The Rotary Club of Edinburgh
Bulletin 2142 - 18th January 2007
REVIEW
Last Week’s Meeting – Thursday 11 January 2007
Having battled against driving rain and 60 m.p.h. gusts of wind in order to get to the meeting, the 55 members who foregathered last Thursday were perhaps less than totally enthusiastic in their reaction to President’s Fred’s lyrical description of the idyllic weather he had enjoyed on holiday in Andalucia, but his generously expressed New Year felicitations to the Club were warmly appreciated.Members joined with the President in welcoming visiting Rotarian Paul Grace, Past President of the Murrayfield Cramond Club and all were delighted by Keith Frost’s return to Rotary activity following triple bypass coronary artery surgery.
It was reported that Ed Lucas’ swallowing difficulties had been relieved by insertion of an oesophageal stent and that he would shortly be starting a course of chemotherapy.
The Royal Navy Today
On Tuesday evening 9 January six members and two wives attended this presentation in the Signet Library. The presenters outlined the contribution of the Royal Navy to U.K. Defence policy and showed how our Navy operates on missions from counter narcotics and anti-terrorism to disaster relief and peace-keeping. They also looked at the future of the Royal Navy, showing that it provides a vital and cost-effective service to the nation. The presenters answered a number of challenging questions and there was the opportunity to meet Royal Navy and Royal Marine officers including the new Flag Officer for Scotland, N. Ireland and N. England.Valentine’s Day Concert for Swingin’ Lovers
Todd Gordon, a local jazz singer, who is rapidly gaining national and international recognition, is giving a charity concert in the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday 14 February. Tickets at £15 can be booked through Alan Young. Half of all takings will go to Rotary Charities and so it is hoped that the event will be well supported.
Business Meeting.
The President intimated that the Business Meeting would receive and consider three important presentations:
Colin Mackay, Convener, Club Service Committee, expressed his
concern that the teams undertaking reception duties at our Thursday lunch
meetings are sometimes embarrassingly under strength. Ideally there should
be four or five members on reception duties at each meeting but there
had been occasions when only one member was on duty faced with the task
of greeting several guests and this reflected badly on the Club. Reception
duties were not particularly onerous but they were important for the Club’s
image and they gave new members excellent opportunities for getting to
know their fellow-Rotarians. Colin called for volunteers to bring the
reception-duty teams up to strength.
He also appealed for assistance with the organisation and management of
“KidsOut” which this year will be held on Wednesday 13 June.
“KidsOut” is arguably our Club’s most worthwhile and most
appreciated commitment but it is a labour-intensive exercise the success
of which depends on having a large team of enthusiastic helpers and it
is hoped that Club members will rise to this challenge.
Richard Philip, acting Convener, International Service Committee, gave a concise and informative account of the Committee’s involvement in projects in Tanzania, Mozambique and, most importantly, in Cambodia. Richard reminded members of his own personal familiarity with Cambodia which he would be revisiting in the fairly near future. He could confirm that in Cambodia Rotary funds were being effectively and efficiently used for the support of worthy enterprises of which the Biosand Filter and Female Literacy projects are notable examples. Richard felt strongly that Rotary support overseas should be focussed on clearly defined and finite projects which could be rigorously focused to ensure optimum use of funds.
Tim Simpson, Convener of the Fund-Raising Committee, reminded members
of the wide range of the Club’s activities and of how some of the
most important of these involved considerable expenditure.
The Club’s charitable funds constantly required replenishment and
Tim is increasingly concerned by the meagre support given by members to
fund-raising events organised by his committee. The Antique Road Show
and Charity Auction on 18 November, although an extremely enjoyable occasion
which raised quite a satisfactory sum, was poorly attended by members,
as was the equally enjoyable and successful Children’s Christmas
Extravaganza on 10 December.
The Fund-Raising Committee tries to arrange a varied programme of interesting
and socially agreeable functions but it has no clear idea of what sort
of events would be likely to attract strong support from members and reliable
feed-back is urgently required.
The President closed the meeting by thanking Colin, Richard and Tim for
their presentations which he hoped would be carefully heeded by members.