GSE Team Leader
Senri Maple Rotary Club
RIBI Rotary Club Meetings
All the Rotary Clubs in Great Britain belong to a national organization called the RIBI (Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland). I was struck by the fact that, since they follow after the form associated with the clubs affiliated with the American Rotary International, the RIBI club meetings always have the flags of both countries on display to show the Anglo-Saxon bond that seems to exist between the two countries. The meetings always begin with grace and have a toast to the Queen before serving dessert. Most clubs have a raffle costing one pound, which all the members take part in. The winner receives a small bottle of wine. Since gambling is completely legal in England, things like this are needed to pay for the clubs' service activities. I guess you could say it is similar to the niko niko (smile) boxes we have here in Japan at our club meetings.
At the Stockport Lamplighter Club
Rotary Club Financial Operations
The thing that struck me most was how inexpensive operating costs and membership
dues are in England. The average cost of joining the Rotary is L300 and annual
dues are about L400. This is quite low, and to be sure some clubs are under
rather severe financial limitations, but the personal cost to individual members
is rather low, making it easier for the clubs to have members from a broad range
of incomes and making it possible for them to increase membership and expand
their activities. Still, even though they are working hard to increase membership,
there are strict reviews of potential new members, so they have almost no problem
with the quality of their members. To reduce costs, the average dinner meeting
costs about L7.00, and those who work in the club office and their secretaries
receive no salary at all. Of course, when there are special events, such as
Christmas gatherings, charity night, club anniversary parties, etc., they must
pay extra if their wives accompany them. The same goes for the bimonthly interchange
dinner meetings. In principle, all the operating expenses for service work and
charity work (everything other than costs of regular meetings and basic operating
expenses) are paid for by fund-raising activities. They are very good at collecting
donations from private citizens and service organizations. (See appended sample
budget.)
Rotary Donations
Another big difference between the Rotary in England and the Rotary in Japan
is how the Paul Harris Fellow donation system is handled. In Japan, one can
be recognized as a PHF by donating the equivalent of about L250, whereas in
RIBI clubs, even if you donate more than L600, you are not automatically qualified
for commendation as a PHF. Unless the board of directors of a registered club
shows that you have ample reason to be commended (due to your contributions
and service activity results), the district governor will not give you the PHF
commendation. When I mentioned to one club president that I had received multiple
PHF commendations over the years, his expression changed to one of awe. It seems
that in RIBI clubs, the PHF commendation is something that is extremely precious
and valuable, and receiving it is a great honor.
INNER WHEEL
An organization that is giving tremendous support to Rotary activities in England
is something called the "Inner Wheel," a women's group consisting
of the wives and daughters of RIBI members who meet once a month and carry out
completely separate service activities. Rarely, they may do things together,
like a family Rotary club meeting, but in principle they operate independently
and carry out completely different kinds of activities. Over the past few years,
the Rotary has been trying to attract more female members, and this seems to
be counteracting the activities of the Inner Wheel to some extent as these women
join the Rotary. At any rate, the Inner Wheel is an organization with much more
vitality than other women's groups.
FORTY-ONE CLUB
I'd like to change directions here a bit, and talk a little bit about RIBI
club meetings. About 30 minutes before the meetings begin, there is an important
friendship-building time during which everyone stands around, beer or wine glass
in hand, talking to one another. To break the ice, they will skillfully tell
some joke or something, looking you straight in the eye in order to help you
relax. We Japanese are quite poor at this type of thing, and I admired the way
British people nurture this skill from their youth in this gentlemanly country.
I think we in Japan can learn much from the system they have in England, where
their young people are able to join other high-class organizations prior to
becoming Rotarians. For young people, they have an organization called Round
Table, and for middle-aged people there is the Forty-one Club. I felt keenly
the need for us here in Japan to improve and reform the JC and Rotary-Act activities
even more.
GSE PRESENTATION
During our GSE presentations, which were given at those clubs that formally
invited us, we showed the 2004 Kansai International Campaign video (which we
received from our District Governor Mr. Inoue) for the first 10 minutes. Next,
each of the team members gave a PowerPoint to introduce themselves and talk
about Osaka. Each member had about 4 or 5 minutes to speak, and then I spoke
about the historical development of Anglo-Japanese relations, and the common
points between Buddhist charity and Rotarian friendship.
