MONDAY, July 4, besides being USA Independence Day, was the date when president David Hunt handed over the leadership of Redditch Rotary Club to vice-president David Taylor. Before doing so, the retiring president thanked his fellow Rotarians and particularly the members of club council for the fine support they had given him in the club's centenary year.

David owned that he had called on the club to do much more than had been the case in recent years but he had been delighted with the response. He cited the successes of the president's lunch, Jim Symond's fabulous garden party, the handing over the centenary gift water feature to Saltways Cheshire Home, the 24-hour jazzathon and Dev Khosl's superb Indian night at Ullenhall.

Then there was the hastily arranged collection for the victims of the Boxing Day tsunami, when, together with members of Kingfisher Club, the unbelievable sum of over £9,000 was collected. David had the pleasure of inducting four new Rotarians, though sadly had to say farewell to past president Basil Gardner, whose death leaves a hard role to fill.

Jim Symonds had "come up trumps" with a very enjoyable coffee morning at Sambourne, followed by a club breakfast - the two events realising £320 for charities. David felt it had been a very busy year but hoped it had also been an enjoyable one. He then formally inducted David Taylor as new president, who then invested Richard Perkins with his insignia as first vice president.