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Following our incoming President Derek Montgomery's sudden
death in July 2003, it took a few months for the club to
come to terms with their loss. Derek had been a very
popular President of the Club in 1991/2 and would have been
our first 'recycled' President, a prospect we were all
looking forward to.
The Club had been in a buoyant mood following a very
successful and enjoyable year under the leadership of Chris
Johnson-Green, the loss of Derek hit us hard and we
floundered around for a while.
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By September, Past President and
Paul Harris Fellow Geoffrey Barton had
stepped forward and he took up
the
reins for the rest of the Presidential
year 2003/2004. |
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This is President Geoffrey's acceptance speech:
It is with great sadness that I write this introductory message
to my fellow Rotarians. Derek’s passing left a void in our
direction for this Rotary Year, particularly as he was anxious to
“light the flame again in Pudsey”. He was prepared to face up to
the changes and problems facing Rotary and Pudsey club in
particular.
In accepting the office as your President, I realise I cannot supply
the number of amusing tales or replace his wonderful Irish humour,
but I will do my best to steer this club with enthusiasm and effort
for the rest of this Rotary year.
In our July Bulletin, Derek reviewed the challenges as he saw them:
the need to go the extra mile and use our experience to ensure a
future for Rotary in Pudsey and I endorse his views. Our future
lies in finding new members otherwise we will not have fresh ideas
to reflect the changing world in which we live, nor the manpower to
carry them out.
At the Scarborough Conference, the RIBI President’s representative
Norman Proctor, clearly set out that new members are the life blood
of the movement and are needed to ensure we have the next generation
of Rotarians. Towards this goal we must identify ourselves within
the community by telling them what we are doing, “If we do not tell
- we cannot sell”
Fellowship is an important part of Rotary and I hope with the
various activities we have planned, all our members will make an
effort to join in to share the play as well as the hard work ahead.
I hope I will be able to fulfill the trust you have placed in me and
I look to all members for their support in making this a successful
and rewarding year.
May I anticipate that by July 2004 we will have answered most of the
challenges Derek was so anxious about.
I am reminded of an inscription above the lock of a garden gate
which states “If I rest I rust” So lets get the oil can out to give
membership priority.
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