Rotary Club of Stirling (Visit No 78)

Well its the end of a working week once more and I am visiting our only Friday club the Rotary Club of Stirling who meet in the Golden Lion Hotel. I have special links with the club and many of its members who I have known for some time now. It was great to meet up with them all again especially Stewart Anderson who presented me with his latest CD called Mostly Scottish and features Stewart on accordion and Bob Christie on fiddle who have been playing since they were boys. There was a super turn out from members who were pleased to say Yes to me and inform me that they had already raised £1500 for Polio Plus, thank you all for a really enjoyable time, it was great to see you all again.

(The picture shows Secretary Jim Kerr, yours truly, President Malcolm Cordwell-Smith and President Elect Alan Skilling)

Rotary Club of Blairgowrie (Visit No 77)

Wednesday has dawned and on a fresh crisp winters day I set of for my visit to The Rotary club of Blairgowrie. The club meet in the Angus Hotel in the heart of the town, I was met at the door by President Dennis Crofts and several of the members. After a welcome drink and chat at the bar it was time to eat again (and yes the waistline is still bearing up) After a nice lunch my address was heard by a very enthusiastic membership who seemed to like what they heard. Blairgowrie are one of the shining examples in our District with their superb efforts and support of our Rotary Foundation with givings last year of over £3000 a marvelous effort which I am hoping they will sustain this year. I look forward to seeing them all again when I speak at their 61st Charter in November.

(The picture shows President Dennis Crofts, yours truly Rotarian Jennifer Sommerville and President Elect Oswald Dealmeida)

Rotary Club of Crieff (Visit No 76)

My first club visit of this week was to the Rotary Club of Crieff in the cosy surroundings of the Crieff Hotel. I was made to feel very welcome by the members on my arrival on a rather cold winters evening. President David Smart introduced me and after a very welcome hot meal I was on my feet once more for my address. The club though small is striving to find ways of increasing their membership and are very active in the local community. I look forward to hearing of their success in membership efforts during the ensuing months ahead. One of our well established clubs with its members continuing to work hard on many Rotary projects.

(The picture shows President David Smart and yours truly)

District 1020 Conference (Inverness)

Friday has come around, after seeing President Ian and Joan off at Edinburgh Airport would you believe we are back up in Inverness this time for my friend DG Alasdair Seale's Conference District 1020 Scotland South. We have arrived in the Headquarters Hotel which is the Drumossie on the outskirts of Inverness with the main conference taking place in Eden Court Theatre. Friday evening we were wined and dined before attending a superb concert by The West Enders an amazing act from London who entertained us with songs from the West End Musicals and more. Saturday was equally as good with a great conference session throughout the day with the principle speaker being Rt Hon Michael Portillo who was highly entertaining and a wonderful figurehead for his chosen charity DebRA. The weekend entertainment culminated with a ball in The Thistle Hotel with three different bands in three areas of the hotel. Sunday rounded off the great weekend with a final conference session and lunch on a boat cruise on Loch Ness. A great weekend of fun and fellowship, thank you all in District 1020 for giving us a weekend to remember.

RIBI Presidents District Visit (Day 3) Continued

After leaving Perth we were once again on our way North this time to Aberdeen for another joint meeting with almost all of the Aberdeen and surrounding clubs represented. Once again we were privileged to be given another Civic Reception and welcomed to the city by Lord Provosts representative Councilor Jennifer Stewart. The venue was the Northern Hotel which is one of the original 1920 art deco buildings in Aberdeen and is host to two clubs St Machar and St Nicholas much of the existing art deco features still remain. It was a superb evening with a totally amazing turn out from all of the clubs, a fitting send off for Ian and Joan. A very heartfelt thanks to Alan Pirie and his team from St Machar and Assistant Governor Ewan Hatchwell for their assistance in organising the evening.

(The picture shows RIBI President Ian, Councilor Jennifer Stewart, President Alan Pirie and yours truly)

RIBI Presidents District Visit (Day 3)

Having had some time to relax in the lovely surroundings of Lochardil House Hotel we set of back South once more this time to Perth McDiarmid Park home of St Johnston Football Club for a joint lunch time meeting of the Perth Rotary Clubs. Once again a great turnout from many clubs including Perth, Perth St Johns, Perth Kinnoull, Pitlochry, Blairgowrie and Bridge of Allan & Dunblane. After a very enjoyable meal and some very friendly chat RIBI President Ian gave his address which once again was extremely well received and enjoyed by all present.

