The Rotary Club of Edinburgh
Bulletin 2135 - 16th November 2006
REVIEW
Last Week's Meeting - Thurs 9 November 2006
An attendance of 79 included four guests and it is gratifying to note that 75 is the largest turn-out of members at a lunch meeting so far recorded in the current Rotary year, 2006-07. President Fred's grace was a devotional rhyming couplet which lasted all of five seconds but it said all that needed to be said and, indeed, it seemed long-winded when compared with the traditional two-worded grace said before meals in the wardrooms of Her Majesty's ships.The President drew the attention of the company to the presence at the top table (at his invitation) of five octogenarian and nonagenarian members and expressed the hope that this would be perceived as a statement of his detestation of all forms of "ageism".
Martin Cornish reminded members of the imminence of the Antiques Road Show and Charity Auction on Saturday 18 November at Jane Street, Leith, from 3-6 p.m. and made a plea for some more "objets de vertu" to be put up for valuation and inclusion in the sale.
Melinda Wallace reported that the Digital Camera Tutorial conducted by Ed Lucas at the Scout Association HQ on 2 November had been hugely appreciated by the 18 Members who attended. It had made a significant profit and she was delighted to present to Ed a £40 donation to the Scout Association.
George Holmes - 80 not out !
The President intimated that this day, 9 November 2006, was our Almoner's 80th birthday and his congratulations to George on having reached this milestone were rousingly supported and acclaimed by the meeting. He presented to George a mystery gift which, when unwrapped later in the day, was found to be a tin of Glenryck Atlantic Pilchards in Tomato Sauce - obviously a tribute to George's achievements as Convenor of our Fishing Club but, by reminding him that none of our Piscatorians had ever yet caught a pilchard, could it not also be some sort of challenge?
Dr John Barclay, MA PhD.
President Fred and P.P. Neville Belton had recently visited Dr John
Barclay who had been President of our Club in 1967-68 and had invited
him and he had accepted their invitation to join us for lunch at our meeting
on 9 November.
He received a very warm welcome and, in introducing Dr Barclay, President
Fred gave a concise but detailed account of the many important Rotary
events which had taken place during his Presidency nearly 40 years ago.
These included important overseas visits to South Africa and North America,
a major exhibition "Age for Action" in the Waverley Market highlighting
the work of government agencies and voluntary organisations serving the
over-50s, many commemorative social functions, and his Convenership of
a District Conference at Aviemore attended by more than 1,000 delegates.
Our Club, which then had more than 200 members, had flourished under Dr
Barclay's leadership and the President felt that his contributions to
Rotary should be appropriately recognised. Exercising the prerogative
of his office, President Fred declared Dr Barclay a Paul Harris Fellow
in honour of his 97th birthday and this was greeted with enthusiasm. The
President also intimated his intention to submit a proposal for the award
of Honorary Membership to Dr Barclay, to the Annual General Meeting of
the Club in May 2007.
Dr Barclay was obviously much moved by the President's announcement and
he expressed his gratitude in a few most gracious and appreciative words.
David Dunsmuir
Our Guest Speaker was David Dunsmuir, an Ayrshire man who, after 22
years service in the R.A.F., had spent five years as private secretary
to the Lord Provost of Glasgow. He was seconded out for two years to participate
in the planning and organisation of the 1997 Rotary International Convention
in Glasgow and, eight years ago, he was appointed Show Manager of the
Royal Highland and Agricultural Society (R.H.A.S.).
He is thus Chief Executive and supreme impresario of one of the greatest
annual events in the Scottish calendar and the subject of this address
was "The Royal Highland Show - Past, Present and Future".
He started by reminding his audience that the future of the showground
at Ingliston was threatened by plans for the enlargement of Edinburgh
Airport. These might never be fulfilled in toto but the R.H.A.S. was prepared
for a "worst-case scenario" and he was confident that Edinburgh
would remain the venue for the Royal Highland Show.
His account of the long history of the R.H.A.S. and of the Show was a
masterpiece of condensation without loss of clarity. In dealing with the
Society's present state he discussed the purposes of the Show beyond its
obvious significance for Scottish agriculture and presented some very
interesting and surprising information about its economic importance to
Edinburgh and to Scotland. A key objective for the R.H.A.S. was to achieve
all-year-round usage of the showground and this could mean the creation
within it of facilities for major international conferences and other
spectacular events.
The dedication of Scottish farmers to the production of high-quality food
had aroused widespread interest so that nowadays more that three-quarters
of the steadily increasing attendance at the Royal Highland Show are members
of the general public with no involvement in faming.
Mr Dunsmuir ended a most agreeably presented and persuasive address on
an optimistic note by suggesting that if air-travel becomes restricted
by "Green" factors the R.H.A.S. might take over Edinburgh Airport!
The warm response of the meeting to Dick Allan's stylish proposal of a
vote of thanks to the speaker indicated clearly that quite a lot of his
audience were sympathetic to this idea.
Afterwards the President thanked David Dunsmuir for his generous offer
of whisky miniatures for the Club's Burns Supper in January.