DG's Visits Week 22

Wednesday took Daphne and I into the heart of the Perthshire and Angus soft fruit growing area to visit the Rotary Club of Blairgowrie and to meet up with a number of old friends. To my great delight, the Club still maintains some of the old traditions and courtesies, and it was the first occasion in all of my visits when the President and I were preceded into the meeting by a mace-bearing Sergeant at Arms. The Blairgowrie Club has an especially strong relationship with the local community, and an extensive involvement with various activities to the benefit of both young and old. All of this is to the considerable benefit of their fund raising activities. The needs of the wider world are not neglected, with Shelterbox and a matching grant, high on their list of priorities. The sports and social sides of Rotary are not neglected so doubtless I will meet up with a number of them again on the curling rink, with as usual, no quarter asked or given. The visit was further enlightened by the presence of a large contingent of visiting Rotarians from Kirriemuir, led by their President Jim. To hear my Club address a second time, is surely beyond the call of duty, notwithstanding the fact that every one of these has been specifically tailored to the Club being visited. It was really good to see them all again.
My visit had to draw to a close all too soon, for a quick trip to Perth to meet up with AG Sandy to hand over posters for the Tfl campaign, and then onwards at haste to Edinburgh to catch the Birmingham 'plane south for a meeting of the RIBI General Council at Alcester. It was good to meet up with my fellow DGs again and they had been kind enough to save me something to eat notwithstanding my late arrival. As always there seemed to be a huge amount of business to get through, to the extent that the following day, I had started to wonder if I would even manage to catch the last flight north to Edinburgh on the Thursday evening. However, the fates were kind and it was nice to reach home base just before midnight. As always, the e-mails seem to flow in at least as quickly when I am away as when I am available, so there will be the inevitable catching up for the next 2-3 days. Apologies to anyone who was hoping for an immediate response to their message.

DG's Visits Week 22

Tuesday evening saw Daphne and I heading eastwards to visit the Montrose Club, very capably led by President Alison. It was a great pleasure to be there, despite the wet evening, and to meet up with a Club whose Rotarians do so much both for their own community and internationally. If you add to this, the service which several of their members give to District, there is absolutley no doubt of their commitment. Members had just finished sending off a very large consignment of Shoeboxes, packed by both their own members and the young people of Montrose Academy. This had been immediately preceded by a very successful event to raise funds for PolioPlus. A big plus for the Club is their very productive drive drive to bring in new members, something which no Club, however big and successful, can ignore. It was also a valuable opportunity to touch base with the two current District officials, Clive Bartram and Robert Ritchie, who are doing a wondeful job in organising the new Events team. I think, from the most recent District Conference onwards, there can be no doubt about the improved audio and visual quality of meetings and individual presentations. Change is part and parcel of any organisation and I am delighted that we have such talented and willing people giving of their skills and taking us forward.

DG Week 22

Monday evening saw me taking my first tentative steps into the wonderful new world of audio conferencing, using the District's recently purchased software. Even with just the four of us, James, Graham and Iain, I was conscious of how much time and expense was being saved, compared with at least 3 of us having to travel to some other venue. With the rain hammering down outside, it made a doubly enjoyable experience! As always with any new system, there are the initial trepidations over the unknown, but despite one or two initial technical hitches, such concerns were quickly dispelled. James was able to take us through the system whereby control was switched from one to another. This will allow us to run our own meetings in the future. This meeting was very much aimed at testing out the links but even from this, I am clear just what a fantastic difference this can make to District communications and both the cost of meetings and, for some, the difficulties of ever getting to meetings. There are obviously skills to be perfected but I am in no doubt that this represents the way forward.

DG's travels

Today, is one of several opportunities in the year when I have a real chance to give someone a break from their normal heavy workload. On this occasion, it was to accompany Daphne in her duties as a temporary warden at one of the RSPB reserves near Kirriemuir, so that the usual warden can have a few hours to herself. This is a very demanding job, summer and winter, and it must be very welcome when some of the RSPB local members can provide some relief. The forecast of rain was spot on first thing, but the weather then relented to give a bright spell mid- morning to the early afternoon. The number of visitors was lower than normal but the adverse forecast had obviously had an effect. As the weather tuned very dull, with outbreaks of rain in the afternoon, perhaps they had made a wise choice. The number of bird species was down on what we would normally expect to see at this time of the year, though four different birds of prey were prominent. The usual sightings of other wild life such as otters, deer and squirrels were conspicuously lacking. One remarkable feature was the impact of the prolonged wet weather, and I have never seen the water levels so high. This must have created a somewhat different landscape for both the water and land birds. It was a great pleasure to linger at this island of tranquility and just let the world pass by, but all too soon the light had gone and there was no excuse not to return to the hurly burly of a DG's life.

