rcbb - club guide

The purpose of this Guide is to give an introduction to ROTARY and to our club,

the Rotary Club of Burnham Beeches (RCBB)

Topic Summaries give an overview of our club to prospective members

This Guide can also be used as a mini-reference for new members

in their first year in the club

THIS GUIDE IS ARRANGED IN SECTIONS

q  Rotary Background

q  Being a Rotarian

q  A Year in Rotary

q  How we Help

q  Fellowship & Socialising

q  Working Groups (Committees)

q  Key Roles

In each Section there are several Topic Summaries

Rotary Club of Burnham Beeches – Club Guide

q  Rotary Mission

q  Rotary Objective

q  History & Organisation

q  Rotary Club of Burnham Beeches (RCBB)

q  Why is Rotary Special?


Rotary Mission

The Mission of Rotary Club members is to work to:

u  combat hunger

u  improve health and sanitation

u  provide education and job training

u  promote peace

u  eradicate polio

u  undertake countless local community, youth and charity-support projects

The Rotary Motto is “Service Above Self”


Rotary Objective The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of

worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

u  the development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service

u  high ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian's

occupation as an opportunity to serve society

u  the application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life

u  the advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace

through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service


History & Organisation

u  Rotary was formed in Chicago in 1905 and the worldwide Administrative

Headquarters, Rotary International (RI), remain based in the USA.

u  Rotary is represented on every continent. u  There are 1850 Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland and these are divided into

29 Districts. u  A District Governor is elected for one Rotary year (1st July to 30th June) to

administer each district; he / she is a member of the governing body of RIBI, the General Council.

u  All Rotary Clubs in Britain and Ireland (RIBI) are affiliated through RIBI to

RI.


Rotary Club of Burnham Beeches (RCBB) Our Club meets every Thursday at 7.30pm at:

The Tudor Barn, South Bucks Bridge Centre,

Britwell Road, Burnham SL1 8DF The Club was chartered in April 1985. It was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Burnham which itself had been sponsored by the Rotary Club of Slough. RCBB’s governing body is the Club Council comprising the Officers: ~ President ~ President-Elect ~ Immediate Past President ~ One or more Vice-Presidents ~ Secretary ~ Treasurer ~ And up to six ordinary members At end 2012 RCBB has about 40 members. Members serve on one or more Working Groups (Service Committees).


Why is Rotary Special? Joining a voluntary organisation is a special step for most of us. We: v  are a group of like minded people with whom we can share fellowship v  have a lot of fun & satisfaction from what we enjoy and do v  want to put something back into the broader Community Rotary is much more than a pleasant club with weekly supper and meetings. We are part of a worldwide organisation which allows each of us to give as little or as much we can to help others while enjoying mutual fellowship.

Always remember, our motto is “Service Above Self” Many of us come from demanding business & professional environments where we recognise the rewards that come from being outward looking. However, we are not looking for an alternative job! The beauty of Rotary is that it expands our lives rather than taking over. We are able to give of ourselves to others when we can. The days when Rotary was just an adjunct to business, have long passed. Further, when we travel both within the UK & worldwide, we find a ready fraternity of Rotarians with whom we can feel an immediate affinity.


q  Why become a Rotarian?

q  New Member Experiences

q  What might it cost?

q  Expectations & Participation

q  Attendance & Etiquette

q  How do I join?


Why become a Rotarian?

v  Maybe you’ve seen a need in your own community and wondered how you

could help?

v  Maybe you want to use your professional skills to help others — or even to

learn new skills?

v  Maybe you’re seeking connections with other service-minded people in your

community or abroad?

v  Whatever your reason, joining Rotary can help you achieve these goals, and

so much more.

Read the experiences of recent new members of RCBB:


New Member Experiences

Mark - Each member takes it upon themselves to introduce themselves, and from day one, you feel part of the team. You are welcomed by both member’s and their wives or partners. One recent event, the international week-end with the French, was a particular highlight where there was friendly banter and the forging of long term relationships. You soon come to realise that all groups around the world are all very similar - it makes you appreciate what a large organisation the Rotary stands for and how, if you travel, you can always find a Rotarian! The structure of meetings, events and programmes are well organised. Members are kept informed and asked for their input regarding events, dates, venues etc. You are invited to participate and get involved with events, fresh ideas and new suggestions are always welcome.

