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Portuguese Students Return
The Wildern exchange went extremely well with all staff and students enjoying the trip. There were many tears from the students as they parted from their new friends on the last day but they all vowed to keep in touch and greet the English again at the Silves Sul Oscares in March 2018.
The pupils attended the Wildern School Oscars and collected The Best International Film Oscar which was won by a promotional film of the Algarve and the makers were complimented on their costumes to support the Algarve history segments in the film.
Inspiring Handover
On the 29 June we celebrated our Presidential Handover at O Barradas Restaurant near Silves. It was a lively and cheerful occasion as Rotarians and friends gathered to enjoy a lovely meal and look back over a very successful year as Outgoing President David Trubshaw handed over his chain of office to the new President of RC Silves, Stewart Smith.
David thanked all members for their hard work over the past year providing the three F’s, Fellowship, Fun and Fundraising. The money raised this year had without doubt “Changed Lives”. David is a well-known local artist and his art projects during this year have inspired children across the Silves area to be creative.
David also presented Sue Butler Cole, Bonnie Appleyard, Vicky Good and Linda Clark with a Friends of Rotary badges for their work in leading and supporting fund raising events.
District Governor Abílío Lopes presented David Trubshaw and Alan Winn with Paul Harris Fellowships in recognition of their work with young people. David for his Art Projects and Alan for his work with Digital Media Project and the Oscars, Cookery Competition and School exchange. This came as a great surprise to them both but justly deserved.
Stewart’s first task in his new role was to present Honorary Members with their certificates..
Wilma Bijloo, Frits Lubbers and Pam Winn
and his second to pin our new member Roy Carpenter.
Stewart outlined his objectives and ideas for the year inspiring us all to reach for the stars.
The Members of Silves Rotary were also joined by past, incoming and new presidents from other Rotary Clubs across the Algarve, who added their congratulations to David and best wishes to Stewart.
Abilio Lopes, District Governor and Isabel Lopes, President RC Tavira
Bernhard Schluender, RC Praia de Rocha and Stewart Officer, RC Ludlow
Jim Ditheridge, IRC Estoi Palace
We are all looking forward to Fellowship, Fun and Fundraising again this year.
Mobile Cancer Screening Unit
At the RC Silves Handover Meeting, Jim Ditheridge, President IRC Estoi Palace presented David Trubshaw with a copy of the plaque which adorns the new mobile screening unit. The purchase of this unit was supported by Rotary clubs across the Algarve and RC Silves Rotarians raised funds through a golf day organised by Jos Westerbeek and donations collected by Dik Bier from visitors to the Algarve staying at his hotel.
Thank you to everybody who donated to this project.
Our President’s Birthday
David Trubshaw celebrated his birthday 80th Birthday this month.
50 family members and guests joined him on the 27 May to celebrate. David has worked hard this year with schools around the Algarve on his art projects and some of fabulous results were on display, a wonderful series of collages of sardines 30 in all, produced by local primary school children. BJ Boulter, paintings of Monchique, also displayed some of her paintings to the delight of the guests who admired the elephants in the palm trees.
Guests were treated to food, fun and fellowship and of course birthday cake, helped along by David’s whimsical humour. Many tributes were made to him and his work for Rotary. Donations on the day and the auction of one of David’s more unusual art works raised 1000€ for Castelo de Sonhos.
Watch out for his latest Art Project – Painting & Poetry launched earlier this year. Students have been asked to paint a picture and write a poem. A book of the top 50 paintings and poems will be published and a donation made from sales of the book to the local charity Casa do Povo de Sao Bartolomeu de Messines.
Happy Birthday David
Noite Sangrenta (Bloody Night)
Bloody Night (Portuguese: Noite Sangrenta) is the name by which the radical revolt that took place in Lisbon on the night of 19 October 1921, became known. During the Bloody Night, amongst others, were murdered the Head of Government Antonio Granjo; politician Machado Santos and José Carlos da Maia (both of whom were part of the 5 October 1910 revolution that established the Portuguese First Republic). José Carlos da Maia and his wife Berta da Maia were the great grandparents of Francisco Bivar Weinholt a friend of RC Silves and a recent speaker at our meeting on the 27 April. Francisco gave a fascinating presentation on his Great Grandfather and the historic events of the 19th October 1921.
This insurrection took place on the night of 19 October 1921 (a few days after the eleventh anniversary of the “Proclamation of the Republic”), when a group of armymen uprose against the dismissal of the Government headed by Liberato Pinto, protector of the Guarda Nacional Republicana (Republican National Guard). The upheaval culminated in the Bloody Night, the murder of some of the most influential figures of the Republic. The upheaval was headed by colonel Manuel Maria Coelho, and he was joined by Camilo de Oliveira and Cortês dos Santos (both G.N.R. officers) and captain Procópio de Freitas.
With no possibility of resistance, the Government headed by António Granjo presented its resignation to António José de Almeida (President of the Republic). Granjo hid in Francisco Pinto da Cunha Leal’s house, who was close to the revolutionary movement. When the firebrands found him, they took him to the Navy Arsenal (the revolutionary headquarters) and shot him dead. The very same happened to other important Republican figures, such as Machado Santos, José Carlos da Maia and Botelho de Vasconcelos, all kidnapped by a “ghost truck” that drove across Lisbon that night.
