district council. Sir Rodney Walker, Canon Roger Cressey, David Grace and Guy Cliff were all re-elected honorary members of the club.
LESSONS from life were on the curriculum when Pat Langham, the former headteacher at Wakefield Girls High School, addressed the club today.
In an entertaining talk she went back to her childhood in Carlisle to examine where she learned her values as the daughter of a policeman, with energetic play in the open air and respect for adults being central to her life.
At school she liked Latin, Shakespeare and geometry because of their certainty. She emphasised that structure, discipline and fairness were respected and required by children if they were to flourish and emulate the generations of girls from the high school who had gone on to successful lives around the world.
Mrs Langham spent 22 years at the school and told Rotarians that when she started there it was like coming home because the school's values reflected her own upbringing.
As an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Wakefield Chantry she is familiar with the ethos of the movement and she told prospective members who were present that they could always rely on fellow Rotarians to stand by them.
A vote of thanks was given by club president William Smith.
