On Tuesday September 14th Middlesbrough Erimus Rotary held their first ‘Hybrid’ meeting after 18 solid months of Zooming.
Seventeen members returned to Middlesbrough Golf club at Brass Castle whilst nine more participated on the ‘old’ Zoom format. Whilst the business was not as fluid or connected as a single format might have allowed, our Tech savvy former helicopter pilot Stuart Davies kept the camera and microphone hovering in the steady fashion that might have been expected.
Although the club has lost members and some opportunities through Covid times the multiplicity of actions and fronts on which members are progressing is undiminished. Plans to spend funds on an attractive outdoor social area at ‘ My Sister’s Place’ were approved and an initiative to work with Yatton House on a Community Garden for Great Ayton in partnership with Stokesley and Great Ayton and Guisborough Rotary clubs also received a green light. Foundations have been laid for ‘Wrap-up’ a project to collect warm clothing for rough sleepers have been laid and the project will go live in October.
Work continues on a three club team approach to celebrate ‘100 years of Giving’ with the Centenary of Middlesbrough’s first Rotary club. The first event. a Centenary Golf competition has delivered a bonus of over £1,000 for Zoe’s place baby hospice. In a second element of the Centenary efforts an update on Centenary tree planting beside the river Tees was delivered and the first of 4,000 bulbs and several hundred saplings will be planted next month. Going forward members agreed to seek at least one meeting per month on a face-to-face basis for those willing to do so and the hybrid version of Erimus Rotary club closed with a toast both inhouse and online. Members were left reflecting on the fact that whilst Erimus means ‘We Shall Be’ no one is really quite sure in Covid times exactly what we shall be!
Picture 1 shows Stuart flying his camera
Picture 2 members back at their socially distanced and well ventilated places
