After spending Friday resting (well, almost resting - spent most of the day on the computer) Gail and I felt well enough to go to the Charter Night celebrations with Mansfield Rotary Club at the invitation of President Paul Bacon.
Paul's vocation is "Criminal Lawyer" (I always have a smile at that phrase for some reason !!). I was a Police Officer and the speaker, Alfie Moore, is a Police Officer with Humberside Police so the evening took on a bit of a policing theme.
This was added to when it was announced that one of the President's personal guests was also a police officer. This was Diederik Coetzee a former South African Police Officer who several years ago decided to come to England and join Nottinghamshire Police. He soon notched up the record for the most arrests by a police officer in a single year - 366 in 2005 and 406 in 2006 - when the national average was under ten.
Sadly some time ago Diederik was the victim of a serious hit and run, which left him partially sighted and with debilitating injuries from which he is still recovering.
President Paul presented Diederik with the award of a Paul Harris Fellowship and I have to say it is one of the most deserving awards I have personally come across.
The event was a great success and a sell out with 147 guests and Mansfield having to reluctantly turn people away - so not all Charters are in danger (See my October Newsletter).
The official chauffeur for the evening was Rotarian John Scotney from the Belper and Duffield Club, so thanks to him, not just for taking us but for risking catching whatever Gail and I had been suffering with as well.
Thanks also to President Paul and all the members of Mansfield for such an enjoyable evening.
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