The Rotary Club of Edinburgh

This Month's News

Bulletin 1937 - 27th February 2003
Bulletin 1936 - 20th February 2003
Bulletin 1935 - 13th February 2003
Bulletin 1934 - 6th February 2003

Bulletin 1937 - 27th February 2003

KIDS OUT: A PRIZE 11th JUNE 2003

KIDS OUT have announced an additional National Prize for a deserving disabled child nominated at KIDS OUT at one of the many venues across Britain. This is in memory of John Saxton from Kingston Upon Thames Club. He was one of the founder members of the Rotary Event KIDS OUT as a separate entity and charity two years ago.

On a more personal note, John was a great character and tireless publicist for the spread of KIDS OUT across the country. It was he who pressed us to involve Duns, North Berwick and Bathgate Clubs last summer.

KIDS OUT is a prize worth joining in regardless. However we hope you will take the day off on 11th June to find our prizewinner in memory of a great Rotarian, John Saxton.
T. Simpson, J. Mason, A. Bell, M. Berry.

HE'S A TRUE BLUE

Congratulations to George Reid who has fought an almost single handed battle to have a decision taken on the correct shade of blue in the Saltire, Scotland's national flag.
George succeeded in getting the Scottish Parliament's Education, Culture and Sport Committee to recommend that the optimum shade of blue for the flag is Pantone 300, (azure or sky blue). The colour of the sky at Athelstaneford when in AD932 St Andrew helped the Pictish King Hungus defeat the Anglian King Athelstan by making a white cross in the sky.

George started his campaign in 2000 with a petition to the Public Petitions Committee who decided it was not a devolved matter!

Fortunately the Lord Lyon King of Arms thought otherwise and suggested that it was within Holyrood's powers so George petitioned the Committee a second time. The decision still has to go to the Justice Minister for ratification but George is hopeful that this will be done.

Despite being one of the oldest, (if not the oldest), and most easily recognisable national flags the colour of the Saltire flown over some public buildings has varied in recent years from navy blue to almost turquoise.

Perhaps in the future the Scottish rugby and football teams will be known as the Azzuri.

CURLING

Last week 8 members of the Club went to Gogar to do battle in the annual match against The Rotary Club of Glasgow for the Harry Jack Trophy. The result was one game each but with a superior score of 16 shots to 12 Edinburgh was declared the winners. The overall result of the matches between the Clubs is now Edinburgh 15, Glasgow 11.

LAST WEEK

Attendance Last Week
Members 80
Total 80

Our speaker last week was one of our members, Stuart Munro.

Stuart's story started in a cauld day in Aberdeen on the 3rd March 1947 (when he was born). His father worked in the granite industry and Stuart described his love of the smell of newly cut granite and his excitement when he first saw a slice of granite under the microscope.

He described how his life changed dramatically 7 years ago when he was dragged from the British Geological Survey to become Scientific Director of Dynamic Earth.

He paid tribute to the Millennium Commission for its role in raising awareness of science and for providing capital funding for a number of projects including Dynamic Earth, the Glasgow Science Centre and the Magnum Centre. Unfortunately other sources have to be found for the running costs.

He said that Dynamic Earth was strategically placed to exploit the geological features of Edinburgh and the role of Dynamic Earth providing a holistic view of how the Earth works and making science available to all, telling how the Scottish landscape was formed, the rich diversity of our environment and how Scotland had journeyed from the South Pole before linking up finally with England. Stuart described the educational
role of Dynamic Earth and how it delivered part of the curriculum and the recent
problems over the licensing laws that had reduced the ability to raise essential revenue.

Stuart left his audience in no doubt of his love of science and the role of Dynamic Earth in bringing science to the people.

CHARITY LUNCH

The sum raised last week was £540. Challenge Enterprise will get £320 and KIDS OUT £220.

CLUB PULLOVERS

Malcolm Wyllie has a supply of pullovers for sale bearing the Club Crest.

Bulletin 1936 - 20th February 2003

LAST WEEK

Attendance Last Week

Members 88
Visitors 4
Guests 2
Total 94

Our Speaker last week was Guy Peploe, Managing Director of the Scottish Gallery in Dundas Street and a direct descendant of the of the artists Samuel and Dennis Peploe.

He gave a fascinating account of the history of the Gallery, which had started life as Aitken Dott in the New Town in the 1830's as a supplier of artists' materials and changed to be a picture framer and Art Dealer following the founding of the R.S.A.

The Gallery prospered and built up relationships with a number of Scottish artists. (William McTaggart was persuaded by Peter McOmish Dott to have a final exhibition). Guy said that the firm had a record of the sale of a painting by McTaggart to Andrew Carnegie during a time of poor trade after World War 1.(He also explained that the McTaggart family were the founders of the Loanhead engineering firm, McTaggart Scott who developed the steam catapult used to launch planes from aircraft carriers).

