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A New Rotary Year

July 29, 2023 10:38 am

The last year has been a memorable year for Silves Rotary Club. We worked hard under our President Isabel Flores to help the community and to complete as many fundraising activities as possible. We started our year with the Back to school project closely followed by the completion of our walk to Santiago de Compostela raising 12,000€ for a sensory room and garden in Armaçao de Pêra School. With 10 primary school classes following us we could not fail. So much for them and us to learn.

On the run up to Christmas we worked closely with the Junta de Freguesia de Armação de Pêra and Classic Car Club of Barlavento to raise money to feed families in need over Christmas and the new year with a raffle and a Christmas swim. Not to forget our contribution to the Castelo de Sonhos Christmas Shoe box appeal. In the Spring our concert raised 3000€.

Alan stood in for Isabel Flores and handed over to Rainer Kroth for the year 2023/24.

Rainer is shouldering the president’s job for the first time. Continuing our work in proven activities his vision for 2023-2024 is adding a new focus on Environmental Protection. Our club wants to contribute to the restoration of biodiversity for example by planting trees or even small forests working with experts in the field of ecology and environmental education.

The club will also continue to develop and consolidate our Educational Projects which provide children and young adults with opportunities to expand their horizons. Silves Rotary Club never forgets the less advantaged in our community and will continue to support them through these difficult times. We look forward to promoting fellowship through a wide range of activities and events. We will be producing our concerts again this year as well as our small intimate events whilst working to widen Silves Rotary Club’s network of friends.

Rainer started by pinning a new member Albrecht Marquis and taking part in our flag ceremony with Assistant Governor Fatima Guerreiro and Pascal Martin and exchanging flags with Benedikt Marijnen.

We were joined by many guests from other Rotary Clubs Lagoa, Almancil, Faro, Portimao and Olhao:-

Albrecht, Sofia Fráguas, Rainer, Nicole Lanier, Franco Pasotto, Otelo Cabrita

José Manuel Sosa, District Member Engagement Chair, Rainer and Marion Kitzman RC Silves Secretary

Birthday Fun, Food and Fundraising

June 19, 2023 4:22 pm

David T celebrates his birthday each year with fun, food and fundraising. This year was no exception with 20 members gathered for a Portuguese meal. Cooked to perfection by Isabel Flores our President and served in her garden in the evening light. A raffle was held and 205€ was raised for Educational projects in the Silves community.

Welcoming New Members

June 19, 2023 4:19 pm

RC Silves welcomes new members Judy Falçao and Terry Falçao. Newly resident in the Algarve they have found friends and colleagues in the Rotary. We look forward to more fun, fellowship and fundraising with them on the team. Left to Right Pam Winn, Judy Falçao, Alan Winn, Isabel Flores and Terry Falçao.

A Tribute to Wilma Bijhoo

June 19, 2023 4:12 pm

Wilma Bijhoo receives a well-deserved honour of a Paul Harris certificate. Bram her husband was a former member of RC Silves. He gave a lot to the community of Silves and the Algarve. Bram died unexpectedly and Wilma took up his mantle and the community has benefited from her contributions ever since. RC Silves is honoured to have her as a member.

Walking for Fun and Fellowship

June 19, 2023 4:01 pm

The last walk before the autumn took in the sights of Alvor and Penina. Twelve members of the RC Silves rotary club enjoyed the fellowship and the country and seaside views. Walks are at their own risk. The walks were originally to train for walking the pilgrims’ route to raise money for a sensory room and garden for the Armação de Péra school. With 14000€ raised, the walks now are for fun and exercise. Non-members are welcome to join also at their own risk.

People of Action Around the globe

February 8, 2023 11:15 am

In September 10 members and friends of RC Silves with an average age of 73year, completed a 75 mile walk to raise funds for a sensory room and garden at a school in Armação de Pêra. Rotary International Magazine and Rotary Portugal Magazine picked up on our efforts and reported on the walk and our fundraising efforts. We hope that we inspired others to action.

Cabrita Wines Gains Professional Award

February 7, 2023 3:47 pm

On the 19 January, RC Silves members and friends visited Cabrita Wines for a tour of the Vineyard. The tour was given by enologist Duarte. Cabrita Wines is a family business, dating back to 1977, and is a project by José Manuel Cabrita, current owner who inherited the property – Quinta da Vinha – and the family business from his father. In 2000, he decided to invest in planting a new vineyard and invited winemakers António Maçanita, Cláudia Favinha and Joana Maçanita to embrace the project, and Cabrita Wines was born in 2007. The project’s philosophy is to value the Portuguese and native varieties of the Algarve, and to extract from them all the quality potential for the production of excellent wines.

During lunch at the vineyard, RC Silves presented the business with its Professional award for 2023. In recognition of its achievements.

Rotary Pilgrims Arrive in Santiago de Compostela

October 12, 2022 9:40 am

At the start of the pilgrimage the walkers were striding out energetically calling out to each other cheerfully, but as the days passed smiling faces turn to grim determination as we see ever more of the pilgrims succumbing to aches, strains & blisters and eventually shuffling & limping along. By the time we are in sight of the city of Santiago de Compostela we pass a thin line of the walking wounded. It is no coincidence that we counted 12 farmacies along the Caminho into town which leads to the cathedral, all doing a brisk business in knee & leg support bandages, slings, plasters, crutches and prosthetic limbs !