All members and guests present at our meeting really enjoyed Francisco’s talk, below are links to the story of his grandparents into 2 episodes on youtube.
Cookery Competition 2017
All the participants who entered the competition are students aged 14-18 who attend a two-year catering course at their respective schools with some being given training as waiting staff and the ones who show an interest in cooking given training as chefs. Both the Almancil and Quarteira schools have their own restaurants which are open to the public for lunch on one or two days a week in term time offering a three-course lunch cooked and served by the students at a very modest price. Many of the students are given placements at local restaurants and hotels to help them decide whether a career in catering is for them.
A group of 10 ‘volunteer’ judges each sampled a total of 45 plates of food before awarding the final two places to a team from Algoz representing the Silves Sul group and a team from Dra Laura Ayres Quarteira. The finals were held at the Conrad Hotel under the watchful eyes of Executive chef Osvalde, together with chefs Luis, Roberto and José. The teams were given a list of ingredients from which they had to prepare an ambitious three-course meal beginning with a starter of tuna carpaccio with wakame salad, soya sprout and lime vinaigrette, followed by roasted Guinea fowl with poached pear, potato gratin and vegetables and ending with tarte tatin with basil mascarpone mousse and vanilla ice cream.
The standard of cooking and presentation from each of the teams was so good that after much deliberation, for the first time in the competition the judges awarded the teams joint First Prize.
A Presentation Dinner was held at the Conrad Hotel on Tuesday attended by Rotarians and guests, students, their proud parents, teachers and the General Manager of the Conrad, Katharina Schlaipfer. Alan Winn of the Silves Club praised all the students who took part. “The standard gets higher every year” said Alan, “making the judges’ task ever more difficult”. Both he and Peter Hinze thanked the students, teachers, judges and, in particular the General Manager and staff of the Conrad Hotel for their generosity and all the help given to this project.
In addition to the Winner’s Cup which will be held for six months by each of the schools, the students were presented with certificates and personalised aprons. Unfortunately the team from the school in Algoz were unable to attend but they were represented by teaching staff from the school.
For the first time in the competition it was decided to award a cash prize to the students who produced the best meal throughout the competition and this was won by the students from the Quarteira School.
Oscars 2017 Excitement and Glamour
On Monday, last week the Oscars came to Pêra and pupils, their families and guests walked the red carpet at the Cultural Centre in Pêra. This initiative started by Silves Rotary club celebrates the films and artwork of the pupils of Agrupamento de Escolas de SilvesSul. It was a night of excitement, glamour and celebration as the nominated films were shown and the winners drawn from the gold envelopes.
The nominees, their parents and friends were joined by Emanuel Carvalho from the British Council, Rosa Palma, Mayor of Silves, Clive Jewell, British Vice Consul, Abilio Lopes, Rotary District Governor, the Director of Schools for Portugal representatives from the Freguesias around the area, Rotarians and educationists from across the Algarve.
The Director for Schools was full of praise for the event describing the Oscars as a fantastic event and that everyone involved should be incredibly proud. She was in admiration of the talents and skills of the young people who took part in the Oscars.
Escolas de SilvesSul and Wildern School from the UK have worked in partnership to develop this event which is modelled on a similar ceremony at Wildern School. Six pupils from Wildern School and two teachers joined the pupils of Escolas de SilvesSul on the red carpet. Many films, pieces of artwork and photographs were submitted for the Oscars. Forty were nominated across 10 categories from Best Short Film, Best International Film, Best Primary School Film through to Best Artwork and Photography.
Alan Winn, Past President of RC Silves thanked the staff of Escolas de Silves Sul whose efforts made this event happen particularly Carla Mourinho, Daniel Carvalo and Director Carlos Silva. The Pupils from the Algarve and the UK have formed strong friendships and are look forward to meeting again in July when six students from Escolas SilvesSul travel to the UK for the Wildern Oscars.
Guests
Champagne and Tarts
Despite the rain 50 Rotarians and friends gathered for a pies and tarts lunch at the home of David and Sue Butler Cole in Vale Fuzeiros. Guests enjoyed a glass of champagne or two and a delicious two course, hot and cold buffet lunch of pies, quiches and tarts. The event raised €1010 to help Castelo de Sonhos continue their vital work. Castelo de Sonhos supply and distribute food and other essential items, to support the very poorest families and elderly, in the rural areas in the Silves community. Thank you to all those friends who took part.
Mulled Wine and Minced Pies
Saturday December 17 was also a busy day for Silves Rotary Club, with some members offering Mulled Wine and Mince Pies to visitors at The Lady in Red Art Gallery in Lagoa. Donations amounted to over €200 which is being allocated to Silves Rotary’s Cancer Support Fund. Susana Guerreiro from Banco Alimentar joined Silves Rotary at the art gallery and received a cheque from President David Trubshaw.
Shoeboxes and Food for Castelo dos Sonhos
Friends of RC Silves joined with members and filled shoeboxes with Christmas goodies again this year to be distributed to the old of the Silves area by Castelo de Sonhos. Food is also in short supply this year with EU funding cuts, so members and friends also contributed extra food. David Butler Cole and his wife Sue took delivery of our contribution on behalf Castelo de Sonhos. Thanks to all those who worked hard to bring a little Christmas joy.
