Immediate Past District Governor Bill's Blog

IPDG's Travels Week 10

2010-09-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

One of the few but big disappointments of my year as Governor, was the last minute cancellation of Elgin RC's Concert in aid of Help for Heroes, due to the sudden and catastrophic floods in that part of the world. Not only had President Graeme Archibald and their Rotarians worked their socks off to make it a sell out, but they had also managed to secure the Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines to perform. As this was one of my special causes for fund raising, I was no less disappointed than the Club members, particularly as it seemed at first that the event could not be re-scheduled,or if it was, then the Royal Marines Band was unlikely to be available. However, Elgin Rotarians do not know the meaning of 'not possible', and with even more hard work and the generous assistance of the Royal Marines, Friday night's Concert came to pass, again to an absolute capacity audience. How nice to enjoy the luxury of a waiting list for such an event! This year's President and his colleagues were wonderful hosts and we enjoyed the opportunity to talk to members of the Band and learn more about the interesting lives they lead. Under the inspired leadership of Captain Ian Davis, we enjoyed a varied and wonderfully vibrant evening of music. The Band contains a wide range of very talented musicians who would not be out of place in any of the top orchestras in the world. From excerpts from West Side Story, through Orpheus in the Underworld, to their Regimental Marches Medley and the Sunset Ceremony, there was something for every taste. If you get the chance to hear them in action, do not miss the opportunity. A large sum of money was raised for this excellent cause, greatly aided by many who either sponsored the occasion or gave their services for nothing. Not content with this, the next Elgin Club fund raiser for Help for Heroes takes place this coming week-end, where they will seek to create a continuous human chain from Elgin to the main gates of Lossiemouth RAF air base. If you can help them to achieve this, please do go along. This event also has the potential to raise many thousands of pounds for a really wonderful cause. Our young men and women willingly put their lives on the line round the world for our benefit. I hope that everyone will help those who have suffered in this cause, as much as they possibly can.

IPDG's Travels Week 9

2010-09-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

The two great delights of a past DG are the freedom to decide how you will spend each day, and having the opportunity to get re-acquainted with the members and activities of one's own Club. The latter saw Daphne and I heading westwards to the south bank of the River Tay to join up with some 60 Rotarians and their partners, to cruise up river to Perth. We were fortunate to be in the care of Rotarian Dennis Beattie, who is incredibly knowledgeable about this particular part of the world.The weather was glorious, people had come along with all sorts of refreshments, both liquid and solid, and the views conveyed a totally different outlook on parts so close to our own doorstep. Very quickly after leaving Newburgh, the river took a surprisingly large curve, and Dundee and parts to the east disappeared from view. Ancient explorers reaching this point from the west, could easily be forgiven for thinking that they were approaching the eastern end of a landlocked piece of water, with no obvious way of further progress. In leisurely succession, we passed the reed beds long used to thatch cottages over a surprisingly wide area, the old bothies of the river's salmon fishers, and several still amazingly sound stone piers which figured largely in the transport of goods up and down the river.The magnificent Elcho Castle just appeared over the top of its surrounding cloak of trees, and before long the magnificent Friarton Bridge came into view. The latter is even more impressive from below than it is as one drives over it. Passing by the fringes of King Edward Island and its challenging golf course, we turned in the harbour area before retracing our journey back down river. Passing by the point at which the River Earn enters the Tay, a number of interesting birds were on view to satisfy the ornothologists amongst our group. Approaching Newburgh again, we passed by the area where, as a small boy, I used to fish from a liitle boat for flounders, taking care to assure the Tay River patrols that we were not out to hook a salmon when no one was looking. Daphne and I returned home more knowledgeable than we left, and having enjoyed a really good day out with excellent company and good fellowship. Not surprisingly, further such trips are planned which will cover other parts of the Tay Estuary.

IPDG's Travels Week 6

2010-08-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

Some of you may recollect that last year, I was fortunate to hit one decent shot in the St. Andrews Kilrymont Golf Competition at Kingsbarns. The prize for finishing nearest to the pin on the short, but awesome and very intimidating 15th hole, was the use for a week-end of a Honda 2000 sports car, courtesy of the Honda West End Garage in Broughty Ferry. After a very busy year, Daphne and I at long last managed to identify a free week-end to take advantage of this. We based ourselves in Blair Atholl and enjoyed both visiting many of the notable landmarks in the area and driving open-topped between them. First port of call was Falls of Bruar, which looked quite spectacular after the previous night's rain. Inevitably, this had to be followed by the many attractions of the House of Bruar. Retail therapy at its best! After a light lunch, we headed westwards via Loch Rannoch to Rannoch itself, which is as far west as you can go without resorting to foot power. We were fortunate to be there when one of relatively few trains in the day to Fort William and Oban, passed through, then enjoyed the excellent home baking of the station tea room. In the evening, back at Blair Atholl, we walked up one of the many attractive woodland walks on the Atholl Estate, meeting on the way a group of stalwart walkers, ending a long day out, after starting some 26 miles away at Braemar. I could sympathise with their view that any cooling liquid would be better directed to their feet than their throats! The next day, after a quick visit to the Blair Atholl Watermill, we headed down past Loch Tummel to the new House of Menzies Centre which also has excellent home baking, to Aberfeldy, then over the hill to the Sma' Glen. Turning off this, we headed for Perth via Glenalmond College, then round Perth to the south side of the Tay and on through Newburgh, Gauldry, Wormit, Newport and over the road bridge to Dundee. The day was rounded off with a visit to Arbroath to see a rare, but totally invisible, gull. It was with extreme reluctance that I returned the Honda to West End Garage today. It was a real fun week-end, with a chance to relive earlier years. I had forgotten the fun of being so much more exposed to the elements, and being instantly aware of the scent of flowering buddleia, so attractive to bees and other insects, and the evocative smell of a newly-mown field of hay. The Honda drives like a dream and I cannot praise highly enough, the engineers who designed it. My thanks go to the Rotary Club of St. Andrews Kilrymont for coming up with such a wonderful prize and to the West End Garage for their generosity in making it available.

IPDG's Travels Week 5

2010-08-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

Happily, the rumours that a DG's life come to a sudden end at midnight on 30 June, have proved to be unfounded. Above all else, it is a great pleasure to maintain contact with all the Clubs which meant so much to me during the past year. This is especially the case when I am returning to them to make presentations for their achievements during 2009-10. The success of the District 1010 Clubs has been outstanding, without doubt, with so many far exceeding my hopes for the year, and in the process demolishing so many of my concerns at a stroke. Nowhere has this been more true than on the question of membership. You may remember my hope, and indeed that of John Kenny, that Clubs would achieve a net gain of one member during the year. Available to Clubs which had been especially successful were three RI Awards - for achieving the highest membership growth rate, for bringing in the most new members and for achieving the highest member retention rate. It would be rare for any one Club to win more than one of these awards, and unknown in my knowledge for one Club to win all three. However, this is exactly what the Glenrothes Club has achieved in the past year. In presenting the certificates signed by John Kenny to Immediate Past President Ian Hastie, it was my pleasure to congratulate him and all of the Glenrothes members for an outstanding achievement.

DG,s Travels

2010-07-04T00:28:00.000-07:00

My final duty in a very eventful year was to head north to Cults to chair the Past District Governors' lunchtime meeting. As I drove over the hill from Stonehaven to Maryculter, I thought that the weather was at its very best and the typical upland Scottish scenery looked superb. If we could guarantee weather like this in Scotland, who would wish to go anywhere else. The PDGs were in great form and interested to hear both my report on the year past, and new Governor George's thoughts for the future. The very interesting and searching questions showed without doubt that they were as switched on as ever about Rotary matters, and keen to maintain the very high standing of District 1010. I reflected afterwards that the collective knowledge about Rotary in that one room was enormous and there was a source of information that any DG would be unwise to ignore. I have been grateful to them all for their support, especially those PDGs in my own Club, and a number of them have actually participated in the running of the District during the past 12 months. Clive Bartram, Bill Leslie and John Minhinnick have been especially involved and the District has reaped great benefits from this. All too soon, it was time to head back to Dundee and to what I suspect will be a marked change in the way of life for both myself and Daphne. Even in the last 2-3 days, the number of e-mails has dwindled dramatically and so far today, I have had only one 'phone call. What a difference a day or two can make. This will be the last posting on my DG's blog. To those of you who have read it regularly and have joined me on my journey through a DG's year and round District 1010, thank you for your company. I hope that you have found my notes of interest. I have enjoyed my year as Governor enormously, and I thank all Rotarians for their support, warmth of welcome and good fellowship. You have made it an unforgettable experience.

DG's Travels Week 51

2010-06-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

One of the very enjoyable end of Rotary year activities is the evening jointly hosted by the Presidents of Dundee Rotary Club and the Inner Wheel Club. Held in a variety of venues over the years, on this occasion it was in the local John Lloyd Leisure Centre, where we could participate in sporting action, eat, and generally enjoy each others company. It is always a very relaxed way of celebrating the completion of another Rotary year. The major sporting attraction was putting, where I am sure that the surface had been specially engineered with a bias, specifically to misdirect the DG's best efforts! I can think of no other reason why someone who had never even seen a putter, let alone held one, could score three times as many points as I did! As one of relatively few occasions during the past year when I have been able to enjoy the company of members of my own Club, it was a specially enjoyable event.

DG's Travels Week 52

2010-06-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

Later in the day saw Daphne and I travel up to Banff for the District Handover lunch, an event very ably planned and executed by the Turrif and District Rotary Club. Under the very capable chairmanship of President Rose, we enjoyed an excellent meal and soon moved on to the essential business of my valedictory address and the hand over to my successor, George Berstan. As always, there was not nearly enough time to adequately thank everyone at District and Club level for their tremendous efforts during the past year and for the phenomenal amounts of money which they had raised for good causes. It was a very convivial meeting, with the opportunity to meet up again with many old friends. It was a special pleasure to have District Governor Elect Iain Macdonald back in our midst, clearly now well on the way to recovery after being seriously ill. While my Governor's duties are not yet quite over, I have to admit to a lighter step as Daphne and I headed back to Dundee. It has been a fabulous year for us both and we will retain many happy memories.

