The Rotary Club of Lisburn

Visit of DG Philip

On Friday 1st August District Governor Philip accompanied by his wife Marjorie visited the Club at our Friday lunch meeting.

DG Philip gave us a talk outlining the District support for ”Project 538” and updated us on his visits to the school in Kiptulwa in Kenya. He was asking each Club in District to raise £600.Our international Committee has already an event organised to meet our target.

International Committee Caribbean BBQ

PRESIDENT Sam’s year has just begun and the International Committee are quick off the mark.

We invite you to join us on Sunday the 24^h August for a Caribbean BBQ which will help raise funds for “Project 538”, one of Rotary Ireland’s nominated International projects.

Project 538 will help provide fresh clean drinking water for 75 homes and a school in Kiptulwa, Kenya. The school near the village of provides a safe learning environment for 538 African children, and our small event will help “Light up Rotary “and really “Changes Their Lives”

PP John, and the International Committee will welcome you with a Rum flavoured punch, which will be mixed by our new Rotarian shakers and movers, Leonard and Richard.

A selection of really good wines will be uncorked. We will be also be featuring the flavours of the Caribbean such as ….Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Herb and Lemon Butter Salmon, and Trev’s homemade Reggie Reggie Steak burgers, of course made they will be made to an old traditional family recipe!

PP John, and his wife Hazel have very kindly opened their home for this event, and you will be welcome to join the international team from 1.30pm onwards. Caribbean BBQ service will commence at 2.30pm. We can promise you and your partner a great afternoon’s craic, along with some really good Rotary fellowship.

The cost for this event is £45 for a double ticket, and we will be holding a white envelope ballot draw for which we will have some super prizes.

If you wish to attend this first fellowship event of the year, please contact, and contribute, to Helen Coulter, our treasurer by Saturday 16^th August 2014.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Your International Committee,

President Sam Patterson installed

At the Club meeting on Friday 4th July President David installed Sam Patterson as the President of the Rotary Club of Lisburn for the year 2014/15 . Gary Corkin was installed as 1st VP and Donald Minshull as 2nd VP.

At his first meeting in the chair on 18th July President Sam gave us an interesting talk on his life history.He also updated us on plans for the 60th anniversary.

The 60th Anniversary Dinner is organised for Friday 5th of september at the Island Centre in Lisburn, and invitations have been sent.The anniversary booklet is well in hand, and the Invitational Golf Event scheduled for the 11th September at Lisburn Golf club

Visit to Daisy Lodge

The Club has been supporting the N.I Cancer Fund for children over a number of years and VP Sam and PP John visited Daisy Lodge recently to see how the funds we have raised have helped in this project

Presidents Night

Newforge Country Club was the venue for President David’s Presidents Night. Members and Guests were entertained by the Campanilla Quartet during a drinks reception and during an excellent Dinner.VP Sam then gave the club a review of the years activities and congratulated President David on a successful year.

President David then asked the proposers of the three new Paul Harris Fellows to say in a few words the reasons for proposing each  recipient.

PP Ivan Connor proposed PP John McDonough, Robin Holliday proposed PP Sandra McCabe and PP Trevor Stewart proposed Patrick Coyle. Trevor also made a special presentation to Patrick of a bike in recognition of all the fund raising he had done for Jole Rider

Following the awards we were entertained by Swing Dancers Adam and Anna. Joe Deery who had visited the Club earlier in the year to give us a talk on guide Dogs for the blind had informed VP Sam that he was a singer. Accompanied by Gary Corkin on keyboards he amazed us all with his beautiful voice . He then took over the keyboards to sing ‘Bless This House’

It was a memorable evening for all who attended and those who made it back to Dale and Carolyns for a night cap had a good nights sleep

Trevor Guy Annual Bursary 2014

A greatly  increased number of candidates applied for the Trevor Guy Annual Bursary this year.

Olivia Brown aged 18 years from Newtownards was awarded the top award of £500. Olivia is going with a charity, Project Trust to Honduras to teach Primary School Children for a period of 12 months. on her application form she said ” Honduras is the second poorest country in Central america and is need of help from volunteers. She will also be taking on a second project helping in a local orphanage.

The runner up was 24 year old Christopher Curry from lisburn who received £250, Chris a medical student hasbeen offered a place to spend part of his elective with the Kings Sierra Leone Partnership in Freetown,Sierra Leone.

£150 was awarded to three other applicants.

Georgina Milne a 27 year old’s project is to set up a food co-operative in Belfast with 2 friends to allow members of local churches, community groups and students to purchase healthy, locally produced, ethical foods at reduced cost.

Brendan Quail aged 33 years a second year PhD student at QUB  is setting up an innovative study of the living experiences of Northern Irelands Refugee Community.

Sarah Logan from Annahilt is volunteering for a year with L’Arche charity in Nova Scotia helping adults with disabilities

Rotary Club Water Station at Lisburn 10k run

The Rotary Club of Lisburn members set up and manned a water station for the Lisburn 10K run. it was a very warm evening on Thursday 19th June and the plentiful supplies of water supplied by the Rotary Club members were greatly appreciated by all the runners especially our own Past Presidents Dale Orr and Sandra McCabe who were competing in the run.

St Andrews Golf 2014

The Rotary Club of Lisburn was represented by  a much smaller than usual number of entrants for the annual RIBI Golf at St Andrews.Liam McCartney a regular and a previous member of the Irish international team had two excellent qualifying rounds and Captained the international team to come runners up.Patrick Coyle another regular was joined by Alan Moore making his first visit, to make up the group.

A presentation of a painting of the Swilkin Bridge by Colin Suckling  a painter of some renown and a Club Member, was presented to the St Andrews Club as a memento for all the years Lisburn Rotary members had been gracing the event with their golfing skill.Liam McCartney made the presentation assisted by Colin who had come across for the social end to the event

Abseil in aid of project Ciara

Past President Dale Orr organised a group of brave  friends to take part in an abseil from the roof of the Europa Hotel in order to raise funds for project Ciara.The brave group met on the roof of the Europa on Sunday 7th June and were given instructions on the technique of abseiling. They were supported by other Rotarians who kept their feet firmly on the ground. Dale was joined by his daughter Rachael, son Daniel and courageous friends – next time we’ll see more Rotarians up there!

Funds raised by sponsorship totaling nearly £900 will be channeled into project Ciara to provide a pipeline of fresh water to villages in Kenya.

Speakers May/June

DG elect Philip Beggs and Stephen McFarlane

On the 16th May Stephen McFarlane from the Belfast Central Library was our guest speaker. He gave us a lot of very useful and interesting information about the services that the Library can provide for businesses and all the information that the library hold in their archives. District Governor elect Philip Beggs was a very welcome visitor to the Club on the same day.

Mathew Gamble, Somme Heritage Centre

Mathew Gamble from the Somme Heritage centre was our speaker on the 23rd May. His talk was very appropriate in this the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War and inspired those who have not visited the centre to consider a visit.

Neal Sommerville regional organiser of the Sea Cadets visited the Club on friday 30th May to make an impassioned plea for volunteers to assist on the management team for the Lisburn Sea Cadets.The group in Lisburn is about 20 strong and very active, but require a management body if they are to continue.

Derek Gallop

At our evening Meeting on 5th June we were delighted to welcome Derek Gallop a journalist and  retired deputy editor of the Sunday Mirror to give is an insight int the past and preent and future of the newspaper industry in this new tech world. Derek finished up with a wide sample of very amusing newspaper headlines