DG's Week 21

Saturday(21/11) provided a first opportunity to meet our incoming Ambassadorial Scholars as a group, in the very pleasant home environment of Rotarian Jerry Beaulier and his wife, Linda- Ann in St. Andrews. District Scholarships Officer Sylvia Donaldson had done an excellent job of getting the students and their Host Counsellors together, from Aberdeen, St. Andrews and Stirling. We were also joined by Rotarian Jack Daniels, a legend in his own time, who had hoped to take us all on a conducted tour of St. Andrews, a town about which he has extensive knowledge, but the weather was not keen to co-operate. Hopefully, there will be another occasion, Jack. Despite the wet weather outside, the atmosphere inside was very convivial. Julie, Constantina(plus husband Greg), Joanna, Lungile and Andrew are all very worthy representatives of their countries and all have had very interesting lives before they came to Scotland for a period of further study. It was a great pleasure to talk to them and to hear of their plans for the future. All of this was set against the wonderful background of the Beaulier's home with wonderful views looking out to the North Sea, superb food and drink and a very relaxed and happy atmosphere. All too soon it was time for people to go their different ways but I hope to meet up with the Scholars again during their time in Scotland. I hope that all of our Clubs will take the opportunity to invite at least one of the Scholars along to talk to them.

DG's Visits Week 21

Tuesday evening saw me, somewhat weak at the knees but otherwise compos mentis, able to attend the planned visit to the Rotary Club of Dundee Camperdown. My involvement with this Club goes right back to before its formation, when PDG Iain Young asked me if I could recommend any potential Rotarians from the Carse of Gowrie area, which I was delighted to do. Some are still members today, some 18 years down the line. President Ian and his members were most welcoming and sufficiently concerned for my welfare that they even had a back up programme in the event of a last minute decision that I was really not fit to keep the appointment. It was a very enjoyable evening with a chance to catch up with many old friends and to hear about their many activities. The Club has always been a strong supporter of the various Box schemes and , in addition, are clearly now working hard on their plans for the Thanks for Life day. The evening ended with members packing Shoeboxes, which gave me much cause for reflection. As well as various essential items to health and welfare, every box contained a toy. It occurred to me, that for the vast majority of recipients, this was probably the very first time that they would have received such a thing. It underlined to me not only the understanding which Rotarians have of the problems of the world, but also their incredible concern for and generosity to those in the world less fortunate. A good evening and one which added to a whole stock of valued memories over my Rotarian career.

District Council

The day of the second District Council saw me flat on my back and unable to attend, to my intense frustration. However, virus infections are no respecters of one's diary. I had particularly wanted to be present as this occasion saw not only the appointment of many of the key District people for 2010-11, but marked the next stage in the wide-ranging dialogue as to how we can improve Rotary communications, while still staying within a realistic budget. It was also a day to announce much relief to Clubs who feared that the absence of matching grant funds might spell the death-knell of cherished projects. Further, it was a day to give an update on the Thanks for Life project and to update Clubs on the fantastic success of their efforts on behalf of ShelterBox. £34,000 raised in just one month, to purchase 68 Boxes was a truly magnificent effort and I believe that there is more yet to come. In the end, due to the absence of DGE George at GETS, I had to hand the reins over to DGN Iain who chaired the meeting exceptionally well, ably supported by Secretary Graham and IPDG David. The latter also provided an update on Schools4All. All the reports tell of a wide ranging but very positive debate on various aspects of communication which delighted me. As I have said before, Council is not my Council or District's Council. It is the Clubs' Council and their opportunity to express their views and preferences. These views will greatly inform Communications Chairman James and his colleagues in charting the way ahead. I conclude with apologies for my absence but it did prove the point that, in a well organised structure, the absence of the 'chief executive' should never create an unfillable hole.

DG's Visits Week 20

Thursday took me the short distance westwards to the Dewars Centre in Perth at the invitation of Chairman Kay Goodman, to join her and the members of her District 1 Inner Wheel Executive for one of their regular meetings. What struck me immediately was how little Rotarians actually know about the activities of their sister organisation.The ladies do all sorts of interesting things, some of which on the sports/ social and fund raising side are very similar to those of Rotary. These include curling on the former and funding Shelterboxes on the latter. Others such as the scheme to collect unused medication for use by a charity in the underdeveloped countries of the world, are matters I have never heard mantioned in Rotary. It is clear that there is much to be gained by sharing ideas, and there is a synergy when the two organisations work together which exceeds the sum total of their individual efforts. Chairman Kay chaired the meeting exceedingly well, in a most efficient manner which allowed time for views to be expressed but did not involve overly long discussions on matters where everyone was in agreement. I greatly enjoyed the experience, which was added to by the excellent hospitality and warmth of welcome. I look forward to learning more about Inner Wheel's many achievements at their District Conference next May.