I think Yumi Sano (sponsored by the Chayamachi RC), who talked about how Osaka
is the Manchester of the East, and Kiyoshige Okada (sponsored by the Shinsaibashi
RC), who showed photos of himself doing sumo, were able to grab the attention
and interest of the audiences particularly well. When Madoka Daigo (sponsored
by the Hirakata RC) talked about "rush-hour hell" in Japan and showed
a photo of platform guides pushing people onto the trains, the audience burst
out laughing, but she seemed to have quite a difficult time trying to explain
to the British how one goes about taking a bath here in Japan. Northern England
is rather cold, and most bathrooms have thick carpet on the floor, and there
is nowhere for someone to wash themselves outside the bathtub. Shigekazu Koike
(sponsored by the Utsubo RC) spoke about Japan and its geography, climate, and
typhoons, and quite a few people found what he said to be quite interesting.
I spoke about four main topics: the history of interchange between Japan and
England, starting with the meeting of William Adams (Miura Anjin) and Tokugawa
Ieyasu (1600); Japan's great naval victory in 1905 that was the result of the
Anglo-Japanese Alliance and port federation, which was able to wear down the
Baltic fleet physically and mentally; the meaning of pilgrimages for collecting
alms by young monks undergoing Zen training; and the state of enlightenment
shown by the rock garden and the basin used for washing one's hands at Ryoanji
Temple.
We gave our presentations almost ten times during our stay in England, and we
were able to get through them more or less successfully, I think.
IT High-tech and the Second Industrial Revolution
The intense introduction of information technologies into corporations has
been, more than anything else, for the purpose of saving labor and increasing
efficiency, and for information sharing. It was wonderful seeing how these new
technologies are being rapidly promoted at the same time to analyze management
information and to carry out statistical analysis of the effectiveness of given
business practices. I think a more detailed explanation of such technology is
being taken up in another team member's report, so I will not write much about
it. In northwestern England, where Manchester is the heart of Lancashire and
Cheshire, it seemed to me that they were striving to bring about the second
industrial revolution through I.T. high-tech goods and the development of financial
software. In both homes and companies, the use of personal computers is growing
rapidly. In splendid brick homes that are over 100 years old, without fail you
will find personal computers in the studies with the latest electronic data
processing technology. Everyone in the family is making use of these computer(s),
and I felt that compared to Japanese households, the British are several years
ahead of us when it comes to owning and utilizing personal computers in the
home. However, there are many doubts about whether the British will, in the
near future, actually carry out the circulation of the euro, which does not
bear the image of the Queen.
Agriculture, Livestock Farming and Land
When it comes to the meals I was served at my homestays and at RC meetings,
even considering that the British have long had a culture of livestock farming,
it seemed to me that they are not so concerned about making their meals look
beautiful, compared to the Japanese. I felt that there was quite a gap between
British cuisine and the traditional Japanese approach of having five flavors
in our meals, namely sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty. There is a tendency
to place importance on amount rather than quality, and this goes for both men
and women. And more than large amounts of potatoes and salad, they often wolf
down large quantities of raw vegetables
Around Manchester, there are almost no mountains and the land is basically
flat grassland and gently rolling hills. It looks like it would be ideal land
for grazing sheep and cattle, but actually a large part of it is wild moorland,
which is not good for farming or ranching because of the large number of rocks
that are buried in the soil. It looks like they are blessed with a large abundance
of grazing and farming land, but this is not so.