DG's Travels Week 52

2010-06-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

The end of the week saw Daphne and I attending the 40th Charter Dinner of the Rotary Club of North Fife. This is a Club with which I have had a long association from well before the time when I was their Assistant Governor, so it was an especial pleasure. We were regaled by a succession of good speakers following an excellent meal. I also had the great pleasure in awarding a Paul Harris Fellowship to one of their members, Phil Higginson, for his activities both in bringing much needed dental aid to indigenous people in South America, by taking a mobile surgery on a comparatively small ship up the Amazon, and for his fund raising and practical assistance in support of the Kigali School Project. All this took place against a background of good company and excellent surroundings in St. Andrews and it came as quite a shock to find that it was already after midnight before we headed home. Thoughts of a very early start later in the day did nothing to dampen the enjopyment.

DG's Travels Week 52

2010-06-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

I was always aware that my last few weeks in office would be busy ones, as I think will be evident from the next few entries. Last Wednesday, I was delighted to be a guest at the annual prize-giving of the High School of Dundee, home of our oldest, and exceedingly successful, Interact Club. It was a great delight to see that not only were the young people exceedingly skilled in raising large sums of money for various charities, but that they combined this with high academic and sporting achievements. My faith in the future is always totally restored when I see such young people in action. Some will be returning for a further year of study while others set off now on new challenges at university and elsewhere. Some will be taking a gap year where they hope to not only see more of the world, but also particpate in various aid projects in different countries. In this, they received considerable encouragement from former pupil and guest speaker, Mark Beaumont, who talked about his adventures in cycling round the world and traversing the length of the Americas. Both journeys were no beds of roses and he highlighted the need to be committed and determined in overcoming life's challenges, as he had done on several occasions on the above trips.

DG's Travels Week50

2010-06-10T01:16:00.000-07:00

Much though I would have preferred to be playing myself, I was delighted to be able to look into the St.Andrews RC International Golf Competition yesterday, on my way to another Rotary function. However, I could have wished for better weather for the participants. Torrential rain on Tuesday, followed by almost gale force winds yesterday, hardly provide the best mix for good scores. I was commiserating with one player's score saying that I would have been well pleased with 28 Stableford points under such conditions. What was evident thoughout was the great fellowship being enjoyed, irrespective of the weather. Above everything else, I think the great pleasure felt by all at being able to play on the famous St.Andrews Links was very evident. I hope that everyone enjoys better weather today.

DG's Travels Week49

2010-06-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning saw us up with the morning bird song for a very early start, to get from Tain down to Oldmeldrum for the District final of the Primary School Quiz. However, I was determined not to miss out on the Morangie House Hotel much praised breakfast. It was no disappointment! However, we could not linger and were through Inverness well before most people were stirring. After a coolish start, the weather soon warmed up and it was a rare occasion this year to need the air-conditioning on. Oldmeldrum was bathed in sunshine and looking splendid, but I had no time to enjoy this, as 80 certificates for the final participants had to be signed before the start. The young people, well supported by families, teachers and Rotarians, were already in evidence, some having travelled from considerable distances the previous day. There was a real buzz about the place but with a nice mixture of competitiveness and willingness to make new friends. The competition was soon under way and was keenly contested throughout. The lead changed with almost every round, and the final outcome was in doubt right to the end. In the event, a play off was necessary to get the final order for first, second and third. The young people were all so knowledgeable , with most of the discomfiture at not being able to answer questions most evident in the ranks of the audience. I have no idea what a second class stamp costs nowadays! All the participants, at all stages, were winners, but a ranking order had to be arrived at in the end to award the prizes. In third place were Cults(Aberdeen) Primary School, in second, Crown(Inverness) Primary School, and in first place and winner of the shield, Robert Gordon's College. Events like this do not just happen. The organisation was absolutely impeccable on the day, as indeed at the earlier stages. I wish to particularly thanks Iain Matthews and all the Rotarians who were involved throughout the competition. I have watched as the event has grown over the years to a stage now where hundreds of primary schools are involved. This is very much another jewel in District's crown.

DG's Travels Week49

2010-06-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

Friday saw Daphne and I heading northwards again to Tain for the new Club's first Charter Dinner. Driving through the Cairngorms on a glorious summer day was sheer magic and a brief stop at Aviemore saw us exposed to air which was like pure champagne. Roadworks not withstanding, we made good time and were soon esconced in the comforts of the Morangie House Hotel, in time to check over the evening's arrangements with District Extension Officer Bill Leslie and his wife Mary. As always, events more than full occupy the available time and we were sitting down for our meal before I knew it. The evening was a most convivial one with the official side of speeches and presentation of gifts to the new Club, matched equally by the enjoyment of meeting up again with so many old Rotarian friends. I was delighted that so many Rotarians from around the District had made the effort to be present and help to launch the new Club safely on its way. In the course of the evening we learned more about the new Club's ambitious fund-raising activities, not least Rob Pope's plans to visit every quarter of Scotland, England and Wales in 48 hours. I wish him every success in his endeavours in which he seeks to better the large sums he has raised previously. I see a great future for the Club, with President Ken very intent on ensuring that the Club makes a big impression from the word go. I have to record my sincere thanks to Bill Leslie, Alistair Risk(President of the East Sutherland parent Club) and Mike Phimister for the huige amount of work they have put in during the past year to bring the new Club into existence.

DG's Travels Week49

2010-06-03T10:20:00.001-07:00

Tuesday morning was due to see me gazing in wonderment at the patience and skills of our Rotarian fishermen at the Lake of Menteith as they endeavoured to catch all these fish which had got away in previous years. However, a combination of unexpected events at work and the fact that I was highly unlikely to know my dorsals from my pectorals, persuaded me that I should quite literally be let off the hook. I hope that the participants had a really excellent day and look forward to hearing the results, the excuses and the multitude of fishy stories.

DG's Travels Week49

2010-06-03T10:03:00.001-07:00

I have had a long standing relationship with the Rotaty Club of Buckie, so it was no hardship on Monday night to travel north to visit them again. The given reasons for my visit were as part of my farewell activities to my DG's year and to join in the partners' evening. There was a third and perhaps ulterior motive, in that I was there to present two Paul Harris Fellowships. The first was to Hugh Patience, formerly of the Rotary Club of Dingwall, who had given many years of service to the Buckie Club, including being their President, while outside he had a lifetime of work and commitment to the fishing industry. A real mover and shaker, it was always Hugh's aim that everyone should be the best they could be, whatever their skills. The second was to another Past President of the Club and one of my past colleagues on District, Malcolm Watt. Malcolm not only has a wealth of good ideas but he puts himself about to bring them to reality. This time round, his idea was to give £50 to a number of schools, with the challenge to see by how much they could make that sum grow. His target was to raise some money for Shelterbox. In this he was outstandingly successful, with a likely total of 31 Shelterboxes being funded. Both are true examples of Service Above Self and I was delighted to make the presentations. The Club was not above some subterfuge to hide the impending awards and, to questions as to why the District Governor was visiting again, a range of somewhat dubious answers were given. However, in view of the cause, I am sure that none of this breached Roatry's high ethical standards.

DG's Travels Week49

2010-05-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

As a DG with commitments to all 88 Clubs in the District, I have sometimes struggled to do justice to, and be involved with every Club's activities. Nowhere is this more true than with my own Club, where at times I have been away for substantial periods and have certainly not attended as many of their functions as I would have liked. Accordingly, it was a great pleasure to be able to attend the 'end of term party' held by Dundee President Graham and his wife Joan. Both have had outstanding years, as Joan has also been President of Dundee Inner Wheel Club this year.Their time management must have been second to none. Both have initiated new activities as well as maintaining tried and tested events from previous years, which demonstrates better than words the value of regular change in the leadership of Rotary's various organisations. This change brings not only different personalities but new approaches which can revitalise Clubs on a regular basis.
It was also a very welcome opportunity to catch up with other Dundee Rotarians and to hear not only of achievements during the current year but their plans for the future. It will very soon be time to hit the road again, with Buckie, Tain and Oldmeldrum on the calendar for the coming week, for a variety of reasons. All these events will bring me into close touch with Rotarians all busy in achieving their many targets, which is something I have always enjoyed. I look forward to bringing readers up to date with these at the end of the week.

DG's Travels Week 48

2010-05-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

We are at a time of the year when there are so many Rotary fund raising events, that good weather is always hoped for. However, the weather forecast last night, and the view out of my bedroom window early this morning, made me fear for the prospects of Abertay RC's Plant Sale. However, after a few early showers, the sun decided to shine on the righteous and dry weather with occasional sunshine took over. The Plant Sale was located at a prime site in the centre of Broughty Ferry. Certainly, when Daphne and I visited, they were doing a roaring trade, aided and abetted by a group of silven tongued Rotarians. I left with very high hopes that they would raise a handsome sum of money. One of the great pleasure of attending such occasions is the opportunity to meet up again with old Rotarian friends, some of whom date back for several decades. What is so nice is that none of them have lost their enthusiasm for the prime function of Rotary- to raise money for worthy causes and to enjoy good fun and fellowship in the process. It was also an occasion to meet up with some very new, or even about to be, Rotarians. To them , I wish every success and enjoyment in their membership. Abertay have always been in the forefront of the use of new technology and it was an sure indicator of this when I got home, to see that pictures of the occasion were already on their Website. Rupert Murdoch eat your heart out.

DG's Travels Week 48

2010-05-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

Any past District Governor who claims that the last few weeks in office are quiet, must have been abroad! The activities are many but the fun times are great. Yesterday, Daphne and I attended the Inner Wheel Rally at Huntingtower Hotel near Perth. It was an occasion to meet again many of the ladies who I had met at various functions with their Rotarian partners.Despite the prophecies of doom from the weather experts, the weather gods were kind and the sun shone, at least for the reception, drinks and photographs. As it was shining when we departed, what happened to the weather in between was irrelevant. It was a superb occasion when District 1 Chairman Kay, and her District and Club colleagues, had the pleasure of welcoming Association President Pam Byford and the chairmen of many other Districts in the UK. They even managed to attract one delegate from America, from the sunshine state of Florida. After an excellent meal, we enjoyed many humourous messages of greetings from other parts of the UK. Pam's message was more serious, about the need to promote Inner Wheel and bring in younger members. To the often raised question that women in Rotary had harmed the numbers in Inner Wheel, most were of the view that this was not the case, as the two organisations attract people of different interests. However, both Pam and I are very much of the view that Rotary could do more to encourage membership of Inner Wheel among partners and female family members. This is very much in accord with the recent pronouncement from the Council on Legislation which encourages Rotarians to do just this. It was really enjoyable day, when Daphne and I were made most welcome, the company was really first class, and the ladies all looked at their glamorous best in their many wonderful outfits. There is no doubt that their presence always adds to any occasion. As one of only two men at the Rally, the other being President Andrew Grant of Auchterarder Rotary Club, I was always going to have a fantastic day.

