Rotary 1240 District Postcard Campaign

raises over £35,000

The Rotary 1240 District Postcard Campaign raised £35,536-54 for the Royal Marsden Hospital Drug Development Unit for Cancer Research.
The cheque was handed over on Friday 11 January.
The Campaign, launched just over a year ago raised over £35,000 from the sale of post-cards and donations. Chris Fell and Maureen Clements who initiated the Campaign siad, "This is a great result and exceeds our expectations."
The draw for the Campaign took place at the Green Dragon, Youngs End on the evening of Monday 3 September 2007. The winner of the Vauxhall Corsa was Mrs B Pepper of Bishops Stortford.
Braintree and Bocking Rotary Club are grateful to County Motor Works, Chelmsford for donating the prize - the Vauxhall Corsa car - to the Meadows Shopping Centre for sponsoring the Campaign, to Blue Tiger Marketing for media assistance and to the many Rotary Clubs throughout Essex which have supported the Campaign.

Young Chef 2007

Winner of this year's Young Chef Competition Robert Holdaway of Notley High School and runner-up Adam Waller of Tabor Science College are pictured here with competition organiser Bob Greybrook, Club Secretary Monica Gardner, President Jackie Clarke and John Waring. Robert and Adam assisted in the cooking of the meal for the Rotary Club's 80th Annual General Meeting, a meal which they had devised.

Visit to Arnhem, The Netherlands

During the weekend of 24/25 March members of the Club visited our Contact Club in the Netheralnds.
Click here for details

Theatre Visit

Twenty members of the Club went to the Mercury Theatre, Colchester on the evening of 16 January 2007 to hear George Aligiah talk about his experiences as an immigrant and multiculturalism.

Balloon Race

The Rotary Club of Braintree and Bocking held a Balloon Race and raised £381-74 in aid of the Little Haven Hospice and Rotary charities as part of Essex History Day - 25 June 2006 - in Braintree Town Centre. 200 balloons were released and 32 tickets were returned from Essex, Sufolk and Norfolk, but the furthest travelled ticket was returned from Fevik in Norway. The prize of a Champagne Balloon Ride was given to the owner of the ticket and £20 to the person from Fevik who returned the ticket.

A cheque for £300-00 was presented to Tricia Norris from the Little Haven's Hospice by President Jackie Clarke on 21 August 2006.

Rotary Club of Braintree & Bocking

Welcome to the web-site of the Rotary Club of Braintree and Bocking.

President Mike Griffin

Brian Rowley (1927-2007)

Our dear friend Brian died peacefully on 14^th December 2008 at the W. J. Courtauld Hospital in Braintree after a mercifully short illness. He kept up his good spirits to the end behaving as usual as if there was nothing wrong.

President of The Rotary Club of Braintree & Bocking in 1973-74, Brian was recently awarded the highest honour to be bestowed on a Rotarian, that of  ‘Paul Harris Fellow’, for dedication to Rotary service and the community beyond the call of duty.

After seeing service in The Royal Horseguards, which he joined on the last day of World War II, he became a chartered surveyor, and in 1951 joined Taylor & Company in Chelmsford, and then came to Braintree in 1957 as a partner, where he stayed until retirement.

As a new member of Braintree Round Table, I first went out with Brian to a Bury St Edmunds Round Table Yard of Ale Contest in 1962.

He was active in many other organisations notably Chelmsford Rugby Club, Black Notley Hospital League of Friends, Braintree Civic Society, First Stop, Braintree Golf Club, Braintree & Bocking Housing Association, Braintree Choral Society and a trustee of the Braintree Constitutional Club.

All who knew him will affirm that not only was he a highly respected chartered surveyor, but also the most sincere, loyal and fun loving friend who never had a bad word to say about anybody. He will be sorely missed in the Town and at 41 Club, particularly in the bar area.

We send our condolences and sympathies to Bevah and children Sue & Peter.

