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MARCH 2014

SOUTH COTSWOLDS NEWS

President’s Piece

Succession planning for Club officers has exercised Council during several meetings. Whilst some have done

fantastic work in various posts already, and should not be asked to take on another office, we recognise that all our

other members are capable of holding office(s). As a Volunteer Organisation of members selected by our peers, that

should be a given.

Some do not want formal office, but instead, assume vital roles within the Club; these roles are recognised by

grateful Club members.

Some want to maintain a certain balance between; work, family, leisure; volunteering and Rotary, so do not put their

names forward. For these members it is a question of waiting for a window to open in their busy lives. When it

does, we must be ready to engage them. It is a matter of timing.

For others it is an impression that they do not know enough about Rotary. For these members I suggest we ask them

to choose a club member to act as a Rotary mentor, who may point out that climbing on the ladder is the quickest

way to learn. Their mentor may suggest participation in a selection of Club, Zone, District, RIBI and RI events.

Some of these will mean accompanying another member to an event or meeting; some will involve working on the

RI and RIBI websites to look things up. In order to populate our pool of candidates, who will be called upon, when

they are ready, I offer this as a Rotary roadmap for a Club Officer.

As a Club member:

Be recognised by the Club, as being an active member.

Organise, or be very involved with, a Club event.

Participate in other Club events.

Visit other Clubs.

Volunteer for office.

As JVP/SVP add:

Increase involvement in the Club’s events and business

Participate in Club Council meetings

Participate in Zone Meetings

Attend (and maybe participate) in District meetings

Attend District Conference and visit the event’s Hall of Friendship

As President add:

Recognise changes and adapt the Club to suit society’s current needs

Attend Presidents’ Nights at nearby clubs

Club meetings are always local, District 1100 meetings are often near Gloucester, with the annual District

conference [this year] being over a weekend, in Bournemouth. Recent RIBI meetings have been in Belfast and

Birmingham. RI meetings can be anywhere, so I stick to the internet for RI business or rely on those claiming

expenses, to bring the message back.

The above will equip capable officers with enough Rotary knowledge to hold Club and probably District office. As

with any role in life, many opportunities are generated by getting to know people who are embedded in the system.

My experience has been that as Club members, like ourselves, they are sociable, motivated and want to help.

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Secretary's Notes At the time of my last note to you the heats of the Young Musician of the Year had been held, the rain doesn't seem

to have stopped, we struggled to match the opposition’s prowess at skittles and Charles Nicholls was 89.

I left for my travels 'oop North', with Peter Sheppard's profound contribution to the education debate ringing in my

ears, giving cause for reflection during my drive to Yorkshire. It comes as no surprise that his contribution to edu-

cation has now been recognised by a civic award from Royal Wootton Bassett for which we offer our con-

gratulations on this much deserved honour.

In my absence, on both business and duties as grandpa, I am aware that the Young Musician concluded in great style

- thanks to all who supported the redoubtable Doug Hughes whose own efforts, along with Mary, make a significant

contribution to ensuring this excellent event continues at this high level.

As I write, there is a strange yellow shaped ball in the sky, and I actually think it has stopped raining. The welcome

change in the weather reminds me that, in the past couple of weeks, Peter Wyman offered our dehumidifiers to the

beleaguered residents of Somerset once the waters abate and is co-ordinating the return of the equipment from the

east coast and its transfer to the southwest.

I hear very good reports on the evening with Adam White which I was sorry to miss. The support from our wives and

other guests made for a great evening and thanks to Nigel W for making Adam available to the club.

Please watch out for the updated Club Programme on our website courtesy of Tony Hadfield. Whilst I was away, I

visited the Rotary Club of Skipton Craven where I was most courteously received by President Bob Marchant and

his colleagues. I didn’t have to introduce myself—they had learned all about me from Facebook! Thanks to Nigel

Walker for his efforts in keeping our Programme on track.