DG's Travels Week 48

2010-05-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

Even DGs are permitted some time off, and today Daphne and I set off early to catch the boat over to the Isle of May. This was something of a voyage of faith as I have tried on 5 previous occasions to make the trip, but been prevented from doing so by fog, wind, high seas, damage to the boat and so on. The rain was hammering down as we left Dundee and got even worse as we crossed Fife. It was still raining heavily when we reached Anstruther but the skipper decided to make the trip. It was still slightly wet and misty when we landed but, heading to the south of the island, it was not long before the sun broke through. The day very rapidly turned into one of perfection with sun, cloudless blue skies and wonderful close views of many different birds. These views were added to by sightings of grey seals and harbour porpoise on the journey back to the mainland.. For a day's relaxation, it was great but all too soon it was back home to e-mails, post to sort out, certificates to apply for, etc - it goes with the territory and will pass all too soon.

DG's Travels Week 48 aftermath

2010-05-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

How quickly an evening of enjoyment and relaxation can change to something quite different. Heading north on the motorway to Dundee at a steady 65mph, I was on the point of overtaking a large lorry when a young lady suddenly appeared staggering out from the central reservation. She was only 16-17 and clearly out of her mind on drink or drugs, with no idea what she was doing. Every micro second of almost 50 years driving experience, often averaging over 40,000 miles /year, came into play as I sought to miss her, avoid hitting the side of the lorry and not overturn my own car in the process. Every warning light on the dashboard was flashing as the car's computer-aided system sought to help. I bless ABS and all the many other systems designed to make driving safer.By some miracle the car coming up behind me also missed her and in my rear view mirrors, I could see her staggering on to reach the west side of the road.
Doubtless she would have woken up the following morning feeling somewhat hungover, and totally oblivious of her close brush with death. All sorts of questions then pass through your mind. What was she doing there, who had plied her or allowed her to overdose on drink or drugs, why was no one looking after her, did her parents know where she was and what she was up to trying to cross such a dangerous road at that time of night. Overall, there was the thought that a young life could have been cut short far too soon and that, however blameless I might have been had I hit and fatally injured her, how difficult would I have found it to live with such a tragedy? I also have to ask what is so badly wrong with our culture that the young, and not so young, only seem to get any enjoyment by going out to deliberately finish an evening out of their minds on drink or drugs. Is it too much money too early in life, uncaring parenets or simply a society with totally misplaced values.
The one real crumb of comfort is the thought of the endeavours of so many Rotarians to warn young people of the perils of such substances, and their work to involve them in groups which care about standards, care about each other and care about society. However, my final thought is that what about the next time for the young lady? Will she be confronted by a less experienced driver or one with slower reflexes, or will she simply have staggered that bit further to make a fatal collision inevitable? Is there any way in which such an outcome can be avoided? It was a very sobbering thought.

DG's Travels Week 48

2010-05-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

I will have many happy memories of my DG year not least of which will be attending various social functions including Charter Dinners. On Friday night, Daphne and I had the pleasure of attending the Charter Dinner of Dunfermline Carnegie where the warmth of welcome and the hospitality were superb. It seems such a short time since their formation that it was hard to believe that this was their 7th Charter celebration. We were welcomed by an excellent musical quartet, more of which later. The meal was really excellent and we enjoyed various toasts and addresses, including that from RIBI President Nominee, John Minhinick. At the end of this, we had further formal musical entertainment from the quartet who then decided that some audience participation was desirable. How hard is it to count to 7 before you clap hands? This was then followed by some real hands on music from untutored but willing performers on the kazoo, the duck call, the siren and the cymbols, ably led by President Jim Slater. It is a tribute to their efforts that the rest of us could actually recognise the tune. It was an all round, excellent evening and I was delighted to see a number of the Presidents from surrounding Clubs in attendance.

DG's Travels Week 47

2010-05-14T00:58:00.000-07:00

Moving on from one new thing to another, my next port of call, after officially ending the probation period for the new Rotary Club of Central Buchan, was to see some of the young people in action at the trials for Street Football and, hopefully for some, participation in the Homeless World Cup. This is a new initiative which I cannot speak too loudly about. It seeks to establish a new framework and a purpose in life for young people who, for a variety of reasons, have lost their bearings. Family bereavement, often involving a much loved parent, and loss of employment are just two of the possible reasons for this. Through being involved with this organisation, the participants make new friends, learn or improve skills, develop teamwork, become fitter and regain confidence. For the best and most committed players, the ultimate target is a place in the Scotland side for the Street Football World Cup. This started off in a small way with only two countries involved, soon grew to eight teams and continues to expand to the stage when most major footballing countries are involved. It is amazingly competitive, great skill is on show and the event is played out in front of large crowds. For Rotary Clubs interested in supporting such a worthwhile scheme, a starting point is the provision of Football Boxes which contain strips, balls, etc, sufficient to equip a team. At £500 each, these are a really good investment for an often neglected section of our young people.

DG's Travels Week 47

2010-05-13T02:25:00.000-07:00

Last night's travels took me back up to the north east of the District, together with Extension Officer PDG Bill Leslie, to visit the Rotary Club of Central Buchan. For me, it was a chance to visit them again on their 'own patch', my previous meeting with them having been a joint one with the Peterhead Club in Peterhead. For Bill, it was a chance to re-visit the Club with which he had been so involved, in bringing them into existence. One of the main reasons for being there was to cast the Club loose from their probationary period, during which they retained a very close relationship with their parent Club of Peterhead. I hope that they will continue to have this relationship but the Club is now free to chart its own direction. The Central Buchan Club has enjoyed a very successful first year, with excellent fund raising, good social events and the introduction of further new members. Above all, they are still the same well-knit, happy group which I first got to know some fourteen months ago. I wish them every success for the future. One of the duties of a DG is to judge various competitions, something which can induce serious trepidation to say the least. Last night was no different when I had to judge the 'most outrageous tie' competition, part of the Club's fund raising activities. With a well preserve sense of survival, one's frequent and initial reaction is to determine the whereabouts of the quickest exit. However, the event was conducted in a very good spirit and I was not lynched for my comments on some of the more way-out ties. It simply served to show yet again, the wonderful fellowship which exists in Rotary

DG's Travels Week 47

2010-05-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

The first very clear indication of the beckoning year end for a District Governor is the District Assembly, where the team for the Rotary year ahead lays out its plans. These are then cascaded down to Club Assemblies for the benefit of all Rotarians. The topics covered this year included everything from PolioPlus to youth activities. I was impressed by both the detail and the enthusiasm for the year ahead, with the new strap line of Building Communities, Building Continents. It was also an opportunity for me to announce the successful Clubs for the Literacy Awards and Presidential Citations. In addition, it was the first occasion when any 1010 District Governor had been able to present the Connecticut Trophy for international achievement, which I in turn had received at the RIBI Conference in Bournemouth. Many Clubs and Rotarians have contributed to the District's success and it was a great pleasure to acknowledge this. The Assembly is also an occasion when the DG has the opportunity to hear about the latest fund-raising activities of Clubs and individual Rotarians, and an opportunity to get to know some of the more interesting characters involved, such as Fergus the Bear from the Rotary Club of Dunfermline Carnegie(photographs to follow).

DG's Travels Week 42

2010-04-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

The end of this week should have seen a straightforward journey to Bournemouth for the RIBI Conference. Unfortunately, I had not reckoned with volcanic ash, or indeed the hot air being spouted by a lot of so called experts who clearly had little idea what they were talking about. In the end, Daphne and I did manage to get there but by an infinitely longer and much more round about route than originally planned. The journey back to Scotland was similarly afflicted. Of major disappointment through all these problems, which have afflicted so many, has been the unwillingness of some organisations to help, and the sheer exploitation by other companies and individuals, of people who already had more than enough problems to deal with. Soaring hotel room prices, train fares and car hire costs, are just a few of things which have been a million miles away from the prized principles of Rotary
However, I was delighted that we did get to Bournemouth for what was an excellent conference and one where the District 1010 star was definitely high in the sky. First of all we had the fantastic news of the appointment of John Minhinick to be RIBI President in 2012-2013. John has always put heart and soul into Rotary, and I am delighted that his dedication and hard work have been recognised and rewarded. He will do a wonderful job and we should support him in every way possible. David Fowler, in his address to Conference, had various complimentary things to say about District 1010 and how much he had enjoyed his visit north. At the prize giving ceremony, I was delighted that District 1010 had been awarded the prestigious Connecticut Trophy for International Service. A combination of many District activities, including the Nyumbani Project, Leonard Cheshire School4All, Shelter and other boxes, brought us to the forefront of the panel's considerations. In awarding the Interact Trophy(to another District), which is retrospective, President David referred to the very hot pace being set by District 1010 in the current Rotary year, with 7 new Interact Clubs formed already and some still to come. It is an achievement very unlikely to be matched and I will be very surprised if District 1010 will not be collecting this trophy at the Conference in Ireland next year. My congratulations and thanks go to everyone involved in both areas of activity.
The stage presentations were a good blend of the serious, the informative and the humorous. None was more outstanding, and indeed humbling, than the performance by Denise Leigh and her husband Stefan, neither of whom is sighted. Denise has a superb voice and Stefan is a vituoso on the button accordion, from which he can extract music with a skill that the majority of sighted players would find almost impossible. They are both irrepressible characters and it was a great pleasure and fun to host them. The fun was only added to by Denise's wonderful black Labrador guide dog, Crystal, who must be one of the friendliest animals I have ever come across, as well as being exceedingly clever in knowing dozens of different ways to get your undivided attention.
Both the annual levy of £44-75 and the membership levy of £2-75 were approved. We now need to exercise our minds to submit applications for the latter fund so that we can bring as much benefit on membership to this District as possible.

