The Rotary Club of Edinburgh

This Month's News

Bulletin 1954 - 26th June 2003
Bulletin 1953 - 19th June 2003
Bulletin 1952 - 12th June 2003
Bulletin 1951 - 5th June 2003

Bulletin 1954 - 26th June 2003

LAST WEEK

President Peter welcomed to our meeting Assistant D.G. Elect John Lafferty from the Kelso Club, Zone Leader for Edinburgh.

There is a shortfall in the number of advertisements for the Directory and Bulletin and the assistance of members in filling the voids would be welcome. (Costs are £80 for a full page in the Directory and £50 for an entry in the Bulletin, contact is David Thomson).

President Peter thanked the Convenors with a special thank you to John Havard and to Tim Simpson for organising Kids Out.

Vice President Neville Assembly explained the reason for the evening meeting was to allow more time for Convenors to explain their plans for next year and for discussion.

He hoped that members would provide constructive comments on the proposals.

He stated that during the year a Long Range Planning Committee had produced plans for the future which he hoped to implement.

A Fund Raising Committee had been established to try to identify projects to be supported.

Ed Lucas has organised a Wine Tasting for 13th October and Alan Hately was planning a Race Night for February.

There is a need for members to co-operate in the running of events, the example of the two "walks" and the Senior Citizens Outings were quoted as events which would have benefited from more helpers.

There followed short statements from Convenors for Rotary Year 2003-4.

Brian Smellie-Classification & Membership, Need to recruit new members, a number of classifications were being targeted. There were still only 15 lady members 14 years after the first lady member was admitted.

Sandra Campbell-Club Service, the new reception arrangements were now operation and it was hoped to restart the Bridge Club.

Bill Barr- Community and Vocational Service, The high profile events such as (Rotary) Kids Out, and the Senior Citizens Outings would continue as would the 'Christmas Parcels' and 'Toys for Children'. In addition the Club supported the following-MacMillan Cancer Relief, the Seagull Trust Fresh Start, Dalry House, Leith Age Concern, the Destitute Sick and driving for Cheshire Homes and New Horizons.

In Vocational Service two candidates would be supported for Challenge Enterprise and there would be a Dinner for members organised by Paul Watton at Craigiehall on Tue. August 5th.
Jacqueline Easson-Foundation and Youth Activities. Sufficient funds were now available to purchase the van for Crisis Fair Share. It is hoped to run a second 'Ready Steady Cook" for Polio Eradication. The Club was joining with the Victoria League to help welcome overseas students.

John Hull-House and Entertainment, there was still uncertainty over the venue after the end of the year as the hotel was up for sale. The needs of a large city centre club were described and members were asked for constructive suggestions on a possible new venue if it was required.

Linda Gilmore-International Service, there would be a visit from the R.C. of Rockland May 5-7 2004. The project with Rockland in Tanzania is delayed but the finance is not jeopardised by the delay. A new project will be helping rebuild a hospital in Mozambique. An industrial washing machine and drier have already been provided.

Ian Gourlay-JCF. Ian appealed to members to support the JCF when paying their subs., so that the Club could benefit from tax relief. Members are welcome to suggest charities that the JCF could support.

Mike Berry-Public Relations, Mike admitted that he was new to PR and would welcome help from members. (Mike has already put pictures from Kids Out on his firm's web site).

Jack Aitken-Speakers Secretary, Jack suggested having a themed month e.g. speakers on aspects of the Law.

KIDS OUT 2

In the afternoon thanks are due to our entertainer, Gary James, to Tim for the Punch and Judy show and to John Macaulay for once again providing such an excellent disco for the children and helpers.

We will all have our memories of the day, mine include watching the children riding the ponies and the enthusiastic way the children, helpers and visiting Rotarian Rebecca tackled the assault course.

Attendance

Members 53
Visitors 3
Guests 0

Bulletin 1953 - 19th June 2003

LAST WEEK

Members were delighted to welcome Past President Bill Johnston to the meeting.
Dawn Burrows bade members farewell at her last visit as a member.

President Peter congratulated Tim Simpson on his tenth and final Kids Out and added that perhaps we should award him a bar to his Paul Harris Fellowship and he would gladly do this if he could.

President Peter presented Community and Vocational Service Awards to Iain Robertson and his wife Judy who have sourced, purchased, transported, stored, prepared and cooked lunches for over 3000 people at Kids Out since 1998. Judy also received a well-deserved bouquet of flowers. (The awards were introduced by RIBI in 1998 to recognise outstanding service to the local community and are at the discretion of the Convenor of the District Community and Vocational Service Committee.

Members will also remember that Iain has also been running the raffles to help fund Kids Out.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Judith McLure on her appointment as CBE.

