You can feel the excitement building as you read through the minutes for the emerging Allendale Lions Club from the 2nd of February, 2004. The plans for Charter Night, the first it was hoped of many to come, were firming up nicely.
With a lovely menu on offer from Christine Hutchinson and Hazel Newman:
- Smoked salmon roulade with dressed salad leaves and fresh bread roll
- Choice of dressed salmon/honeyroast gammon/roast local beef, served with home-made coleslaw, green salad, pasta with pesto and cherry tomatoes, rice salad, hot new potatoes; vegetarian option available for the asking
- Choice of home-made lemon flan/sherry trifle/raspberry meringue rolade
- Coffee/tea and mints
And entertainment booked: the band Chilli Factor and the disco by Paul Lowery.
The bar organised (with staff!) thanks to Paul Murphy.
The printed programme to be corrected by Chris Bacon.
New members (more!) to be inducted on the night.
Decorations, flowers, banners all being titivated for the evening’s festivities.
Rumblings of a video record of the proceedings.
Whew! Man! It was a bit of a tizz, all right, but in the run-up to the big event, somehow you just knew that it would be a delightful party, full of promise for the future and general camaraderie and good-natured fun.
By the time the Charter Night preparations were considered, there was scarcely any more energy for further business, but business we still had to take care of, so we did. In particular, committee work for the Allendale Fair was proceeding well, and Trevor circulated a current plan for the weekend ahead. The Fair Committee would meet next Monday to keep the momentum going. By then it was time for a much-needed beer break! What might we accomplish after that?!
So, setting to with the big three: i. Fund-Raising; ii. Community Service; and iii. Fellowship. i. The Rudolph Valentino dance would not happen, to be replaced by an event for the Youth Club. Perhaps a Ceilidh later in the year, or indeed the Russian Quartet for September could be great fund-raisers, especially if Maggie Shearer provides a Russian-themed dinner for the latter.
ii. ADAPT are looking for volunteers (mini-bus drivers, no doubt). The Christmas lights around the square did indeed come down on Sunday the 11th January. The proposed Clean the Dene exercise could take place in the spring.
iii. The next organised social event could well be the Cumbrian Way walk being organised by Julie and David Humes. But the next easy fellowship evening looks like a session at the Allenheads Inn at the beginning of the week before Charter Night. Best to get more practice in on the drinking front, eh?
We must have been meetinged-out by the time arrived for Elsie Eye to be invoked!