A step in the right direction - 4 PEACE ADVOCATE PROJECT - Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Peace in a pandemic 04
Trans-Atlanic wartime bond 16
Helicopter hero 20
Bitten by the black dog 30
rotarygbi.org
December/January 2021
4
PEACE ADVOCATE PROJECT
A step in the right direction
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04 THE PEACE ADVOCATE PROJECT
16 20 42
NEWS FEATURES OPINION
A CORONAVIRUS SIGN OF THE TIMES 14 PEACE IN A PANDEMIC 04 FINDING PEACE AMIDST DESPAIR 12
Welsh Rotarians are badging up to Jean & Keith Best tell the story of the Rotary International Trustee Chair,
become socially-distance aware Peace Advocate Project. KR Ravindran's festive message of peace.
COVID CLUBS ARE NO FLUKE 32 PEACEJAM FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW 06 PRESIDENT OF ROTARY
How new clubs in Cheshire and the Thames Luke Addison describes how PeaceJam is GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND 18
Valley have emerged despite the pandemic. engaging with youngsters across Europe. Tom Griffin asks whether we should
celebrate Christmas more often?
MAKING CROWDFUNDING WORK 42 PILOTING A PATH TO PEACE 10
Thousands of pounds are being earned Alison Sutherland outlines the challenges TALK FROM THE TOP 26
with a new way of fund-raising. for the Rotary Action Group for Peace. Rotary President Holger Knaack, Director
Tony Black, and Trustee Chair, KR Ravindran
YOUNG CITIZENS A WARTIME BOND 3,500 MILES APART 16 discuss the latest Rotary issues.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE 48 How Rotarians in Southampton, England
Rotary award winners in their teens, are and Southampton, Canada, came together. LETTERS PAGE 36
now making a difference in their adult lives. Four pages of letters on themes such as
HOW I CHEATED DEATH 20 Black Lives Matter and whether to use
PEOPLE OF ACTION 50 Scottish Rotarian Pushp Vaid describes how the word ‘chair’ or ‘chairman’.
News of Rotarians from across he was one of just two survivors after his
Great Britain & Ireland. helicopter plunged into the North Sea. AND FINALLY 58
Rotary Editor, Dave King, asks if we really
BITTEN BY THE BLACK DOG 30 understand the phrase ‘service above self’?
Author and Rotarian, James Innes, speaks
Read online | rotarygbi.org candidly about how he battled with depression.
FSC® Certified Papers
This product is made with wood sourced from
certified forests and other controlled sources
rotarygbi.org December / January 2021 | Rotary | 3
Rotary | FEATURE
How peace can prosper
in a pandemic
The Peace Advocate Project is a charity set up by Scottish Rotarians
Jean and Keith Best, from Newton Stewart Rotary, enabling young
people to become peace advocates in schools and community groups.
Here they tell the story behind what they have achieved in reaching
out to youngsters across Great Britain and Ireland.
I
T was seven years ago when the They investigate why conflict occurs in The face-to-face training had halted,
Peace Advocate Project was formed themselves, homes, schools, communities but peace advocates at the Douglas Ewart
after young people told us they were and globally. High School in Newton Stewart, Dumfries
well equipped with academic skills, Peace advocates create community & Galloway, made us see that the peace
but lacking in life skills. service projects, organise conferences and advocate skills were so important that we
Statistics showed that self-harming facilitate those who follow. They create a had to look for another way.
leading to suicide was the biggest killer of sustainable programme for young people, The students recognised how their
young people across the world. which is led by young people. project to create an interactive peace
Young people were lacking the skills During the first five years of its garden had to be put on hold.
to make informed choices when facing existence, the project offered face-to But their peace advocate skills not
every day conflicts; what to wear, what -face, skills-based training through only empowered them to resolve any kind
to eat, how to react to bullying, joining a collaboration with the Rotary of conflict in their lives, these resources
gangs, picking up knives, using guns, and International Peace Fellows, Rotarians, could also be used during the pandemic.
becoming radicalised. plus school groups at home and abroad, As a result, the High School students
The internet was their only coping who travelled to Mexico, Australia, turned their attention to supporting the
mechanism, offering advice which often Germany and the US. mental health of their school community
resulted in death. Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland during lockdown.
The Peace Advocate Project celebrated the difference which this Monthly Zoom meetings were held
curriculum was developed to train young project makes to young peoples’ lives to set up an action plan prior to launching
people in skills to make informed choices, when they awarded the first Young Citizen Facebook pages raising awareness of their
both for themselves and others. Peacemaker Award to the peace advocates project.
Across the world, Rotary clubs at Coláiste Muire, a post-primary, Open to everyone, the platform
are using Rotary’s strategic priorities co-educational Catholic school which is focuses on mental health and well-being,
of increasing our impact, expanding based in Cobh, County Cork. while also educating about peace and
our reach and enhancing participant There, they are supported by Mallow helping everyone to deal with conflict.
engagement supported by a home-grown Rotary and became the first school to be Cara Sloan, an advanced peace
peace project with young people. awarded the International Blue Peace advocate at Douglas Ewart High School
‘Peace Advocate’ status is achieved School Flag. said: “As school captain, I am sad that my
through interactive training sessions, as Up until March this year, Rotary final year of school was cut short.
well as providing skills and strategies to GB&I clubs and districts were supporting "It has been bizarre, submitting my
empower young people to take control of 30 schools in the project. This all changed leaver’s form via email instead of signing
their lives. with COVID-19, or so we thought. out of school, surrounded by my peers.
4 | Rotary | December / January 2021 rotarygbi.org
Students involved in the Peace Advocate Project
“However, the Peace Project has has been awarded the first International progress of their schools in reaching the
helped me to see the positives. It is a time Blue Flag standard for Peace Schools in the Blue Flag standard.
to reach out to people in need. United Kingdom. Although COVID-19 has tried to
"With all this uncertainty, it’s a time Archbishop Sancroft High School in control the world, our peace advocates
to call the people you love, learn to have Harleston, Norfolk, received the first Blue have changed the way they work to carry
a kinder, more empathetic heart, because Flag in England in October, supported by on developing peace in our lives.
everyone is fighting a battle.” District Peace Officer, Pat Webb. They make us realise that the peace
advocacy skills helped them to get through
a difficult time and empowered them to
help others.