Finally Charles Nicholls has now reached the grand age of 90, an event which as a club we have had the opportunity

to recognise. As we congratulate Charles it is worth reflecting that, as our club is over 45 years old and Charles was

the inaugural president, he has been working tirelessly as a Rotarian to serve the residents of Tetbury and

Malmesbury and the wider international community, for more than half of his lifetime. In itself a fantastic

achievement but particularly so when it is in the hands of such a 'nice bloke'. We look forward to your telegram

from HRH in 10 years time (or as Charles said recently it will probably be an email). Philip

Gallery of photos when we celebrated Charles’ birthday at our

Club Night.. Clockwise from top left; Why is Doug looking so

worried? The fear of dropping the load short of the target—

after all, Mary made the cake; Charles receives a birthday card

from Club members; Charles takes a sighting. The Lancaster on

a well lit run in to the target

Congratulations, Charles, from all of us.

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AN UPDATE ON NEPAL FROM DAVID BRITTEN

Our Street Our Children (OSOC) continues to support children in Nepal in a number of ways. There are three main

strands to what we are doing in Nepal, for Street Children, for Education and for Children's Home.

The work with street children has been a success, with outreach workers going on to the streets of the city of

Narayangarh every week to provide nutritious food, basic clothing, medical aid and activities. When visiting in

August, we saw that there are still many children living on the streets. What had changed is that there were far more

girls on the streets. Although it is disappointing to see them on the streets, this shows that the Nepali government

has had some success in their campaign to prevent girls being trafficked into prostitution.

The education has also been successful, with 14 children now sponsored from Europe (mostly UK, but we have a

foothold on the continent now!). The children come from impoverished families and receive daily tuition from a

local homework club. When Jackie and I went to Nepal in August, we were impressed by the commitment of the

children; they really want to go to school and want to do well. We also provided some science and nursery

equipment for the government school in Narayangarh that Jackie taught in. We had planned to provide a computer,

but the school had acquired some computing resources so we found a remote school in the hills that would make

better use of the computer. The funding came from RCSC and from Grittleton House School and a commemorative

plaque naming RCSC stands proudly over the computer.

The children's home has been less successful. We had hoped to support the children's home that I worked with in

my year in Nepal, but were frustrated by the lack of communication. We did visit the home in August and were

warmly welcomed and pleased to see that they have built a new home with lots of room for more children; clearly

they have been working hard on the new accommodation. We have now decided to open a children's home

ourselves, initially accommodating 4 children.

In terms of fundraising we have had a good year, but the decision to open a children's home is a big step for OSOC

as we have to raise much more money this year. We have set ourselves a target of £7,000. We will continue with

activities that have been successful in the past, a new venture is organising a trek in Nepal for October and asking

the trekkers to raise £500 each for the charity. Do you know anyone who may be interested? As we are needing to

step up our activities, we are going to formally constitute the charity in April, which hopefully will allow us to open

up new avenues for fundraising, including being registered for Gift Aid through those nice people at HMRC. We

have also updated our website, have a look at http://www.osoc.org.uk/

A big thank you to everyone at RCSC for your support. Jackie and I are having an Open House on Sunday April

13th (Nepali New Year) to thank our supporters, if you are free please come along.

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Southern Cotswolds Young Musician of the Year 2014 Final

It was with great anticipation that I drove across our still wet Cotswold countryside to Wycliffe College on Sunday

February 23rd. It was later in the afternoon and one of those days when you notice that the daylight is still with you.

For the many other Rotarians from our area, especially those of us who had attended the earlier heats, expectations

were high.

The instruments of the orchestra were well-represented and included clarinet, violin, piano, flute, trombone, alto sax,

guitar and double bass. For the young musicians their many hours of practice and their control of nerves were going

to be tested in the glare of a full auditorium. Finally the highly qualified judges were ready and so was the audience.

First to go was Kate Major (Rendcomb College) on her clarinet. She played four pieces demonstrating

a range of moods and technical difficulty. Beginning soulfully with ‘Sicilienne Opus 78’ by Faure, she

moved through two further selections by Tartini and Debussy which were both complex in range and

tempo. She finished with a more lively and faster moving choice, ‘Tambourin’ by Gossec. The clarinet

is in many ways a difficult instrument to play solo, and there were a couple of unplanned squeaks, but

Kate gave a most enjoyable performance.

Next to play was Daniel Harding on the violin. As in the earlier heat, his first piece was music from the

score of ‘Schindlers List’. After a couple of early moments of slight uncertainty, Daniel gained his full

confidence and played this haunting and complex piece with skill and feeling, executing the highest notes

without fault and finishing the haunting ending to perfection. Daniel’s second piece (Czardas by Vittoro

Monti) was technically challenging, starting slow and low with a very fast section in the middle, all

played excellently.