Great Britain has a total land area of 243,000 square km, which makes it appear
to be quite small, especially when compared to Japan's 378,000 square km. But,
if you take away all the area covered by mountains and lakes, etc. and look
at the amount of land that can be used for daily life and industry, it come
to 70% of the land, compared to Japan's meager 5%. In other words, Great Britain
has ten times more useable land that Japan does. There are about 60 million
people living in Great Britain, and 127 million in Japan, so if you consider
the population ratio it's no wonder that land is so expensive in Japan (poor
land policy aside). The average income comes to about $24,500 in Britain compared
to $34,210 in Japan, but when you consider how much cost is added on to production
costs and cost of living because of the exorbitant land prices in Japan, one
can see in a glance that the British have a substantially better lifestyle than
the Japanese. Japan's agricultural, industrial, and mining products will be
caught in a price war with imports from all over the world, including the EC,
and whether or not we will be able to overcome depends on the government's immigration
policy and Japan's ability to maintain its labor force.
Labor Force Shortage and Racial Problems
Historically, England has been a racial melting pot, with the English, Welsh,
Irish, and Scots living in regional and social harmony. However, because of
the severe labor shortage following World War II, the government established
an open-door policy toward immigrants from the West Indies, and there are signs
of considerable racial friction and tension in Manchester, London and other
large cities. It is a fact that these days, the physical labor force requirements
of the larger cities can only be met by these lower class immigrant workers.
The serious dilemma facing the British is whether or not the strongly xenophobic
WASPS in England can live in harmony with the colored new British citizens.
But if you trace the lineage of the royal family, you will find that the blood
of the people from many European nations flows in their veins, and (like in
America) I don't think there is much need to worry about the increase in mixed
blood.
One exception regarding immigrants is immigrants from India and Pakistan, many
of whom are doctors, I.T. technicians, etc. and who are in the upper middle-class.
There are quite a few Indian men involved in the RIBI in and around the larger
cities, and it is no longer rare to see marriages between WASPs and those of
Indian descent.
Southport District Conference
The annual District Conference was held this year on the west coast of Cheshire
County in Southport. Our team was put up the entire time at the nearby Clifton
Hotel, and every evening we were invited to banquets and parties. Our 20-minute
presentation was scheduled for the morning of the last day, starting at 11:20.
I had heard that the total membership of the 46 clubs in the district is 1,368,
but there were only 746 people registered at the conference (including the wives
of members), so it appeared that at 30% of the members attended the conference
with their wives. Governor Ian Tonge is a member of the Stockport Lamplighter
club. Elect Chris Boyes is a member of Altrincham RC, the club which hosted
our team. Manchester GSE Chair Simon Yates was the audio-visual mastermind and
was very much involved in the conference, so our team did not want to do anything
to ruin the conference. For that reason, we rehearsed very hard and diligently
for our presentation.
Another thing that made us nervous was the fact that everyone in attendance
was given an evaluation sheet, so we couldn't make any careless mistakes or
cut corners in any way. The program went according to schedule on the last morning,
with speeches by special guests and speakers commended by the governor. At 11:20,
right on schedule, our team took the stage. After simple self-introductions
by each member and short speeches about their vocational study themes, everyone
quickly changed into happi coats and masks. The male team members wore red and
blue devil masks and the girls wore masks of the god Ebisu as they performed
a Noh play imitation. At the end, Ian Tonge and Simon Yates came on stage wearing
happi coats too, and joined with us as we threw beans into the audience from
the stage. The audience seemed to get into the performance, and cued beforehand
by me, everyone yelled the Japanese incantation "Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi"
("Out with the demons and in with good fortune."). We were very proud
of our performance, and I think we were able to get full marks from the audience.
THE AGE CONCERN
In the center of Staylybridge, which is in the middle of Tameside in the western
part of Greater Manchester, there is a facility for the elderly called The Age
Concern. It was built several years ago with a 2 million pound grant from the
government lottery revenues. The Age Concern, an NGO/NPO that is active throughout
Great Britain, is a completely financially independent private organization.
It is involved mainly in social work with the elderly (except for medical treatment),
organizing entertainment and recreational activities for them, and helping them
with whatever government paperwork, etc. that they need to deal with.
Tameside Age Concern entrance
Membership dues are 3 pounds annually, and anyone (male or female) 65 years
old and over may join. It isn't an old age home, but is, rather, has the aim
of improving the quality of life of the elderly. To achieve this, this organization
helps organize exercise activities, entertainment, helps with health insurance
matters, housework advice, legal advice, financial advice, helps with governmental
paperwork and even helps people make funeral arrangements before they die. There
are many volunteers and a few part-time paid workers working there, and it is
possible for the elderly to go there for the entire day and even for short stays.