“HOWEVER, THE PEACE PROJECT HAS HELPED ME TO The peace advocates tell us how they
SEE THE POSITIVES. IT IS A TIME TO REACH OUT TO feel this will not be the last pandemic they
PEOPLE IN NEED. WITH ALL THIS UNCERTAINTY, IT’S will have to deal with.
A TIME TO CALL THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE, LEARN TO Hamish Sutherland, an advanced
HAVE A KINDER, MORE EMPATHETIC HEART, BECAUSE peace advocate at Douglas Ewart High
EVERYONE IS FIGHTING A BATTLE.” School, left us with the words: “At least
with the Peace Advocate skills, we feel we
have a chance to take control”. l
The peace advocates shared more than Working with young people, the Peace
70 daily tips on social media which are Advocate Project has developed online
being brought into the school curriculum, virtual training: ‘Zooming for Peace’.
trained others to become peace advocates, Successful interactive online training
and shared skills online to other students. has been piloted in Japan and Spain.
They will deliver the programme to In England, this has been organised
other students in their school. in collaboration with Bewdley Rotary in
This is an example of young people Worcestershire and its Interact Group at | info |
training other young people and, in turn, Bewdley School. For more information visit:
sharing their work. The Peace Advocate Project supports peaceadvocateproject@btinternet.com
For this outstanding service project a network of 30 Rotarians across Rotary www.peaceadvocateproject.org
and completion of training, the next cohort GB&I, who will soon be assessing the
rotarygbi.org December / January 2021 | Rotary | 5
Rotary | FEATURE
Jamming for peace
Winchester Rotarian, Luke Addison, is the European
Youth Team Co-ordinator for PeaceJam. Here, he writes how
youngsters are at the forefront of championing change.
P
EACEJAM is an international
education programme for
schools and youth groups, and is
the only educational programme
working directly with Nobel
Peace Laureates.
PeaceJam has been nominated for
the Nobel Peace Prize nine times. Our
aims are to teach and inspire a new
generation to be active citizens and agents
for change.
To coincide with the International
Day of Peace in September, PeaceJam
Europe launched a ‘Campaign for an
Inclusive Europe’ to mobilise young
people and address the most pressing
issues facing our communities.
Luke Addison
From Black Lives Matter to climate
change, young people are at the forefront Sara Belhay, PeaceJam UK Project
of championing change and we want Manager, said: “Many of the challenges
to amplify these efforts through our "FROM BLACK LIVES facing young people have intensified
‘Laureate of the Future Programme’, MATTER TO CLIMATE during the pandemic, but we have an
alongside running a Pan-European CHANGE, YOUNG PEOPLE opportunity to bring young people
conference. ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF together and show them that they can
Thanks to support from Winchester CHAMPIONING CHANGE" make a difference.
Rotary, PeaceJam Europe’s Youth Team “Engaging the European Youth Team
has created the ‘Laureate of the Future in the organisation of the Pan-European
Programme’. This offers young people conference comprised predominantly conference, has played an important part
aged between 14 and 26-years-old the youth-led Q&A sessions, panel in placing youth voices at the centre of
opportunity to apply for a micro-grant discussions, interactive workshops and what we do.
up to the value of €200, to support their small group discussions which focused on “We are excited to launch the
social action ideas and projects. education, environment, equality, health ‘Campaign for an Inclusive Europe’ and
Over the last three years, with and migration. ‘Laureate of the Future Programme’ on
support from the Erasmus+ programme Young people spent time International Day of Peace, as part of our
through the European Union, PeaceJam brainstorming ideas to advance inclusion commitment to empower young people to
has expanded its programming across and promote peace in Europe. become active citizens and agents
Europe, strengthening the ideals of peace, And these ideas will be presented to of change.” l
non-violence, inclusion and cohesion. the European Parliament as part of the
As part of the project, an online project’s final report. | info |
Pan-European conference was organised In addition to learning from Nobel For more information contact:
for the first time in November by the Peace Prize winner Jody Williams, young europe@peacejam.org
European Youth Team with support from people heard from other inspirational
PeaceJam in Belgium, Greece, Romania, change-makers, including the KidsRights Watch the togetherTalk live event on
Luxembourg, Netherlands and UK. International Children’s Peace Prize 15th December at 19:05 to hear all about
Featuring the 1997 Nobel Peace PeaceJam. Book Tickets Now
winner, Stuart Lawrence and prominent
rotarygbi.org/togethertalks
Prize winner Jody Williams, the online youth activists from across Europe.
6 | Rotary | December / January 2021 rotarygbi.org
Rotary | FEATURE
The revolution
of small things
Mariafernanda Burgos from Colombia is a Rotary Peace Fellow
who describes her studies based at the University of Bradford.
H
AVE you ever thought about approach to peace and reconciliation,
what peace entails, or what where violence has been part of a society
peace might look like? for decades.
When thinking about Being a peace-builder is not about
peace in terms of large-scale, changing the world.
violent conflict, it is usually associated It is about contributing to the world
with ceasefire and promises contained in through the development of creativity
agreements between governments and and insightful tools for communities, who
armed insurgent groups. require different strategies to transform
Although this is probably one of the small scale realities.
most relevant steps towards a peaceful So, with this experience in the field,
society, many agreements tend to fail and influenced by the Peace Centre at the
because they do not fully encompass the University of Bradford, my next steps will
complexity of a conflict, which has been be oriented towards the consolidation
affecting a society for generations. of a glocal platform – one reflecting or
As a consequence, building peace characterised by both local and global
seems like a utopia; impossible and considerations.
unattainable. This is a platform where small peace
However, there is much to learn from initiatives around the world can shine
small-scale initiatives which challenge the Mariafernanda Burgos as an example for those existing in the
complexities of the conflict. shaded corners, who are looking for
between the government and Fuerzas
As a Colombian, surrounded by the inspiration, support and partnerships.
Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia
oldest armed conflict in Latin America, I want to foster glocalisation as a way
(FARC), peace is not straightforward.
and also as a peace-builder, I have of moving from the local to the global.
A focus on the next generations
realised that these so-called utopias are I want to acknowledge the particular
through inter-disciplinary projects in
possible to reach through ‘the revolution circumstances of each context.
areas such as science and arts will be
of the small things’. The revolution of the small things
small, but necessary steps in order to walk
Projects such as the ‘Science and could then transcend borders, as it walks
towards peace utopias.
