The Rotary Club of Edinburgh
This Week's Bulletin
Bulletin 2,012 - 10th June 2004
PE BILL CANTLEY DV, WP, GSOH
In Neville's absence at Perth Rotary, please welcome Bill Cantley in the Chair, Deo Volente, Weather Permitting, Good Sense of Humour. In my absence golfing at Royal Portrush NI, give any information to Tom Gray, who is taking notes.
LAST WEEK
Rev. Andrew Anderson said grace, giving thanks for friendly fellowship and the opportunity to serve others. Secy John asked that members should supply colour photos by 17th June for inputting to our database. He also asked for those wanting to attend the RIBI 2005 conference on April 14th to let him know, in order to book accommodation.
Fergus Gillies and Keith Frost asked for marshals for the Great Scottish Walk on Sunday June 20th from Holyrood Park at 11 am; 6,000 walkers are anticipated. Fred Lawson thanked his helpers at the Breast Foot Forward Twilight Walk last Saturday. Bob Hislop still had a few tickets at £10 for the Queen Margaret Drama on June 11th at 7 pm at the Gateway Theatre.
ATTENDANCE 75
Members 71, Visiting Rotarians 1, Guests 3. Neville welcomed Richard Alexander, President of Leith Rotary. Torwald Colliander had visited Ängelholm, Sweden and 10 would be visiting us on 16th Sept. Ängelholm is opposite Elsinore in Denmark, home of Prince Hamlet.
Walli Udin had been back to Bangladesh and Tom Davidson spelt out BRAIDS for the avoidance of doubt. Our President had been heard singing about the splendours of Hawick on ladies night in the Borders, prior to the common riding (nothing common about our Neville).
He welcomed Fred Ainslie back and had heard that Loudon Hamilton was poorly. He asked members to support him at the Rotaract wine and cheese on June 16th at the Teviot Students' Union, when the RIBI President would present their Charter.
The indefatigable Jack Aitken has space for a few more on his topless tours of Edinburgh. Judith Sischy noted that the accounts had added up when Council had approved them, and the Treasurer had agreed with the auditor that a debtor had been omitted in error for the AGM.
Drew Wightman, who proposed their adoption, subject to this, was now satisfied.
GOLFERS RETAIN NEWCASTLE TROPHY
Captain Robin White brought back the trophy from Ponteland with a 2-2 draw, Edinburgh having won it last year at Gullane. At the 6pm meeting on Thursday 17th June, prior to the Assembly, the Leslie Pringle trophies will be presented to the winners of the Edinburgh Schools Competition. Please make an effort to support the prize giving.
ANNIVERSARIES
Ronnie and Careen Sinclair, 37 years of wedded bliss and Murray and Joan Donald 58. Even lifers don't get that long! Congratulations, mine's a gin and tonic and I'll leave the size to you.
THE FUTURE OF SCOTLAND'S PAST
Mrs Hazel Anderson graduated in Russian and German from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford where she met her husband Andrew, a graduate of Magdalen (no 'e' that's the college in Cambridge). She started work with the National Archives in London and, after raising her children, resumed her career with the National Archives of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland.
Hazel thanked us for the Balmoral Binge, which was better than her normal sandwich overlooking Sighthill Industrial Estate. General Register House was designed by Adam in 1774 and cost £12,000 (only £1 million today) out of forfeited Jacobite estates; better value than our new Parliament building. Scots records were originally kept in the Castle, but were shipped to England by Edward I and more by Oliver Cromwell. Edward III agreed to return them, but a ship sank between London and Leith and the rest were not returned until 1930, 600 years late.
Today's records are also in West Register House and the new Thomas Thomson House in Sighthill. A problem is allowing public access to old documents. Microfiche was helpful but difficult to read. Money has come from the Genealogical Society of Utah and the Heritage Lottery Fund and this has enabled mass digitisation in full colour.
2 million images are free on line and by payment on the internet. Wills from 1550 can be searched by name, date, occupation and/or location. It is simple to look up the Testament of Rob Roy Macgregor or goff ba' makers in St. Andrews in the 1600's.
Other records to go online are Sasines (property transfers from 1600) and Church of Scotland papers. On 6th April Tartan Day, the Lord Lyon's family histories will be available. So a priceless legacy of Scotland's history is coming together.
Alex Currie thanked Mrs Anderson for a vivid and fascinating description of the huge task being undertaken. He hoped he wasn't a visual aid for ancient information and said that our forebears were a busy and interesting lot.
www.ScottishDocuments.com
www.scan.org.uk
INNER WHEEL DOING THE ROUNDS
Bunny Wilson hosted a most successful lunch in her lovely garden on a perfect day. £500 was raised for cancer research. Lady partners or daughters of Rotarians are reminded they are eligible to join a local branch, not necessarily that of the club of which the Rotarian is a member. Inner Wheel is for ladies only.
Group Study Exchange Jacqueline Easson
A career development opportunity is offered to a non Rotarian aged 25-40
to go to Adelaide for April 2005. Youth Exchanges are available in Iowa,
Texas, India, Russia, Brazil and Canada.
Centenary Envelopes Derek Pape.
Newtonabbey NI has a cover approved by RI for the Rotary Centenary. The
envelopes will be posted from Chicago on 23rd Feb. 2005. £6 each,
cheques payable to Rotary Club of Newtonabbey Trust Fund to Derek Pape.