They have their own limousine bus service and ambulances, as well, to pick members
up at their home or take them to the hospital in emergencies. The way in which
retired British Rotarians offer their services free of charge as operational
managers, accountants, etc. is a good example for retired Rotarians here in
Japan to follow.
THE NATIONAL TRUST
When talking about the history and heritage of the lands of the British Empire,
one organization that should not be overlooked is The National Trust. According
to some information I received while in England, three idealists founded the
organization in 1895 during the reign of Queen Victoria, and it is now the largest
NGO/NPO working to preserve historical buildings and natural beauty in Great
Britain.
At Chatsworth Garden
The National Trust is in charge of preserving and managing more than 1,000
old ruins, more than 200 historical buildings, 160 large-sized gardens, and
25 old factories, mines, etc. that commemorate the Industrial Revolution. In
this regard, the National Trust manages 590,000 acres of land and 900 km of
seacoast, which is home to some 71 types of rare birds, 14 types of indigenous
bats, and 52 other types of birds. Most of the properties came into their possession
as a result of the inheritance tax problems the former landowners or were bequeathed
to the National Trust by those who were having trouble taking care of the properties.
In addition, the National Trust receives countless endowments and receives annual
dues of L32.50 from over 2 million people. There are more than 28,000 volunteer
workers helping out at the various National Trust sites.
While we were in England, our homestay families guided us to a number of historical
buildings and gardens. During our short stay, we were able to visit these six
places:
DUNHAM MASSEY HALL & GARDEN (ALTRINCHAM RC)
LYME PARK & MANOR HOUSE (STOCKPORT RC)
CASTLETON PARK (ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE RC)
CHATSWORTH HOUSE & GARDEN (NORTHWICH VALE ROYAL RC)
LITTLE MORETON HALL (ALSAGER RC)
MOWCOP HILL & RUIN (SANDBACH RC)
Dunham Massey Hall was built in 1732 by the second Earl of Wellington in the
early Tudor style. It was later inherited by his son-in-law, the fourth Earl
of Stanford. Because he already owned a large estate in Staffordshire, he did
nothing to keep up Dunham Massey Hall. The ninth Earl of Stanford refurbished
the entire building in Edwardian style at the end of the 19th century and beginning
of the 20th century. At the same time, he renovated the interiors of every room
to give them a ceremonial feel. In 1976, the 10th Earl of Stanford bequeathed
Dunham Massey Hall to The National Trust. As a result, books, paintings, furniture,
etc. from the 17th and 18th centuries on and the vast garden became open to
the public.
In Japan, under the administration of the Education and Science Ministry, a
huge number of public technical officials supported by a huge budget are required
to maintain the many national and quasi-national parks, but in England an NPO/NGO
is able to handle it. I think the reason for this is the fact that in England
there is a national consensus regarding the need to preserve and maintain their
important heritage sites. On their days off and in their free time, many families
go hiking together and visit these sites together, and their contributions do
much to support the work of The National Trust.
There is another organization working to preserve historical sites and buildings,
The British Heritage, but its focus and activities are completely different
than The National Trust. It seems to me that they are concerned only with places
older than the 15th century. I think it is quite something that these two organizations
have been able to preserve these sites and buildings perfectly for future generations
regardless of whether the government Labor or Conservative.
Little Moreton Hall
In closing, I will attach some data concerning the establishment dates of the
clubs that hosted us, their membership, and chairmen's names. I will also include
a list of all our homestay families. Thank you so much to everyone from all
of the Japan GSE team members.
