DG's Travels Week 40

My other very enjoyable event on Sunday was my final meeting with our outgoing GSE team before they head off the Arizona. This provided an opportunity for a final rehearsal of their presentations to the various Clubs. I am particularly proud of, and impressed by, this group. They have worked incredibly hard to prepare for their visit in obtaining gifts, agreeing uniforms, preparing a musical CD, etc and in the process have bonded into a very tight knit group. They are all excellent presenters, have outgoing personalities and represent a range of work interests and individual hobbies. I know that they will be given a warm welcome by DG Ken Oakes and that they will have a memorable time in Arizona. Not only will they bring back with them, fond memories of a host of never to be forgotten social occasions, but knowledge which I hope will stand them in very good stead for their future careers. I wish them every enjoyment and am not a little envious of them in having this wonderful opportunity. Unfortunately, stuffing me into one of the many cases they will be taking with them, would more than exceed their luggage capacity The team is very ably led by Rotarian Barry Davies who is a born organiser and who wears a kilt exceedingly well despite his Welsh origins. As my granny used to say, 'a fine figure of a man'. His team consists of Lindsey from Inverness, Claire , Gordon and Fiona, all from Aberdeen or the Aberdeen area, and Karyn from Glenrothes. The team is sponsored by 6 different Rotary Clubs and covers a good geographical distribution of our District. I am in no doubt that every one of them will be a first class ambassador for both our District and Scotland. My special thanks go to Jim Mulreany and Stephen Chorley for all their hard work in setting up this exchange.

DG's Travels Week 40

The week began with a real burst of activity. First up was the opening of the Rotary World Curling Championships in Perth, which continue through to the end of this week. The opening was a mixture of the formal and informal. It began with a meeting of all the competitors and their partners, words of welcome, and then the serious business of explaining the exact rules under which the competitions would be played. This was followed by a parade of all the competitors, led by a piper, round the ice rink, out onto the ice and finishing up with a series of group photographs below the glass fronted balcony. Then it was down to the serious business. The first day's competition was hard fought but always with the ultimate of sportsmanship. The day ended with a civic Reception hosted by the Provost of Perth, who welcomed everyone. I also had the chance on behalf of District 1010, to welcome everyone to our beautiful part of the world. Many of the Canadians and some of the Americans had previously travelled to Scotland to play the 'roarin game', and it was clear that all were delighted to be back. The newcomers were already taken by the Scottish wayof life, especially the 'wee drams'. I look forward to seeing them all again at a joint meeting of the Perth Rotary Clubs on Thursday, to bid them a 'fond farewell and haste ye back'.

DG's Travels Week 39

The end of week 39 saw another flurry of activity. First up was the inaugural final of our District Young Musician Competition. Following local selection events, eight young people moved forward to the Final at Strathallan School, a wonderful location for any such occasion. Ably supported by their sponsoring Rotary Clubs of Perth St. Johns, Inverurie, Alford & District, Bridge of Allan & Dunblane, Crieff, Oldmeldrum, Auchterarder & District and Banchory-Ternan, the young people put on a superb display of their abilities. Judging was extremely difficult, given the range of instruments of trombone, Scots fiddle,alto saxophone, piano, cello, accordion, tenor saxophone and violin. We were most fortunate to have as adjudicators, the very experienced Henry Neil, MBE, and Peter Rutterford. I was happy to sit quietly with them and nod knowledgeably when it seemed appropriate.
In the end every competition has to have a winner, but I felt that every participant was a winner in appearing in front of such a discerning audience and acquiting themselves so ably. We are most fortunate to have two superb trophies, one each for the boys and girls, presented by Past District Governor Bill Leslie and his wife, Mary, Past Chairman of Inner Wheel District 1, both of whom have a great enthusiasm for young people's music. I am enormously grateful for their support. The girl's trophy was won by Zoe Yuile from the Banchory-Ternan Club and the boy's by Andrew McLean from the Bridge of Allan & Dunblane Club. I hope that this is just the start of what will become a major event in District 1010, with as many Clubs as possible participating. We have wonderful musical traditions in Scotland and I would love to see these being highlighted not just at the District level but on to the RIBI finals in London. My thanks also go to all the Clubs which participated, to the many supporters who came along to the final, to those who supported the young people as accompanists and most important of all, to Michael Jamieson and his committee of Cath Chorley and Brian Raine who organised the competition. I enjoyed the occasion enormously as I am sure did everyone present.

DG's travels

A busy week ended with Daphne and I attending the Brechin RC Casino Night at the invitation of President Steve Dempsey. The hard work of he and his Rotary colleagues was ably supported by the team from Kirriemuir RC who provide all the paraphenalia of an excellent casino. We had all the challenges of throwing dice, blackjack and roulette, set against a wonderful background of fun and good fellowship. If you add to this an absolutely first class buffet, we had all the ingredients of an ideal Rotary evening. The objective was to raise funds for PolioPlus and in this the Club was very successful. I know that many Clubs still have events to come for PolioPlus fund-raising and in this, as indeed in every other activity, I wish them every success.

