Salient aspect - September 2020

Salient aspects - August 2020

 A great start to the month with a Covid-19 restricted wedding in Pembrokeshire - just 6 people in total plus the Registrars, their first 'external' weeding in the county since lock-down - at least it was without masks etc, just social distancing (interestingly can't find the old means of reducing the photo size)

A slightly larger neighbour's get togrther.Missed Cardiff Bay Rotary's meeting as tied up in Devon, back for a walk around The welsh Folk Museum after lunch at the Old Post House and then an evening Foundation Committee's Zoom with Grant's Director, AbbyReverted back from the imposed layout but still cannot delete the underlining!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, carrying onA lunch time Cardiff Bay meeting with PDG Fong from HK that allowed for a RCCBy Trusttee's meeting to approve PayPal in readiness for the Virtual Dog Show fundraiser, with a follow up with eRotary of innovation.A number of RFUK discussions but still time to stress-out on the croquet lawns both cutting the grass and playing - although with the relaying programme the travelling times will increase

In between various croquet matches, including my toughest tournament yet at the Inter-Counties near Brighton

, time for a Cadre call

and an interesting Cardiff Bay Zoom meeting 

Salient aspect - July 2020

The start of a new Rotary year and for me continuation as a RFUK Director & Trustee plus Executive Secretary (Rotary Club Central in-putter!) of Cardiff Bay RotaryJust two Zooms in the first week of the new Rotary Year - RIBI Handover and Cardiff Bay Rotary's Handover plus a few calls so plenty of time to start catching up on tasks in between croquet games Three Zooms planned for the second week - Cardiff Bay Rotary, Foundation Committee's virtual support meeting with Chair and Vice Chair of TRF Trustees and a further one with Vice Chair and what is better is the fact that Wales Government have eased restrictions in line with the English Government so I can head to Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club as well - still significant and well thought out safe practices in place at both Budleigh and Glamorgan Croquet Clubs - able also for the first time in 104 days of restrictions to view and buy a replacement dishwasher, much better than on-line as my new walking boots are being returned for a second time and a third pair ordered - oh how good it was to be able to view, try them on and buy all in one go! One morning totally disrupted by a Zoom call that lasted 58 minutes on my mobile and which could have been succinctly aired and acknowledged in considerably less time - managed to then mow the croquet lawns , drive back via the Covid-19 closed beachesbecause of the selfless behaviour of some users and get back home to undertake some Covid-19 Stewardship at the village church. Took advantaged with the lapsing of the 5 mile restrictions and mowed the grass at Clehonger and then enjoyed an amazing generous take away roast beef take away lunch on Kilpeck's village green opposite the pub before visting Dore Abbey The second wasted morning of the month when the dishwasher fitters arrived but failed to get it to work. Haircut restrictions lifted - will miss some 130 days of growing hair! Two Zooms to follow the haircut - the 2011/12 PDG reunion and Cardiff Bay Rotary's weekly meeting with guest speaker,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Budleigh Salterton Croquet proved a great day in Devon but didn't manage to find a draft pint due to time constraints, will have to wait for Wales to catch up. Took advantage of the Old Post House re-staring lunches and tried the Ty Newydd for a Welsh Roast Dinner as opposed to last Sunday's English Roast Lunch - same meal og roast beef but what a difference the English version was of blood in the beef and vegetables not over, over cooked.Watched Cardiff Bay member David umpire a few offers at St Fagan's Cricket Club (too chilly for more!) and experienced my first open air communion service at St Mary's Church as St Fagan's village said farewell to Archdeacon Peggy74A2nY/XxseEFXuSBI/AAAAAAAAWN4/Jrsan9ERjrE8Xm1xwvL2E9Ba_6lldXccwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/109912827_2701005933451932_1496256034160250666_n.jpg" width="200" height="150" data-original-width="960" data-original-height="720" />.A TRF Cadre Webinar on Rotary Action Groups before Cardiff Bay Rotary's weekly virtual meeting with Phil Dyer's ideas on membership growth.a visit to Just 4 Men in Penarth for a haircut now that the Welsh Government had relaxed the Covid-19 restrictions. Another sunny Devonian day for croquet at Budleigh and visit to Claypitts before obtaining a successful MOT on the V70 - well successful except finding two nails in a reasonably new tire!Drizzle at Merthyr Mawr Croquet for the lawn cutting and erection of new doors for the mower store. Start of the weekend with a return to Merthyr Mawr for a game against Peter and a visit to the new Farm shop just outside CowbridgeA visit to National Trust's Dyffryn Gardens - felt so sorry for the gardeners who had put so much effort in only to have the vast majority of their work become overgrown as so few are allowed to work as others are fur-longed for purely financial reasons and no volunteers are permitted to work - seeing the old croquet lawn with foot long grass covering it was pitiful