Stewart - Before I joined I knew several club members through other social contact. I was invited to speak to RCBB about my 2009 Marathon fundraising for the hospital that was treating my wife’s Leukaemia; the club made a generous donation to start my fundraising. After my wife died the club made a further donation and gave me a lot of personal support. Later I joined the club and have since made more friends and learnt more about Rotary. I am proud of what my club does in various loca l projects and what Rotary does internationally with the campaign to eliminate Polio in the World. I am really pleased that I joined Rotary and hope to contribute more in the future.


What might it cost? Typical annual costs (£800 to £1200) will vary depending on your level of participation in weekly Club Meetings and the various Social / Fundraising events. The principal monthly / annual / occasional elements are: Monthly subscription @ £65 which covers: ü  Four dinners per month @ £12 each (NB £12 is refunded for dinners not attended) ü Contribution (£17) to room hire, general club running costs, President’s Night Function,

French Rotary Club visit Annual subscription @ £50 which goes towards Club running costs and RI contribution £costs for occasional / optional events are: ü  “5th Thursdays” Supper with Partners £12 p/p ü  Social Fundraising events / ü  Partner Suppers / Sweepstakes ü  Bi-annual French Rotary exchange visit £50 to £200 per couple when in UK /

Travel costs only - if you choose to visit Amberieu


Expectations & Participation

~ Meetings ~ Service Activities ~ Social Activities __________________________________________________

~ Meetings Regular attendance at weekly meetings is key to: ²  enjoying Fellowship and getting

involved ²  knowing what’s going on ²  influencing the direction of RCBB If you can attend a meeting, you should: ²  some come to all our meetings; some

come to fewer ²  all members should come to at least

half of the meetings ²  if you are away from home, visiting

other clubs is an excellent way of experiencing Rotary in UK & Overseas

~ Service Activities ²  “Service Above Self” is the essence of

Rotary ² Members should participate in several

committees over time ² Make your preferences known e.g. Youth

(New Generation) / Community Service / International

~ Social Activities There is a variety of social activities in which to participate or organise: ² Home Supper Club ²  Theatre trips ² Carol Singing


Attendance & Etiquette

We aim to be a friendly and relaxed Club but some policies and procedures help the smooth running of the Club and seek to respect the wishes of the majority. __________________________________________________

~ Attendance Hopefully you will be able to attend many meetings. On occasions that you are unable, there are several ways to advise the Steward (and the caterers) either in advance or at short notice. Then you can be credited £12 for meals not taken. If you will be away for a prolonged period – say longer than a month - you should register your absence with the Club Secretary.

~ Dress Code Rotarians should wear “business dress” for meetings. This implies a suit, blazer or sports jacket for men and its equivalent for women.

~ Badges & Regalia Rotary lapel badges are worn at all meetings – and indeed as a badge of honour whenever this is practicable. Officers’ (President and President Elect) wear their insignia at all RCBB meetings.


How do I join?

Usually you are invited to join a Rotary Club. However whether you contact us in the first instance or are invited along by a friend who is a Rotarian you are sure to be shown a warm welcome. You will be assigned a “buddy” from amongst our members who will make sure that you get regular invitations, introduce you to other members and make sure that you get a good appreciation of what belonging to Rotary Club of Burnham Beeches is like. Also to help you decide you should come to at least 4 of our meetings, one of which must be a Business Meeting. You will then make an application which will then be considered by the Club and you will be formally inducted at a meeting by the Club President. After induction you will be assigned to one or more committees taking into account the interests you expressed. Then you will be a Rotarian!