DG's Travels Week 42

2010-04-15T01:34:00.000-07:00

Today should have seen me getting last minute preparations completed to travel to the RIBI Conference in Bournemouth. However, I may be delayed or even totally thwarted by the incoming cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland, with all flights out of Scotland currently grounded. Those attending, who opted to travel by car or rail, will almost certainly have made a wise choice. However, I hope that the volcanic ash will move elsewhere and that I will have the opportunity to join up with the 1010 Rotarians to enjoy the 'Magical Mystery Tour', this year's theme.

DG's Travels Week 42

2010-04-15T01:22:00.000-07:00

Last night took me the relatively short distance from Dundee over to the Rotary Club of Cupar in Fife. The purpose was twofold. First of all to collect a very large cheque from the Club President, Bill Nicoll, for PolioPlus. This now brings the Club's total to £6000 - an astonishing effort by all of their members, covering everything from collections at the Tesco supermarket to the proceeds from a coffee morning. My initial hope was that the District as a whole would raise around £20,000. When one Club raises a third of this amount, it shows that my expectations were more than a little on the low side. It now seems possible that the District total will be of the order of four or even five times my estimate.
My other pleasant duty was the induction of a new Rotarian, something I always enjoy. It was a great pleasure to welcome Johanna Melville to the family of Rotary and I wish her every success and enjoyment from her membership. I am sure that she will be a valuable addition to the ranks of the Cupar Club where she will have the opportunity to see life at the sharp end in Rotary as a member of their Foundation Committee.

DG's Travels Week 41

2010-04-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

The latter part of the week saw the culmination of a huge amount of work by District Extension Officer Bill, President Alistair Risk of the East Sutherland Club and President Elect Mike Phimister of the Inverness Culloden Club, ably aided and abetted by AG John Sutherland, to bring the new Rotary Club of Tain into existence. In this, there was also a huge input from all the prospective members of the Club. The inaugural dinner was held in the superb surroundings of the Morangie House Hotel. The new Club members cover a wide range of vocations and, as was evident from President Ken's address, there is no lack of good ideas for the Club to take forward both in terms of fund raising and in developing the fellowship which is an essential part of Rotary. I wish them all every success, and look forward to joining them for their Charter dinner, hopefully some time in June.

DG's Travels Week 41

2010-04-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

Last week saw Daphne and I out and about on our travels round the District again. First stop was to see my good friends at Keith. We now have a small core of Rotarians who, with the aid of Extension Officer, Bill Leslie, are very keen to revitalise the Club and see it in good shape for their 60th Charter event next year. However, all help and visits from surrounding Clubs will be very welcome. I view the situation from the point of view of 'there but for the grace of God go I' and one never knows when help will be needed. Nothing is being ruled out, including a review of the time and day of the week when the Club might meet, to encourage those who live in but work outside Keith, to join the Club. Any contacts or recommendations for prospective members will be very welcome.
One of the great delights of this District and travelling round it, is the magnificent scenery on offer in every part. I had to stop off briefly in Aviemore on the way north to fill up with diesel and could not resist some of the views on offer. When the sun shines, who would wish to be in any other part of the world.

DG's Travels Week 40

2010-04-02T02:03:00.000-07:00

Last night saw a return to the Rotary World Curling Championships in Perth, when Daphne and I joined a combined meeting of the Perth Rotary Clubs, and all the visiting curlers and their partners, for an excellent evening at the Dewars Ice Rink. We were treated to both an excellent meal, and two very interesting and enjoyable speakers in Gordon Bannerman of the Perthshire Advertiser and David Hay, Coach to the Great Britain Men's Curling Team. Both, in their different ways, providing a fascinating insight to the world of sport. It was an evening of real fun and fellowship, further enlightened by the endeavours of Joe McCulloch and Bob Reid, respectively of the Rotary Clubs of Peterborough, Canada and Perth Kinnnoull. This doughty pairing, in their role as joint Sergeant at Arms, not only added greatly to the entertainment but raised a substantial sum of money for PolioPlus. I congratulate President Bill and all of the organising team on running a superb event. It was impeccably planned and executed, and provided not only a superb week of sporting activity but a great opportunity to make new friendships and renew old ones, as well as raising further funds for a cause dear to us all. In my book, it had everything that is good about Rotary.

DG's Travels Week 40

2010-04-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

A District Governor's life is nothing if not varied, and today I had the pleasure of visiting Abertay RC's Charity shop in Broughty Ferry. This is a joint venture with Barnardos, with Abertay's share going to even further swell their charity funds for PolioPlus, etc. As well as enormous interest in the very wide range of items for sale, the opportunity is being taken to promote Rotary with lots of excellent explanatory posters, etc. I wish them a very successful few days. If you are in the area, please do go along not just to add to their funds but to enjoy the chat with Abertay's very committed Rotarians.

DG's Travels Week 40

2010-04-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening, it was a great pleasure to accept the invitation to attend the High School of Dundee Spring Concert in the Caird Hall. Many will remember the superb music provided by a delightful group of their young people on the Saturday afternoon of the District Conference last September. The music was no less good last night and the audience was treated to a wide ranging programme, covering everything from the pipes and drums to a full symphony orchestra. It gave added pleasure that a number of the participants are also in one of our local Interact Clubs. With the first Young Musician Competition of this District only just past, there can be no doubt that musical activities are on the rise. I hope for even greater activity in the years to come. However, going back to last night, my congratulations go to all of the young people and the School's Music Department staff. It was a very enjoyable occasion.

DG's Travels Week 40

2010-03-30T01:57:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-30T01:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-22T07:09:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-12T02:21:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-12T01:41:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-07T07:15:00.001-08:00

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

2010-03-07T06:23:00.000-08:00

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

DG's Visits Week 35

2010-02-23T12:20:00.000-08:00

One of my most enjoyable activities is collecting cheques, especially when these are for the wonderful cause of finally eliminating polio. Clubs all round District 1010 have already been very active, with even greater activity planned for this coming Saturday 27 February. Despite giving me a very large cheque for this cause last week, my own Club's efforts continue unabated, with a collection today in the Overgate Centre and again at Tesco Kingsway on Saturday. As well as straight forward collections from the public, dinners, sporting events, sales of goods and many other activities are also being pursued. The commitment of 1010 Rotarians is quite superb, the good will of the general public very evident, and the assistance and financial support of the big organisations such as Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrison and Dobbies enormously appreciated. I can only say a very big 'Thank You' to everyone involved and hope that our efforts will finally see an end to this most terrible of diseases.

DG's Visits Week 34

2010-02-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

This week saw the start to the run in to the big Thanks for Life campaign in RIBI in which all 29 Districts are participating. There are many wonderful initiatives for fund raising, including everything from face painting to sponsored parachute jumps. However one of my own special favourites is that of Monifieth RC in which 2 of their over 60 members completed a mini triathlon of a mile each of swimming, cycling and running in under 1 hour. Rotarians Phil Leckie and Ally Martin spent many a wearisome session beforehand training for this, but completed the event in fine style. It was a great pleasure to meet up with them and their President David to receive their cheque. The Club's momentum continues unabated with a further collection for TfL on Sat 27 February, at Dobbie's in Monifieth

DG's Visits Week 33

2010-02-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

The best of Scottish fare on the Saturday evening was followed by even better food on the Sunday. The latter was the occasion of the District finals of the Young Chef Competition, held again in the Catering Department of Dundee College. This scheme first came into existence due to the good offices and hard work of the Rotary Club of Dundee Discovery, in 2008. Again they were at the forefront of the organisation, ably aided and abetted by Dundee Claverhouse. Fourteen finalist from the local heats duly arrived from every corner of the District, some having left in the astonishingly early hours of Sunday morning to get to Dundee in time. Their task was to produce a balanced, interesting and healthy menu in 2 hours, for 2 people, at a cost of less than £15. Not only did they have to prepare everything and cook it, but they were also assessed on table settings and the quality of food presentation. In the words of the professional chefs who acted as part of the judging panel, this would have taxed many a time served professional and the skills on display were quite remarkable. The menus were excellent, to the extent that the organisers hope to combine them into a publication which can be sold for charity funds. The young people were incredibly committed and extremely hard working. The quality of food was quite superb. I would happily have any one of the young people prepare a meal for me. In the end, we had to select two winners and a reserve who will go forward to the next stage of the northern Britain finals from which further selections will be made to go to the RIBI finals in the south of England. These were Caitie Grainger,BlairWilson and Anne Doidge. However, everyone was a winner. It is no mean achievement to parade your skills in public before your peers and even more so, when at a relatively young age. I hope that all of them will maintain their obvious interest in the culinary arts. My thanks go to the respective Presidents of Discovery and Claverhouse, Craig Suttie and Nick Fleming, and all their Rotarians, for masterminding this very worthwhile competition.

DG's Visits Week 32

2010-02-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

My 32nd week in post, having started with 2 days of General Council at RIBI's HQ in Alcester, ended with a unique event held by Dundee Rotary Club. This was their Scots Evening which came into existence to replace the Annual Ball which was increasingly affected by falling support. Happily, this year's event also coincided with the visit of one of Dundee's twin Clubs from Orleans in France. The two Clubs visit each other on alternate years. A little extra spice was added to this year's visit, as the French rugby team were due to take on Scotland at Murrayfield the following day. After 2 days of visits to local places of interest, the Saturday evening event took the form of a dinner with strong Scottish and Burns overtones. With traditional Scotch Broth, etc, it was inevitable that there would be an address to the haggis. Uniquely, not only was this given in our native tongue but it was also translated into French. It was not only our French visitors who looked bemused! The meal was followed by singing, dancing and some very unlikely tales in Franglais. Everyone had a wonderful evening which did much to cement both the spirit of Rotary and that of Entente Cordiale, even if our French accents left something to be desired in singing La Marseillaise.