Innovation for Peace and Peace Insight’ towards the so-called utopias. l
Nowadays, as a Rotary Peace Fellow
were two peace-building initiatives which
at the University of Bradford, I have
I was proud to lead.
confirmed that the ‘revolution of the
The aim was to strengthen the peace
small things’ is key when pursuing peace
leadership skills of the youth population,
in protracted and untreatable conflicts.
as well as foster knowledgeable and
A critical thinking, fostered by
new leaders in communities affected by
academia, has allowed me to broaden my
conflict.
knowledge about the nuances of peace.
So, although in 2016 Colombia
It has helped me to understand
went through an historic peace process
that we cannot expect that a ‘one fits all’
8 | Rotary | December / January 2021 rotarygbi.org
© WaterAid/ Joey Lawrence
Will your club help
us bring clean
water to families
like Yenus’, to build
strength for today
and security for
tomorrow?
Yenus is 12, loves science and poetry, and wants to be a policeman when he
grows up. But like many of his friends, Yenus spends hours every day fetching
dirty water instead of studying and fulfilling his potential. There’s no other
option.
But a gift from your club this Christmas could help communities like
Yenus’ unearth a clean, reliable water supply – and a brighter future.
Visit www.wateraid.org/uk/christmas or call
020 7793 4594 to find out more or make a donation.
Until 4th February 2021, the UK government will
match all public donations to Future on Tap, up
to £2 million, making double the difference in
communities across Ethiopia.
Registered charity numbers 288701 (England and Wales) and SC039479 (Scotland)
Rotary | FEATURE
The pilots
of peace
Alison Sutherland is the current District
Governor for Southern Wales, and chairs
the Rotary Action Group for Peace. Here, she
discusses what the action group is trying to
achieve in an ever-changing world.
T
HE Rotary Action Group
for Peace was founded about
12 years ago, making slow
and steady progress towards
COVID-19 pandemic
its mission of ‘engagement,
has been the growth of
education, empower’.
Peacebuilder clubs, probably
The past year has been very exciting,
as a result of the surge of
following the launch of the Peacebuilder
online and virtual events.
club initiative.
As Chair of RAGFP, I have
The idea is that each Rotary club has
been hosting ‘Chat with the Chair’
at least two Rotarians sitting on a peace
four nights per week, which has attracted
committee in club, just like Foundation or
Rotarians, Peacebuilder clubs and fledgling
Membership.
RAGFP chapters. It’s great to see how they
These Rotarians are then members
have inspired, encouraged and helped one strategic
of the Rotary Action Group for Peace
another by sharing ideas and projects. plan, whilst
(RAGFP). They help the club to see the
The latest exciting initiative country- simultaneously
areas of peace it is already doing, educate
based chapters were borne from a adhering to the mission
themselves as well as fellow Rotarians,
conversation with Walter Gyger at the and strategic plan of the holding
within their club and district, around the
Rotary International convention in company.
area of peace.
Hamburg 18 months ago. To date, there are four chapters
To this end, they can access training
Although, at first, RAGFP was reticent, piloting this concept in Switzerland, Serbia,
on the Peace Academy, check out the ‘eight
because it didn’t want to promote possible Germany and Hong Kong. Each chapter
pillars of peace’ - as posted on the Institute
nationalism at the potential expense of has achieved much to date.
for Economics and Peace website - and
unity, soon it became clear the idea was a Hong Kong has brought in over 70
take part in training. Every Rotarian or
good one. new members to RAGFP and 30 new
Rotaractor is a Peacebuilder. Consequently,
Country-based chapters can be likened Peacebuilder clubs. Some 65 Rotarians have
they and their club appear on the peace
to a holding company with regional offices, taken the Peace Academy training.
map on the RAGFP website.
which are culturally relevant to their area They hosted a Multi District
The year started with around 50
and, most importantly, they represent the Conference with Peter Kyle and myself as
Peacebuilder clubs. Numbers now exceed
unique issues of that area. keynote speakers, and they are currently
200. One of the surprising, and perhaps
They work together to formulate a undertaking a series of training sessions,
few, positives to have come out of the
10 | Rotary | December / January 2021 rotarygbi.org"THE YEAR STARTED WITH AROUND 50
PEACEBUILDER CLUBS. NUMBERS NOW
EXCEED 200. ONE OF THE SURPRISING, AND
PERHAPS FEW, POSITIVES TO HAVE COME
OUT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS BEEN
THE GROWTH OF PEACEBUILDER CLUBS,
PROBABLY AS A RESULT OF THE SURGE OF
ONLINE AND VIRTUAL EVENTS."
did in October with Rotary International
President, Holger Knaack as their keynote
speaker.
Another conference has been planned
for December for Europe and Africa. A
much, but other third conference is planned for February for
participants have made Oceania/Australasia Rotaractors.
great strides for peace. RAGFP reduced its membership fees
Some Rotarians are for Rotaractors during September and
working with Karim Wasfi, a October. Rotarians sponsored groups of
renowned cellist and conductor 20 Rotaractors. Now, over 350 Rotaractors
from Iraq. have been brought into RAGFP.
They produced a video of Karim Much support has been offered to
and the orchestras which he has set up in clubs with many speaking engagements.
the war-torn areas of Iraq for World Reem Ghunaim, RAGFP’s Executive
assisted Peace Day. Director, has been holding ‘Together for
by Rotarians from Turkey came on Peace’ talks with a varied and distinguished
Rotarian trainers the chat for advice with how to put on a list of guests.
from the USA with whom conference around Gallipoli and Anzac Day What about the future? RAGFP exists
they connected through ‘Chat with this past November. RAGFP connected to conduct its mission to ‘engage, educate
the Chair’. them with Peace Fellows, speakers and and empower’ Rotarians and others in the
A striking outcome for the Switzerland panellists. area of peace.
Chapter is the Geneva Project Incubator. It has been a privilege to see this We may not have all of the answers, or
This brings together over 50 Peace group grow in stature. They have a global all the resources, but we know where to get
Fellows, 100 Rotarians and other grant for peace as the outcome of their them and how we can connect. l
organisations, each working together on the conference.
various aspects of peace projects. RAGFP has also recognised the
I am involved in the Peace Through changed status of Rotaract. A director of
Education segment. At the end of the RAGFP, Chehab Elawar, and myself hosted | info |
event, it is anticipated that there will be 40 an online meeting of Rotaractors from over
global grants ready for sponsorship and 20 countries. For more information visit:
implementation. They decided they wanted to put on a rotaryactiongroupforpeace.org
Not only have the chapters achieved virtual Global Peace Conference. This they
rotarygbi.org December / January 2021 | Rotary | 11Rotary | OPINION
The power of waging
Positive Peace
Rotary International Trustee chair, K.R. Ravindran, reflects on
the meaning of peace at this special time of the year.