Business picked up in the 1930's and the firm supported young artists including D.Y. Cameron, Redpath, Gillies and Sir Wm. McTaggart.

The Peploe family had links with the Gallery for three generations. The first Peploe to come to Scotland was an Excise Officer who came originally to Elgin and was later in Tain and Invergordon.He was married 6 times and had 17 children.

Guy's grandfather, Robert Peploe, was chief General Manager of the Commercial Bank in 1870; he had 4 children 1 by his first wife and 3 by his second. Robert died early leaving substantial debts. One of his sons, Samuel, always wanted to be an artist and studied at the predecessor of the Edinburgh College of Art.

Samuel had his 1st one man show at the Gallery in 1903 and the 2nd in 1909.

One of Samuel's sons, Dennis also studied at E.C.A. had an exhibition in the Gallery in the 1980's.

Guy described how his first post had been researching an exhibition at the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art that was opened by the Queen who did not think much of one of his Grandfather's paintings of his Grandmother due to the green pigments in her face.

Guy concluded by saying that he had now been 20 years with the Gallery and that the Gallery had to generate £60/70,000 worth of business per month to survive.

PLEASE NOTE

The telephone number of John Macaulay is 0131-538-1698 and not as stated in the Club Directory.

CRISIS FAIRSHARE

A fund raising event to help raise money for the new van for the charity Crisis Fair Share will be held at Queen Margaret University College on Saturday 26th April.

Further details regarding the event will appear in later issues of the Bulletin.

PRESIDENT ELECT'S PROGRAMME

President Peter announced that it was the intention of Neville Belton to visit all of our Daughter Clubs during his term of office next year. There are 24 Daughter Clubs many of which are in England, for example Derby, Leicester and Nottingham. Two of the Scottish Clubs also meet at Thursday lunchtime and will probably be visited before Neville takes up office as President.

AQUABOXES

Last week members were asked to take an envelope containing details of an item required to help complete the contents of a box. Any member who does not have a box is asked to contact Gordon Sims.

AMBASSADORIAL SCHOLARS

Next week we are pleased to welcome two Ambassadorial Scholars to address our meeting.
It must seem a long time since the Link Week-end in September when the meeting was held in Edinburgh to welcome the 126 scholars who had arrived in the U.K. to commence their Scholarship.

We hope our visitors, from Japan and the U.S.A. enjoy their fellowship with us and that they take home happy memories of their stay in Scotland.

A LIFE TIME AMBITION

Iain MacLaren hopes to fulfil a life time ambition this week-end by marching down the Champs Elysées playing his bagpipes.

Bulletin 1935 - 13th February 2003

LAST WEEK

Attendance Last Week

Members 78
Visitors 2
Guests 2
Total 82

BETTER SAFE THAN NOT 90

The following is reproduced from The Scotsman of Tuesday 5th February.
"George Brodlie, former financial editor of The Scotsman and long-time rotary stalwart, celebrated his 90th birthday at the weekend by throwing a champagne lunch for old pals and colleagues in Edinburgh's posh New Club.

George told them: 'I hope when you reach my age you'll be as healthy as I am.' Surely he meant 'if' rather than 'when'.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

Members would have noticed that President Peter started the meeting 3 minutes early.
Andrew Aikman arrived at 1 minute to 1o'clock to discover the Grace had already been said!

CURLING

The previous weekend a number of members had participated in a very enjoyable curling competition at the Green Hotel Pitlochry. Unfortunately the success of last season when our rinks were first and third was not repeated. The rink of Keith Frost, Hamish Law and the Johnston's from Burntisland were 2nd in the 'Low Road' Competition. All members enjoyed an excellent weekend of sport and Rotary fellowship.

Mike Sims and Jacqueline Easton won the Curling Club Pairs competition; the runners-up were David McNicoll and George Reid.

The Winners of the Mini-League in January were. Fergus Gillies, Skip; Peter Wilson, David McNicoll and George Reid. The joint Runners-up were the rinks skipped by Vernon Williamson and Richard Alexander.

VISIT from the R.C. of FIESOLE

Members are asked to note that the proposed visit from members of the RC of Fiesole will not take place on 27-30 March. The date conflicts with an international meeting of Inner Wheel in nearby Florence that had been planned for 3 years. It is still not decided as to whether the visit is postponed or cancelled.

CELEBRATION GIFTS

Phillip Harris became the first grandparent to celebrate the birth of grandchildren when he received two sterling silver spoons from President Peter for the newly arrived twins. £10 of Phillip's donation will go to a childrens' charity.

DAVID WINDMILL

Our speaker was David Windmill, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Zoo. David took up his post in April last year after a successful career in Merchant Banking and Salmon farming in Chile and the West Coast of Scotland.

He stated that he was only the fourth Director since 1913 of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and that the Zoo consists of two properties, that on the slope of Corstorphine Hill and the Highland Wild Life Park at Kincraig.