Rotary Clubs Visited and Chairmen's Names
The clubs visited by the entire GSE team (* = GSE presentation given)
* ALTRINCHAM RC: established 1929（41 members）
President：RTN. ROGER BARLOW
* MANCHESTER EXCHANGE RC: established 1960（16 members）
President：RTN. PAUL BREARLEY
MANCHESTER BREAKFAST RC: established 1992（17 members）
President：RTN. JOHN CROSDALE
* STOCKPORT RC: established 1925（34 members）
President：RTN. ROGER SCOONES
STOCKPORT LAMPLIGHTER RC: established 1984（41 members）
President：RTN. JOHN YEOMANS
* HYDE RC: established 1937（25 members）
President：RTN. ANDREW WILLIAMS
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE RC: established 1934（33 members）
President：RTN. GEOFFREY HIGGINS
* NORTHWICH VALE ROYAL RC: established 1990（29 members）
President：RTN. JOHN ATKINS
NORTHWICH RC: established 1923（37 members）
President：RTN. DOUGLAS SAVILL
* ALSAGER RC: established 1974（35 members）
President：RTN. DAVID BLACK
* HASLINGTON RC: established 2001（31 members）
President：RTN. ALASTAIR BAIN
* CREWE RC: established 1932（34 members）
President：RTN. TUDOR JONES
NANTWICH RC: established 1923（54 members）
President：RTN. JOHN BROOKSHAW
※Breakfast meetings attended by Team Leader Nakanishi only
SANDBACH RC: established 1945 (35 members)
President：RTN. JOHN LEIGH
WINSFORD & MIDDLEWICH RC: established 1948（27 members）
President：RTN. COLLIN COOK
※Club in which only the club chairman and director attended the breakfast meeting
MANCHESTER RC: established 1913（54 members）
President：RTN. GEORGE ALMOND
Homestay Families
* ALTRINCHAM RC:
09/13~09/18 Roger & Kates Barlow： Kazuya Nakanishi
09/13~09/18 Roy & Eileen Worthington： Shigekazu Koike
09/13~09/18 Ken & Polly Garrity： Kiyoshige Okada
09/13~09/18 John & Anne Edwards： Yumi Sano
09/13~09/18 Chris & Pam Boyes： Madoka Daigo
* STOCKPORT RC:
09/18~09/22 Brian & Anthea Lightowler： Kazuya Nakanishi
09/18~09/22 Ann & John Allen： Shigekazu Koike & Kiyoshige Okada
09/18~09/22 Gill & Gordon Parkin： Yumi Sano & Madoka Daigo
* HYDE RC:
09/25~09/29 Andrew & Pauline Williams： Kiyoshige Okada
* ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE RC:
09/25~09/29 Philip & Gillian Buckley： Yumi Sano
09/25~09/27 David & Patricia Townend：Kazuya Nakanishi
09/27~09/29 Jack & Vivienne Millin： 〃
09/25~09/27 Alan & Elsie Jones： Shigekazu Koike
09/27~09/29 Michael & Maureen Glover： 〃
09/25~09/27 Murtaza & Drothy Husaini： Madoka Daigo
09/27~09/29 David & Rtn. Jean Hurlston： 〃
* NORTHWICH VALE ROYAL RC:
09/29~10/04 Glenn & Carole Millar：Kazuya Nakanishi
09/29~10/04 John & Louie Atkins： Yumi Sano
09/29~10/04 Noel & Jeannie Partington： Kiyoshige Okada
09/29~10/04 Colin & Karen Booth：Shigekazu Koike
09/29~10/04 Simon & Marcia Yates： Madoka Daigo
* ALSAGER RC:
10/06~10/11 Anthony & Joan Welsby： Kazuya Nakanishi
10/06~10/11 Colin & Linda Stanyer：Yumi Sano
* HASLINGTON RC:
10/06~10/11 Alistair & Jo Bain： Kiyoshige Okada
10/06~10/11 Mike & Frankie： Shigekazu Koike
10/06~10/11 Brett & Gerdie：Madoka Daigo
* CREWE RC:
10/11~10/13 Tom & Susan Protheroe： Kazuya Nakanishi & Yumi Sano
10/11~10/13 Tudor & Sylvia Jones：Kiyoshige Okada
10/11~10/13 David & Elsie Heyes： Shigekazu Koike
10/11~10/13 Jerry & Diana Park： Madoka Daigo