DG's Visits Week 30

2010-01-29T01:48:00.000-08:00

The following day saw Daphne and I again involved in Interact business with a trip to Aberdeen for the chartering of the new St. Machar Academy Club at the weekly meeting of St. Machar RC. We received the usual warm welcome from President Margaret, Past District Governor Bill Wood and the other members of the Club. This more than compensated for the bitterly cold weather outside. It was a pleasure to be joined by District Interact Officer Janet Lowe. There was a very welcome opportunity over lunch to talk to the new President Rachel and other members of the new Club. They represent all that is good about our young people being polite, nicely confident, with clear views of their own futures and a commitment to put something back into their own communities. All of this was extremely well encapsulated by Rachael in her address to us all on the future of the new Club. After the presentation of the Charter Certificate, we had a timely reminder to all involved in Rotary of the Four Way Test and an excellent vote of thanks by Assistant Governor Elect Alan Pirie. My thanks go to everyone for another excellent occasion and especially to Janet Lowe and to President Margaret who have both worked exceedingly hard to bring the new Club into existence.

DG's Visits Week 30

2010-01-29T01:04:00.000-08:00

After the extended break due to Xmas and the bad weather, it was time to get out on the road again. My first port of call was at the inauguration of the new Alford Academy Interact Club. Signs of the heavy snow were still quite evident as Daphne and I drove north. We were very warmly welcomed by the Alford Rotarians and the Rector, Moira Milne, and staff of the Academy. It was a most enjoyable gathering, with local Rotarians, school staff, other representatives of the senior pupils and local councillor, Richard Stroud, who has a particular interest in education. After the formalities of presenting the Charter Certificate and badges, we had an excellent address by President Natalie, outlining their plans, and an equally able vote of thanks from Vice President Andrew. This was followed by an excellent buffet which showed that the quality of catering has dramatically improved since my own school days. All the young people were a great delight to meet and with the strong support from Alford Rotarians and school staff, I see a bright future for this new Interact Club. The Club is one of a number being formed this year through the hard work and commitment of District Interact Officer Janet Lowe, and represents really good news for the future of Rotary. My sincere thanks go to Janet for all her efforts. Special thanks also go to Rotarian Paul Lawson who has worked tirelessly to bring the new Club into existenec.

DG's Travels Week 25

2009-12-18T14:18:00.000-08:00

Despite the very seasonal but not very pleasant weather of the moment, Daphne and I had the pleasure of joining the majority of the 2009-2010 DG's, together with other senior Rotarians from earlier years, at a special lunch yesterday in Edinburgh to mark the first Scottish President of RI. John and June Kenny were in fine form and delighted to be spending some time in Scotland and to have the opportunity to catch up with family, friends and local Rotarians. True to his philosophy, John reminded us that the current year is not yet half way through and that there is much still to be achieved, not least on increasing member numbers and making the final push on PolioPlus. He particularly congratulated DG's on the Thanks for Life initiative and wished it every success. The meeting was also addresssed by RIBI President David Fowler, who in his words, encapsulated the pride which all of us feel that we should have an RI President from these islands. John Kenny is only the fifth RI President to have come from RIBI, and follows in a proud tradition of Rotarians who have made a major impact on Rotary throughout the world. It is indicative of the very high regard in which John Kenny is held, that Rotarians had travelled from every part of RIBI to join him and June on this special occasion.

DG's Week 23

2009-12-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

Today saw Daphne and I taking the long overdue opportunity to meet up with my brother and his wife and one of their friends. As all of us have some sort of Rotary involvement, I almost considered designating the meeting as worthy of an 'official' attendance! The day did turn very rapidly into a Rotary occasion, as the same venue had been chosen by the Rotary Club of Dundee to hold a party for their Rotary members with over 40 years of service, and their partners. Hosted by President Graham and his wife Joan, and aided by several other members of the Club who were providing chaffeur services, I thought that this was a really nice occasion. It acknowledged the role of a Past District Governor, Past Presidents and other Rotarians who have all contributed enormously to Rotary over the years. It is all too easy to push our elders into the background and I was delighted to see their contribution recognised in this way. The day was dry but cold, the venue was wonderful with great views, it was warm, and the food and company were both excellent. What better way is there to pass an afternoon. My thanks go to the Dundee Rotarians for this really nice gesture.

DG's Visits Week 23

2009-12-02T09:47:00.000-08:00

This stage of a DG's year is one of change. Many activities which have become almost a way of life, draw to a close, other new activities begin, and there is always an awareness that time is passing rapidly by, with many objectives still to be achieved. Tuesday saw Daphne and I heading first of all southwards for a short meeting with the two other Scottish District Governors in the cold wilderness of upland Lanarkshire. The wind chill factor must have been considerable with temperature, elevation and wind speed combined. We then reversed our tracks to get to the Queensferry Hotel for the meeting of the West Fife Club. This is a very recent change of venue for their members, and is obviously different from their previous venue of many years standing. However, it is a super environment, with many plus factors and I am sure that it will soon feel like 'home'. The Club is in great heart, with many boxes ticked on the 'things to do' list. I would admit to a mixture of feelings on the evening as this was the last of my 87 Clubs to visit. On the one hand, it is good to complete the list before winter really sets in. I had not fancied driving back from Thurso on a cold winter's night with heavy snow. However, just to underline that nothing can be assumed, we were faced with heavy rain mixed with snow on the way home! On the other side of the coin, I will really miss my regular meetings with Clubs and their Rotarians. This is where the real business of Rotary goes on and I have the feeling that I will be more at arms length in the future, despite my best endeavours to do otherwise. However, I will watch with interest, the endeavours of the Clubs, no less so in the case of West Fife, where raising yet more money and increasing their member numbers figure highly in their plans. I wish President George and his members well on both counts.
I take this opportunity to thank all of the District 1010 Clubs for their warmth of welcome, hospitality and unfailing courtesy to Daphne and I on all of our visits. This has been a period of my life which I will always treasure, with all sorts of different memories from the many different parts which constitute this wonderful District. Daphne and I have been fortunate beyond measure and we do look forward to visiting the Clubs again in the future, on a less formal basis, and perhaps at a slower pace which will allow us to enjoy to the maximum, the Rotarians and their surroundings.

DG's Visits Week 22

2009-11-27T07:08:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-25T01:37:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-25T01:28:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-22T10:09:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-12T12:09:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-08T10:40:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-08T10:28:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-08T09:25:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

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.

DG's Visits Week 18

2009-10-28T09:44:00.001-07:00

Week 18 saw a somewhat weary DG, after far too many hours on a train the previous afternoon and evening, heading south and east to,the links of Kingsbarns, to participate in the wonderful National Golf Competition run by the Rotary Club of St. Andrews Kilrymont. As the North of Scotland(aka District 1010) were the current holders of the trophy, which is so like the Claret Jug of the Open Championship that you would be hard pushed to tell them apart, I was in no doubt that I had to be there to help to defend the trophy against the combined assault of the South of Scotland and England. To say that the previous day was the worst possible preparation to play the game of golf, would be the understatement of the year, with the first two holes seeing no contribution from me to the points tally, but our pairing ably held together by the superb golf of past AG Jim Young. Thereafter, things did improve, with a wonderfully competitive match developing against our opponent pairing of Geordies, both of whom were superb golfers. The pendulum swung both ways, with our pairing triumphing on the final hole. The round was hard fought but absolutely enlivened by the superb company and repartee. My jaded spirits were totally restored by the time we returned to the Clubhouse. It was my pleasure to present the prizes which I thoroughly enjoyed, including one where my initial bemusement over Brain Gray's statement that I could not present this particular prize, turned to enlightenment when he said I could not present a prize to myself. The prize in question was the use of a Honda sports car for a week end, for the drive closest to the flag on the fearsome 15th hole. After looking at one stage as if it might cost me a fortune by the ball going into the hole, it remained close enough to the pin to defy any attempts at getting closer. The day was quite superb, with chief organiser Brain Gray yet again waving his magic wand to ensure perfect weather, in total contrast to the days before and after. The event is superbly organised, from the bacon rolls first thing, to the black bun and whisky to restore momentum half way round and the excellent high tea. The competition is enlivened by various tests of one's golfing mettle for accuracy and distance, all set against the magnificent background of one of the finest but hardest links courses in Britain. In addition to what was an excellent day of fun and first class fellowship, the day raised an impressive amount of money for various charities, including one of my own favourites, WaterAid, for which I took away a greatly appreciated cheque for £1000. For this, and indeed for another first class occasion, my thanks and congratulations go to President Grace, organiser Brian and all his team, and indeed all the St. Andrews Kilrymont Rotarians. As to the result of the contest, various individuals returned staggeringly high Stableford points scores which will surely have them closely scrutinised by the Handicaps Committee next year but saw them collect various trophies, and the team trophy returned again to the north of Scotland, so ably captained by Jim Young who led by example from start to finish. Here's to next year.

DG's Visits Week 18

2009-10-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

Tuesday afternoon, and it is raining heavily. Surprise, surprise. Our now familiar road north on the A90, takes us on this occasion to the Rotary Club of Portlethen and District and the warm welcome of President John and his Rotarians. This was visit no. 80 out of the 87 planned so far for the current Rotay year. We enjoyed an excellent evening in the convivial surroundings of the Newton Arms, where I heard much about the Club's many activities. They are really on board with all the targets set for the current Rotary year, and I particularly appreciate their support over a range of activities for young people both at home, including RYLA, and abroad, in helping the Ugandan orphans of the Bubaare and Muko schools. Their awareness of the need for good PR to extol the activities of Rotary and attract always needed funds for various good causes, is absolutely on the ball, as is their awareness that 1 + 1 can often make 3 in terms of the success of some activities such as the Thanks for Life project where it can be of value for several Clubs to combine resources. The Club is a very important part of its local community which I rate as very important, notwithstanding the many deserving causes internationally. Yet another Club to provide help for the much needed and highly valued Shelterboxes, I commend their successes, admire their energy for one of our smaller Clubs and wish them continuing success in the future.

