ALL members and visitors were welcomed to the meeting on June 5h by Anita Wood, our president. Events coming up are the barbecue on July 3 (the next meeting) 7pm for 7.30pm. The sub-committee will contact members who have agreed to provide food.

The Pub Quiz will take place in September; one or two teams will be entered. Members were encouraged to subscribe to the Newsletter with orders for 2008/200 - copies due in soon.

A trip to the newly restored Royal Hall will take place on July 30.

The speaker, Claire Smith, gave a very interesting talk about her time in Ghana with VSO. She is a primary school teacher, so became involved with training teachers in Ghana and working in VSO's education department.

She stressed the desperate desire for education; now there is a school for every child within three miles of their home. Claire talked about the Childrens' Centre and after school club and how many of the children make saleable toys from drinks cans. The living conditions are very basic, but the Ghanians are a proud and happy race, although they tend not to smile for the camera!

Following a vote of thanks from Rosita, the remaining business was dealt with.

The Whitby trip took place on Saturday, June 7 and was an excellent day out. We arrived at about 10.30am and had plenty of time to explore the town and enjoy lunch before meeting at the new Lifeboat Station for a talk given by the mechanic and visit to both lifeboats. The new station was completely funded by a legacy and is very comfortable. The lifeboat cost £1.3 million in 1996 and is full of incredible navigational aids and other technology. We left Whitby and enjoyed a very scenic drive home via Pickering and Helmsley.