q  The Rotary Business Year

q  Social Events

q  BeechNote


The Rotary Business Year

The Rotary Year runs from 1 July to 30 June, with 12 Rotary themed months. Important events for RCBB are: u  July – new RCBB Officials, Council & Working Groups (Committees)

start u  November & May – Officials for the following Rotary Year are first

nominated then confirmed at Special General Meetings (SGM) u  May - Donkey Derby, RCBB’s key fundraising event u  June – handover to incoming Officials; Committee Chairmen present

their plans for the coming year


Social Events

u  President’s Night, currently in April u  Every quarter, on a 5th Thursday month, Club holds a Partner Evening to

which partners are invited u  Every 8 weeks or so, Club holds a Guest Evening to which members are

encouraged to invite guests including those who might be interested in becoming future members

u  During the first half of the Rotary Year, Community Committee normally

holds a sociable fund raising event u  During the second half of the Rotary Year, International Committee

normally holds a sociable fund raising event


BeechNote

BeechNote is RCBB’s monthly 2 page “snapshot” publication: v  reporting on current topical items within Club

v  presenting the forthcoming Club programme of events It is for internal consumption of Club Members, Rotary District 1090 officials and potential new Rotary members. It is not for issue to the general public. It was voted Rotary District 1090 “Best Bulletin” 3 times, most recently in 2011-12.


q  MicroCredit in Malawi

q  Local Project Support

q  End Polio Now


MicroCredit in Malawi Rotary Hand Up for Africa

We’ve Made It!

As a result of the enthusiasm and support of Clubs in District 1090, over the last five years, incredibly we have just achieved and exceeded our original, and then seemingly unobtainable, stretch target of £100,000. Our latest cheque to Opportunity International brings the sum raised by clubs in our district, with some support from partner Rotary clubs in France and several private individuals, to £101,767. This fantastic sum has directly supported around 800 entrepreneurs, who have received loans to build their small businesses into profitable enterprises. Indirectly, as a result of their increased profits a further 4000 people including many children will have benefitted from better nutrition, healthcare, education and shelter. The money we have provided will continue to benefit others as it is continually redeployed over the years to come. Small businesses have started to grow and burgeon because of our efforts bringing new stability, health and prosperity to those who like them are at the bottom the ladder in the Kasungu area of Malawi.


Local Project Support

~ Kids Out For this annual event we organise a day out at a theme park (or similar) to benefit younger local children especially those who are disadvantaged.

~ Burnham Youth Club We provide financial and resource support which has assisted them to develop and attract over 100 young people.

~ International Play Day We provide a marquee equipped with several games features along with prizes.

~ Padstones We support this organisation in its endeavours to home and support homeless young persons aged between 16 and 21.


End Polio Now

What is your vision for a better world? The Rotary Foundation enables Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. After 25 years of hard work, Rotary and its partners are on the brink of eradicating this tenacious disease, but a strong push is needed now to root it out once and for all. It is a window of opportunity of historic proportions. Reaching the ultimate goal of a polio-free world presents on-going challenges, not the least of which is a hundreds of million dollar funding gap. Of course, Rotary alone can't fill this gap, but continued Rotarian advocacy for government support can help enormously. As long as polio threatens even one child anywhere in the world, children everywhere remain at risk. The stakes are that high.


q  Opera Sulis

q  Supper Club

q  French Exchange


Opera Sulis

In general we aim to do fundraising from the public outside the Club but sometimes we can combine the two. ²  Last year we were offered the school hall at nearby Caldicot Prep School

²  We sold 150 tickets – 50 of them to our own members and partners.

²  The Opera Sulis group of professional opera singers performed aria from operas, operettas, musicals and other pieces

²  A hot buffet dinner was prepared by outside caterers

²  We organised a cash bar

²  Everyone had a brilliant time and we raised over £1500 for our Club charities.


Supper Club

A good example of our social activities is the Supper Club formed in 2009. ²  RCBB members (and wives / partners take turns to organise a dinner

party for 6 or 8 people

²  The hosts provide a main course

²  The guests provide starter & dessert

²  On each subsequent occasion the hosts and guests change – presenting the opportunity to meet and dine with different members


