I enjoyed going to what I thought was my first Rotary meeting last night, as a guest and prospective member, at the cricket club in Colwyn Bay. However, it brought back hazy memories of one I must have attended as a speaker when I worked as a Toc H Development Officer years ago. In those days I used to smoke and I remember reaching for my cigarettes and the chairman of the meeting grasping my arm to stop me and to say that it wasn't allowed before the loyal toast. The what? The toast to the Queen. Then I was able to smoke myself silly! I don't remember my speech, just that incident.
Last night we had the loyal toast after dinner, of course, but nobody reached for any cigarettes. How times have changed. The speaker was someone talking about a textile machinery factory in Oldham, brass bands and a Japanese car manufacturing company called Toyota. They were all linked but I will leave to you to guess how.
Do you know what this reminded me of and therefore made me rather melancholic? An old Toc H men's branch. The only thing it lacked was the Cermony of Light and there was rather more interest in one's professional status than would have been appropriate in Toc H, which is/was open to everyone. Most Toc H branches became mixed, but a few men's ones hung on in there - and some women's ones too, though fewer. Technically Rotary is mixed, but there are no women in this one.
I hope to go again as a guest and I will decide on anything else later. I do approve of the 'helping others' aspect of this, which is also like Toc H.
Last night we had the loyal toast after dinner, of course, but nobody reached for any cigarettes. How times have changed. The speaker was someone talking about a textile machinery factory in Oldham, brass bands and a Japanese car manufacturing company called Toyota. They were all linked but I will leave to you to guess how.
Do you know what this reminded me of and therefore made me rather melancholic? An old Toc H men's branch. The only thing it lacked was the Cermony of Light and there was rather more interest in one's professional status than would have been appropriate in Toc H, which is/was open to everyone. Most Toc H branches became mixed, but a few men's ones hung on in there - and some women's ones too, though fewer. Technically Rotary is mixed, but there are no women in this one.
I hope to go again as a guest and I will decide on anything else later. I do approve of the 'helping others' aspect of this, which is also like Toc H.
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