(The picture shows Back Row: SVP Bill Duncan Perth, AG Robin Rippin, President Dennis Crofts Blairgowrie And President John Reid Pitlochry. Front Row: President Bill Montgomery Perth, RIBI President Ian, yours truly and President Neil Townend Perth St Johns)

RIBI Presidents District Visit (Day 2) Continued

A superb joint meeting of all of the Inverness and surrounding area Rotary Clubs was held in Lochardil House Hotel to welcome RIBI President Ian Thomson to the area. All inverness clubs were represented plus, Elgin, Nairn, East Sutherland, Forres, Dingwall all in attendance. The event was jointly hosted by the four Inverness Clubs with each President taking part in the proceedings. A superb evening was had by all with RIBI President Ian's address being exceptionally well received, the evening was topped off by a cheque presentation to Ian for both School4All and Polio Plus for over £4000 which was an amazing effort from all concerned.

(The Picture shows RIBI President Ian, Culoden President Rodger Hoskins, Inverness President John Machin, Loch Ness President Jim Cockburn and yours truly)

RIBI Presidents District Visit (Day 2)

It's day two of Ian's visit and we are off up to Inverness, our first duty was at Inverness Airport where all of the local clubs had the innovative idea of mounting a plaque in the arrivals hall detailing where and when they all met. Ian officially unveiled the plaque and congratulated all of the clubs on their efforts of promoting Rotary. Once again a very simple but effective public relations exercise that I am sure will reap rewards.

(The picture shows Dingwall President Harold Pridmore, yours truly, Inverness Riverside President Elect Vicky Fraser, Loch Ness President Jim Cockburn, Inverness President John Machin RIBI President Ian and Inverness Culloden President Rodger Hoskins in front of the plaque)

RIBI Presidents District Visit (Day 1)

Tuesday evening was a very special occasion for RIBI President Ian Thomson and me as we attended a joint meeting of the South Fife Clubs hosted by the Rotary Club of Dunfermline Carnegie as our first visit within the District. All of the clubs were represented along with Assistant Governors Sandy Matthew and John Brewster. A special guest from across the Forth RI Director Gordon McInally was also present. Club President Janet Lowe and the members welcomed us all to their superb meeting place the headquarters of Dunfermline Building Society. A special surprise awaited Ian in the form of a Civic Reception hosted by Provost Francis Melville Ian being a Dunfermline lad born and bred found the occasion very moving. Both Ian and myself were presented with mementos to mark the evening from Provost Melville. Ian in return presented Provost Melville with limited edition Rotary print. What a superb event, my thanks must go to Janet and her team who made the meeting something to remember.

(The picture shows yours truly, RI Director Gordon (behind) RIBI President Ian and Provost Melville with all of the Presidents and Assistant Governors)

Inverness Culloden 10th Charter Lunch

Sunday has once again come around and Rita and I have arrived in Inverness on a very special day. RI Director Gordon McInally and I were asked to speak at this very auspicious occasion to celebrate a club milestone. It is 10 years since the Rotary club of Inverness Culloden were formed on the 6th of October 1998. The Rotary Club of Loch Ness had seen the opportunity for the formation of another club in Inverness and asked District Extension Officer PDG Doug Westland ably assisted by Peter Tong to set about getting the club formed. Today the club continues to flourish and still has many of it's founder members. A true Jewel in The Crown of the District they continue to embrace the ideals of Rotary and work tirelessly within their own community and Internationally on many projects. The club saw the now successful project of the Glencalvie Challenge set up two years ago by Mike Phimister and Ian Kingorn. This annual event has raised £16000 over the last two years. With a great camaraderie between the clubs in Inverness and surrounding areas Rotary will continue to go from strength to strength. I would like to wish the members on behalf of all in District 1010 all the very best for the future, "Here's to another 10 years"

(The picture shows RI Director Gordon McInally and yours truly receiving framed mementos of our participation on the day from President Rodger Hoskins)

Rotary Club of St Andrews (Visit No 75)

Wednesday lunch time and I have arrived at a rather lovely picturesque St Andrews on a typical autumn day. The club now meet in the Scores Hotel overlooking the Old Course which is indeed a rather nice venue. I was greeted on my arrival by the very well organized reception team who immediately ushered me to meet with President Dennis Hopper. The club are one of our long established clubs and have around 70 members. They are very active both in the local community and in the wider world of Rotary. The club undertake each year a programme of hosting a visiting teacher from former Eastern Bloc states such as Kazakhstan to allow them to improve their understanding of our education system and provide them with a great vocational experience. Being the home of Golf it is the clubs pleasure to host the annual World Rotary Golf Competition when hundreds of Rotarian golfers from all over the world descend on St Andrews. The members seemed suitably motivated and impressed with what they heard in my address which was conveyed in the vote of thanks on behalf of the club by Past President James Murray.

