The Tree of Joy and the annual Saffery Walk are probably the two events organised by the Rotary Club of Guernsey that most islanders have heard of, but the local club’s members do a lot more, said its president.
Carla Bauer is the first woman president in the club’s 103-year history, which it will be celebrating on a special charter night next month.
Rotary was founded 121 years ago today by Chicago attorney Paul Harris, with the goal of creating a friendly, supportive organisation for professionals from diverse backgrounds to exchange ideas, build lifelong friendships, and foster a sense of community in a large city.
Since then it has gone global, with about 1.2 to 1.4 million members operating in between 35,000 to 46,000 clubs across more than 200 countries and geographical areas.
Ms Bauer said the local club will be celebrating the anniversary on its own big day, a charter night in March when it celebrates 103 years of its own existence.
It was established around the same core principle as its older sibling, ‘service above self’ and, with 77 members, is the largest club in the southern district.
As part of the celebrations the district governor will be in attendance, as well as two honorary club members, Lt-Governor Sir Richard Cripwell and Bailiff Sir Richard McMahon, while Deputy Bailiff Jessica Roland will be its guest speaker for the event.
Weekly social meetings form the backbone of the club’s activities for members but these often feature talks from locals and the occasional visiting speaker.
And while these used to take place only at lunchtimes, some are now happening in the evening to make it easier for more members to attend.
For islanders who are not members, the club will be best-known for its high-profile fundraising events every year, such as the Tree of Joy, which lights up the Weighbridge mast every Christmas and heralds the club giving out gifts to children across the island. Last year saw more than 600 presents distributed.
It also holds flag days each year, with the money raised used to make up Christmas food hampers, in association with the Channel Islands Coop, which are sent out to the needy across the island, and there are several hundred of these each year.
Then there is the annual Christmas shoe box appeal, which is organised by the club’s local ‘sister’, Rotary Guernesiais, but involves members from both groups.
The other big event is the Saffery Rotary Walk, which is taking place on Saturday 6 June this year.
‘From that, over the last few years we’re typically generating £100,000-worth of fundraising which then gets distributed to, typically, about 20 different charities,’ she said.
Again, this is a joint initiative with the other Rotary Club in the island.
Ms Bauer explained that the other group emerged at a time when the island’s main club declined to follow the lead of its UK counterparts and admit women as members, and so an alternative was established.
Eventually, women were accepted into the original club and the two have run side by side ever since.
At the time when it was men-only in the Rotary Club of Guernsey, the Inner Wheel group was established for women and this, too, is still running.
As well as the major fundraising events each year, Rotary gets involved in other projects, of which many people may not be aware.
Several years ago it started supporting the Shelterbox campaign, which provides emergency packs which can provide shelter for up to eight people or a family, and come with equipment. This was founded by a Rotary Club in Cornwall around the turn of the Millennium but has since become a global organisation.
Shelterboxes are kept in strategic locations around the world, ready to be deployed following a disaster.
In this, Rotary has gained support from the Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission which has matched the money it has raised to provide Shelterboxes – recently the club decided to fundraise enough to buy four boxes, but the OAC said that if it could raise enough for eight, it would match the contribution.
‘So thanks to Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission, we’ve now raised enough funds to provide 16 Shelterbox packs,’ said Ms Bauer.
It has also arranged beach cleans and is involved with youth projects, such as the recent Young Chef competition.
The Rotary Young Leadership Award is another initiative aimed at local young people.
‘For the past few years, jointly with the other club, we have, through the Youth Commission, identified eight to 10 young people who then get taken on a two-day residential leadership course in Sark. And during that time, they’ll have presentations and lectures from business people, talks about leadership styles, get involved in activities and then experience camping and sleeping overnights in Town.’
Internationally, it has been involved with the global effort by Rotary to eradicate polio – now 99.9% accomplished.
The End Polio Now campaign has been running since 1985 and last year, to celebrate its 40th anniversary, every club member undertook to raise £40 each, with the goal to get to £3,000.
These funds were being matched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Overseas Aid also agreed to add to the total.
Within four days the local club raised £3,500, which was boosted by the Gates Foundation and Guernsey Overseas Aid.
‘Just before Christmas, our club was credited with having given a donation of £19,500 to End Polio Now.
‘So it is a really big thank you as well to the Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission for helping to support that.’
Amid all the fundraising, Ms Bauer said the club was like a ‘great big family’.
‘If you go somewhere and there’s a Rotary Club, you can go along and join that club for a meeting. And this year, in fact, I think we’ve had about 14 people from about 14 different clubs coming to see us.’
For more information on the Rotary Club of Guernsey, go to www.rotaryguernsey.com.
