Hello to all,

I am really looking forward to this year as your President, and I will try to look and respond to my e-mails on time. If at any time I don’t respond, please ring me.

I hope this year we can continue to increase our numbers, and I would like every member to at least try and bring someone, a friend or associate, to our breakfast meeting.

My programme for the year stays basically the same as last year. We will support Dickensian Night, the fireworks, St George’s night, and of course The Dragon Boat Race.

These events I feel need a little bit more time to arrange and organise; therefore I would like to start making arrangements now for Dickensian Night, St Georges Night and The Dragon Boat race. If anybody has any ideas please bring them forward, no matter how small or large. Louise I know, is already working hard on arranging the fireworks, and I hope we can all support her on the night, as we have done in previous years.

St Georges Night I suggest may stay in the same format as last year with again ‘The Overtures’ and at the same venue the Drill Hall, as it seemed to be so successful. The nearest Friday to the 23rd is on the 24th. Whether we hold it on the Thursday, the actual Saint George’s night, will have to be discussed.

With regards to the Dragon boat race, if we can get the same venue I would like to make it a large annual event splashing our rotary clubs name all over town, and making the event a spectacular with arena events, vintage cars, stalls etc possibly with sponsors.

I would also like to support John on his international water project and hope that perhaps some of our club can go to one of the sites to assist with the building of a well.

An important date for your diaries is Wednesday 21st January 2009 where we will hosting a five club breakfast with the RIBI president Ian Thompson and his partner, Les Lee our District Governor and partner, and of course Judy our Assistant Governor, all in attendance. The venue I hope will be the Roebuck Hotel if Emma lets us.

Looking forward to a good year

Barry Bright, President