At km 82 we passed a blind man tentatively walking the Caminho, he smiled as we passed calling “Bom Caminho”! His Portuguese helper was describing to him the landscape they encountered as they walked. These two were real pilgrims.

Pilgrim’s Passports

One of our main concerns was getting enough stamps every day into our Pilgrim’s Passport, issued in Valenca. To validade our 6 day walk a minimum of 2 stamps were required each consecutive day in order to receive the all important Pilgrimage Certificate issued & signed by the cathedral. We had heard that failure to obtain the mandatory 2 stamps would mean we would have to go back and start all over again with a fresh passport, but that could just have been a ploy to make us keep going….

Arrival

From afar we caught glimpses of the gothic towers of the ancient cathedral, the third most holy shrine in Christendom. All of us were now filled with anticipation & excitement as we surged into the huge square in front of the cathedral mingling with happy fellow pilgrims all bursting with emotion & spontaneous hugs & smiles for everyone. We could see a cross being raised in front of us by a group of around 100 teenagers jumping up & down in unison as they sang their college anthem.

I read that in the 17th Century pilgrims, on arrival at the cathedral in ecstasy, stripped off their worn & smelly robes in the square and burnt them (a shedding of the old life) and donned clean vestments issued by the church. I briefly thought of reviving this ancient tradition but hesitated as possibly this was not in keeping with Rotary’s mantra!

In Retrospect

All 10 of our Rotary pilgrims agree that our journey has been a moving experience. We all have spent our professional lives working in diverse parts of the world and perhaps taken the very simplest things of life for granted. This novel experience is one which will be with us for the rest of our lives.

On our journey we were accompanied virtually by the school kids from the various Silves Sul Schools giving us constant encouragement and cheering their school mascots which each of us carried. Their daily messages of FORCA helped us on our way to reach our goal. All 10 of us are now proud possessors of a certificate in Latin as genuine pilgrims having trodden the Portuguese Way from Valenca to Santiago de Compostela.

Walking through History

September 29, 2022 9:11 am

Valenca in Northern Portugal, on the Rio Minho, was a truly wonderful place to start our Silves Rotary Club fund-raising pilgrimage, the purpose of which is to fund a sensory room & garden for autistic kids and others with learning difficulties.

We set off from the ramparts of the magnificent Starfort, the origins of which dates back to the 13th Century, it is the site of many important battles through the ages.

As we trudge along the well worn pilgrims way towards Santiago de Compostela we can feel a sense of history all around us. Pilgrims have been walking this very same route since the 12th Century – all drawn like magnets towards the holy site. As we walk inevitably we are overtaken my many youthful travellers who smile at us and we exchange “Bom Caminho” as they swiftly disappear before us.

We have now finished day 2 of our 6 day journey and are at present resting at the Convento de Vilavella founded in 1554 in Redondela, Galicia. Our stay at this historic convento was sprung on us as a surprise by our leader Phillipe – a brilliant piece of planning, so totally removed from the run of the mill hostels available to pilgrims like ourselves.

We are pleased to say that all 10 of our members are holding up well under the challenges of the terrain, not one complaint so far of any aches & pains. The first aid backpack, which we pilgrims take turns in carrying, has remained unopened – so far – AND we’ve been blessed with ideal walking conditions through shady woodlands. Perhaps the mascots given to us by the schoolkids are indeed lucky charms!

Although our leader has just told us that the closer we get to Santiago de Compostela there is an 80% chance of rain….

During the Caminho’s heyday in the 12th & 13thC, pilgrims would continue westwards to the shores of Finisterre (the end of the earth) to collect scallop shells as physical proof, and a souvenir, of having completed their pilgrimage, the lines on the shells reminding them of the rays of the setting sun and the different caminhos all leading to Santiago de Compostela.

Todays modern pilgrims can collect their shells along the route which can come in very useful if, like us, you have forgotten to bring a spoon for your yoghurt or a cup to scoop up water.

You cannot help but notice that you see no returning pilgrims – they are all going in one direction only. Just a thought, when they reach Finisterre do they drop off the end of the earth – in ecstasy.

Mascots all present and correct

September 23, 2022 10:00 am

On Monday the Team walking the Camino visited the schools and classes that are supporting them on the walk. Each team member has a mascot presented to them to carry on their journey. Team members will post pictures, videos and stories to the children on the mascot’s adventures. The teachers will weave the mascot’s journey into lessons for the week of the walk. The walk is a fund raiser as well as an educational activity all funds raised on our GoFundMe.com page “Help Pilgrims Change Kids Lives” will go to resource a sensory room and garden for the school in Armacao de Pera.

Pascal, Petra and Philippe receive their mascots at Armacao de Pera school with the Diretor Carlos Silva and teachers and children of E9, 10 and 11

Pam received her Mascot named Pandora from the children of P5 and their teacher Silva with Diretor Carlos Silva.

Jim received his mascot from the children of Tunes with their teacher George and Diretor Carlos Silva.

Alan received his mascot from the children and teachers of Alcantarilha School and Diretor Carlos Silva. Their adventure starts on Saturday 24. Wish them luck. Help us make a difference.

Rotary Clube de Silves