DG's Visits Week 20

Another new week and a chance to see some more of the rich tapestry of Rotary life in District 1010. My first port of call was to the Howe of Fife Club and the opportunity to catch up with a number of good Rotary friends, not least IPDG David Rankin. As always, the Club is a hive of industry with new members, support for Shelterbox and PolioPlus, fund raising and environmental projects all very high on their agenda. I sometimes wonder if they have a secret track to my thought processes, as anything I suggest, they are either in the process of doing or have already done. IPDG David was of course the source of, and indeed catalyst for, so much of the change which is now sweeping through the District and, although the process will continue for a number of years, the benefits will last for many times longer. Those attending the District Council meeting on Sunday will hear about our latest thoughts on communications. There can be absolutely no doubt that we have to advance boldly down this road. The problems and costs of holding the traditional meetings and methods of communication increase with every passing year and we simply have no choice but to embrace the new 'electronic' technologies, including video conferencing. A particular highlight of my visit was the announcement by District Shelterbox Specialist John Kerr of the current position following the appeal to replenish the stocks of these vital aids to preserving life, which had dwindled to zero following a successsion of world tragedies including the Sumatran tsunami. To say I was gratified would be a total understatement. I was totally blown away by the generosity of the District 1010 Clubs'response. In the month of October alone, our Clubs raised over £34,000 which equates to 68 Shelterboxes. A magnificent achievement for which you all have not only my grateful thanks but also those who in due course will welcome these boxes as a way of restoring some modicum of normal life in what are generally catastrophic circumstances.

DG's Visits Week 19

The week ended with our attendance at the Rotary Club of Alloa Ball. My predecessors had all told me that, whatever else I did in the year, this was one event which I should not miss. Daphne and I were not disappointed, with the fantastic food, the great company and the excellent music all as good as they could possibly be. How the caterers managed to provide such a range of choices for all of the four courses I do not know, but, suffice to say, this was one occasion when I decided not to concern myself over much with my waistline. The dancing was fantastic with old familiar pieces mixed with new dances, always worthwhile to learn about and master. President Robert and his wife Elizabeth certainly know their way round a dance floor, a sign that their time in the Young Farmers was well spent. Where Robert gets his energy from I do not know, but a 2.00am finish to the dance saw him snatch a few brief hours of sleep before being up to deal with the 5.00am milking. I was relieved that my offer to help was either not taken seriously or politely declined, and the extra hours in bed were welcome. It was a lovely way to end the week. I can only say to those Rotarians whose Club has never had a Ball or no longer does so, why not join the good folk of Alloa next year. You will have a night to remember.

DG's Visits Week 19

Tuesday evening took us back towards the centre of Aberdeen where we had the pleasure of joining President Mike and the members of the Deeside Club. It is hard to believe that they were only founded in 2000, so well established do they now appear. They have a wide range of activities, especially for young people, including RYLA, Kids Out and the Primary School Quiz. Internationally, they support all the 'Box' schemes and are currently putting in place a grant scheme for Uganda. A high priority is attached to their fellowship events and they are currently engaged in raising the public profile of the Club and Rotary. New members and support for Foundation are given equal prominence and the all round nature of their Rotary activities is exactly what one would wish to see.

DG's Visits Week 19

The Tuesday evening was spent in the excellent company of Asistant Governor Ewen Hatchwell and his wife Jacky at Bieldside, where between us, I think we managed to put the world, Rotary and otherwise, to rights. It was a very kind gesture which saved us the job of driving back to Dundee late on the Tuesday, only to have to return the following day. It also gave us some much needed breathing space the following day, and an all too rare opportunity to get some exercise. This we did by driving west to the Falls of Feugh to see the water in a very spectacular state due to the recent rainfalls, with spray coming right up over the bridge. This was followed by a walk over the first part of the track round Loch of Kinord where we were fortunate enough to see many different birds including fieldfares, redpoll, redwings and bullfinches among others. It is a magical part of the world which holds fond memories from my early field research days

DG's Visits Week 19

Tuesday saw Daphne and I heading north to visit the Dyce Club. For once, the satnav behaved perfectly, circumventing all the usual traffic on Anderson Drive and delivering us unhindered to a short traffic queue just a few yards short of the Menzies Dyce Aberdeen Airport Hotel. I would not have dared to try this route unguided or relying on road maps. President Jim and his members were in excellent form, and eager to tell us about their many activities in the community, internationally and on the social side. On the last of these victory in the gavel had to be balanced by lesser success on the curling rink, but forthcoming social and fund raising events will keep them busy. I was greatly impressed by the involvement of many members in planting crocuses and daffodils, a very practical demonstration of Rotary's environmental credentials and wish to preserve and beautify our surroundings. It sends a really good message to our communities when we undertake projects of this nature. The evening seemed to fly past and, all too soon, we had to bid our farewells.

DG's Visits Week 19

The first week proper in November started with a District Executive meeting in Perth. The presentations from the service chairs on their own areas of activities made for fascinating listening, and simply underlined the huge amount of valuable work which is undertaken by the Rotarians in our District. James Martin indicated some of the possible ways forward on communications which he will enlarge on at the next District Council meeting on Sunday 15 November in Aberdeen. John Minhinick also gave us an excellent update on Thanks for Life which again Rotarians will have a chance to hear more about in Aberdeen. Various decisions were taken which will be announced to Rotarians at that same meeting. My thanks go to everyone who attended in Perth, often having to deal with appalling road and rail conditions as a result of flooding, to get there.