KIDS OUT

Very many thanks are due to Tim Simpson and the many others who organised another very successful Kids Out.

The smooth running of the event did not happen by chance and was clear evidence of the many hours devoted by Tim and his small band of helpers who planned and organised the event.

It is a great privilege as a Rotarian to be able to take in Kids Out and help to provide so many young people with a day out to remember.

The statistics do not tell the real story - 220 children with a wide range of disabilities,83 staff from 13 schools in the Lothians, including North Berwick and Bathgate, 58 5th and 6th form students from four schools. (Including 4 clowns, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger).

In addition to Tim we had another clown, David Brown who offered to wear his costume to attend the Rotary meeting if he received sufficient sponsorship.

It was amazing to see the skills of Mike Berry on his unicycle.

It was a delight to see how certain of the children met the various challenges. Some who were initially shy soon blossomed as they mastered the flying fox or developed the confidence to stroke the owls or take a ride in the police car with the siren sounding.

Thanks are also due to the many organisations who helped finance the event, to the Club members, the Members of Inner Wheel, the Rotarians from North Berwick and Bathgate and the members of the various organisations who provided the various events so much enjoyed by the children.

It was not only the disadvantaged children who enjoyed the day. Many Rotarians have said how they have benefited by taking part in this example of service above self. There is no doubt that the school children helpers gained an insight into the problems faced by many of their peers.

(Our sympathy went to the constables who did not realise it would take two and a half hours to ride up from Canonmills and also to Jinty relegated to traffic control).

Attendance

Members 66
Visitors 4
Guests 4
Total 74

Our Speaker Last Week

Last week we had an enthralling address "Shares Why They Fall and Where they are Heading" from Harry Morgan a senior Portfolio Manager. He gave 4 reasons why the FTSE fell by 50%.

Economic Factors: Corporate Scandal in the US: Technical Reasons: Events, Sept. 11 and Iraq War.

There are signs of improvement, markets are up 27%, oil prices are falling and some companies are doing better than expected.

Harry said predictions are dangerous and quoted some examples e.g. "the market is stable" before the Wall St. crash and Honnecker's claim that "the Berlin Wall will last for 100 years".
Forecasts for the future are good but there are concerns-the Middle East and the £28 billion deficit in the UK.

Equity shares in the UK do not look expensive and the market remains stable when the news is bad and Pension Funds are not selling equities. He concluded by quoting Warren Buffet- purchase at a reasonable price for profit in 5-15 years.

Bulletin 1952 - 12th June 2003

LAST WEEK

President Peter was pleased to be able to welcome George Brodlie as his guest at the top table. (George was elected as an Honorary Member of the Club at the AGM).

Tim Simpson reminded members that KIDS OUT was taking place on Wednesday 11th June. He offered the last remaining tee shirts for sale to those taking part for £3.50.

It was announced that a Fair in Aid of St Columba's Hospice, organised by Corstorphine R.C. would be taking place at Murrayfield Ice Rink on Saturday June 14th. From 11.00 to 16.00.
Members were asked to support this event.

It was announced that the Scottish Indian Arts Forum, President Mohindra Dahl, had won the 16th Annual Business Award awarded by the Bank of Scotland in recognition of the Efforts by the Forum to promote social inclusion.

(The Forum which receive sponsorship from Standard Life, last year ran 7 workshops at Ocean Terminal at the time of the Hindu Festival Dusherra in which 2500 children took part and at that time there were 100,000 visitors to the Terminal an increase of 33% over the normal figures).

A raffle of a bottle of Glemorangie, run by Iain Robertson, raised the sum of £110. Ronnie Sinclair won the raffle.

It was announced that Jinty Kerr had been appointed to the new post of Children's Protection Officer for District 1020.

Attendance

Members 67
Visitors 2
Guests 6
Total 75

Golf News

The next outing of the Golf Section will be to Biggar on Monday 30th June.

Last Week's Speaker

The speaker at the meeting last week was Dr. Martin Lowe, Former Secretary the University of Edinburgh (1990-2002. and successor in that post to Alex. Currie)

Martin has been a piper since 1954 and Hon. Pipe Major of the Royal Scottish Pipers Society since 2001. He completed the ascent of the Munros in1990. He is also Chairman of the Victoria League in Scotland.

Martin gave an enthralling talk on the development of the bagpipe complete with audience participation. Members were provided with drinking straws to allow them to appreciate the difficulties faced by pipers.

He commenced with some jokes about the bagpipe, "A gentleman is someone who knows how to play the pipes and doesn't".

The first reference known was to the silver pipe of Ur in Babylonia. Emperor Nero was a piper as was King Edward VIII.

Martin explained the development of the bagpipe from the early instrument firstly by the addition of the bag and then by the addition of the drones.