DG's life

One of the major aspirations of IPDG David Rankin and I has been the production of a Strategic Plan. A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes and, in this, we have had the able support and input of PDG Clive Bartram. The objective has been the production of the first District Strategic Plan for the District, covering the period from now until 2013. The wording chosen is very specific. It is not our Strategic Plan, it is not the Executive's Strategic Plan or even the 'District's' Strategic Plan. It will be the District Strategic Plan. We hope that every Club will have an input to the final version and that all Clubs, in due course, will sign up to this as a way ahead for the future. There is still some detail to be finalised but I hope that this Plan will be available for people to look at before too long. I regard this as the final link in the framework necessary for there to be a clear picture on how this District operates, and the close links between its 87 soon to be 88 Clubs. Already the Focus Group has looked at the positions and remits required for District Officers, and will shortly produce a document showing how they all link together and interact with the Clubs. During the course of the year, we have taken a long hard look at the costs of running the District and where possible these have been reduced. New methodologies are being embraced such as video meetings, which will not only further reduce costs but I hope will bring the Clubs even more closely together. In addition to greater clarity, I hope that this modernising agenda will lead to improved continuity, an awareness of the relevance of District's role in Rotary, and will encourage many more Rotarian's to put their names forward to serve in District positions. Change has been and always will be an essential part of Rotary. However, recent years may have seen a significant acceleration in this process of change. I am in no doubt that this is essential for District 1010 to maintain its position at the top of the tree.

DG's Visits Week 38

Wednesday evening saw Daphne and I Aberdeen-bound at the invitation of President Ian Dow of the Aberdeen St. Nicholas Club, to attend the Scout Gang Show, with which Ian has been associated for many years in a variety of roles including producer. Some of you will be aware that Ian participated in one of the National Immunisation days in India last autumn. The particular reason for my attendance was that Ian had agreed with the Scout movement that PolioPlus should be one of the major beneficiaries of the proceeds from the show. The young people produced a wonderful evening of entertainment, including a very emotive start to the second half which focused on the health problems of the world. I had the privilege and pleasure of talking to the young people after the show and it is clear that they embody so many of the principles dear to Rotary. I also wish that I possessed even a small percentage of their apparently boundless energy. It was a most enjoyable evening and one which they will be repeating over several nights. I wish them every success.

DG's Visits Week 38

Past District Governors have told me that one's year tails off into minimal activity around the middle of March. Either they were trying to ensure that I did not become discouraged at what still lay ahead, or they were in Districts where activity was generally much lower in the spring and summer months. Happily, my cup still runneth over with things still to do and events still to attend. On Monday, Daphne and I had the pleasure of travelling down to Edinburgh for an update on the Homeless World Cup and the launch of their programme to send Football Boxes to a girls' group in Uganda. Yes! Girls do play football. Many of these young people have had a horrendous childhood and this activity marks a start to rebuilding their lives and gradually restoring their self-confidence. Robin Tatler and his team of workers and coaches, have much to be proud of and I was delighted that my own Rotary Club was first in to purchase one of these boxes which contain strips, balls, etc to allow the game to be played. It was a pleasure to meet one of the young people in Scotland whose life had been totally turned around by this concept and who is now taking a leading role in coaching young people and giving them a new direction in life. From a very simple idea over a drink one night, it is amazing how this programme has and continues to develop. One other prime mover has been Past District Governor Bob Christie from District 1020, who was originally from this part of the world and who, by sheer hard work, has persuaded RIBI that the Homeless World Cup should be added to their list of officially approved projects.

DG's Travels Week 37

Yesterday saw me spending some much overdue time with my own Club, to participate in the start of the planning process to celebrate the 90th anniversary in March 2011. In the process, we reflected on the many changes which have occurred both in the Club and in Rotary, since these early days of the 1920s. My own grandfather was one of these early Rotarians. Extremely committed to Rotary in every way, I am sure that not even he could have foreseen the growth and the many achievements of Rotary since then. The Club is planning an evening of entertainment and good fellowship and I hope that many of the other Clubs in District 1 !!!, will be putting a note in their diaries to attend.