I
N late 1914, Europe was divided by
hundreds of miles of trenches. British
and French forces on one side were
within shouting distance of German
troops on the other. The Pope made
a plea for a Christmas truce, but the
shooting continued.
Then, on Christmas Eve, soldiers from
behind British lines heard an unexpected
sound — not gunfire, but singing.
Next, they heard a single voice shout
out, "English soldier, merry Christmas!"
followed by "English soldier, come out to
join us!"
Both sides cautiously emerged
over the parapet into the no man's land
between the trenches. Before long, the
soldiers realised that it was a real truce.
They fraternised, singing Christmas
carols, exchanging souvenirs and whisky, A Christmas Day truce was agreed in WW1
and even taking up a friendly soccer
match. how to wage Positive Peace in every project
The ceasefire continued only two we do at the grassroots level, including
days before the troops returned to their "THEY FRATERNISED, Foundation grants.
trenches, resuming bloodshed for nearly SINGING CHRISTMAS Positive Peace resonates at all levels of
four long years. CAROLS, EXCHANGING The Rotary Foundation.
But the story of the Christmas truce SOUVENIRS AND WHISKY, Our literacy projects help children
reminds us that peace is possible, if we AND EVEN TAKING UP A gain equal access to literacy, so opposing
choose to accept it. FRIENDLY SOCCER MATCH." sides on an issue can understand each
If peace can last a few days, could it other better.
not also last months or years? And how do Through our Foundation grants that
we prevent conflict in the first place? provide clean water, communities gain
In his Nobel Peace Prize lecture and peace we have heard on the streets in stability, as more children stay in school
in 1964, American civil rights leader protests from Minneapolis to Paris rather than fetching water for hours
Martin Luther King Jr. said: "We must this year. on end.
concentrate not merely on the negative Positive Peace, studied at our Rotary Our role as civil society leaders who
expulsion of war, but on the positive Peace Centres around the world, is not just wage Positive Peace will continue to
affirmation of peace." an academic idea for the Rotary expand, not only through partnerships and
With Positive Peace, our society's Peace Fellows. more grants, but also through our hearts,
structures, policies, and everyday attitudes Through Rotary’s partnership with minds, and hands as we offer our gifts to
and actions promote justice at all levels, the Institute for Economics and Peace, make the world a better place. l
sustaining a peaceful coexistence. the Rotary Positive Peace Academy offers
It's an answer to the calls for justice free training to every Rotary member on
12 | Rotary | December / January 2021 rotarygbi.orgRotary | NEWS
Keep your distance
Rotary is supporting the ‘distance aware’ badges which are
now being worn by people across Great Britain & Ireland.
| DAVE KING |
T
HIS was the simplest of ideas,
which was hatched earlier this
summer by the unlikeliest of
combinations – a Baroness from
the House of Lords and a doctor
at a South Wales hospital.
Almost half a million COVID-19
‘distance aware’ badges have been
produced, being worn as a polite prompt
to promote social distancing.
And now, led by Rotarians in South
Wales the initiative is being supported by
Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland.
Last March, social shielding came
into force to protect the most vulnerable.
Dr Helen Iliff, a Bevan Exemplar, and a
core anaesthetic trainee with the Cwm
Morgannwg University Health Board in
Merthyr Tydfil, was one of those social
distancing. She said: “My own club has social distancing, and a lack of social
She realised the need for a polite distributed badges to our own members distancing, is a really scary thing for the
prompt to others to maintain a respectful and their families who require them, public.
distance as lockdown started to ease. especially if they were shielding and “Giving a really positive message
Working with Baroness Finlay, particularly friends who have been about social distancing will encourage
her idea for a ‘Distance Aware’ symbol, undergoing chemotherapy and other people back into those spaces again.”
showing a protective shield, was put treatments. More than 200 organisations and
together. With multi-coloured designs, the “One Interact club has asked for a businesses have got involved in the
badge is now being rolled out across Wales supply to be distributed to families and scheme, each funding their own badges.
and other parts of the UK, and it has teachers. Helen admitted she was amazed how
been endorsed by both the Welsh and UK “We have supplied them to a special quickly it had gathered pace.
governments. needs school, a golf club, our local church, “The people funding it are the people
“It is something Baroness Finlay and I and to staff at a Salvation Army group who believe in it and they believe it is
are both very proud of,” said Helen. which has residential bedsit facilities going to have benefit,” she added.
“It is going to be one of these things for young people who have either been “The people using it are the people
which comes in peaks as people go out a thrown out of their homes or rescued from seeing the benefit.
little more. modern slavery.” “If it makes one person able to go
“This is about politely prompting Helen, 28, said that having Rotary’s outside and able to not be isolated, it is
people. It is not saying ‘you have to support was crucial because of the worth it. And if it keeps one person out of
do this’, or ‘you have to do that’. It is a organisation’s connection at so many intensive care, it will have paid for itself. l
polite reminder which we felt that was levels. She pointed out how the badge
important.” could be used in the same way as how the
Rotary has got on board to provide Rotary-supported dementia cafés are run. | info |
Rotary-branded badges. Maggie Hughes, “If a business wants to encourage
Badges are available from London
Secretary of Cardiff Breakfast Rotary, and people to come back into their space, Emblem. Contact Annabel Apperly at:
Public Image Team Lead for South Wales, they can say we are a distance aware annabel@londonemblem.com
said the idea has been well received across organisation. It is a positive message. www.londonemblem.com
the country. “All this negative messaging around
14 | Rotary | December / January 2021 rotarygbi.org❋
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Rotary connects
the world
They may be separated by the Atlantic Ocean, some 3,500
miles apart, but Rotary is bringing together clubs in
Southampton, England, and Southampton, Canada thanks
to a legacy stretching back to the Second World War.
| DAVE KING |
E
IGHTY years ago, 300 injured. The firestorm was so fierce rumoured to have some of the best sunsets
Southampton came under a that the glow of burning Southampton in the world.
rain of fire as the Luftwaffe could be seen as far away as Cherbourg on As a Dominion of the British Empire,
tried to bomb the country France’s northern coast. Canada entered the Second World War
into submission. The docks, Three and a half thousand miles away on September 10th, 1939, and over the
and the nearby Supermarine factory in from Southampton, Hampshire, across the next six years, some 1.1 million Canadians
Woolston where the Spitfires were built, Atlantic Ocean, lies the Canadian town of served with the Allies, with approximately
were the clear targets. Southampton, Ontario. 42,000 killed and another 55,000 were
This was the Second World War in Nestling on the shores of Lake Huron wounded.