(The picture shows President Dennis and yours truly)

Rotary Club of Burntisland & Kinghorn (Visit No 74)

My second visit of the week is to The Sands Hotel the home of the Rotary Club of Burntisland & Kinghorn. The visit has special affection for me as it was the first club I worked with in my role as Conference Production Manager back in our Centenary year. Many of the members have become good friends to both Rita and me. We were made to feel very welcome and greeted at the door by Tom Spark and most of the members. After a very nice meal President George Foster introduced me and it was once again address time. The club are a very active club especially in their own community and have many great projects under their belt such as the award winning Rotary Rambles. They have just completed their Charity Shop week which raised over £3000 even in these times of problems especially in the retail trade. A superb club with much going on, they are set for another great year.

(The picture shows President George, Rita & yours truly)

Rotary Club of Abertay (Visit No 73)

Monday evening and I have arrived at The Woodlands Hotel in Broughty Ferry for the meeting of the Rotary Club of Abertay. Imagine my surprise when I walked through the front door of the hotel to be greeted by President Ron Learmonth and several of the members accompanied by a Dundee Courier photographer. There displayed was he clubs new publicity pull-up which I have to say is very impressive indeed. Ron presented me with a cheque for School4All for £500 and Polio Plus for £500, for which I thank them very much. The club is without doubt one of the many shining examples of Rotary we have in this District. The clubs efforts in PR are outstanding and from what I can see will be even better this year. Once again the members enjoyed my address and are certainly behind all of the emphasis for this Rotary year. Thank you all for your friendship and hospitality, a great night.

District 1200 Annual Conference Cardiff

Friday has arrived and we are down to Cardiff for the conference of District 1200. What a great weekend of fun and fellowship at the hands of our dear friends District Governor Robin and Wendy Brown. From the minute we set foot in the hotel we were treated like royalty by everyone. We were also privileged to have been hosted by Peter and Barbara Noble over the weekend, so to them also a big thank you. The conference was excellent with most of the speakers coming from Scotland what would you expect!!. I have never been to a District Conference with an entertainment line up such as we had in Cardiff. It ranged from The Drifters to the Cwmbach Male Choir and in between an superb dance band Dance the Decades who did The Beatles, Abba and Queen tribute show, it was amazing. What a talent we have in our very own RI director Gordon McInally's wife Heather who was nothing less than captivating with her amazing voice when she entertained us during the plenary sessions. Thank you all in District 1200 for a wonderful weekend.

Rotary Club of Aberdeen St Fittick 40th Charter Dinner

Thursday evening saw Rita and me head back up to Aberdeen for a very special evening. The Rotary Club of Aberdeen St Fittick were celebrating their 40th birthday. A superb evening was had by all who attended including good representation from local clubs. The keynote speakers were of the highest standard and interspersed some interesting facts about the club over the years with the obligatory humour which was in abundance. President David Alton chaired the evening with his usual wonderful wit and humor. A great night, here's to the next 40 years.

(The picture shows president David & Jane, yours truly & Rita)

Rotary Club of Carse of Stirling (Visit No 72)

Wednesday evening and I am in The Terraces Hotel in Stirling for the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Carse of Stirling. What a welcome I received, I had been warned by AG Robin that these guys were a lively lot, he was certainly right. The club although still all male!! are dyed in the wool great Rotarian's through and through. They have an amazing track record for their efforts with children in the Kids Out project. They have agreed to support as much as they can this year in helping me achieve the goals of Making Dreams Real. A superb Club working very hard both locally and Internationally. Guys thanks, for a great evening it was my pleasure to be with you all even after I was fined for being The Governor of Change and therefore asked to empty my change into the Foundation cash Pig, it was worth it.

The picture shows yours truly and President Andy Kennedy)

Rotary Club of Forfar (Visit No 71)

It was my great pleasure to visit the Rotary Club of Forfar for their meeting in the Royal Hotel for what could only be described as superb. I was made to feel extremely welcome by all present, it was especially pleasing to see President Jim Nicoll almost back to his normal large as life self after his accident, although still wearing a brace collar he was his usual jovial self. The club is certainly in great spirit with much going on, the have just finished a very successful Casino Night. They are once again planning to hold another Marafun which has become a trademark of the club. As well as myself we had two other Rotary guests one from Orkney and another a little further travelled from Australia.