We were told that the bagpipe came to England in the 11th century and it was not until much later it came to Scotland and Ireland.

He explained that the moisture from the breath affects the tuning of the reeds and that the bellows instruments do not suffer from this. The chanter has 9 notes and in the case of some Irish pipes the number had been increased by the use of levers.

Recent developments had included bags being made from goretex.

The inclusion of the bagpipe in the instruments in the Highers had led to an increase in the number of players in the Highlands and Islands. There was also an increase in the number of overseas bands taking part in Championship events. The bagpipe was also now part of some ensembles and groups and the Border and Scottish Hill pipes were seeing a revival. There were increasing cross-cultural links with Europe, Brittany, Slovakia, Sweden and Italy.

RSAMD in Glasgow were running a degree course in piping.

Martin finished by playing a haunting modern tune "Lindisfarne" on the Small Pipes (bellows).

Great Scottish Walk

Ten Marshals and more walkers are required for the Great Scottish Walk on Sunday 22nd June.

Anyone wishing to help or take part please see Richard Field or Fergus Gillies.

Bulletin 1951 - 5th June 2003

LAST WEEK

Members were delighted to welcome back President Peter after his brief stay in hospital.

Bill Barr announced that the second Old Folks Outing to The Green Tree Hotel at Peebles had been a great success. 22 old people from various parts of the city had been taken to Peebles on each of the two outings and 24 drivers plus 8 helpers ha taken part.

President Peter thanked Bill Barr and the helpers, in particular the 5 members who had taken part in both outings. The events had been run within budget and those taking part had indicated they would participate in future events.

It was announced that the Southern Upland Walk in which Richard Field, Ronnie Sinclair and Valerie Prentice had taken part had raised around £300 for Polio Eradication (a sum that will be doubled).

Attendance

Members 71
Visitors 2
Guests 0
Total 73

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Hon Secy. John Havard read the formal notice calling the meeting and also intimated apologies from Mel Wilson and Tim Simpson.

The minutes of the AGM of May 2002 and the Special General Meeting of Dec 2002 were approved.

Alan Young spoke to the Financial Statement as at 31 March 2003.

The accounts were approved.

Election of Honorary Members;

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, and Sir Peter Heatly, were re-elected. George Brodlie was proposed as an Honorary Member and was duly elected.

The following Office Bearers had been elected at the Special General Meeting.

President Neville Belton
Vice-President Bill Cantley
Hon. Secretary John Havard
Hon. Treasurer Alan Young
Asst. Secretary Robin Wilson
Speakers Secrty. Jack Aitken

President Peter thanked retiring members of Council; P.P. Liz McSwan, Geo. Reid, Wendy Goldstraw, Bob Hislop, Ed Lucas, Iain Maclaren, Jim Murray.

In addition to the Office Bearers the following members are continuing in office: Sandra Campbell, Linda Gilmore, Brian Smellie and John Hull.

The following members were proposed and elected members of Council.
Melinda Wallace (Attendance), Bill Barr (Community/Vocational), Jaqueline Easson (Foundation and Youth), Fred Lawson (Bulletin), vacancy (Public Relations).

The Nominations Committee consists of the President, Vice President and Hon. Secy. Plus four others. George Holmes and Mel Wilson have been nominated to serve for a further year and will be joined by Judith Sischy and Peter Wilson.

It was proposed and accepted that the non-ex official members of the Committee should be Eddie Hepburn and Ed Lucas (continuing for another year) plus Alan Hately.

The following were elected as Voting Delegates for meetings of District 1020:
N Belton, B Cantley, J Havard, A Young
R Wilson, L Gilmore and B Smellie.
The following were elected as Deputies,
A Campbell, J. Hull, J Easson, B Barr,
M Wallace, K Smart, J Aitken.

David Brown was elected to be Honorary Independent Examiner for both the Club and JCF, replacing Ritchie Campbell.

The Annual Subscription 2003/04 will be
Full Subscription £130 (£105 for prompt payment).
Entrance Fee £30

The Honorararia for the Principal Office bearers was agreed.
The Report of the Trustees and the Financial Statements of the Jubilee Charity Fund were presented by Ian Gourlay. The Report and Accounts were approved.
Brian Smellie and Ronnie Sinclair retired as Trustees of the JCF and were replaced by Brian Smellie and Robin Wilson.

GOLF NEWS

17 members took part in a pleasant outing to Liberton G.C. The results were

Alan Hately retained the Duffers Cup with 37pts.

GREAT SCOTTISH WALK

Marshals and walkers are required for the Great Scottish Walk on Sunday 22nd June.
Anyone wishing to take part or help please see Richard Field or Fergus Gillies

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