French Exchange Rotary Clubs of Amberieu-en-Bugey

& Burnham Beeches It was following an exploratory visit during the first year of the Club in 1985 that these exchange visits developed. At that time, a group of four members decided to visit a Rotary club in France whilst entering a Rotaract ‘Nouveau Beaujolais’ wine contest. In seeking a club meeting on a Tuesday evening, we found two – one at St Etienne South West of Lyon and the other at Amberieu en Bugey to the East. A coin flip decided we should visit the Amberieu Club. After making a further two quick informal visits, the first visit of a group of 8 of our members with wives took place in 1987 with all our members staying in the home of an Amberieu Rotarian. This proved so successful, that 10 members of the Amberieu Club came to visit us the following year. Thus, exchange visits have taken place every year since then with strong personal friendships becoming well developed. The 2012 exchange visit became the 25th!


q  International & Foundation Committee

q  Community Committee

q  Youth & Vocational Committee

q  Donkey Derby Committee

q  Club Services Committee


International & Foundation Committee

The Rotary Foundation is the charitable arm of Rotary International. Through Foundation grants, Rotarians are able to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through health improvement, education support and the alleviation of poverty. The role of the committee is to develop and implement plans to support the Rotary Foundation through participation in grant projects and other internationally oriented projects (e.g. Shelter Box / MicroCredit).


Community Committee

We organise and take part in local events. Some of these raise monies that we donate to local charities. We also provide assistance to other local organisations and to local people in a variety of ways. Annual events that we organise / take part in include: v  Burnham Carnival v  Football Tournament for under-8's v  Burnham Christmas Fayre v  Carols on the Green at Farnham Common v  Disco, Quiz or a similar social event for members, family and friends v  Burnham Beeches 10K Run We provide assistance to the Well @ Lent Rise, a Burnham charity that provides a range of valuable services to the local community. We provide c. 130 beautifully illustrated dictionaries to those children who are due to leave two local primary schools each summer.


Youth & Vocational Committee

For much of its existence RCBB has been working closely with local schools e.g.:

ü  Mock interviews at Burnham Grammar and Burnham Upper

ü  Mentoring & Achievement Awards at Burnham Upper (now Burnham

Park Academy)

ü  “Understanding Industry” presentations at Burnham Upper

ü  Installation of a computer suite at Lynch Hill Primary

ü  Kids Out excursions for Priory and Lynch Hill Primaries

ü  A garden at St Mary’s Primary

ü  Provision of Dictionaries for Life at all the primary schools on our

territory

ü  Inauguration of an Interact (young persons) Club within Burnham

Grammar

ü  Poetry and Prose Prizes throughout Burnham Grammar


Donkey Derby Committee

This is the major fundraising event undertaken each year by our Club, raising £13,000 in 2012. Founded more than 20 years ago, it has now raised a total of over £250,000 for a range of good causes as well as providing a top-notch community event. It always takes place on the Spring Bank Holiday Saturday in Burnham Park. It is a major feature in Burnham’s social calendar, provides an opportunity for other community groups to raise funds and includes a funfair. A committee is established the preceding August and meets monthly to plan the event encompassing: Ø  Budget & Beneficiaries Ø  Programme / Advertising / Publicity Ø  Donkey sponsorship / Tote / Collecting Ø  Arena events – donkeys / riders / Ø  other acts / stalls / funfair Ø  Car parking / First Aid / Health & Safety All members of Club are expected to attend.

a community event by the:

Rotary Clubof

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Club Services Committee

Chaired by Club’s President-Elect (Next Club President) and accountable for Club’s promotion and effective operation: ~ Publicity & Representation Promotes the Club’s image through social media, press, broadcast and social media. Arranges Club’s role in civic events like Armistice Day ~ Membership Seeks and encourages new members; works to retain current members. Identifies preferences and skills of members to help with good succession planning. Produces RCBB Club Guide for prospective and new members ~ Webmaster Maintains Club’s website http://www.rcbb.co.uk/ ~ Programme Arranges interesting speakers and activities for weekly meetings; produces the monthly BeechNote newsletter ~ Health & Safety Ensures compliance with good practice so members, guests, public and environment are safeguarded ~ Venues & Attendance Negotiates and maintains good relations with meeting venues. Ensures venues are properly informed of the numbers that will attend; maintains attendance records


q  Council q  President q  Secretary

q  Treasurer

q  Sergeant-at-Arms

q  Duty Officer

q  Public Relations Officer

q  Webmaster


Council

The Council is the Governing Body of the Rotary Club - a bit like a Board of Directors. Members include: President, Secretary, Treasurer and the Chairman of each of our Committees. At the start of each Rotary Year, Committee Chairmen produce a plan which is discussed and approved by the Council. The Council meets monthly and each Chairman produces a monthly report which highlights the progress that is being made. This is reviewed before being published on the members’ website. Minutes of all monthly Council meetings are emailed to all members and members are encouraged to raise any matters they wish at the monthly Business Meeting.