It is the second largest visitor attraction in Scotland attracting 550,000 per annum. Unlike zoos in the U.S. and Europe it receives no Govt. funding. The Zoo is a non-profit making organisation.

What's it for?

1. Conservation; to help maintain endangered species.

2. Education; 35/45,000 children/annum receive a programme linked to the school curriculum. People visiting zoos are now much more knowledgeable due to David Attenborough, but being beside a rhino is quite different from viewing one on the T.V.

3. Science; discussions ongoing with the universities over public viewing of their research.

The big problem is to get the visitor in and then to make sure they have a good day out.
There are tensions between looking after animals v people but no visitors no pay!

There is an Ethics Advisory Committee to look after the care of the animals-not a circus
There is a breeding programme.

David emphasised that the Zoo is not moving from Corstorphine and there are targets in their long term plan to increase visitor numbers to 800,000. Chester Zoo is a good example of what can be done by enhancing facilities and extending the usage of conference facilities and corporate events.

Bulletin 1934 - 6th February 2003

CAR PARKING

Members are warned not to park their cars in the street beside the hotel. In an obvious change of policy by the Traffic Wardens several members have already been booked.

CHANGE OF VENUE

Members are asked to note that, Club Meeting on 13th February will be in the Carrubers Restaurant.

LAST WEEK

Attendance Last Week
Members 75
Visitors 2
Guests 5
Total 82

BURNS SUPPER

On Wednesday evening 102 members and guests, including Ian Watt, President of Glasgow Rotary Club, enjoyed a most pleasant evening celebrating the life of Robert Burns at The Royal Burgess Golfing Society.

The proceedings were chaired by President Peter, the Haggis piped in by Iain MacLaren and the 'Address' given by Jack Aitken. After a memorable meal the draw was made for a number of bottles of whisky and other prizes.

The sum raised from this activity was £506 and that will be donated to the appeal for a new van for Crisis Fairshare.

The programme that followed included 'the Immortal Memory' proposed by the Rev. Charles Robertson, Minister of the Canongate Kirk, followed by a somewhat unconventional and witty 'Toast to the Lasses' proposed by Iain MacLaren and to which the reply was ably given by Evelyn Small.

The high point of the evening was provided by Fergus Gillies who in a semi-darkened room in which he was highlighted by a spotlight brought to life Burns epic poem 'Tam o' Shanter'.

During the evening the company enjoyed a selection of Burns songs from Iain and Margo Dunn accompanied at the piano by Nancy Lyon.

The evening drew to a close with the toast to 'Our Guests' by Andrew Aikman followed by a spirited rendition by the entire company of 'Auld Lang Syne'.

This was the first Burns Supper organised Club and particular thanks are due to the organisers, President Peter, Andrew Aikman, George Holmes, John Havard and Iain MacLaren and to the donors of the prizes & sellers of the raffle tickets.

At The Club Meeting Wendy Goldstraw appealed for 4 people to help facilitate a negotiation exercise at the Challenge Enterprise weekend at Melrose. Challenge Enterprise helps young people of 17-18 to develop business skills and the helpers would be required on the afternoon of Saturday 22nd March.

At the meeting Sir Tom Farmer handed over the cheque (see Photos) for the winning photograph at KIDS OUT to Ed Lucas (generously donated by Ed to the Club).

Ed stated that KIDS OUT had been a memorable day but there were some things he could not photograph, but the memory was of everyone having fun no matter the disability, and in particular a young blind girl stroking an eagle owl.

A police car from which two enormous policemen emerged and proceeded to handcuff some of the children before taking them for a run in their car. Later the policemen who had enjoyed their day asked where do we get our tee shirts?

(Earlier Sir Tom had augmented the £1000 donated to Rowanfield School with a similar sum).

Our speaker Dr. Allan Simpson Research Fellow at the National Museums of Scotland gave a most interesting account of the devel-opment of the system of weights, measures and standards in Scotland. (A book on the subject of his talk is about to be published, the first definitive work of its kind)

Royal burghs had strict regulations on the measurement of goods for sale and the penalties for fraud were severe.

He described how the system in Scotland differed from that of England due to the trade between the Scots and Flanders and the importance of Bruges.

(The ell was 37 inches, the old Scots pint was three times that of the present day and the Scots used bolls not bushels).

The importance of maximising the revenue to the King by the use of agreed measures was stressed.

Dr. Simpson outlined some of the sharp practices involved in the weighing of grain and how this invariably worked against the tenant farmer and how this was common- practice across Europe. Much of this centred on whether the measure should be heaped or level and allowances built into the system that ranged from 1/16 to ¼.

Other News:

- October  '03
- September '03
- August '03
- July '03
- June '03
- May '03
- April '03
- March '03
- February '03
- January '03
- December '02
- November '02
- October '02
- September '02