Salient aspects - June 2020

A new month starting with a Humanitarian Team's Zoom call and expressing possibly slightly too much concern on the demise of International viability next year, Cardiff Bay Rotary's allocation of funds to Life for African Mothers and Keep Splot Tidy - a lot more 'phone calls, perhaps people are getting tired of lock-down and wish to talk more! Hosting my final virtual Foundation Support Call with Zurich based Espen & Elisabeth. The last Executive Zoom call of the year and then off to the Council Rubbish (Trash / Garbage) Tip for my first ever allocated time slot - part of the new-norm! A chilly return to the weekend so not too much of a pain spending a considerable amount of the weekend preparing for a presentation and reviewing RFUK aspects whilst still addressing a huge volume of e-mails which is really encouraging as we start to bring one Rotary year to a close and start a new one.Squeezed in a Polio Presentation as part of Calum's District Assembly before joining Cardiff Bay Rotary for a virtual Poems & Pints EveningMissed a Commonwealth Health meeting before speaking at the eClub of Innovation and received some great feedbackFrom Fevzi Tavus to Everyone: Great evening from Izmir, Turkey D-2440 RC Izmir,From Frank-Red Deer, Alberta,Canada to Everyone: Our speaker was brilliant, enjoyed the questions From Stuart Norwich, Norfolk, U.K. to Everyone:Brilliant speaker. Sorry but I have to go - bye all, From Teresa Cristina Bruno Andrade to Everyone: Brilliant speaker and discussion! A Cardiff Bay Rotary photo call at Dipec Plastics with Steve J with respect the Cardiff Bay Rotary's and then D1150's support of Intubation shields manufactured to the spec, of a local surgeon to add greater proection during Covid-19 and therefore procedures to continue Read this and thought it very apt!An Obituary printed in the London Times.....Absolutely Dead Brilliant!! Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: - Knowing when to come in out of the rain; - Why the early bird gets the worm; - Life isn't always fair; - And maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, -by his parents, Truth and Trust, -by his wife, Discretion, -by his daughter, Responsibility, -and by his son, Reason. He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers; - I Know My Rights - I Want It Now - Someone Else Is To Blame - I'm A Victim - Pay me for Doing Nothing Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing Great to meet up with fellow UK and Worldwide Regional Coordinators (very worrying the age profile and amount of grey hair in evidence)- well done Christine!Three Zooms in one day consisting of a TRF Humanitarian Cadre Review, a 2011/12 PDG re-union and a Cardiff Bay Rotary Shadow Council (Board) meeting prior to the Club Assembly next week. Brilliant opening session of the virtual RI Convention, failed to engage with the Rotary GB& I virtual Social due to some initial start up issues. Opening up of the Welsh croquet lawns and great sunshine meant missing lots, in fact all!!, of the Convention Sessions. managed though to attend Cardiff Bay Rotary's pre meeting and actual meeting with St Paul sunshine and deliver a presentation on the history of the Club. Back to Cardiff Bay Rotary's virtual Club Assembly after another hot day on the lawns, but can't miss the opportunity to play against locked-down International players!!!!!Great opportunity to avoid a wet Saturday morning walk and listen to a Rotary Connects the World virtual from Hong KongFinished 130th with 114021 steps (51.8 miles) with the winner achieving 735741 steps in Rotary's Walking Challenge - should have done more but croquet got in the way!Two DG virtual DG Handover's with Alison & Calum in southern Wales and western Scotland, words written for my slot at Calum's but the current DG wished to expand on her year so time would not allow.Last day of the Rotary year and Cardiff Bay Rotary's virtual Presidential Handover A great way to end the year with the announcement of the seventh Area of Focus in the form of the Environment.