Lt Uhura was an early heroine of the first Star Trek series, originally broadcast on 9th September, 1966, just a couple of months after the last time England’s footballers won a major international championship. Today’s women footballers, who won the Euro ’22 final over arch-rivals Germany yesterday, are iconic heroes to another generation coming along. We can be grateful that in the history of Allendale Lions Club, women have always played an equal role, though such an egalitarian concept was not universal among the International Lions Clubs, back in 2004.
Anyway, firmly back near the beginning of our club’s adventures, Monday the 5th of January, 2004, saw the first business meeting of the New Year, and one of the items prominent in the minutes is Margaret Stonehouse’s acceptance of the role of Vice President.
But the first crucial business of the meeting was to consolidate preliminary committee membership to organise the Allendale Fair, scheduled far ahead into the year for the second May Bank Holiday weekend. Tentative ideas involved a Friday evening rave disco in the marquee, the traditional Saturday Fair events, and then additional presentations (It’s a Knockout, Tea Dance, Drama Group, Dale Singers?) during the Sunday. Perhaps a coffee morning on the Bank Holiday Monday, followed by a Beer Festival all afternoon with live music spots. Tuesday was set aside for clearing up. The committee would meet in a fortnight.
And then the Charter Night planning, 20th February, looked to be moving forward: Paul Murphy was sorting out the bar; Graham Girvan was liasing with Sue Mills on catering; Sue was organising the live band and Nigel was working out disco details with Paul Lowery. It all sounded spiffing!
But there was more to be thinking of, working towards, anticipating. Like Fund Raising, Community Service, and Fellowship. Margaret has booked a band for Valentine’s Day, Saturday the 14th February, in the village hall, for our first fund raising venture: a Rudolph Valentino dance. The Lions ourselves would do the bar. Our bank accounts, apparently, are imminent, so it will be nice to have some funds to deposit when they become live.
David Humes and Graham Girvan volunteered to help whoever else was working on this coming Sunday the 11th, to take down the Christmas lights festooned around the square. A friendly job of community service.
In terms of fellowship, David and Julie Humes are organising a walk along the Cumbrian Way, some 70 miles over 6 days, commencing on the 16th July. Carrie Winger welcomed any interest in tickets for the Burns Night celebration scheduled for the village hall on the 24th January.
And with a nod to meetings ahead: the crucial Allendale Fair meeting in a fortnight, the next business meeting on the 2nd February, the meeting was adjourned. Prue Rushman, faithful minutes secretary, whose work bountifully informs these blog entries, did not mention the toast to Elsie Eye, which became de rigeur, so either it was already a commonplace on this fifth minuted meeting, or we forgot!