President Joan called the meeting promptly to order at 12:15 p.m. Our National Anthem was followed by an invocation by Dallas Chapple. In keeping with the Valentine’s Day theme, she asked everyone to perform a random act of love and kindness thus creating goodwill – a very Rotarian sentiment.
After lunch, Don O’Coffey welcomed our two guests, Harriet Graham (Batya & Dave) and Diane Macpherson (Tav).
There was a long list of announcements. Eugen started with his Ted Harrison publication. If you are interested in this, please chat to Eugen. Announcements were made regarding two club fundraisers – please support them. Firstly, Pablo and his quartet are performing on 24th March; and secondly, the Tuscan Dinner is on 28thApril. David Maxwell appealed for donors interested in providing or financing a gift basket (value $75). Corey thanked those who helped out at the successful event at the Monterey Centre.
Jack Petrie acted as Fines Master. With his usual sense of humour and fun, he opened with an oblique reference to an exploding cigar and love in the darkness (OK, don’t go there!). He noted that Mark Bedford had to leave early but still had time to be at the dessert tray. He fined Dallas for looking better than “really good” and also Batya and David for lying around in Mexico. Eugen and Jim Force gave happy dollars and Neil Madsen made a generous contribution in recognition of his own birthday.
Pablo introduced President, Joan Peggs who gave us an interesting overview of her Rotary Fellowship Exchange to India. Power Point photos were capably edited by David Westover.
The exchange was from 9th – 23rd January and Joan’s hosts were from Rotary District 3060. After an exhausting flight through London to Mumbai (Bombay), Joan arrived at the station at 5:40 a.m. and boarded a train leaving at 6:20 a.m. The carriages were packed with passengers but despite this, refreshments were served including a large bottle of water. As she rode through the city, Joan noticed many fires in the tenements where people were trying to keep warm. Many others were setting up their markets for the day’s business.
The journey took them through Vapi, which is the home of Perry Bamji and R.I. President, Kalyan Banerjee, with Surat being the destination. Surat, Baroda, Nadiad, Bhavnagar and Rajkot were the communities visited. The visiting Rotarians were hosted by five families, three of them being extended families. Their occupations were either in the professions or in business and they were clearly well-to-do.
Rotary had a significant presence in the community and Joan showed us photos of buildings that were the headquarters of individual clubs and had the names of the clubs over the front door. Visiting Rotarians reviewed many of the local club projects which included an eye clinic, an intensive care unit and a dialysis facility (Surat), an engineering school near Baroda, a school for the deaf with 325 students in Nadiad. In Bhawanagar is Ray of Hope, a school for impoverished students where Rotarians are providing furnishings, toilets and water purification. Children are encouraged to attend and academic results appear to be excellent. Also viewed were a library, a senior’s home and an orphanage in Rajkot.
Joan had some interesting cultural revelations as well. The traffic is intense with horns blaring and vehicles travelling at speed with frequent fast stops. Minor fender benders seem tolerated – just carry on! The food was generally excellent and most people are vegetarians. Varieties of chapattis, roti and dahl were served with little rice. Many people were of the Jain belief system and eat nothing that grows below the ground. Joan also enjoyed chikoo juice which was served like a milkshake. Families created ground flours, spices, curds and butter in their own kitchens. All the families had servants who came in to the home for specific tasks, whether to clean or prepare meals. The visitors were also treated to singing, dancing and art displays as well as preparations for a kite festival and fireworks. They visited a diamond cutting business, a Jain temple at Palitana and another at Hastgiri.
Visiting an inoculation clinic was clearly one of the highlights and Joan was able to administer inoculations for infants against typhoid, hepatitis, TB and polio. While not sophisticated, this clinic had a doctor and a nurse.
Jim Force thanked Joan for her presentation and for sharing her experience with us. It was most interesting and well presented. Note that a return visit by Rotarians from India is to take place in May of this year. Those interested in participating should contact Joan Peggs.
The meeting closed with the singing of God Save the Queen.
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