Potential Rotary Global Scholar

Although known for its support of local charities and organisations Hucknall Rotary Club is part of an International family of Rotary and within than movement exists Rotary’s own charity, The Rotary Foundation.  A major emphasis within this little-known charity has been working towards the global eradication of Polio, a project with which Bill Gates, the World Health Organisation  and others have partnered Rotary.  The Rotary Foundation also awards scholarships helping scholars plan to pursue a career in an area which will make significant impact in worldwide humanitarian effects. 

21 year old Monique Mundle, who lives with a foster family in Kimberley, was the latest visitor to Hucknall Rotary Club.  Ms. Mundle is studying “Humanistic Counselling Practice” at the University of Nottingham  and also has a placement at Bluecoat academy where she runs a student counselling service.  Monique did some volunteering work at an orphanage in South Africa which impacted her deeply and has inspired her study and career path.   

Hucknall Rotary Club will be recommending that Monique is a suitable candidate for a Rotary Global Scholarship, and if successful, Ms Mundle hopes to study clinical social work in the USA where she aims to refine her therapeutic skills merging them into more community impact based work with the underprivileged.

Monique Mundle is pictured with Club President Ian Young

Shark Guardian

An eye-opening presentation was held at the Horse and Groom, Linby as Brendon Sing and Liz Ward-Sing addressed Hucknall Rotarians about Shark and Marine conservation in what was the best attended club meeting for a long while.

Due largely to the film ‘Jaws’, Sharks tend to be misunderstood and are perceived as a threat and a real danger.  Brendon and Liz founded  the charity Shark Guardian a formed in 2013)  to try and educate about the importance of sharks in the ecosystem.  

The Shark Guardian presentation was  interesting and very educational evening.  Using a variety of multimedia slides and videos, the club learnt that there are over 500 species of sharks known in the world, and 30 species of sharks found in UK waters.  Sharks are to the ocean, what Lions are to the jungle.  Research has shown that waters where Sharks populate also generate other forms of marine life and produces much needed oxygen.  Parts of the ocean without any Shark presence also tend to be devoid of any other life forms.   So the role of Sharks in their natural environment is vital to our own survival.  There are more recorded deaths caused by the misuse of toasters than caused by shark attacks.  Despite the portrayal in films such as ‘Jaws’, very few humans are attacked.   When they are, it is often a case of mistaken identity as Shark Guardian demonstrated how, from below, the stiletto of a person on a surfboard would appear to the Shark very similar to their natural prey of a seal or turtle.  Usually, if a surfer is attacked, the Shark quickly realises their mistake and moves away.    While many of us have learned to fear sharks, they’re the ones who should fear us. People are sharks’ biggest predator. In fact, humans kill more than 73 million sharks annually.

As a result, many shark species are endangered.  Shark Fin fishing is a huge problem that is decimating the populace and having an impact on the ocean’s ecosystem.  Reproduction and gestation periods are also quite lengthy which means that the shark population isn't seeing natural biological growth. 

The message from Shark Guardian is that  in ‘Saving Our Sharks – We Save Ourselves.’    After the meeting Club president Ian Young said, “Until tonight, I never realised the role that Sharks play in the system of things.  Brendon and Liz and their team are doing an amazing job raising awareness to the plight of Sharks which has to be addressed.”   In the first year of Shark Guardian, over 20,000 people have seen a presentation made by the charity.   Further details can be found at www.sharkguardian.org/

President Ian Young (Centre) is pictured with Brendon Sing and Liz Ward-Sing

Wise men (and women) journey together

With the first meeting of 2014  taking place the day after Epiphany (the feast day which commemorates the visit of the Magi ), Rev Canon Keith Turner of St Michael’s Church Linby, revisited the well-known story of the Wise men  in his message of encouragement to Rotarians for the new year. 

Canon Turner focused especially on the generous spirit of giving and also the journey that the wise men made in presenting their gifts.  The journey was a long and hard journey and there would have been occasions when tensions were raised between the wise men.  But more importantly, it was a journey of joy and one in community with everyone in the wise men’s party working together  to finish their journey.  Without teamwork, it is unlikely that the wise men would have be able to present their gifts in that spirit of generosity.  No wise man travelled separately, they journeyed together in fellowship.    

I thanked Canon Turner for a timeless message that transcended individual  religious views and commented tongue-in-cheek that I was rather glad (and surprised) that no-one had been tempted to joke about wise men within Rotary.

President Ian Young is pictured welcoming  Rev Canon Keith Turner.