Sean Egan, who hands over his chain of office to Mary Spinks on Monday, has been club president in what he has described as ‘one of the most unusual Rotary years in the club’s long history’.
“When my year started, no one could have imagined that we, and the wider world, would end up in a state of lockdown owing to the impact of Covid-19,” he said. But while Sean’s year may have ended under lockdown, a huge amount was achieved before the pandemic struck in March. Sean, 55, had resolved to bring new blood into the club, setting up the format for a successful visitor’s meeting last autumn. It was due to be repeated in the spring but was thwarted by the lockdown. However, the recruitment drive still attracted four new members - Sue Dutton, Yvonne Mullins, John Yates and Alastair Watt. “I am sure they will prove to be great assets of the club,” said Sean. Collaboration – working in partnership with other Rotary and service clubs in the area to gain maximum benefit for the community - was another key aim of Sean’s year. |
Achievements include £2,000 donated to the District Thames Hospice Furniture project raised by a successful Indian meal held in November, and £4,500 of financial support provided to the Rotary in Maidenhead Covid-19 project headed up by the Maidenhead Bridge Club. Other successful collaborations include the Boundary Walk and Maidenhead’s Got Talent.
Sean and several other Rotarians, supported the Lion’s Club prostate screening event last year and our club has now pledged to run the event in the Spring of 2021, Covid-19 permitting.
Prostate Cancer also featured on the charity front with Sean pledging support during his year. A representative from Prostate Cancer UK visited the club last July to talk about the disease and £2,000 raised from the 2019 Bikeathon was donated to the charity.
Spreading the Rotary message in the community was another aim, and in the last year Sean and other members of the club have spoken on Radio Berkshire and Marlow FM and featured in the pages of the Maidenhead Advertiser.
Another issue tackled during the year was improving club governance. Sean explained: “Over the past few years the club has been changing rapidly with new members hungry to get involved and make a valuable contribution. Questions about vision, strategy, transparency, democracy, finances and our constitution have all surfaced. We’ve had some serious debates and discussions and I think we’ve made valuable steps forward which will serve only to make the club stronger in the future.”
Sean said he was naturally disappointed the impact of Covid-19 had halted so many plans in the latter part of his year and saddened events had to be cancelled, particularly the Quadrilateral.
“But equally I’m proud of what has been achieved and the way that we as a club responded to the crisis. Undeniably, the Bridge Club Covid-19 project has been an amazing headline project and the speed with which it was established was remarkable,” he said.
“It is months since we had our last physical meeting at Desborough Bowling Club and when that meeting ended I don’t think we really had any idea of how we were going to continue our Rotary business. But we quickly re-grouped, have established our Zoom meetings and are now meeting regularly as a club, and via our various committees.”
“Finally, none of what we have done in the past year could have been achieved without the help of the club and I need to thank you all for your amazing support.”
Sean and several other Rotarians, supported the Lion’s Club prostate screening event last year and our club has now pledged to run the event in the Spring of 2021, Covid-19 permitting.
Prostate Cancer also featured on the charity front with Sean pledging support during his year. A representative from Prostate Cancer UK visited the club last July to talk about the disease and £2,000 raised from the 2019 Bikeathon was donated to the charity.
Spreading the Rotary message in the community was another aim, and in the last year Sean and other members of the club have spoken on Radio Berkshire and Marlow FM and featured in the pages of the Maidenhead Advertiser.
Another issue tackled during the year was improving club governance. Sean explained: “Over the past few years the club has been changing rapidly with new members hungry to get involved and make a valuable contribution. Questions about vision, strategy, transparency, democracy, finances and our constitution have all surfaced. We’ve had some serious debates and discussions and I think we’ve made valuable steps forward which will serve only to make the club stronger in the future.”
Sean said he was naturally disappointed the impact of Covid-19 had halted so many plans in the latter part of his year and saddened events had to be cancelled, particularly the Quadrilateral.
“But equally I’m proud of what has been achieved and the way that we as a club responded to the crisis. Undeniably, the Bridge Club Covid-19 project has been an amazing headline project and the speed with which it was established was remarkable,” he said.
“It is months since we had our last physical meeting at Desborough Bowling Club and when that meeting ended I don’t think we really had any idea of how we were going to continue our Rotary business. But we quickly re-grouped, have established our Zoom meetings and are now meeting regularly as a club, and via our various committees.”
“Finally, none of what we have done in the past year could have been achieved without the help of the club and I need to thank you all for your amazing support.”