DG's Visits Week 17

2009-10-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

The Friday morning saw an early start to travel south to York for the District 1020 Conference.All three Scottish Governors work closely together and it has been a great pleasure to support each other's Conferences. The week-end began with a superb evening's music from a group called Scocha which I had not heard previously. I wish I had even a tenth of the performers' energy, as they went through a wonderful repertoire of both very upbeat songs which stirred the spirits and certainly had everyone's feet tapping, and sad songs which tugged the emotional heart strings. The Conference programme was a similar mixture of very upbeat activities going on round the world, and those where you could not be anything other than sad and hope that better times and help would come to those whose lives are so impoverished. The Saturday evening dance was held in the York Railway museum where happy revellers sat in close proximity to the austere magnificence of the carriages of various Royal Trains over the years. Sunday started with a service which was multi-denominational in everything but name, went on to the pearls of wisdom of Sir Tom Farmer and ended with the droll, laid back humour of Robbie Glenn, retired prison governor. The week-end had an excellent blend, well chaired by Governor Alastair Davies, ably supported by his wife Kirsteen. Where would Governors be without their partners..

DG's Visits Week 17

2009-10-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

Thursday evening(23 October) took Daphne and I to Forfar to the very pleasant occasion of the induction of Rotarian David Logan, now the Rev David Logan, as minister of St. Margaret's Church on the High Street. A former police officer, there is no doubt that David will bring the same dedication to his new profession, and I count the congregation as fortunate in having such a hard working and committed incumbent. The occasion was amazingly well supported, not just by the church's own congregation, but by many others from local churches and from other walks of life. The singing was quite superb and I hope that David felt that it was a very fitting beginning to his new ministry.

DG's Visits Week 17

2009-10-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

After Stonehaven, it was time to head north to visit the Banchory-Ternan Club on Deeside. My thoughts that the rain could not get any worse were totally misplaced. Windscreen wipers struggled to cope and a more appropriate form of transport might have been a WW2 amphibious landing craft, as large volumes of water swept down the roads. The sanctuary of the Burnett Arms was welcome indeed, as was the warm welcome in every sense of the Banchory Rotarians. This is another Club with a wide range of projects which they support, and a special interest in young people, both overseas and at home. Their support for Shelterbox is so welcome at this time when all existing resources have already been used. The Club has embraced the concept of 'forward planning' with a vengeance, taking a long hard look at what might follow on, once polio has been consigned to the footnotes of history. Top of their list is malaria, another appalling affliction of Mankind which can and does kill millions. It has no respect for health or wealth, as many have found to their cost in the past. However, protection can be provided at relatively low costs. As always, this, allied with education, will be essential to success. There is a prospective world-wide Rotary project here. Certainly, within District 1010, I believe that a number of Clubs working together will achieve far greater success and leverage, than any Club working on its own. I wish President Jim and his fellow Rotarians every success in taking their proposals forward to a much wider audience. The return drive home was an experience, but not one to be readily sought out or repeated. The possibility of the short route over Cairn o' Mount was rapidly dismissed on reports of roads washed away by flooding, and even the well tried Slug Road had assumed all the characteristics of a water slalom course. The tendency to aquaplane under these condition was happily easily overcome by the excellent elctronic control systems built into the car. However, our own front door was a very welcome sight.

DG's Visits Week 17

2009-10-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

Could I be forgiven about getting paranoid over the state of the weather this year? Yet again, another week of visits, etc has been accompanied by exceedingly heavy falls of rain. Conditions while driving up to Stonehaven were not memorable and it was a relief to get ourselves and equipment safely into the hotel. However, this had not deterred the Stonehaven Rotarians who were present in large numbers. As always, it was a pleasure to be meeting with Rotarians and to hear their views on a wide range of topics. This was added to by two special occasions. The first was to present certificates to their two RYLA candidates, who had had a wonderful week at Nethybridge and had been a great credit to themselves and the sponsoring Club. The second was to charter the new Stonehaven-sponsored Interact Club based on Mackie Academy. They are a fine bunch of youngsters who will be ably supported by both school staff and some of the Stonehaven Rotarians. The icing on the cake was the presentation by President Wilma of an exceedingly large cheque for PolioPlus-far larger vthan I had any reason to anticipate - £3000 to be precise. A very big well done to Stonehaven for a tremendous effort.

2009-10-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Sunday 18 was spent in the excellent company of Stephen Chorley, District Foundation chair, Jim Mulreany, GSE Co-ordinator, AG Samantha Miler, a past GSE Team Leader, and Barry Davies, Team Leader for the outgoing team to District 5510 Arizone in the late spring of 2010, to select the team. We were totally spoiled for choice with a wonderful group of candidates. It is a pity that RI limits the numbers, as it would have been nice to send everyone. In the end, decisions had to be made to produce a team of varied interests, as we are required to do, and the successful candidates will be notified in the next few days. However, everyone should be delighted at how well they presented their own cases and I am enormously proud that this District can bring forward such superb young people. There are opportunities every year to apply for this really excellent scheme, so I hope that those not selected to go this year will consider a future application. I also hope that all District 1010 Clubs will strive to bring the scheme to the notice of as wide a group of young people as possible.. I can also say that I would be absolutely delighted to see everyone of the candidates joining a Rotary Club in this District. We really do have to find the means to get such fine young people involved in the Rotary movement, even if this means a change to long held traditions and procedures.

DG's Visits Week 16

2009-10-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

The evening of 14 October tool me back to a location with which I am very familiar, my paternal ancestral home of Monifieth. Their Rotary Club is one which I have visited, and spoken at, on many an occasion, and there was a genuine sense of homecoming. Now well established in their new home at Grange Golf Club, it would be a surprise if golf did not figure somewhere in both their social and fun raising activities. The Club is one of the most committed in the District, having picked up the trophy for attendance on several occasions. President David is another Club leader who has really embraced the need to bring in new members, with three younger Rotarians recently inducted and more on the way. They are great supporters of PolioPlus and Foundation while also finding the financial resources and time to support young people through RYLA, the PSQ, Euroscola and their own Interact Club. They have a range of activities in their local community, but have also found the means to purchase water purifiers for District 3180 in India, a ShelterBox, AquaBoxes and Shoeboxes, as well as providing help for the Jaipur Limb Centre, Spectacles for Jerusalem, Schools 4 All and other activities. Rotary friendships are promoted and encouraged by their 'Fireside Chats' which everyone enjoys. As a biologist and one concerned with positive aspects of the environment, I particularly applaud their objective to create a Sensory Garden at Ashludie Hospital. President David must be rightfully pleased with his Club's many achievements.

DG's Visits Week 15

2009-10-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

The following day(14 October) saw us visiting the Rotary Club of Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay, in their wonderful new venue at the Queensferry Hotel on St. Margaret's Head, where the view is, to say the very least, a major distraction. One would have to find very good reasons to forego this outlook by missing one of their meetings. This comes over as an exceptionally happy Club and perhaps the view has something to do with this. President John has really embraced the Club's wish to bring in new members, with an influx of enthusiastic young Rotarians and more on the way. All have brought, or will bring, with them a dynamism which augurs well for the Club's future activities, and just as importantly are already looking to bring in further Rotarians of their own age group. This is not to say that the Club is unproductive. Quite the reverse, with their support for PolioPlus, Foundation, help for the elderly and high profile PR activities. With a broad programme of social activities, including curling, golf and bowling, the Club clearly has an excellent balance. The Club is very receptive to a number of my ideas/ objectives for the current year, and will be looking to see how they can help.

DG's Visits Week 16

2009-10-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Monday having been spent on Rotary and real work administration, it was a genuine pleasure to get out on the road again to vist the Perth Kinnoull Club. President Janet was the perfect hostess and has the unenviable task of keeping a very vibrant group of Rotarians under control.She did this superbly well.It was also a great pleasure to see Rotarian Brian Raine, District Youth Opportunities Chairman, much restored in health and looking incredibly well despite everything he has been through recently. Kinnoull is another Club which has responded very quickly to my appeal for Shelterboxes, with at least one being funded in the very near future.They are also strong supporters of youth activities, PolioPlus and Foundation. Internationally, they support a Rotary Club in Swaziland and are maintaining their wonderful project to provide succour for the Chernobyl children . Time so often leads to forgetfulness or even invisibility, and I am so pleased that the Kinnoull Club has managed to maintain the latter link over such a long number of years now. The Club is also involved greatly with their local community and with other Perth Clubs in supporting the Perth 800 celebrations. On membership, like more and more Clubs, they are pursuing new members even though their existing membership base is quite satisfactory. As always, I totally commend such foresight.

DG's Visits Week 15

2009-10-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

The next Club visit was not until Thursday 8 October, when Daphne and I had the pleasure of going to Inverness, the only other Club formed in the same year as my own in 1921. There are a number of other links, with sons of present and past Dundee Rotarians, now members of the Inverness Club. President Jim undertook his training in Dundee and a number of other members have Dundee connections or have worked in Dundee in the past. Here again, I was delighted with the tremendous turn out of their members, with President Jim even having come back off holiday to be there for my visit. Now, that really is Service Above Self. The Club ticks all the boxes, with activities for and on behalf of young people, strong support for PolioPlus and Foundation, help for Senior Citizens and support for all sorts of overseas projects. All of this matched by an excellent programme of social events. However, what really blew me away was their reaction to my appeal over Shelterboxes. This had emanated from the situation made known in the previous three days that there was a very great need for Shelterboxes as a result of a further tsunami and various earthquakes and landslips. All of this at a time when even the initial needs left the Shelterbox cupboard bare. I had asked Clubs to help if they possibly could and, if the had already planned to donate a Shelterbox during the year, to see if this could be brought forward. To my astonishment but obvious delight, Inverness said that they would be sending money immediately to purchase four! In my subsequent letter of thanks to the Club, I said that we may never know the precise identities of the recipients, but we can be sure that everyone will give thanks for our efforts and hold the generosity of Rotary deep in their hearts.

DG's Visits

2009-10-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October saw Daphne and I attending the District 1230 Conference of Governor Andy Slater and his wife Eileen in Glasgow. Their format is different but no less succesful to our own, and we had a very enjoyable few days. As always, sleep is never a commodity in great supply but this was more than offset by the entertainment and some really excellent speakers. These included Sir Tom Farmer talking about how to grow a business and Mel Young on the Homeless World Cup Foundation. I hope that Mel or one of his colleagues will be able to speak at one of our District Council meetings. It was also a great pleasure to meet up with some of their very enthusiastic Rotaractors from Glasgow and Renfrew. I am sure that the Clubs in our two Districts could get together to their mutual advantage.

