DG's Fourth Blog

On Thursday the 1st of September we visited the Kirkaldy Raith Club for breakfast. It was a refreshing change to see so many young Rotarians with such an enthusiastic approach to Rotary. Tracy McCallum and her young team made us very welcome. Winnie was given books for her CHAS book project as well as cash donations. Needless to say she was very pleased indeed with the response by the Club to her project.

Tracy contemplating the words of the DG

At lunchtime on the 1st we made our way to the Glenrothes Club to be welcomed by President Wilna and a very good attendance of the Club. The Club is thriving and doing a large number of very worthwhile projects, both at home and overseas. The Club has two MP's as members, Tricia Marwick (MSP) who was absent because of a family bereavement and Linsday Roy Westminster MP. Lindsay liked the theme badge for this year 'Reach within to embrace Humanity' so I presented him with one which he said he would wear at the Palace of Westminster during the coming week when Parliament resumed after the break.

The next stop for us was to visit President Mike Sowden and the Rotarians at Arbroath. The Club gave us a very warm welcome and Winnie was very pleased to be looked after during the meal by one of the youngest Rotarians in District 1010, Jamie by name. The Club is very active indeed undertaking a great number of local and International projects. One of the newer projects is to sell 'Arbroath Smokies' with the profits going to The Rotary Foundation. To celebrate the start of this venture I was presented with a pair of the Smokies which I dealt with appropriately after I got home - they were delicious! At the end of the meeting Mike presented Winnie with about 200 books for her project, she was overwhelmed by this gesture and thanked the Club for the generosity.

Young Jamie on the left with some older guys!



On Sunday the 4th of September I attended the District Executive meeting in Perth whilst Winnie deputised for me at a welcome lunch for the GSE team from District 9700 in Australia. The meeting was at South Queensferry under the shadow of the Forth rail bridge. The team were very pleased to be in Scotland after their long journey and were looking forward to their visit to District 1010.



John McKenzie and his Aussie team

On the 5th of September we had a relatively short journey to visit the Rotary Club of Buckie, a Club I had visited several times before and where I knew many of the members, including Alex (Growler) Fowler, the onetime District Secretary of 1010. We had a very warm welcome from the Club and once again Winnie was presented with a large number of books for CHAS. She spoke to the Club and gave her thanks on behalf of the children who would receive these books.

                                    Some of the wonderful selection of books from Buckie RC

On Tuesday the 6th of September we made our way to the Rotary Club of Pitlochry where the President Ian Rattray and the Rotarians made us feel very welcome. It was a very enjoyable visit to the Fishers Hotel and it brought back memories of a famous win in the Gavel where Forres RC were victorious in the Final. It was a special visit in other ways as well with the District Secretary Graham as a member there, as was Maureen who is Secretary.


A certain lady dining with the DG

 We were staying the night of 6th September with Graham and Maureen so Graham drove Winnie and I to visit The Perth Kinnoull Club. It was great to see Brian Raine again after his illnes. He was looking great and feeling much better he said. I was so pleased to see him looking so well after such a severe stroke. That evening I was not feeling too well and had to forgo a lovely meal because of that but managed to say my bit before the main speaker of the evening from Perth Prison spoke on the sentencing laws and lengths of jail terms.

On Wednesday the 7th of September we were invited to a very special concert in Elgin Town Hall by the band of Her Majestys Marines from Rosyth. The concert was arranged by the Rotary Club of Elgin and was in aid of the 'Help for Heroes' charity. The concert was excellent and most enjoyable as was the welcome and hospitality of the Elgin Club.



Some suits and soldiers!

On Thursday the 8th Winnie and I went the short distance to Inverness to vist theRotary Club of Inverness. We were welcomed by President Robbie Kerr and the Rotarians from this the oldest Club in this area. Some 'weel kennt' faces were there including the past District Treasurer, Doug Ritchie, who is now back in the District 1010 fold as treasurer of the District Conference Team. 


