I’ve been a Rotarian for years.
And I had the most gosh-awful, difficult time trying to figure out where the Rotary Club of Hanwell & Northfields met in order to attend a make-up meeing. As it turned out, Google was spot on. But looking at the addresses of the houses on the street, the address was way off. On top of that the door was locked and you had to swipe some card to get in. I couldn’t believe it.
After that after having travelled all that way by the E2 bus and having had to walk an entire block!
I had to wait for a chap in an electric wheel chair to get into the parking lot and ask him if he knew where the Rotary Club met.
He pointed right to the building beside which I was standing!
I said, “How on earth do you get in if you are not a member?”
“You see that fence over there? Go around that fence and there is another door and it is open.”
I could not believe it. I thought these Rotarians really do not want any visitors. Where are the signs? How are you supposed to know this? Do you have to be an “insider” to know your way around?
Believe me, the parallel was not lost on me as to what visitors face at so many churches!
Once I could run through the hoops, the Rotarians were a congenial lot. The food appeared home cooked. There was lots of it for 11£.
I remarked how it was strange to me that they met at night, for in the USA they predominantly meet at noon or some at breakfast, but that I could not think of one who met at night!
They told me they were primarily a social club; they were not trying to make business connections per se. There were lots of inside jokes.
I find I have to listen harder with some people to wade my way through their accent. I find it too easy to tune it out as if I were in a foreign country where unless you are the person being addressed, you tend to let the chatter pass you by.
I had a banner to trade with them from my own club.
“Oh, yes. Right. Well you see, we don’t do the banner bit anymore. But we will make a 5£ donation to the Rotary Foundation in your honour.”
I thought, “Hmmm. Not bad.”
The speaker spoke of Dechenne's muscular dystrophy. I had never heard of it. 1 in 3500 boys is born with it, and even fewer girls. It was a sobering speech.
The meeting lasted almost 2 hours! But it was very interesting.