1940, and with the south coast port in easy – a three-hour drive from Toronto, and In 1940, the Canadian town of
reach of the German airfields in France,
Southampton became a strategic bombing
target.
During the war, around 2,300
bombs and 470 tonnes of high explosives
were dropped on the city, damaging or
destroying 45,000 buildings.
A daylight raid on November 6th,
1940, targeted Southampton’s Civic
Centre. Hermann Goering, the head of the
Luftwaffe, remarked how, from the air, the
Civic Centre appeared like “a piece of cake”,
and he was going to “cut himself a slice”.
During the raid, the building was
hit with a powerful 500lb bomb, which
penetrated the lower floors of the art
gallery killing 35 people, including 14
children, who were having an art lesson in
the basement.
Of the 57 air raids to batter the city, by
far the worst was in late November 1940
when 77 people were killed and more than Southampton Civic Centre
16 | Rotary | December / January 2021 rotarygbi.orgSouthampton felt a close affinity with
their UK cousins, prompting the Rotary
Club of Southampton Ontario to send "EIGHTY YEARS AGO, SOUTHAMPTON CAME
the Southampton Rotary Club in the UNDER A RAIN OF FIRE AS THE LUFTWAFFE TRIED
UK £200 to help residents deal with the TO BOMB THE COUNTRY INTO SUBMISSION.
damage from the bombings. THE DOCKS, AND THE NEARBY SUPERMARINE
Today, that sum would be worth
£13,000, a lot of money for the Canadian
FACTORY IN WOOLSTON WHERE THE SPITFIRES
club with 15 members which had only
WERE BUILT, WERE THE CLEAR TARGETS."
been founded in 1938.
It's a story which has been picked
up by Susan Macdonald, a member of who would attend Rotary meetings if they 2020, I’d like the relationship that started
Rotary Southampton, Ontario, a 45-strong were on leave in the area. in war to move forward in peace.”
community club. “I went through our archives and I The International Service committees
Husband Colin is a member of Paisley managed to hear a copy of the recording, of the two clubs are exploring options for
Rotary, 20 minutes south of Southampton, and also found a newspaper clipping of a fostering peace.
Ontario, and has family living just on the story published in the Southampton Daily They are also looking at the United
outskirts of Southampton, Hampshire, Echo from February 26th, 1955, with a Nations’ sponsored Peace Pole project as
which prompted a visit to the south coast. half-page write-up of the Southampton a platform to bring the two clubs closer –
“I mentioned to our President that we Rotary Club’s golden jubilee dinner, where there are a quarter of a million peace poles
were planning to visit the Southampton it mentions the funds the Southampton around the world, at least one in every
Rotary Club in the UK, and she mentioned Ontario Rotarians sent to the UK club.” country bearing the message: ‘May peace
this link,” explained Susan. When Susan and Colin visited prevail on earth’.
“I found out about this story and how, Southampton Rotary Club, they told “I do believe in last year’s theme that
in 1955, to celebrate Rotary International’s the story and played the 64-year-old “Rotary Connects the World”, which is why
golden jubilee, the Southampton UK recording. “It was interesting how some I am so impassioned about this.
club made a recording thanking the of the Rotarians recognised some of the "When we do projects together, we
Southampton Ontario Club for their people in the recording, which I thought can change the world.” l
support during the war years. was really special,” she added.
“The recording expressed how they “Rotary connected us because of
enjoyed hosting the Canadian Armed war in 1940, Rotary connected us again
Servicemen from Southampton, Ontario, in 1955 and Rotary connects us today in
rotarygbi.org December / January 2021 | Rotary | 17Rotary | OPINION
| TOM GRIFFIN |
Rotary President of Great Britain & Ireland
Why can’t it be
Christmas every day?
N
OW when I ask this question, I’m not suggesting a supranational bodies, governments, or non-governmental
revolutionary change to the Christian calendar, nor organisations.
am I proposing that our streets should permanently I don’t think that, generally, we recognise the contribution
be decorated and resound to brass bands playing Rotary has made to peace and conflict resolution in this way.
Christmas Carols. But often Rotarians say to me, “but what can we do to
No, Christmas is a special time – particularly for promote peace; for example, we can’t stop fighting in
young children, agog to learn what Santa will Syria?”
bring; truly it comes but once a year. Actually, there’s quite a lot every
What I am referring to is the Rotarian can do – and not only through
description of Christmas as the humanitarian projects; and not only
“season of peace, goodwill to all through donating to The Rotary
men”. Why just Christmas? Foundation. There is conflict in
Someone said to me recently our own communities, and we as
that peace is “in Rotary’s DNA”. Rotarians can play our part in
He wasn’t just referring resolving it.
to Rotary’s honourable and There is bullying in schools
significant record in the and colleges – and, disquietingly,
founding of the United Nations modern connectivity offers more
75 years ago; nor was he ways for bullies to cause distress
referring solely to our Peace and harm, through cyber-
Scholarship programme. bullying.
In truth, so much of what Rotarians can work with
Rotary does promotes peace. educational establishments
How can a community; a to support programmes and
society; a nation be at peace if it is initiatives to counter bullying, and the
locked in grinding poverty; if it lacks consequences of it for victims.
access to the basic essentials of life, such And the last edition of Rotary
as clean water; if it lacks access to adequate magazine told the story of how Rotarians
educational or medical facilities? in Tavistock are exercising leadership in their
Every time we undertake a humanitarian project, we are community to find a fair, balanced and inclusive solution to
in some small way promoting peace somewhere across the globe. potential conflict over the statue of Sir Francis Drake in their
Of course, the peace scholars’ programme is an important town. That’s the kind of leadership which Rotary can offer.
vehicle through which we can promote peace; alumni of that So, my Christmas-time message to you is: make every day the
programme are every day engaged to that end, working for season of peace and goodwill to all”. l
18 | Rotary | December / January 2021 rotarygbi.orgI N E E V E N T
ONL
CHANGE LIVES
TAKE ACTION
Volunteer Expo is going virtual for 2021! Enjoy everything the show has to
offer from the comfort of your own home. Connect with volunteers, discover
new opportunities, hear fascinating speakers and browse our
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7 - 8 MAY 2O21
volunteerexpo.co.uk
THE UK’S NEW NATIONAL VOLUNTEERING SHOWArtist's impression of the Chinook helicopter
A LUCKY
ESCAPE BY PUSHP VAID
On November 6th, 1986, Pushp Vaid was at the controls of a Chinook
helicopter which crashed into the sea off the Shetland Islands. It was the
worst ever civilian helicopter crash, killing 45 of the 47 people on board.
