For the first time in three years our members were able to attend the annual Tripartite meeting of the Rotary Clubs of Iserlohn (Germany), Voorschoten-Leidschendam (Holland) and Grays Thurrock.
It was fantastic renew friendships after so long. Click the link to read the full story.
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For the first time in three years our members were able to attend the annual Tripartite meeting of the Rotary Clubs of Iserlohn (Germany), Voorschoten-Leidschendam (Holland) and Grays Thurrock. This was the 61st event which was held over three days, from 6th to 8th May and hosted by the Voorschoten Club who had organised a fun packed schedule for us.
On Friday there was the Texas Scramble golf competition at which our club members did well. By 5.00pm everyone had got together (about 90 of us) for a welcoming cocktail party at our hotel. It was great to meet up again with our old friends after the pandemic had kept us all apart. We then split into small multi club groups for the house parties hosted by the Dutch members, which allowed (to our club’s embarrassment) the Dutch and German guests to polish up on their English. Great food, wine and comraderie were enjoyed until late.
The next day there was a coach trip to Rotterdam during which we were given a guided tour of the city’s historic architecture, courtesy of a member of the Rotterdam Rotary club. Then, it was onto ‘Mini World’ in Rotterdam, an exhibition which features scale models of the buildings and countryside of this vast port city. There was even a scale model (not yet complete) of the UK tucked away downstairs with laughs all round about our nation being below that of Holland. After lunch, we were whisked off on a modern sight-seeing boat which took us around the port of Rotterdam, where we were able to see, old waterways and harbours, sculptured bridges, local landmarks, container terminals and craft of all shapes and sizes from rowing sculls to an old Trans-Atlantic liner. Later that evening we were at the beach pavilion for a barbecue and enjoyed a glorious sunset and danced the night away to a fantastic jazz band who had also penned us a Rotary song, which we all sung with gusto – the song will no doubt become a favourite at future Tri-Partite’s.
The weather was surprisingly hot, the food great, but as usual the best part of the event was the fellowship of Rotary that we all enjoyed. The Dutch laid on a fantastic weekend for us and now the pressure is on our club, as we are the host of Tripartite 2023 in the UK from 26th to 28th May, so please put the date in your diaries.
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