President

The President is the titular head of the Rotary Club. He / She represents the Club at various outside events as well as chairing all Club and Council meetings. The role rotates on an annual basis and each President is responsible for developing their own theme for the year. As an example, the current President’s theme is “Achieving Success Together”. At the start of each Rotary Year, The President is responsible for appointing all Committee Chairman and agreeing the membership of each Committee.


Secretary

The primary role of Club Secretary is to help the club function effectively. This means being familiar with RIBI and Standard Club Constitution and RI Procedures and being available for guidance on procedures for the administration of the club. The day to day duties include:

²  Working with other club leaders

²  Sending out notices of Club and Council meetings; recording and

maintaining minutes of those meetings

²  Reporting to RI, RIBI and district

²  Maintaining membership records

²  Performing other Secretarial duties


Treasurer

The Treasurer is accountable for keeping the financial matters of the Club in good order, operating and reporting in accordance with good practice. Main duties include:

v  Preparing annual accounts and getting them inspected or audited

externally

v  Consolidating the committees’ budgets and preparing Club annual budgets

v  Updating budgets and accounts on a monthly basis so Council and Club

can understand how we are progressing against plan and take any

appropriate corrective actions

v  Managing receipt & payment of funds for both Club & Charitable (Trust)

purposes

v  Managing the meal account so that members are charged for meals and

refunded where appropriate


Sergeant-at-Arms

The Sergeant-at-Arms role is part serious and part entertainment. The Sergeant-at-Arms is responsible for chastising or punishing Members who are deemed to have behaved inappropriately during the meeting. He or she extracts small fines for “misdemeanours” which are collected on the nod each evening and given annually to charity. Examples of behaviour “meriting” a fine are:

ü  Delaying the start of proceedings by hanging around in the bar

ü  Talking over the President when he is trying to address the Club etc

ü  Not submitting your contribution to the Club Guide in a timely manner


Duty Officer

The Duty Officer role is similar to that of an MC. The main duties are:

Ø  Arrive early, set out the Club Regalia

Ø  Carry out any checks and actions specified in the risk assessment.

Ø  Welcome the Speaker and any Visitors from other Clubs and Guests

Ø  Collect meal cost from visitors and guests (£12 each)

Ø  Say Grace

Ø  Announce the Visitors and Guests & their member host

Ø  Read the Object of Rotary (at business meeting)

Ø  Give the Vote of Thanks to the Speaker

Ø  Write a summary of the Speaker presentation & email to Webmaster

Each Rotarian can expect to be Duty Officer perhaps twice a year.


Public Relations Officer

The PR Officer Role’s main duties are:

v  Create awareness of club activities and projects among club members,

media, and the community

v  Work with the club membership officer to support their recruitment efforts.

v  Know Rotary’s key messages and use them when speaking in public

v  Become familiar with / use Rotary International’s PR resources.

v  Understand the components of PR to help promote Rotary to the

community.


Webmaster

The intended purposes of the Club Website are to: Inform and Publicise to the world at large the Club’s activities and achievements, including charity fund-raising events open to the public. The target audiences are potential new members, and visiting members from other clubs. Links to the Club’s FaceBook and Twitter accounts and the monthly Beechnote journal are provided. The Club uses the RIBI Template, which has the advantage of displaying common Rotary branding. It is being used by more than 60% of RIBI member clubs and is designed to be managed by members with only limited computer skills. Provide a convenient Information One Stop Shop for members, particularly in the context of programme and communication between Members. Provide a Reference and Archive Service. The bulk of information is available to the public, but there is a ‘Members Only’ section for private or sensitive material.


rcbb - club guide

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