Inner Wheel District 26
Covering three counties in the UK -
Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire
 

       
Why not send in stories / pictures of your club's activities - fun and/or fundraising activities? You can share them with other Inner Wheel members via this website. Contact  Jeannette Lee

           District Chairman Jeannette Lee's message for 2008-09

 

Time has rushed by over the last twelve months and what a successful year it has been! So much has been achieved in the clubs and by the District Team. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the successes especially Emmeline for her leadership, inspiration and energy. It will be a hard act to follow.

By the time you read this, the changeover will have taken place and I will be “District Chairman”.  A really frightening thought. However, there was an excellent attendance at the handover and I thank you all for your support and good wishes. Like my predecessors, I feel very privileged to represent and serve you during the next year and I am now looking forward to visiting your clubs and meeting members who are unable to attend district meetings.

So what of the year ahead when our theme is - “Realise your vision and make a difference”

Making a difference is why we joined Inner Wheel but our visions must extend further into the future than just this one year. It’s our visions today that are the actions of tomorrow, which make the difference for those in need. 

My vision is one that only members can realise, that is to increase our membership. Membership must be our first priority. We need to recruit into existing clubs and look for opportunities where there is Rotary but no Inner Wheel Clubs. In many cases Rotarians wives support the Rotarians but how much more satisfying would they find it to be part of Inner Wheel with ladies of like minds. We may be seen as stuck in a rut but from what I see when visiting clubs - there are dedicated ladies enjoying themselves and making valuable contribution in their communities. We do have some outdated traditions and perhaps a very few don’t like change, but why not talk about them and find out why ladies don’t want to join us. Perhaps the reason may be no one has asked them? 

We now don’t have to rely on Rotary - we can recruit from Family members and Honorary Members. Inner Wheel will not die this year but unless we do something about the future it could be too late. Just think of the difference we could make if our visions were realised?

Our clubs are excellent at identifying needs both in the community and overseas and I will therefore do my very best to support your activities whenever possible.

Whilst I appreciate there are great demands on your time there are two projects within the community where you can make a difference. 

Theme for 2008-09
'Realise Your Vision and Make a Difference'
Home page
Who we are
What we do
Structure and District Executive
History
Inner Wheel Today
District Project
Overseas Service
What's on
Sales table
Archive

Related sites

 Two special days - Peace Day (21 Sep) and Inner Wheel Day (10 Jan)

For queries concerning
this website, please contact:
Jeannette Lee or
the website manager
Guru Guruswamy

Updated 13July08

Association President  Myrtle Buchanan’s Charity for 2008 – 2009 is the Alzheimer’s Society [www.alzheimers.org.uk] and she would like each club to get involved with the “Memory Walk”. The official date for this is the 21st September 2008. I am sure you will all remember that this is also “Peace Day”!

If you are unable to take part on that day you can choose another day to suit your members. 

If each member of Inner Wheel in the UK could raise funds equivalent to £1 for every member then it would raise £23,000. However, Myrtle’s challenge is for clubs to raise the equivalent of £2 per member or more.

More information about the charity and the walk will be available at the Assembly in July.

My own preferred charity is “Canine Partners” 

Canine Partners [www.caninepartners.co.uk] is little known but it is a very progressive charity that aims to transform the lives of people with disabilities, enabling them to live more independently by partnering them with highly trained assistance dogs.

Every club has an invitation pack and Rotarian Malcolm Wells M.B.E., Chairman of the Charity, will be guest speaker at the November District Meeting. I have no doubt it will be worth attending. So put the date in your diary now.

Best wishes for a very successful year.

I am not sure if this is a first but as many of you will be aware this year is going to be special in the Lee household with Les as District Governor. Whilst it will no doubt be a busy year I do know that Les is a great supporter of Inner Wheel and all that we achieve. We therefore invite you to join us at the Rotary District Conference in Eastbourne 27th - 29th March 2009. Click here for details of the conference which are available on the Rotary District Website.

Jeannette
Inner Wheel District 26
District Chairman

Realise your Vision and Make a Difference

What's new.....

This is a rare Rotary Year for Dist 1260 as it is led by husband / wife partnership ...The Dist Governor is Les Lee and the Inner Wheel Chairman for Dist 26 is his wife Jeannette Lee. The pictures were taken at the Rotary Induction Dinner on 26 June 2008. [Photo on the left by John Rowlands taken from the Dist 1260 website]. [13 July 2008]

Click here for earlier Archive News