20 | Rotary | December / January 2021 rotarygbi.orgRotary | FEATURE
"THE WHOLE HELICOPTER WAS FALLING
BACKWARDS TOWARDS THE SEA. THE
COCKPIT, WHICH HAD TIPPED OVER AND WAS
STILL ATTACHED TO THE CABIN AT THE FLOOR,
SEEMED TO BE GOING STRAIGHT TOWARDS
THE SEA."
I
T was 11.32 hours on November Brent Charlie and Brent Delta – one of
6th, 1986, and I was the captain four platforms extracting oil and gas in
of the Chinook helicopter which the North Sea. At the last minute we were
crashed just two miles short of its given a load to drop at Brent Alpha also.
destination, Sumburgh Airport in the This added about ten minutes to our trip.
Shetland Islands. These ten minutes became very
One passenger and I survived important when we were returning to
the crash. How or why we survived base. We crashed just two miles and two
is a mystery. There is absolutely no minutes short of our destination.
explanation, just pure luck! Destiny? Yes.
For a long time after the accident, I The flight was uneventful and after
used to ask myself ‘Why were the other landing at Brent Alpha, Charlie and
passengers not lucky?’ I guess nobody can Pushp Vaid Delta we set course back to Sumburgh at
answer that question. 10.43. We had a full complement of 44
When the helicopter wreckage was manage the shop by herself. He loved passengers and three crew on board.
retrieved from the sea, the accident flying and decided to come back to flying. Neville was the handling pilot now,
investigating inspector met me and He joined British Airways Helicopters and I was doing all the paper work, plus
wondered how I could have possibly in the summer of 1986. Since Neville the radio calls.
survived and come out of it with very hadn’t flown for nearly three years, he was We climbed to 2,500 feet on our route
minor injuries. very keen to fly as much as possible. back to Sumburgh. We flew in and out of
I joined British Airways Helicopters On November 6th, he was rostered to clouds. The weather was very nice and we
in 1975 after leaving the Indian Air Force. do the afternoon shift. Since morning shift had a very pleasant flight. We talked about
In 1982 I converted on to Chinooks, the did two flights and the afternoon shift did all sorts of things to pass the time. Neville
Boeing Vertol BV234, the biggest civilian only one, Neville had swapped his shift told me about his brother who had been
helicopter in the world. By 1986, I had with First Officer Mike Stanley. Sadly for to India and had loved it there. All this
already flown over 2,500 hours on the him, this shift change cost him his life. time, our bevel ring gear in the front gear
Chinooks and loved every minute of it. Thursday, November 6th 1986, was box was breaking up and we had no way of
I had taken G-BWFC, Chinook a beautiful day at Sumburgh Airport. The knowing of the looming disaster.
helicopter, to Sumburgh for the week on wind was light and it didn’t feel cold.
Monday 3rd of November 1986. I expected good flying conditions.
We had two sets of crews flying to Neville was already planning for our flight
the Brent oil and gas fields in the East by the time I arrived that morning.
Shetland Basin, just over 100 nautical After finishing the planning, he rang | Fact file |
miles north-east of Sumburgh Airport. up his home. That was the last time he
First Officer Neville Nixon, my spoke to his wife. PUSHP VAID
co-pilot, who was 43, had left Bristow Mike Walton, our cabin attendant, Pushp Vaid is a Rotarian, and a member of
Helicopters a few years earlier and given arrived about 7.30am and went to do his Westhill & District Rotary in Aberdeenshire.
up flying to help his wife, Pauline, set up a checks on the helicopter. Checks included Now retired, and aged 78, he enjoys yoga
chemist shop in York. making sure that cabin was clean and all and meditation, and has attended a number
After three years, the shop was doing the safety equipment was on board. of courses organised by the Isha Foundation.
very well and he found that Pauline could Our original plan was to land at
rotarygbi.org December / January 2021 | Rotary | 21Rotary | FEATURE
The retreived Chinook helicopter
I discovered this later when I listened effect broke his neck. As the non-handling I could see the sea in front of me. It
to the cockpit voice recorder at the Aircraft pilot, I had my back resting at the appeared the helicopter was now rushing
Accident Investigation Board’s workshop. backrest. The whiplash effect on me was nose-down, vertically towards the sea.
I could hear the noise of the gear break up not as great, though thinking about it now, When I pushed the cyclic stick all
for the entire 30 minutes of the tape. I start feeling the pain in my back. the way forward, the front rotor blades,
About 3.5 nautical miles from the I found out later that the whining which were still responding to the
runway, we started hearing a whining noise was the front gear breaking up. controls, flipped the cockpit section of the
noise which seemed to be getting louder. It was then a matter of 20 to 30 helicopter over. This probably saved the
The noise did not sound dangerous. seconds before the two counter rotating two of us who did survive.
