The Rotary Club of Edinburgh

Bulletin 2,068 - 21st July 2005

REVIEW

Attendance

In the absence of President Judith, Vice President Fred Lawson, with his normal bonhomie conducted the meeting. He reminded members that he was first introduced to Rotary 33 years ago by George Brodlie and was reintroduced to the Club after absences abroad in Australia and the Bahamas, by Fred Ainslie and later by Alex Wilkie. He assures us that he is very firmly here to stay. He welcomed Jim Young, an American visitor from Richmond California, along with 60 members and 3 guests in the Sir Walter Scott Room.

Festival Cavalcade 7 August

Volunteers are required to help in the Festival Cavalcade Collections and to support the Rotary float, which is the flagship for Rotary on Sunday 7th August. We are also looking for people to wear clown, tigger and pooh bear costumes to add colour to the event.

Fred Lawson is taking names of volunteers contact Fred on 653-0250

Fetes Des Lumieres in Lyon 8-11 December

Members were requested to contact the Secretary to note their interest in participating in a projected Rotary visit to the Lyon Club to view this festival and avail themselves of a warm welcome from its members. Full details of the projected visit were given in the bulletin of 14 July.

House and Entertainment Survey

Peter Wheeldon has bravely decided to invite opinion from members, which may mean criticism, of the lunches, programme of activities and entertainments this year. He would like people to voice their thoughts, to allow him to take this into account in his dealings with the Hotel and in his plans for entertainments on other fronts. Peter is full of good ideas, but he would like to be kept in touch with member's opinions. Please be candid, but also kind to Peter in his survey.

FOCUS

FESTIVAL CAVALCADE

In a fresh initiative, Fred Lawson has arranged for our club to make street collections. We will be collecting for President Judith's 3 chosen local Charities: Richmond Hope, Craigmillar for bereaved children; Edinburgh Wide Big Project ASBO issue in Broomhouse; and the Roundabout Project of YWCA for disadvantaged children. The collections are during the Festival Cavalcade on Sunday 7th August. Groups of up to 5 volunteer collectors are required for hourly tours of duty throughout the day.

For the second year, there will be a Rotary float at the Cavalcade. Dumfries and Annan Rotary have organised a 40 ft articulated lorry to carry a professional disc jockey and 5 ladies and men dressed in National Dress dancing to the music. Sandra Campbell is to be in either Dutch or Scandinavian costume, with Jacqueline Easson in reserve. District Governor Steven Henderson has invited all the District Club Presidents, officers and 50 RYLA youth campers (25 boys and girls) to walk with the float with some of us in costume.

Edinburgh Rotary has a permit for a street collection all day from 9am to 8 pm. down Princes Street. Our permit allows up to 5 collectors at any one time. The shops open from 11-5 and the cavalcade will come up from Waverley Bridge around 2.30 pm. The Rotary float is expected to arrive at Princes Street around 3.30 pm and it takes about 1 hour to go the length of the Street at walking pace. There can be extra assistants, e.g. kids from Judith's charities. We hope to join the Rotary float as it reaches Princes Street, wearing Rotary tabards and buckets with sealed tops and signs all of which will be provided. We hope this meets some of our members concerns that we should be helping more local charities.

PRATTLE

Drenched on the Golf Course

At one of the rainy golf ties earlier in the week, the cry went up when can we take off our trousers? Apparently full waterproof gear is de rigueur for players this summer. (Anon.)

Surprise Speaker

At the last minute, we had Findlay Moir come to speak to us at lunch last week in place of Lorne Crerar who was representing a client in court. Findlay is also a distinguished lawyer who is much travelled with the military. He gave a thought provoking talk on life in South Africa pre and post apartheid as a result of many visits to South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The Mythical Cook Book

Jacqueline Easson brought Kevin Guthrie, Ambassadorial Scholar, who is at college in Hawick, to the meeting. He was warmly congratulated on his sterling service on the text and graphics for the cookbook. Without his work, this excellent production could not have come to press. Orders are being taken now at £10 a copy. Why not stock up with cookbook for your loved ones' Christmas stockings?

Yorkshire Tea Caddies

These attractive caddies displayed on the table are still available for purchase at £2 being a donation to Rotary Foundation and accredited to Edinburgh Rotary. They are being offered at half their retail price and are donated to Rotary throughout the UK by the makers of Yorkshire Tea.

The Culture Committee

Keith Frost and his committee are advocating that we should group together and go to a few things this year as informal Rotary groups. You might also throw this open to your friends to add to your number, in an informal excursion.

The choice of events on offer is quite bewildering. Starting with Jazz, Book and Festival music art or Fringe shows.

THIS WEEK'S SPEAKER

Thursday 21 July 2005: Doug Forsyth
A talk on Drug Awareness.
Vote of Thanks: Jinty Kerr

NEXT WEEK'S SPEAKER

Thursday 28 July 2005: Sally Anne Hunter
Caledonian Challenge
Vote of Thanks: to be announced.

DID YOU KNOW Carol Duffus, - Publicity.

Reg Robinson has over a lot of years organised collection boxes in restaurants, hotels, clubs and shops for the aid of Macmillan Cancer Relief. He delivers and collects the boxes from selected public locations. He is now looking to pass on this simple but laudable activity and hopes someone can assist.