DG's Travels Week 37

The beginning of the week saw the arrival on a very welcome visit to Dundee and St. Andrews of RIBI President David Fowler and his wife Daphne. It is 10 years since a previous such visit and it was a welcome opportunity to show off the many activities of Clubs in this area. On Monday, we had a tree planting ceremony in Dawson Park with Lord Provost John Letford, the last planting in an avenue of trees to commemorate all of Rotary's efforts on the elimination of polio. This was followed by a meeting with the Interact Clubs of Dundee High School and Morgan Academy, respectively the District's oldest and youngest Clubs. After a very enjoyable buffet lunch in their company, we went on to see 'Starter Packs', an organisation for providing essential items for disadvantaged people moving into a new home, and then visited the Riding for the Disabled facility, to present a horse blanket to 'Gordon', the horse sponsored by Dundee RC. The day was rounded off by an evening meeting of all the 'Dundee' Clubs, taking in a moonlit visit to see Captain Scott's 'Discovery' and the 'Unicorn' the oldest ship afloat from Nelson's days, on the way home.
On Tuesday, we visited Anstruther, via the Fife fishing villages, to see the RNLI inshore lifeboat funded by the Fife Rotary Clubs, followed by lunch in the town's award winning fish and chip restaurant. In the afternoon, there were visits to the new community hospital in St. Andrews, to see the Rotary-funded family room and gazebo in the gardens, to St. Andrews University, Holy Trinity Church and the R & A, finishing up with a combined meeting of the 2 St. Andrews Clubs and a number of those in the surrounding area - 8 in total. At the last of these, President David had the pleasure of presenting the St. Andrews RC trophy for handicapped athletes and awarding the first Paul Harris Fellowship to a member of that Club
The visit provided an opportunity both to see Rotary in action and to enjoy the wonderful Scottish scenery. I am sure that President David was greatly impressed by everything he saw. My thanks go to every Rotarian who participated in planning the visit and took the opportunity to meet the head of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland.

Paul Harris Fellows

It has been my great pleasure to present a number of Paul Harris Fellowship at Clubs round the District and another such opportunity arose at the East Sutherland Charter Dinner last night. To mark the occasion, the Club had decided to honour 6 of its founder members, though in fact only 4 presentations could be made on the evening. Every one of the recipients had made a huge contribution to the Club, ranging from fund raising to bringing in a steady flow of new members over the years. It was clear that the awards were greatly appreciated by the recipients. I was delighted to do the honours for Beau Beaton, Hugh Johnston, Eric Potter and Geoff Smyth. John MacDonald and David Whyte will receive their awards on another occasion.

DG's Travels Week 36

The end of the week saw Daphne and I heading north to Brora for the 21st Charter celebrations of the East Sutherland Club. There is a particular affinity there as the Club was established by a member of my own Club, Robert Clarkson, when he was District Governor, and current President Alistair Risk is a former member of the Dundee Club. The event was wonderfully organised with Alistair's well known management and entrapreneurial skills very evident. I have never seen such a stunning array of prizes for the raffle and the auction. Many of the nearby and not so nearby Clubs were present and it was a wonderful evening of humour and great fellowship. Events such as this are a wonderful way of getting Rotary Clubs together and I know that a lot of the northerly Clubs will be heading to Orkney in the near future to further this process. Charter dinners are also an opportunity to reflect on the past, present and future of a Club, and East Sutherland have many good things in their locker in all three categories. Their wonderful trip round the coast of the country to raise funds for Foundation and their superb fund raising to send Shelterboxes to Haiti, are just two of their recent successes. I have no doubt that their next 21 years will be every bit as successful as the first. They live and work in a very beautiful part of the world so please do not pass them by in your travels . You will be made very welcome at their Club meetings.

DG's Travels Week 36

The past 7-8 days have been very much ones of hitting the road again. First there was the Anstruther Club dinner, which was given over exclusively to raising funds for PolioPlus, then there were various visits to parts of the District to see what other Clubs were doing for the same event. My one regret was that I could not visit all 87 Clubs, as I know that Clubs have been sparing no effort to ensure the success of the Thanks for Life campaign. However, not only would I have required the services of a helicopter, but also rocket-assisted shoes to make maximum use of my time on the ground. As it was, my efforts had to be brought to an end by nightfall, when most people who were out finally headed for home. The results of the various collections, sponsored events, etc have still to come in, but early indications are that the District Clubs will have raised a very considerable sum of money - certainly tens of thousands of pounds. For this you have not only my thanks but my admiration for all your hard work and many wonderful initiatives. I know that some events have still to take place and I wish those involved every success.
I can not think of any better way to celebrate Rotary's birthday, the events allowing, as they do, another huge step forward in the final elimination of polio. To those few who prophesised doom over fund raising at the start of this Rotary year, I can only say just look at what the Clubs have achieved. In the end, thanks for our efforts may never be vocalised and they will come from people we will probably never meet or even see. However, by our efforts, we have given them a start in life and indeed a quality of life which would have been unimaginable as little as 30 years ago. I have no doubt that they give us their heartfelt thanks in their prayers