The third player was Man Ho Hui (Katherine Lady Berkeley School) on the piano. Man Ho is just a

delight to listen to. Still small in size, he completely takes control of a grand piano. His first selection

(Polonaise in A Major by Chopin) is an inspiring and joyful piece of music that Man Ho played with

tremendous intensity and gusto. His second piece (Sonata in F minor by Beethoven) is more delicate

with a range of tempos and Man Ho demonstrated his emerging skill at some of the more subtle

interpretation of the music. With the talent and skill that he possesses, Ma Ho undoubtedly has

tremendous potential and we can all hope that we will get to hear him play even better in future years.

Felicity Woolnough (Westonbirt School) played three selections on her flute after an informative and

well-articulated introduction to her choices. The three pieces were well selected and portrayed a range

of moods and playing skills, from well-executed trills (Largo and Allegro by Pepusch) to slow and

expressive romantic melodies (Idylle by Benjamin Godard) and ending with a jazz flavour (City Life 3

by Paul Hart).

The last competitor before the leg stretch and cocktail break was Ryan Morgan. Ryan cuts an imposing

figure even without his trombone. The trombone is best suited to playing alongside other wind or brass

so a solo performance is challenging. Ryan chose some difficult pieces (Demelza by Hugh Nash and

Romance by Webber). His final selection was a fun and jazzy composition (Bluejohn by Peter Kneale).

Ryan admitted to the judges at the end that perhaps his selections could have been better matched for

the competition. However, Ryan plays with tremendous enthusiasm and skill on a difficult solo

instrument.

After the break, the concert resumed with Ella Brown playing classical guitar. As she had done in the

earlier heat she selected three pieces that demonstrated a very wide range of complexity and mood. The

first was ‘Mambo des Nuances’ by Rolan Dyens which is a slow, complex composition with a wide

octave range. Ella’s next choice was ‘Prelude No. 1’ by Villa Lobos. This is a complicated piece

incorporating many different tempos and requiring intricate finger work. Her final selection was Danza

by Ruiz Pipo. Ella plays with a wonderful, quiet and emotional confidence and gave a great

performance.

The Prizes The Panel of Judges

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Next on stage was Lydia Kenny (Rednock School) playing Alto Sax. Lydia has a mature and fun stage

presence. She gave wonderful introductions to all her chosen music. The first was ‘Dreams of You’, a

difficult piece which she played with great skill and expressiveness. Ella’s next selection was ‘La Plus

Que Lente’ by Claude Debussy. This is a delicate and soft composition that suits the sonorous sound

of the instrument and tests the skill of the player on both the low and high notes. Lydia ended her

playing with ‘Charleston’ by Trevor Hold, entirely appropriate for a saxophone and played with skill

and a tremendous sense of fun and enjoyment.

Next to last was Charlotte Corderoy (Stroud High School), who also provided wonderful and confident

introductions to her chosen pieces. Her first selection was ‘Schwedischer Tanz in A minor’ by Bruch.

This is a complicated composition with many changes in melody and tempo. Charlotte’s second piece

was ‘Fantasia in C’ by Handel, which is difficult, loud and fast. The final selection was ‘Traumerei

(Dreaming)’ by Robert Schumann. Charlotte played all her selections with tremendous presence, feel-

ing and control and clearly has a deep well of musical talent.

The final performance of the evening was Jed Hughes (Home Schooled) with his double bass, an

instrument rarely heard in solo. Jed has a slight frame and at times you almost wonder whether his over-

sized instrument is going to take control of him. Jed’s first choice was ‘Elegia’ by Bottesini. This is a

slow, emotional and technically difficult piece but immediately demonstrated Jed’s mastery of his

instrument. Jed’s second and final choice was ‘Kicho’ by Piazzolla. This is a very challenging composi-

tion with fast changes and slow and mournful sections using the absolute limits of the high and low

notes of the instrument. It was played with tremendous interpretive skill and feeling.

It was now the turn of the judges to assess and compare. Everyone present realised what a tremendous, difficult and

emotional choice they faced. The whole audience knew that they had been treated to an amazing concert that demon-

strated a deep mature reservoir of musical talent in a group of young school-age musicians. After due deliberation,

the judges presented their difficult verdict. Third was Daniel Harding (violin), second Lydia Kenny (alto sax) and

the winner, Jed Hughes (double bass). Jed carries on a bit of a family tradition, following in the footsteps of two

brothers, one of whom, Felix, won the competition in 2013 and entertained the audience on his cello during the

Judge’s deliberations.