DG's Visits Week 14

2009-10-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 30 almost seemed like a day off, with only one Club visit, in comparison to the previous day. It was a pleasure to visit President Robert and his members, who turned out in astonishingly large numbers, as well as attracting a number of outside visitors, both Rotarian and non-Rotarian. Obviously no one had told them about the DG's visit! The weather was also quite different from the previous day, with the sun blazing down, just as it had done when Daphne and I visited the Scottish Bowling Championships in Alloa right at the start of my year in office. The Club recognises the need to advance the recognition and public image of Rotary and have created a new PR/Communication post to do just that. There is also a very strong commitment to young people through RYLA, the PSQ, Young Chef and Euroscola. They are strong supporters of PolioPlus, Foundation, the Nyumbani Project and Shoeboxes, with a wide variety of fund raising activities. They are ambitious growth-wise, both seeking to increase their current membership numbers through a new strategy involving all existing members, and looking to the future through the creation of an Interact Club.

DG's Visits Week 14

2009-10-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

The evening of Tuesday 29 took us a bit further afield, accompanied by a return of the exceedingly wet weather which seems to have followed us around during Club visits. President Willie and his members gave us a very warm welcome to compensate for the elements outside and we enjoyed a very friendly and informative evening. Another Club with a very strong commitment to young people through things such as RYLA, the PSQ, RYLA and interviews for young people, they also punch well above their weight on PolioPlus. The Club has a very strong relationship with the local community to the mutual benefit of both. The Club is now well established in their new venue and look to expand their membership in the future.

DG's Visits Week 14

2009-10-19T06:48:00.000-07:00

Lunchtime on the 29th took us just along the road to the meeting of the Claverhouse Club which again has a number of old friends and acquaintances amongst their membership. President Nick is another Club leader who has given very high priority to increasing their membership, recognising that this is an ever present need, even for the very succesful Clubs. Contrary to what some might believe, the Club is not anti lady members but looks first and foremost for people who will make the best possible Rotarians, irrespective of their gender. As Dundee's one true city centre Club, their lunchtime meetings must appeal to those who would like to be involved in Rotary but wish to do so at fairly close repair to their businesses.The Club does a great deal for both young people and the various 'Box' schemes, which are very much at the top of my list of priorities. They also run the quite outstanding Cyclothon, which started in a small way and simply keeps on growing and growing, raising a formidable amount of money in the process. Never can there have been a more profitable example of 'get on your bike'. Many charities will benefit as a consequence.

DG's Visits Week 14

2009-10-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

The morning of Tuesday 29, saw Daphne and I up at the crack of dawn to attend the breakfast meeting of Dundee Discovery. They have moved their meeting place from the University Tower Block to the West Park Conference Centre where they enjoy excellent surroundings, an equally good breakfast and trouble free parking. With all that and their warm welcome, they are well worth a visit. President Craig and his members have ambitious plans for one of our smaller Clubs, not least a considerable increase in their member numbers. If you know of anyone who might be attracted to Rotary but who would struggle to make lunchtime or evening meetings, please pass their names on to President Craig or Secretary David. The Club has already established its niche in District through their organisation of the Young Chef and I look forward to this growing in scale throughout our 87 Clubs. One special element of the Club is the number of members who have had personal experience of Interact, Youth Exchange and Rotaract, and I hope that this is a pattern of developing future Rotarians which we will see increase in District 1010.

DG's Visits Week 14

2009-10-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

The frenzy of the last 3 weeks having subsided somewhat, there is now a chance to update my activities. At the beginning of the week, I visited the nearest Club to my home, Abertay. Not surprisingly, I know and have known many of their members for a great many years. The Club is in vibrant form and showing clearly the benefits which can arise from a change to their meeting time. They have a very happy blend of enjoying themselves and raising lots of money for good causes, with some events such as the Jazz at the Castle event and their presence at the Dundee Flower and Food Festival combining both. They attach great value to the need to publicise Rotary's activities, with their Club Magazine yet again picking up the top prize. It was a pleasure to present this to editor Adrian Stewart. As with a number of Clubs, they have an active involvement with Age Concern, something which I totally commend. We will all get there one day. The Club has ambitious membership growth plans and I wish them every success in this vital activity for all Clubs, and a very happy year under the leadership of President John.

DG's Visits Week 12/13

2009-09-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

The final event of the week was the attendance by Daphne and I at the 55th Charter Dinner event of the Huntly Rotary Club. The Huntly Club has achieved much in its lifetime and I hope that the next 55 years are at least as succesful. It is interesting to reflect that back in the days of Huntly's formation by the Rotary Club of Keith, the District consisted of only 27 Clubs. My, how we have grown! President Greg and VP Paul had determined that this would be a light hearted evening, with a minimum of formalities and a maximum of good food, drink and entertainment, and so it proved. The speakers were excellent but not overly lengthy, with Procurator Fiscal Jim Robertson rounding off the evening in fine style. He really has mastered the art of amusing a mixed audience and was greatly appreciated.

DG's Visits Week 12/13

2009-09-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

On Friday morning, I had the privilege and pleasure of sharing in the official opening of the NAFAS/Rotary Golden Wheels of Service with Annie Adams of NAFAS and Jim McColl of Beechgrove Garden fame. The event was sponsored by 18 of the north east Rotary Clubs and all the displays exemplified various Rotary causes and themes, such as Adopt a Minefield, WaterAid Mercy Ships and ShelterBox. The displays were mounted in the beautiful St Machars Cathedral, a very familiar location from my days as a student at Aberdeen University. As student in the near by Botany Department and a resident of Crombie Hall just down the road, this was all very familiar territory. The floral displays were quite outstanding and Nature cooperated by providing the most beautiful weather. I hope that the event received enormous support and that the two chosen charities, Breast Cancer Care and CRANES, benefitted from an always welcome boost to their funds.

DG's Visits Week 12/13

2009-09-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

Thursday brought us back to Aberdeen and a visit to the Balgownie Club in their delightful meeting place in the Mains of Scotstown Inn at Bridge of Don. I spent a very interesting evening with President Ron and his members hearing about their plans for the current year. Especially impressive are their recruiting plans, with mail shots for an Information evening which cover thousands. I will be very interested to hear how this goes and wish them every success. The fact that at least 20% of their members will bring prospective members to a Club meeting also augurs well for a very succesful recruiting drive. Most Clubs are looking for 2-3 new members. Balgownie are targeting at least five. The Club is also well to the fore in looking at cooperative activities with other Clubs, as evidenced by their joint involvement with Ellon RC in helping to organise The Sandwalk, a test even for those in prime physical condition. Keen supporters of the Wishaw Games and other events in their local community, the Club is also a staunch supporter of the various 'Box' schemes.

DG's Visits Week 12/13

2009-09-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

Wednesday evening took us to the third of my experimental joint Club meetings which involved the Peterhead and Central Buchan Clubs-one of our older Clubs with our newest. Again, my thanks to AG Andrew for making all the arrangements. It was a pleasure to meet up with Presidents Mick and Donald again, and to hear about their differing experiences in the current Rotary year. On the one hand we have Peterhead, fully established and with a definite track record of proven events. On the other, we have the bold young Rotarians of Central Buchan, still learning but eager to do so and to move forward to make their own mark on the Rotary world. Not surprisingly perhaps, there are a number of things which they can learn from ech other in the process of change which is passing through the Rotary movement today. Enthusiasm blended with wise counsel and a steady hand. What better combination could you get. Peterhead are seeking to add new blood to the Club while Central Buchan have just recruited their first additional member. It is great news to hear how Clubs all round the District have embraced the drive to increase member numbers and I wish everyone great success.

DG's Visits Week 12/13

2009-09-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Monday morning meant a very early start to fly from Inverness to Stornoway where we were met by President Bob who very kindly left us to catch up with much needed sleep in the afternoon before taking us out for a superb meal along with his wife Janette and Club Secretary Kenneth, preceded by drinks with them, Kenneth's wife Sandra and SVP Donald. The following morning was gainfully occupied with a tour and briefing on Stornoway with President Bob, before we headed off to meet the rest of the Club members. This is yet another Club whose activities are vital to the local community and whose fund raising belies their smaller numbers of members. It was a great pleasure to visit Lewis again and enjoy their magnificent scenery and equally impresssive food. I could do serious damage to my waistline there, so perhaps it was just as well that we had to set off back to Inverness in the afternoon. However, the promise of a warm Western Isles welcome will soon draw us back again.

DG's Visits Week 12

2009-09-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

From a sombre start to the week, it ended with an absolute blast. The District Council moved things forward with agreement on the revised standing orders which will allow the District to appoint up to 10 AGs. Approval was also given to set up a committee which will endeavour to ensure that there will be at least one candidate for every elected post. This is not an attempt to deprive any Club of their democratic rights but quite the reverse. They will have the final say on any individuals which the committee think might be worthy of a Club's support. Finally, the Council agreed that an in depth investigation be undertaken into the possibilities of electronic voting. This should help the Clubs which feel that they are currently deprived of their democratic rights through an inability to attend District Council meetings.
Events then moved on with an ever accelerating pace with a first class reception provided by Highland Council, a superb dinner and excellent entertainment from Mary Queen of Scots and two of our former Rotaractors who are now making a name for themselves in the musical world. The next morning saw us down to business in earnest with a series of first rate speakers on topics as diverse as PolioPlus, WaterAid and Cancer. The afternooon provided a choice between further Rotary business, a visit to the new centre at Culloden, a walk round Loch an Eilean or a delightful concert by the young musicians of Dundee High School. In the latter, all the youngsters performed superbly, but few in the audience did not have their heart strings tugged by the two young ladies who sang 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' and 'A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square'. This was followed rapidly by a reception for the Club Presidents and first time attendees and then another superb meal. We were then magnificently entertained by Robin Mather and Tripper whose music was of such a high calibre that the floor was never empty until the end of the evening. Sunday started with the traditional church service with the collection going to Help for Heroes, then more excellent presentations followed.It is impossible to thank all who contributed but to the Conference Centre and hotels, the speakers, the entertainers, the organisers, especially Stewart Wilson and my own Club's organising committee, and to everyone who attended, may I say an enormous thank you.

