Category: Club Meetings

With Census Day having fallen on the 27th March we were joined this evening by Kevin Beck, our Census area manager. Kevin and his team have been active for months now encouraging people to take part in the Census by explaining how the information collected makes a practical difference to peoples everyday lives by ensuring that local authorities receive their fair share of central government funding to run its public services – like leisure centres, rubbish collection and public transport.

As well as explaining to the Club how the Census information is collected and used Kevin also gave us a potted history of census.

Census Day having passed the hard work starts now for Kevin’s team as they begin to visit every household still to submit their return to give help and encouragement so as to ensure that the census information is as complete as possible. Their hard work in serving the community in this way is appreciated by all in the Club.

It was fitting on Valentines Day to be joined by Fred Austin and his wife Margaret and to hear their real life love story which is now the subject of a book – Czech and Mate.

Born into a Jewish family in pre war Czechoslovakia Fred was fortunate with the help of a distant cousin in Austria to secure passage to England under the protection of an English school teacher. It was the last that he was to see of this mother and sisters who were all to become victims of Nazi extermination.

Overcoming hardship whilst under the care of his rescuer Fred went on to attend Leicester University where he was to meet Margaret, his future wife. Fred was to qualify as a teacher and eventually to become Head of Dudley Grammar School. On his retirement from the Grammar School Fred became chief officer for Age Concern in Dudley. It is testament to Fred’s character that there is no hint of bitterness as he recounts his past life and as a longstanding member of the Rotary Club of Dudley he has devoted himself to the service of others.

We welcomed this evening Ashley Gray – a member of the Walsall Saddlers Rotary Club – as our speaker. Ashley is a Rotary Assistant District Governor with responsibility for our own Club and the other Rotary Clubs within our zone.

As part of his role Ashley helps to keep us up to date with whats happening within our Rotary District and the wider Rotary family as well as taking feedback from us on these developments. Mixing these duties with running his own business cannot be easy and it became apparent from talking to Ashley just how much of his spare time is devoted to helping the Rotary movement grow and prosper.

Ashley’s work is greatly appreciated by the Club and we look forward to working with him for the remainder of this Rotary year.

It was a great pleasure to welcome Martyn Long – the recently appointed Headmaster of Tettenhall College – to our meeting this evening. With a history dating back to 1863 the College attracts children from around the world and has a reputation for providing a sound academic education based on traditional standards of excellence within a stimulating and caring environment.

After a brief tour through his own school and university days Martyn updated us on developments within the College in the six months since his arrival.

This is Martyn’s second stint at Tettenhall having previously headed the physics department before leaving to take up an appointment as a deputy head 10 years ago. His affection for the school and its nurturing environment is obvious and we are fortunate to have such a gifted educator to lead the staff and pupils and to secure the College’s future.

As part of their duties the District Governor in each Rotary District visit each Club on their District at least once during their year of office.

This evening we were pleased to welcome Glyn Johnson our current District Governor for his visit to the Tettenhall Club. Glyn is a member of the Rotary Club of Blythe Bridge and District.

During his visit Glyn updated members on the progress of a number of Rotary initiatives and gave members the opportunity to raise questions and make their own views known. We all appreciate the work which Glynn has taken on and which takes up so much of his time. We wish him well in the remainder of his year.

The remarkable charity, ‘Help for Heroes’ has captured the imagination and support of the nation. Our speaker this evening was Jerry Hobbs, who is the local organiser for the charity and is also a member of Wolverhampton Rotary Club.

We were delighted to welcome Jerry back again to bring us up to date with developments within ‘Help for Heroes’ and to learn of the further progress being made. Jerry’s boundless enthusiasm and commitment is never in doubt and all the Club members present were again amazed at the tremendous progress and the many achievements which the charity has made in a relatively short space of time.

Seeing the new facilities now brought on stream at Headley Court – the charity’s main rehabilitation centre – and the setting up of additional rehabilitation facilities throughout the UK was quite inspiring, but nothing matched the amazing fortitude, resilience and sheer courage of the young servicemen undergoing treatment – each fighting a personal battle to resume life back in the community – many with the most appalling injuries, yet unfailingly cheerful and confident in their ability to forge new lives for themselves. All quite humbling!