(The picture shows yours truly and President Jim)

Rotary Club of Callander & West Perthshire (Visit No 70)

Tuesday evening and I have arrived at the Dreadnought Hotel for the weekly meeting of The Rotary Club of Callander & West Perthshire. President Sheila Dickson and the members greeted me on my arrival. After another nice meal, some great chat I once again gave my outline for this Rotary year. All of those present were pleased to hear about the many successes that this District are achieving, coupled with the never ending commitment to Rotary service. The meeting finished with a few topical questions being asked and answered, I hope to their satisfaction. Once again another superb club who are very active both locally and Internationally especially involving youngsters, which is a perfect fit for this year.

(The picture shows SVP Peter Bennett, yours truly and President Sheila)

Rotary Club of Pitlochry (Visit No 69)

Tuesday morning and I am on my way on a dreadful rainy day to Pitlochry for their weekly meeting in Fishers Hotel. The club had decided to have a frugal lunch today which I welcomed in my quest to keep the waistline increase to a minimum. Club President John Reid was there to welcome me and introduce me to the members. My address certainly seemed to be welcomed by the membership who have indicated their support for most of the emphasis this year. Once again I was very encouraged by the sheer commitment and work that the club are giving to many worthy causes. Then after some very nice hospitality from Maureen and Graham Holmes for a portion of the afternoon it was time to head to Callander to my next visit.

(The picture shows President John and yours truly)

Laurencekirk & District (Visit No 68)

The first visit of this week took me back up North once more to visit the Rotary Club of Laurencekirk & District. The usual very warm welcome awaited me by President Douglas Lamb and the members. The club although small is extremely active both locally and Internationally, with participation in quite a few projects. One such project is the support for Schools4All in Uganda, the club have pledged to support this the chosen emphasis from RIBI President Ian Thomson. After a nice meal and some interesting chat I was back on my feet once more, the club seemed enthused by my address and asked some interesting questions afterwards. A super little club that will guarantee you a great welcome especially if you are the owner of a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue label!!

(The picture shows yours truly and President Douglas)

District 1230 Conference (Perth)

Rita and I spent a great weekend in Perth as guests of District Governor Catherine Stewart and the Rotarian's of District 1230. It was an honour for us both to be present as Catherine and Jim have become very dear friends. It was what can only be described as a great conference with exceptional speakers, amazing entertainment the mandatory food of course (although the waistline is still holding up) the fun and fellowship was outstanding. I would like to take the opportunity of thanking Bruce and Kathleen MacPherson for their special weekend of friendship as our hosts, thank you both. The venue of the Perth Concert Hall was stunning, that coupled with the entertainment venue of the Dewar's Centre made for a great weekend. To all of the Rotarian's in 1230 thank you for the experience it was just great.

Rotary Club of Banff (Visit No 67)

My last visit of the week took Rita and I up to Banff Springs Hotel where the Rotary Club of Banff meet. After setting of an a pleasant afternoon we arrived on a rather rainy and wind swept night. However the warmth of the welcome and hospitality of President Gordon Masson and the club members made up for the awful weather. Once again it was a great pleasure to be able to give the members my ideals and ideas for the ensuing Rotary year. My address was well received and stirred a great amount of interest especially in the direction of Schools 4 All in Uganda with a pledge of some help with school books. The club have agreed to say yes and to achieve as many of the goals set this year.

(The picture shows President Gordon, yours truly and Rita with many of the club members)

Rotary Club of Inverkeithing & Dalgety Bay (Visit No 66)

Wednesday lunch time and I have arrived at the Bay Inn in Dalgety Bay home of the Rotary Club of Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay. The beaming smile of David McPherson greeted me on my arrival, along with President Robin Park who introduced me to most of the members, once again it was great to meet up with many "weel kent faces". The club are currently working hard on membership and are actively promoting the club throughout the surrounding areas. It was therefore especially good to see President Robin inducted two new members today. The club had a bumper year last year on the fundraising front an are aiming to better their efforts this year. With all of our main emphasis on children the club have agreed to be involved with our nominated projects. I am sure they will once again be very successful and will have another bumper year.

(The picture shows yours truly and President Robin)