CLUB VISITS
I have now completed thirty Club visits plus a few charter anniversary dinners interspersed with various other Rotary oriented meetings - certainly keeps me from feeling bored! I note that many Clubs are supporting the RIBI President's preferred charities- Mercy Ships and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and at the recent RIBI General Council meeting I attended this response seems to be typical across all 29 Districts. The Q & A session at the end of my visit talk has revealed a distinct lack of enthusiasm for attending District Council meetings (boring, waste of time, a rubber stamp exercise, etc. etc.) although some of you who attended the last one felt if was an improvement. Hopefully the streamlined format adopted for that meeting plus three or four informative speakers (5 minutes only!) will be sufficient to create renewed interest and better attendance at the December AGM and Council Meeting! As for the frequent comment - "why have these meetings anyway", it leads to the next item:

THE DISTRICT COUNCIL - WHAT'S IT THERE FOR?
Glad you asked since it should be a critical link between Clubs, RIBI & RI. As I see it the District Council is an administrative body for our district affairs and is the link between the General Council of RIBI and our Clubs. It is also the parliament of our district where matters of importance and concern to our Clubs should be debated and (hopefully!) decided. As an example the District Council may debate resolutions for submission to the RIBI Conference and should encourage Clubs to think about ways Rotary might be improved, made more effective and (no matter how radical) submit any ideas and recommendations for consideration by the General Council of RIB!. One such idea/proposal that was the subject of considerable debate at the last Executive Committee meeting concerned:

ELECTION V APPOINTMENT OF DISTRICT OFFICERS
Current RIBI policy states the District Governor, District Assistant Governors, District Secretary and District Treasurer are elected posts. Some Districts elect the DAGs from within the "group" and some, like us, elect them from anywhere in the District. The latter can (and did!) result in having two DAGs from within the same group (or in the same street as happened two years ago!) and this might be seen as creating a representational difficulty. As for the District Service Committees, it would appear there are no RIBI policy guidelines for the appointment of chairmen and members save to say the prescribed procedures are often contained in District Standing Orders (DSOs).

Our DSOs indicate these Chairmen and members will be elected and as you are now aware the appropriate ballot forms have already gone out and the election result will be announced at the imminent AGM in December. That is the current District policy; however there is a body of opinion that advocates the Service Committee Chairmen and members should be appointments recommended by an Advisory Panel and the DGE for the District Council to consider and (hopefully) ratify. The pro-appointment lobby argue this will make the Service Committees more effective by via better group representation and by placing previously identified potential leaders in posts suited to their particular skills and interests. The electioneers argue this is undemocratic, could lead to cronyism and it is far better in a voluntary organisation to have willing volunteers stand for election into these posts. This is an ongoing debate that won't go away and needs consideration at the grass roots level, so get discussing...!

COMMUNICATIONS
Current problems with the now-crashed DISC site are being addressed by Rtn Stuart Green who indicated he was disappointed with the take-up by Clubs (and District Officers!) of the many facilities offered by the original DISC site and that DISC Mk 2 will be tailored to fit the evidently simplistic needs of the average Rotarian. Any constructive comments to Stuart please...!

SEMINARS - MEMBERSHIP & FOUNDATION
Chairman of Membership Services, Rtn Cathy Lees is concerned at the current low take-up by Clubs for the Membership Seminar at Hatfield Inn on the 4th November. This has been laid on for YOUR benefit so please; do ensure your Club is represented.

Chairman of Foundation, Rtn Margaret Hirst has organised what looks to be a very interesting seminar at Reeds Hotel, Barton-upon-Humber, on Sunday, 27th November. Start time with coffee: 10.00 - 10.30 am. Carvery lunch at 1.30 pm. Keynote speaker is RI Director Rtn Tony de St, Palm as and other speakers include two peace Scholars from Bradford University, Chris Blackburn, surgeon on board Mercy Ships, Rtn Geoff Peterson on Matching Grants and an introduction of the GSE Team going to District 9200 next year. An event not to be missed. Open to your partners as well! All for just £12.50 per person. Contact Margaret ASAP.

PAKISTAN APPEAL
As winter approaches and we take comfort in our centrally heated homes there are thousands of homeless in Pakistan who are literally freezing to death in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated their homeland. They need Shelter Boxes, warm clothing, blankets etc. if they are to stand any chance of survival. Rotary was once again at the forefront in providing aid and more is still needed. Your contribution could make all the difference between life and death for those unfortunates over there.

AND FINALLY...!
Having just written the preceding bit my usual ending of fun - but with a purpose somehow seems out of place when so many are suffering at natures hand; however it is at times like this that Rotary comes into it's own and can be so effective in delivering the much-needed aid. We may lack the world-wide publicity other voluntary organisations seem to get but we do have the satisfaction of knowing our efforts bring hope and aid to those previously without anything. District 1270 can be proud of it's role by demonstrating that Service above Self is more than just a sound-bite and represents what Rotary International really stands for.