By now, we were only two minutes rotor blades hit each other - and that was The whole helicopter was falling
from landing, flying about 300 feet above the loud bang we heard. backwards towards the sea. The cockpit,
the sea, and our speed was reducing below The rear rotor blades were shaking so which had tipped over and was still
100 knots. much that they, along with the gearbox, attached to the cabin at the floor, seemed
I informed the control tower at weighing more than a ton, parted to be going straight towards the sea. That
Sumburgh that ‘Foxtrot Charlie’ was on company from the helicopter and splashed also meant that there was a huge hole at
finals and we were cleared to land. in the water about one nautical mile away the top of the cabin, where the cockpit had
After informing us that the passengers from us. been. This is the hole which Eric Morrans,
were all ready for landing, our cabin One gentleman standing about five the other survivor, was thrown out of when
attendant had opened the cabin door and miles away on top of a hill, near Sumburgh he was unconscious under water.
closed it behind him. I don’t think he had Airport, saw our helicopter falling towards While we were falling, I was aware
a chance to sit down and strap himself. the sea and he actually pointed out to the that everything around me was breaking
A fraction of a second after he closed salvage team where to look for the rear up. I was thinking double time to see if
the door, at 11.32 to be exact, we heard a rotor blades. there was anything I could do to save the
very loud bang. Suddenly the helicopter No, he didn’t have a video camera! helicopter and all of us in it. It felt as
pitched up and was pointing vertically up Now there was no rear rotor. Nothing if I was in a rollercoaster ride, wishfully
and I could see the sky ahead of me. I had was holding the back end of the helicopter thinking that at the bottom, the helicopter
no time to give a May Day call. up. So the back fell and the nose was would roll out and we would land on the
We were falling backwards towards pointing up to the sky. water and everybody would come out.
the North Sea. The helicopter, which had Sitting in the cockpit I could see the Strange, not for a moment did I think
been travelling at about 100 knots, came sky straight in front of me. I got the feeling that anybody was going to die!
to a sudden stop and was now pointing we were going straight up. Instinctively I The front rotor blade had chopped
vertically up. Sadly, the whiplash effect grabbed the cyclic control and pushed it all off the part of windscreen in front of the
killed at least half of the passengers. the way forward to level the helicopter. It co-pilot. Broken bits from the windscreen
My co-pilot probably died at that appeared I had done an outside loop. were hitting me on the face. The left side
moment. As the handling pilot, he was I felt negative G force when the of my face was all cut up and my nose was
sitting without his back touching the helicopter seemed to move from pointing broken. Amazingly nothing hit my eye.
backrest, with the result that the whiplash vertically up to vertically down. Now When we hit the water, the rear end of
22 | Rotary | December / January 2021 rotarygbi.org"WHEN THE HELICOPTER WRECKAGE WAS
RETRIEVED FROM THE SEA, THE ACCIDENT
INVESTIGATING INSPECTOR MET ME AND
WONDERED HOW I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY
SURVIVED AND COME OUT OF IT WITH VERY
MINOR INJURIES."
the helicopter took all the impact. The rest be overhead in a few minutes. I was just A wave crashed over Eric’s face and
of the passengers and our cabin attendant waiting for them to come and pick me up. woke him up and luckily, as his eyes
died on impact. No-one drowned. Then a body popped up next to me opened, one dinghy inflated just next to
The North Sea is pretty cold. The and then another and another. him.
water temperature that day must have There must have been at least seven Eric heard the helicopter overhead
been around seven or eight degrees bodies floating close to me. They were not and saw me being winched up. He was
centigrade. moving or doing anything. worried he might be left behind and
The cockpit, with me still in it, seemed That is the first time it occurred to me started waving frantically.
to keep going down and down and down that perhaps some people were dead. He was winched up after me.
in the water. It must have gone down at Then there was a lot of hydraulic fluid We were now both aboard the
least 30 feet below the surface, before it and broken pieces of the helicopter that coastguard helicopter. When we arrived
stopped moving. were floating around in the sea near me. at the hospital, my body temperature was
I could see the sunlight and I knew I could see broken pieces everywhere. around 33-degree centigrade. They cut
which way I had to swim. As soon as I saw the coastguard open all my clothes and wrapped me up in
However, when I left the seat and helicopter, I waved. The helicopter hovered a tin foil space blanket to warm me up. My
started to move I discovered that I was over me, the winchman came down, put a eyes were still closed. Suddenly I heard the
going the wrong way. It was getting darker. strap around me and winched me up. doctor talking to me in Hindi, my native
I turned around and headed towards Only one passenger, 20-year-old language. Then I knew I was still alive.
the sunlight. I passed through the Eric Morrans, survived the crash. He was They don’t speak Hindi in heaven, do
emergency window, which had blown away sitting in the front row of seats, which they? Or maybe they do!
on impact and swam towards the surface. faces backwards. The mechanical failure that caused
Later I discovered that I had not even He was facing the 42 passengers and the gearbox break was a one in a million
unbuckled my belt. When the cockpit was he saw the fear of death in their faces when chance.
salvaged, we discovered that one strap had the helicopter was plunging vertically That it resulted in so many fatalities
broken, but the other three were still in backwards into the sea. was a terrible orchestration of events.
locked position. I have no idea how I came Eric was just plain lucky like me. Friends advised me not to go back
out of those straps. Instinctively, he zipped up his survival suit to flying. After all, the company would
It was a beautiful sunshine, which when he heard the big bang. There were pension me off comfortably. But I knew
met me when I reached the surface. I was a lot of broken pieces flying around in the money wouldn’t fill the hours.
feeling very cold and was breathing very cabin and he was rendered unconscious. Flying was all I had ever wanted to do.
fast and hard. I saw what looked like a big When the helicopter plunged into the By February, I was ready to fly again.
bowl. I think it was part of the fuel tank water, Eric went with it. However, when The company insisted on psychiatric
cover. I managed to climb into it. But two he was about 30 feet under water, his checks, however, and I resumed flying
seconds later a small wave tipped me over survival suit, which was full of air, acted in April. I was 45 when the accident
and I was back in the water. like a football under water, and threw happened, and flew for another 20 years
I wasn’t worried; in the back of my him out through the hole behind him and before retiring. l
mind I knew the rescue helicopter would towards the surface.
rotarygbi.org December / January 2021 | Rotary | 23Talk from the top…
HOLGER
KNAACK PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
A
S I look back on 2020, I reflect on how our lives have
changed. The global COVID-19 pandemic brought
pain and loss to many of us. And for almost all of us,
our daily lives, family time, and work also changed this year.
But we’ve made it to the end of this difficult year, not on
our own but by reaching out to one another, as we always do
in Rotary. With each passing year, I become prouder of
our organisation.
I will choose to remember 2020 as a year of great change
and strength for us; Rotary didn’t stop, despite the pandemic.
We removed obstacles, found new ways to connect, and
embraced new approaches to service, such as online projects
and virtual fundraising. I have invited two Rotarians to share
their stories about how Rotary grew stronger this year.
“ The global COVID-19 pandemic
brought pain and loss to many of
When the pandemic shut everything down, our emerging us. And for almost all of us, our
e-club was already providing digital service, including
internationally. Fourteen U.S. women and I, members of daily lives, family time, and work
multiple Rotary clubs, were using WhatsApp to mentor also changed this year.”
women entrepreneurs in rural Costa Rica, helping them to
grow their ecotourism business, RETUS Tours [the subject
of the magazine’s May cover story, “Nature & Nurture”].
