A good turnout of 25 of us braved the January freeze to visit the Marisco Lounge on Sandside. After drinks downstairs, we had private use of the upper floor, which proved to be an excellent venue. After a good meal of vegetable soup followed by steak, fries and salad, Chairman Charlie inducted the latest new member, Alex McCallum.
Brief business occurred, with a sobering report from Ben Kitto to say that while the Santa Sleigh had raised nearly £3000 this time around, the lack of volunteer elves might mean that it won’t happen next year unless extra help can be found. This would be a great shame because it’s an important event not just for the fundraising, but also to raise the profile of Round Table. It would appear that 41 Club can do more in the future to keep this long standing event viable in the years to come.
Michael Whiteley then reassured us all that he has completely recovered after being rescued from the sea by the lifeboat suffering with severe hypothermia, after being unable to get back to shore. Michael then encouraged us all to attend a quiz on Friday 23rd February at the Rugby Club, in aid of the Sparks Project.
Lastly, we had an enthusiastic presentation about the Sea Cadets from the Chairman of Trustees, Bob Smith.
Bob told us that the Sea Cadets range from 10 to 18 years of age, and presently there are approximately 120 of them. They follow the values of Admiral Lord Nelson which are Leadership, Duty and Sacrifice. They were founded about 100 years ago, and are completely self-funding. Cadets enjoy the opportunity to take part in various pastimes such as sailing, mountain biking and mountaineering, as well as learning new social skills. Chairman Charlie thanked Bob and off we went back into the cold outdoors.
