Review of President’s Year: April 2008 – March 2009

I still know how easy it is to mentally drift away on a pink fluffy cloud towards the end of an AGM, especially if you have had a busy day, so I decided to review SI Cardiff & District’s 2008/2009 Club year in the same way as I previewed it at the last Annual General Meeting.

As you know, my theme for the year was “Looking Inward as well as Outward”. Here are some of the things that were looked at and/or changed during this past year:-

  • The introduction of mini business meetings followed by anecdotal talks by members
  • Executive meetings every other month with increased use of email in between
  • A review of the remits of our Committees
  • A review of our Friendship Links with a new way forward
  • A relaxation of attendance at committee meetings for members aged 80 and above
  • A review of our arrangements with Churchills (with much input from Cherry)
  • An evening of reflection looking at the management of the Club
  • Members suggesting charities as recipients of our fundraising and leading the fundraising events
  • Presentation of charity cheques at the President’s Dinner

The three member sponsored charities (George Thomas Hospice, Alzheimer’s Society and the Princess Trust) all provided speakers for supper meetings. We raised money for my chosen charity (our long term club project SI Cardiff & District Education Trust), the Regional Licking Lassa Fever project, Water Aid (bottle proceeds), the Kotu Trust (water tap project) and the Cape Verdian Society (President’s choice for the proceeds of the Roath Park stall). We also made donations to the International President’s appeal and to the Howardian Conservation Trust.

Further funds for the Education Trust were raised by the sale of the commemorative Club photograph, and, hopefully, will be raised by sales of the photos from my Dinner which are on show tonight.

Some of us braved the elements to do beach cleans near the Captain’s Wife pub, enjoying those facilities afterwards, and our support for Ty Celyn (led by Maureen Ash), Caerphilly Women’s Aid and the Barnardos Marlborough Road project has continued through the year.

SINEWS has been produced each month by editor Helen Chilcott and some members have made contributions to this. I encourage you to submit items of news for circulation amongst members in this way.

Thank you for your support during my year: I hope you have enjoyed the events during the year, and I am sure that Cherry’s year will be most enjoyable.

Jill Delgado