The project has grown, with 30 Rotarians now providing
consulting and help with the RETUS website and social us. Registering our online meetings on My Rotary enhanced
media. Most importantly, we continue building relationships contacts with clubs across the world, and the joint meeting
and empowering these women to transform their own addressed by Holger attracted more than 300 visitors. We
lives, and we are doing it online. I’ve even helped one of the also raised more funds as members and visitors contributed
women, Rosa, prepare a presentation in English for an online to our projects. To continue being flexible for all, we are now
international conference. While our engagement with the offering hybrid meetings. For me, 2020 has been the best
Costa Rican women still requires some hands-on activity, the year in Rotary as I’ve made many new friends.
most transformative impacts haven’t had to be in person. Blessing Michael,
Liza Larson, Rotary Club of Port Harcourt North, Nigeria
Rotary E-Club Engage & Rotary Club of Plano East, Texas
These stories should give us all reasons to be optimistic
I was president of my club when COVID-19 hit, and many about Rotary in the year ahead. We are not just surviving;
members didn’t yet have Zoom. Only 10 of our 53 members we are gaining strength. We are discovering how resilient our
participated in the first Zoom meeting during the pandemic. organisation truly is. We are seeing for ourselves how Rotary
I thought that reaching out and getting guest speakers from Opens Opportunities — even during pandemics — to grow,
around the world to engage our members would help. Many connect, and engage our members and the communities we
Rotary leaders, a Rotary Peace Fellow, and even RI President serve.
Holger Knaack visited virtually and spoke to our club. From our home in Ratzeburg to yours, Susanne and I
Meeting attendance improved, while we reduced running would like to bid you and your family the warmest of season’s
costs by cutting out meals. Some members who worked greetings. We can’t wait to see the good things that 2021
outside our city and had missed our meetings even rejoined will bring. l
26 | Rotary | December / January 2021 rotarygbi.orgTalk from the top…
K.R. Ravindran Tony Black
Trustee Chair 2020/21 RI Director 2019/21
O W
N a foggy Christmas Eve in Victorian London, the old
E will soon be in a new calendar year – 2021
miser sits at his desk. Bitter and disillusioned with
the world, Ebenezer Scrooge has only one interest: his – and all the challenges that may bring. No
bottom line. Christmas, Hogmanay or New Year and for
He declines his nephew’s invitation to Christmas dinner, many not even a chance to see family or friends, as has been
refuses to support the poor and deprived, and reluctantly the case with all other festivals. Can we even plan for the
grants his underpaid clerk, Bob Cratchit, time off for future till a vaccine becomes available?
Christmas Day. With six months of our Rotary year to go, Rotarians are
After he arrives home, strange things begin to happen. already planning for the future. The Rotary International
Jacob Marley, his deceased business partner, appears as a ghost Board of Directors is taking action to make Rotary more
tethered to a chain, telling Scrooge to change his self-centered welcoming and diverse.
ways, lest he meet the same fate.
We have formed a task force to promote diversity,
That is the premise of A Christmas Carol, Charles
equity, and inclusion to help clubs attract new members
Dickens’ classic tale of a man’s transformation from hardened
recluse to generous humanitarian. To me, it offers valuable regardless of gender, race, religion, age, or other factors.
lessons for all, regardless of belief or time of year. This will help us speed up the change we all want and need.
In one of my favorite passages, a spirit magically The selection of Jennifer E. Jones as Rotary President
transports Scrooge to the Cratchit household. for 2022-23, the first woman to lead our organisation, is
There, he sees his clerk from a new vantage point, another step in this direction. I look forward to a future
observing a humble but heartfelt holiday gathering. where Rotary could have a massive input into many aspects
Scrooge then understands that gifts like friendship, of our lives whether that be locally or internationally.
family, and gratitude can’t be recorded into any ledger. Maybe environmental projects, whether that be
By the end of the story, Scrooge has learned the most planting trees, decreasing plastic usage and pollution.
important lesson of all: that as long as we are still alive, it’s not
Maybe getting involved in helping young people
too late to devote ourselves to serving humankind.
understand/learn about and grow fruit/vegetables/flowers.
The year-end holidays are upon us. It is a time of giving
and sharing, but it is not limited to our loved ones. We just need to free our minds and find something in
It is also for the people we have never met and will never which we as individuals or as clubs/districts can
see, for those who are not so fortunate as we and could use a get involved.
helping hand. Polio vaccination programmes around the world are
The miracle of giving that Scrooge discovered on starting to build back up and if we get our momentum up
Christmas Eve is exactly what The Rotary Foundation does to speed we still have the chance to free the world of the
365 days a year. scourge of polio, but we cannot do this without the funds
Our Foundation serves simultaneously as charity that Rotarians/clubs/districts contribute on a yearly basis.
and performer in the field; Rotarians are on the ground, How are you all coping with virtual meetings? I find
volunteering their skills and business expertise in support of
they can be tiring especially if I have too many in a week or
grants that are funded by you.
if they take far too long – one recently was 5 ½ hours.
In this way, we carry out some of Rotary’s most important
work, such as protecting mothers and their babies and helping We just need to learn how to adapt. Because of my
communities recover from the shocks of COVID-19. background as a veterinary surgeon in general practice, I
Please remember The Rotary Foundation during this believed that the COVID-19 epidemic would not be over by
season of generosity. Christmas, but would only happen when a vaccine becomes
Remember that your gifts to the Foundation amplify our available, hopefully by the summer of 2021.
work in all areas of focus. So, I planned my year accordingly. Spring and summer
They are perpetuated, not just today but long after we are were spent between gardening - and Zoom meetings and
gone. And the Foundation will continue to work its miracles occasionally reading novels.
in service to others tomorrow as long as we keep supporting it For the next four to six weeks I will tackle all the put-off
today.
jobs in the house - and Zoom meetings. At least my carbon
On behalf of The Rotary Foundation Trustees, I thank
footprint will have been greatly reduced.
you for sending your generous contribution before
December 31st. • The strange part is that I am not missing the travelling,
eating out or even going to the bar and sometimes wonder if
I even want to go back to that. •
28 | Rotary | December / January 2021 rotarygbi.orgYou can also read