George Shiffner

The Chocolate Lady of Steeple Bumstead
29 October 2007

24 members and guests of the Club visited the Chocolate Lady on the evening of 29 October to learn about the merits of chocolate bars, how to make truffles, chocolate owls and Easter Eggs. The visit was followed by dinner at the Horse and Groom, Cornish Hall End. An enjoyable time was had by all.

Club farewell to Bob and Mandy Greybrook

Bob and Mandy Greybrook are retiring to Lincolnshire at the end of October 2007, after being the landlords of the Green Dragon for 22 years and host to the Rotary Club. Bob has been a keen Rotarian for even longer.
The Club was pleased to offer them both honorary membership and a cut glass bowl.
Many members paid warm tributes to Bob and Mandy and Bob said how delighted he had been to be part of the Cressing Rock Concerts, the collection for the Tsunami Appeal, helping with the Chernobyl children and driving trucks to eastern Europe with aid for the poor.

President's Evening - 1 June 2007

President's Evening was held at the Braintree Golf Club, Stisted. Around 90 members and guests attended. District Governor Steve Munns presented President Jackie Clarke with a Presidential Citation. Chris Fell and David Crowdell were awarded Paul Harris Fellowships in recognition of their outstanding work for the Club. Three members of the Rotary Club of Charleroi joined us and stayed for the weekend (for more details click here)

Be Seen - Be Safe Campaign

The Rotary Club of Braintree and Bocking launched its 'Be Seen - Be Safe' Campaign at John Ray Infants School on Tuesday 1 May 2007. Using money raised at its Cressing Rock Concerts, the Club has funded the purchase of fluorescent waistcoats for use by children at all the Infants Schools in Braintree.

Club President Jackie Clarke learning the 'crossing the road drill' as she presents the 'Be Seen - Be Safe' waistcoats to John Ray Infants School

John Ray School has taken delivery of one hundred waistcoats which will be used when children go out on visits or when they have to walk crocodile fashion along the foorpath. The waistcoats carry the Rotary logo with 'Be Seen - Be Safe' on the front and the school badge on the back.

The Rotary Club of Braintree and Bocking celebrated its 80th birthday on 3 December 2006

On 3 December 2006, President Jackie Clark hosted a Cheese and Wine Evening to celebrate the founding of the Club on 3 December 1926. The Club received a letter of congratulations from the Queen.(Click on the image below for a full screen version)

Cressing Rock 2006 raises money for charity

On the evening of 21 August 2006, President Jackie Clarke presented cheques for £6000-00 to Richard Shaw Campaign Director of the Teenage Cancer Trust

and £450-00 to Flight Lieutenant Ollie Kirby of the Air Training Corps.

£500-00 was also given to Rotary Foundation and £100-00 to St Johns Ambulance. All of this money had been raised at Cressing Rock 2006.

RIBI President visits Braintree & Bocking

RIBI President, Peter Offer and his wife, Janice, visited the Club on the evening of 10 July. Also in attendance were District Governor, Steve Munns and his wife Diana; President of Braintree Rivers, Sue Wallbank; Vice President of Braintree Rivers, Marion Hill and President of Witham, Alan Purdy.

District Handover 2006

The District Handover was hosted by the Rotary Club of Braintree and Bocking and was held at Cressing Temple Barns on Sunday 2 July. The raffle raised £419-00 for the Royal Marsden Hospital Drug Development Unit

Bob Greybrook receives Paul Harris Fellowship

Rotarian Bob Greybrook receiving the Paul Harris Fellowship from DG Sandra and President Chris at the President's Dinner in acknowledgement of his outstanding service to the Club and Rotary International over the past thirteen years.

President's Dinner raised £415-00 for the Rotary Foundation.

Quiz Night on 31 January 2006 raised £103-50 for NEEDES (North East Essex Doctors Emergency Service).

Janet Curmi was presented with a cheque for £360-00 for the Farleigh Hospice on 16 January 2006. The money was riased from the Rotary Christmas Card Collection (£150) and the Foulness Cycle Ride (£210 see below)

Rotary Club Annual Christmas Collection in George Yard, Braintree raised £300 for the Tabor Centre. Click here for details.