Business Meeting Minutes May 2024

Business  Meeting Minutes – 8th May 2024

Apologies :    Karen Douglas, Margaret Francey,  Paul Megarity.

Approval of Minutes of  3rd April 2024

  • Proposed by :  P.P. Raymond Boyd  and Seconded by : P.P. Richard Eaton

Matters Arising  :     Nothing raised.

Correspondence : ( Hon. Secretary Howard Davidson)

  • E Mail from North Down Rotary Club advising of their Charity Breakfast in

Helens Bay Golf Club on Friday 17th May 2024 at 7:30 a.m.—Guest Speaker : US Consul.  Names of those proposing to attend from Bangor Rotary Club to be advised to Hon. Secretary Howard who will liaise with Alastair Walker in North Down Rotary Club.

Treasurer’s Report ( P.P. Paul Hatty) 

  • No. 1 A/c –  £3,500.90 cr 
  • No. 2 A/c – £5,604.15 cr

Hon. Treasurer Paul advised that a payment of £1,000 has been provided from No. 1 a/c to Bangor Golf Club ( Annual payment for use of Golf Club premises ).

Hon. Treasurer Paul  advised that the following payments are now due to be made from the No 2 (Charity ) a/c –

  • £500 to Store House North Down ( from Smarties tube Easter collection of £461.85 and rounded up to £500 ).
  • £1,200 to N.I. Childrens Hospice ( raised in  Charity Quiz )
  • £1,200 to Alzheimer’s Society ( raised in Charity Breakfast in October 2024 )
  • £2,000 to  Rotary Foundation  ( i.e. £1,000 raised in Charity Breakfast in October 2023 + £1,000 raised in the Charity Breakfast in 2022 but never paid over to Foundation )
  • £560  – part of funds raised in the Bloomfields Shelter Box collection on 6th April 2024 and includes a personal donation of £500  (  Hon. Secretary Howard advised that a further £365 was also raised on the 6th April 2024 but this was credited to Belfast Rotary Club’s Charity a/c via the Danske Bank  ATM on 6th April—Bangor Rotary Club will still receive credit for these funds ). Bangor Rotary Club to receive credit for a total of £925 raised for Shelter Box.

Hon. Secretary Howard will liaise with Hon. Treasurer Paul on the completion and distribution of cheques for these 5 payments etc.

  • The resignation of 3 Members of Bangor Rotary Club was referred to and  are now noted and recorded :-
  1. Alan Mc Cracken
  2. John Bell
  3. Andy Young ( transferred to Rotary Club of Malta)

 Hon. Secretary Howard will  now arrange to update these resignations / changes in the  Rotary International records ( via “My Rotary. Org” ).

President’s Report :  

  • President Patrick briefly mentioned  the very successful Croft Bowling project and the recent Beach Clean initiative.

President Elect’s Report :   

  • P.E. Bill reported on the proposed trip to The Boyne Visitors’ Centre, Drogheda, Co Louth  on 10th July 2024. It is planned to hire a 34 seater coach @ £20 per head            ( payable in advance by all those going on this trip ).  Lunch to be provided in The Conyngham Arms Hotel in Slane, Co Meath where Members  of Dublin North Rotary Club will join Bangor Rotary Club for lunch etc. 
  • P.E. Bill proposed that meetings should not be held in July 2024 ( with the exception of the Hand Over Meeting on 3rd July and the Coach Trip on the 10th July ). This was agreed upon by all Council Members – proposal now to be put forward to all Club Members at the Business Meeting on 8th May.
  • P.E. Bill advised on the Club’s annual Assembly scheduled to be held on 22nd May 2024 when  Assistant Governor Roland Bailie will be in attendance.  All Committee Leaders plans are required by 15th May 2024 ( to be forwarded then to Asst. Gov. Roland by Hon. Secretary Howard )

Administration : (Jack Watson )

  • Jack reported that the ‘box’ in the Golf Club’s Snooker Room is now empty (contained mostly Rotor Act documents etc.).  Jack advised that P.P. Ian Wilson has been in contact with the North Down Museum who have offered to provide an exhibition for Bangor Rotary Club.  The vetting of documents retained in 4 boxes currently held in Jack’s garage is required with the boxes then to be returned to P.P. Stanley.   
  • Jack advised that Bangor Rotary Club’s lunch menu has now been updated for May 2024 on our Club’s web site.

 Fundraising  ( Hon. Secretary Howard Davidson)

  • Refer to information already recorded above under Hon. Treasurer’s Report.
  • Hon. Secretary Howard advised that he will liaise with the Shelter Box Rotary Representative in Dublin ( i.e. Michael O’Reilly ) regarding the funds totalling £925 from Bangor Rotary Club and the eligibility of Match Funding.
  • A very successful charity quiz was held  in Bangor Golf Club on Friday 26th April 2024  with  Seamus Bowler acting  as Quiz Master .  A  prize draw and small auction was also  undertaken on the night with funds raised from this event  totalling £1,220  to be donated to NI Childrens Hospice.  Rev Willis Cordiner  (retd) had gratefully provided a wooden hand crafted coffee table (personally  made by himself ) for the auction on the night ( fetched £150).   Gratitude was expressed to all Rotarians who donated an excellent array of items for the prize draw on the night.  It is estimated that c 108 people attended this successful event.

Membership ( P.P. James O’Fee )

  •  P.P. James talked briefly about Rotary Impact Clubs – information to be found in the most recent Rotary Magazine, ( none currently formed in Ireland ).
  • P.P. James and P.P. Gavin have had an initial  discussion about the involvement of Corporate Membership  with 3 local businesses .

Lend With Care (P.P. Margaret Francey) :

  • Email report from P.P. Margaret — —    “ Thanks to the generous donation of £100 from Honorary Rotarian Nicola Hinds, together with a number of loan repayments, at the end of April there was just over £150 in our Lend With Care account. This meant that I was able to invest £45 (plus the usual 10% voluntary donation) in each of the following projects:               A woman cattle farmer in Vietnam to purchase three more cows for breeding,  A woman in Ecuador for her clothing and footwear retail business  and a woman in the Philippines for her grocery and household goods store.   This leaves £5.68 in our account

Service Projects ( P.P. James O’Fee) :

  •  P.P. James reported on the  Beach Clean ( part of Live Here Love Here’s Big Spring Clean initiative) organised by Rtn. Karen Douglas in Ballyholme on the 28th April 2024  where a total of 12 people ( including 5 Rotarians ) worked to gather 19 bags of litter. All items were separated out to promote recycling in the Borough.
  • Croft Bowling —   Rtn. Bill Keery reported on the very successful Croft Bowling event  held  in Dundonald Ice Bowl on Thursday 2nd May 2024.   Bill reported that 40+ people from Croft Community attended this event along with the assistance of 8 Rotarians from Bangor Golf Club.  Medals were provided to all participants and a new John Gray ( perpetual ) trophy was presented to the winning  Croft Community team.    Rtn.  Bill was congratulated by President Patrick on his organisation of this important event.

Fun & Fellowship ( Rtn. Barbara Boyle )

  • Barbara once again  reported on the  successful  and enjoyable St Patrick’s  Day themed  5 course Tasting  Dinner in S.E.R.C. on 19th March 2024.  Barbara also advised that there are no further F&F events in the pipeline for the remainder of the current Rotary Year . 

Other Business :

  • Nothing discussed.

Submitted by Hon. Secretary Howard Davidson following  approval at the Business  Meeting  held  on Wednesday  29th  May 2024.