DG's Visits Week 12

2009-09-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

Early on the Wednesday morning we set off westwards to visit the Ullapool Club. A brief detour to see the suspension bridge over the Corrieshalloch Gorge was well worthwhile. The weather was stunningly good after the weeks of indifferent weather so perhaps an Indian Summer is in prospect. The two visiting German tourists we met half way across the bridge were certainly impressed, but whether that was the weather or the height exposure on a swaying bridge was not clear! Ullapool itself looked fantastic and we were soon enjoying the warm welcome and hospitality of President Rick and his members. There was also a brief opportunity to touch base with area AG John Sutherland who happened to be visiting Ullapool that day. The Club has embarked on expansion in several directions, both aiming to increase their member numbers and substantially increase their fund raising over and above the considerable amounts they already raise. It was with some reluctance that Daphne and I had to take our leave, but the District Council meeting and District Conference due to start on the Friday were already beckoning.

DG's Visits Week 12

2009-09-27T11:20:00.035-07:00

Tuesday took us westwards to Aberlour which is another of my former Clubs when I was AG in the north east of the District. It was a pleasure to meet up with them again, especially long serving Secretary, Tim Dolan, who I knew from earlier days working on malting barleys for brewing and distilling. The Club has long been noted for its friendly welcome and nothing has changed. President Jeff has lots of ambitious plans, with an increase in membership at the top of the list. It will be of great interest to hear about their special Open Evening for potential members. Their fund raising plans for PolioPlus by holding soup and sweet lunches, coffee mornings, etc round the neighbouring villages are also novel and I wish them every success. The Club's other big interest is in RYLA where they have managed to build up a real head of interest in the scheme amongst local schools, and always provide candidates of excellent quality.

DG's Visits Week 12

2009-09-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

Monday evening saw us in Huntly where the wonderful Scottish autumn colours were just beginning to appear. Mere yards from the main road west of Huntly, one can see the spectacular peregrines in flight, with top speeds allegedly approaching 200mph in a dive. They are truly magnificent fliers. At the Huntly Club itself, President Greg and his members were in fine form, notwithstanding all the last minute preparations leading up to their 55th Charter Dinner. Huntly have a tremendous involvement with their local community, with everything from Santa Claus to the town's floral decorations emanating from their efforts. They have a number of very talented members and I hope that these skills will be brought forward to District level in due course. It is good to see their recent lady members having an increased involvement in the Club's activities, with their Immediate Past , and first Lady, President taking the Club forward to achieve several RI Awards. President Greg set off immediately after the meeting to move his boat to its winter quarters. When I saw him a few days later, he referred to an 'interesting' sail, which probably meant that it was about a Force 7!

DG's Visits Week 12

2009-09-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

Week 12 began on a sad note with Daphne and I attending the funeral of Past District Governor George Cram of the Rotary Club of Dundee. George was everything you could wish for in a Rotarian. Fun to be with but nevertheless totally committed to Rotary's ideals. He was my mentor and constant source of encouragement, as indeed he was to numerous new Rotarians. I have little doubt that I would never have scaled the heights of being a District Governor without his support. Early on in my Rotary career, it was George who encouraged me to attend District and other Conferences, and to get involved with District affairs. My Rotary life would have been much the poorer without this. He also worked tirelessly for the District, in particular wading through the tomes which constitute the papers for the Council on Legislation , without which we would have had little or no knowledge of Rotary's administrative process. George was a first class DG and he brought the commitment to this position which he also brought to the many other activities he was involved in. He will be greatly missed.

DG's Visits Week 11

2009-09-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

My eighth and final visit of the week was a return visit to the Rotary Club of Stirling, my previous visit having had to be cut short due to ill-health. Whether this was 'swine flu' or some other unwelcome bug, is irrelevant, but it was nice to have the opportunity to thank President Alan and his members for looking after me so well and making sure that I got home unscathed. The Stirling Club is a very similar vintage to my own and there are lots of old friendships formed on the golf links and other venues. It was a great pleasure to me to hear about their support for PolioPlus, Foundation, Shoeboxes and so on, and their ambitions to raise even more money for a range of Rotary's good causes. This is another Club which has been exceedingly successful at bringing in new members and they have a vibrancy which belies the Club's years. The social side is never ignored, not least in arranging social events for the community's elder citizens. It was a great pleasure while at the Club, to formally present their Presidential Citation to Immediate Past President Malcom Cordwell-Smith. This truly demonstrates a successful Club. Malcolm was obviously as keen to give as to receive, when he returned the Gordon Boyd Trophy which he won for his outstanding golf performances at last year's District Conference. Unfortunately, he will be unable to defend his title at this year's Conference.

DG's Visits Week 11

2009-09-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

After my all too rare visit to my own Club, it was time to hit the road again and head up to Aberdeen to visit the Westhill Club. I have a number of old friends there, not least PDG Bill Leslie, who was away about his business of forming yet another new Club, a job he does superbly well. However, I will catch up with him at the District Conference. Bill and I share the same philosophy of 'let's stop just talking about it and get on and do it'. The Club was absolutely buzzing with ideas and projects both for the present and the future. The world quite literally is their oyster, with projects in Nepal and Indonesia in progress or planned, tremendous help and support for their local young people and excellent support for the local communities, especially for the senior citizens. With their support for international activities such as PolioPlus and Shelterbox, Westhill typify all the good things about Rotary. It was a great pleasure to meet up with President Russell and his members again and a return visit is definitely on the cards to hear about their latest overseas achievements.

DG's Visits Week 11

2009-09-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Thursday lunchtime was my 60th Club visit of the Rotary year and just happened to be to my own Club, Dundee. It was a somewhat strange experience being there after so many weeks away, but also entering the Club as Governor rather than just one of the members. However, any such feelings soon evaporated with the warmth of welcome from our Fellowship team of Charlie, Gordon and David. All the other members from President Graham down were equally welcoming and it was nice to be home, for all the many pleasures I have had from visiting the other Clubs in District. It was also great to catch up with all the Club news, with ambitious plans for the youth side of Rotary(watch this spot), very successful fund raising events and every one eagerly looking forward to the District Conference in just over a week's time. It was a very suitable occasion to thank all the Club members for the tremendous support which they have given to me and Daphne, and especially the Conference Planning Committee who have worked their socks off to organise a Conference which has something for everyone and will make for a very happy week-end. More Club visits are the order of the next few weeks but it was really nice to touch base, if even for a short time. I look forward to welcoming many of the Club members next Friday in Aviemore.

DG's Visits Week 11

2009-09-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

The evening took us just over the hill to visit the Rotary Club of Forfar, another Club with a great track record in recent times for bringing in new members. It was a great pleasure to be involved in the induction of another new Rotarian, Alan Cairns, the eighth such occasion already this year in the Clubs I have visited to date. It will be fantastic if this momentum can be maintained throughout the year by our Clubs. A strong supporter of Trust Banks and other overseas schemes, Forfar nevertheless have an extensive involvement with the local community. They are very keen to raise the public profile of Rotary, recognising the benefits this can bring in promoting their big fund raising events such as their very succesful Marafun, scheduled this coming year for 30 May. Their youth involvement is especially extensive, involving RYLA, Primary School Quiz, Dictionary for Life, Young Musician and Young Chef. They have a similar involvement with our older citizens. President David has even further ambitions for the Club and I wish him and his fellow Rotarians every success.

DG's Visits Week 11

2009-09-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

The middle of the week took us first of all to the lunchtime meeting of the Rotary Club of Carnoustie where at long last the sun was shining, the clouds had gone and the temperature was a very acceptable 19.5 degrees Centigrade. The locals assured me that Carnoustie weather was always like this, especially on the golf course! I was delighted to visit a Club which has been so succesful at reinvigorating itself, with a significant number of new members brought in during the past year. It was very appropriate that the architect of these changes, PP Hamish Leslie, was in the chair, and to have the opportunity to meet some of these new members. Carnoustie have a very strong tradition of supporting the local community but nevertheless look to suport both PolioPlus and the Shelterbox schemes. They will also continue to support a charity which is building a clinic in Rwanda. This last has a very interesting link with the local High School where some of their senior pupils have already been out to Rwanda to help. As a Club I have known and visited over many years, it was a great pleasure to visit them again.

DG's Visits Week 11

2009-09-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

With the weather at long last showing signs of relenting from the endless downpours, Tuesday evening saw us in the south of Fife to visit the Rotary Club of Burntisland and Kinghorn. This provided an opportunity to catch up with PDG John Minhinick and hear more of his superbly masterminded campaign on Thanks for Life which will be celebrated next February. John's drive and innovative ideas are greatly envied by other Districts in RIBI. The evening was filled with all sorts of activities, first of which was the induction of new Rotarian, Ken Hunter. I wish him every success and enjoyment from his membership. This was followed by the presentation of gold medals to a number of ladies, young and not so young, who had raised substantial sums of money for charity by their walk round the various courses laid out by the Club in and around Burntisland. President Derek and his members are really buzzing with new ideas, including their experimental system where the old boards which circulated the Club on all sorts of activites, and were not always seen by every member present, have now been replaced by a continuously circulating display using a laptop and digital projector, viewed on a large screen on one side of the tables. This flags up events, seeks Rotarian participation, etc, and is an innovation which other Clubs could usefully copy. It was another excellent evening of fellowship and I look forward to a return visit to the Club.

DG's Visits Week 11

2009-09-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

The lunchtime visit to the Rotary Club of Pitlochry brought back memories of early trips to see the then very new Festival Theatre, still performing under canvas at their original site on the north side of the main road. Wet windy evenings were an occupational hazard then which could lead to cancelled performances. How might they have faired with our current weather? Pitlochry RC now enjoy a superb level of accomodation in the refurbished Fisher's Hotel which is almost unrecognisable from its previous state. President Sandra and her members were in great form despite the continuing wet weather outside. They have a happy balance of support for causes both abroad and within their own community, allied to an active social calendar, all of which must help to attract new members to the Club. I suspect that Christmas in Pitlochry would not be the same without them. With their hoped for increase in support for young people, the good work they do for Shelterbox and WaterAid, their collaboration on the Nepane Project and their heightened PR profile, there is much to congratulate them on. Their top team are managing the balancing act of change without going to fast, superbly well, andI look forward to hearing more about their new initiatives.