ON behalf of the Rotary Club of Okehampton I would like to thank the Mayor, Tony Leech, the mayoress, Sue Leech, councillors, those from other organisations and members of the public, totalling over 90 people, who came to our 15th annual remembrance service on November 11 at St James Church, Okehampton.
Thanks are expressed to Ian Cann, who played the organ, the trumpeter Michael Snellgrove, from Okehampton College, who played the Last Post and Reveille, and Joan Gundry, a member of the Royal British Legion, who helped with the service and was standard bearer.
The service was introduced by Rotarian John Burgess and conducted by the Rev Mark Thomas, curate of the Church of England, Okehampton, and Northmoor Churches Team, who is also a Rotarian. In his address he emphasised the importance of remembering those who had sacrificed their lives for our freedom, the futility of war and the re-telling of the story of remembrance from generation to generation to ensure a better world.
He also featured the many ways in which the Royal British Legion have and still are helping war veterans and their families.
A poem by Spike Milligan, written whilst on active service in Italy, 1944, was read by the Inner Wheel president, Joan Booth
The Bible reading was read by Rotarian Jerome Twomey, the exhortation by club president John Moppett and the names of relatives and friends of those present who had died in both world wars and subsequent conflicts were read by Rotarian John Stevens.
The offering of £160 will go to the Royal British Legion?s Poppy Appeal.
John Moppett
President
Rotary Club of Okehampton