All who listened to this talented group of young musicians felt privileged to have heard them all play. They practised

for many hours, they overcame their public performance jitters and they demonstrated a fantastically high level of

musical skill performed with great dignity and presence. Everyone wishes that all of them will continue to develop

their musical talents to enrich their own lives and all of us who hopefully will continue to hear them, whether it is in

local churches or pubs, concert halls, parade grounds, or rock concerts. Yes, keep playing all of you and those who

did not win, come back next year if you can. Our thanks to all of them. Chris Tuite

MALMESBURY PRE-SCHOOL RAILINGS:

Email received from Rachael Copeland, Chair of Cross Hayes Pre School in Malmesbury.

“About 2.5 years ago, you kindly donated £500 towards the cost of our planning application to put railings around St

Mary's Hall so that our children could play safely in the outdoor space. I thought I would contact you to say that,

finally, the railings are under construction and should be complete within the next few days. We have been assisted

by lottery funding for the construction of the actual railings and Kim Power, the Chair of the Scouts who own the

building, will be arranging a session with the local press to formally thank all of the organisations who have donated.

As soon as I have dates for this event I shall let you know.”

From the left: The winner, Jed Hughes with the ’performer’ who has put in the most appearances in our competition

over the years, his accompanist and mother, Mary Hughes; the Chairman of the Judges, Mike Castle announces the

results under the watchful eye of Terry Pascoe, Chairman of the organising Committee; the contestants listen to the

constructive feedback given by the Judges.

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During our packed meeting when Adam White of the BBC Wildlife Unit gave us such a fascinating insight into

his work, Nigel made a simple and poignant presentation to Lynn from Malmesbury. She had already supervised

him and Peter setting up the big flat screen TV,

so her partner Richard was already benefitting

from being able to see the bigger screen, which

enhanced his view of the TV picture. Since his

car accident en route to collect Lynn from the

station, he has been housebound and relies upon

constant care from her. The accident put on hold

the young couple’s plans to refurbish the house

they bought together. All their savings had to be

spent on converting rooms and installing a lift

and a hoist for Richard. Any state benefits only

started when that money was spent. We have

been pleased to make our contribution to

Richard’s personal benefits, which most of us

would take for granted.

The photo shows Lynn holding the TV box and

the small Skype camera (and microphone), that

plugs into the TV, so they can make Skype

video calls, bringing their friends’ pictures up

on the TV.

Business News

The Finals of our Cotswold Young Musician of the Year have already been described in superb form by Chris Tuite,

but I need to reinforce everyone’s comments about the high standard of the competition, and the excellent

constructive opinion given by the judges to every candidate .

In the last SCN we covered our ongoing work with Lewis Munday. This month one simple presentation above

captured our thoughts, for her housebound partner Richard, as Lynn accepted the TV and Skype camera.

We had a collection at our meeting on 24th February and raised £100 for Polio+.

Peter Wyman has offered the dehumidifiers that have just been returned to our store by Boston, to the Rotarians

co-ordinating the clean- up effort in Somerset. The Glastonbury Club have replied and Peter will deliver them to a

nearby holding area.

David Britten and I have been talking to Malmesbury Town Council about combining our efforts and using their

contacts with the schools, to encourage entrants to the Malmesbury Young Citizen Awards. Cllr Sue Poole (who

came to the Club last month) is our point of contact. Unfortunately our potential Rotary YC candidate asked not to

be nominated (which had to have been done by 28th February). We are now working to the Town’s schedule. On 15th

April, the winners will be announced at a small ceremony with Malmesbury’s finest in attendance, in the Town Hall.

All will be welcome. I will circulate a list nearer the time.

Doug continues to liaise with the Stuart Singers while making preparations for their concert in Tetbury Church on 7th

June. President Nigel

SKITTLES

Nigel Walker has provided a report on the two latest skittles matches but shortage of space means that we are unable

to include his full report this month.

The results were:

South Cotswolds 347 Marlborough 327

South Cotswolds 319 Royal Wootton Bassett Town 343