I always think a happy treasurer is a comforting thought!

On the 13th of September came another short journey North of Inverness to the Rotary Club of Dingwall in the impressive surroundings of Tulloch Castle Hotel. As always it is a pleasure to visit this well established Club and our welcome was warm and friendly. My photographer failed to remember to take any photos of the visit.

On the 15th of September it was time for the Forres Conference team to meet at the Holiday Inn in Aberdeen to discuss final arrangements for the 61st Annual District1010 Conference. Nineteen of the team met during the evening over a very pleasant meal. JVP Doreen is only collecting the empty bottles!!

The Conference took place in the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th and by all accounts was a great success. I certainly was very pleased with the presentations and the speakers.The House of Friendship was a tremendous hit with enough space to wander round the various stalls as well as have enough room to enjoy a cup of coffee with shortbread. There were many notable highlights from the Conference, The CHAS presentation on Friday followed by a Civic reception hosted by Aberdeen City Council's Bailie Neil Cooney. After an excellent meal we were bowled over by the fantastic after dinner musical evening provided by Glen Munro and his very talented young Moray Concert Brass. They were well worth the standing ovations at the end of the evening. Saturday was a Rotary morning with presentations by the RIBI President Ray Burman, the RI Presidents Representative Paul Knyff from Holland. We also heard from Sandra Bartram the Chairman of Inner Wheel District 1 as well as presentation on Women in Rotary by Cath Chorley, Dianne Rigg and the CEO of RIBI Annemarie Harte. After a farewell presentation by our own 1010 GSE Team who went to District 7950 and a talk by myself on where we are in this District now and in the coming year we finished the morning with a sparkling and hilarious presentation on Scots Law by the distinguished QC Donald Findlay.



The fabulous Moray Concert Brass in action on Friday evening.

Winnie's CHAS book project for the Conference was a great success and as well as having around 2500 books having been given either at the Clubs when we visited or brought to the Conference, she has been able to raise over £2000 in donations and by the prize draw at the Gala Ball night. CHAS are extremely delighted with the success of her project and the books are being prepared to be given as presents to the children in the hospices as well as their brothers and sisters.

Ray Burman RIBI President with Winnie & I, Sarah Secombes of CHAS & Paul Knyff of RI. with the book collection.

On Saturday afternoon there were various opportunities to relax, curling, a visit to the Maritime Museum in Aberdeen, a presentation by lady Claire MacDonald on Scottish Food or just a trip to the shops in the City.

In the evening I gave a drinks reception for the delegates attending before we adjourned to the Boyd-Orr suite for dinner and a Ball thereafter, dancing till midnight to 'Tripper'. We also presented the golf and curling prizes, one of which was a curling quaich given by the Forres Club in memory of our member Les Hester who died earlier this year.

The Conference started on Sunday with 'Lift up your hearts', a moment of quiet reflection and thought led by Rotarian the Rev Eleanor Macalister. This was followed by presentations from our visiting GSE team from District 9700 led by Rotarian John McKenzie and after superb presentations by Charlie Philips, Liz Bentley and the inimitable Professor Sue Black we had a final word from the RI Representative Paul Knyff.  Robin Rippin DGE gave the vote of thanks and the advance notice of the District Conference 2012 at Aviemore before I rang the final bell to close the 61st Annual District Conference.



The DG with John and his GSE team from 'Down Under'.

I started visits again to Inverness Culloden on the 20th of September. The Club gave us a warm welcome and President Gavin presented some books for Winnie as part of their donation to the CHAS book project. She was delighted, as you might imagine, at the generosity of the Rotarians there as well as at all the Clubs she has visited that have presented books.



President Gavin, Mike and some of the Rotarians with us.

Next day we were up early for a visit to the most Northerly Breakfast Club, Inverness Riverside. The Rotary Club meets in the splendid setting of the Kingsmill Hotel, Inverness. After a superb breakfast I spoke to the Club and Winnie was again presented by more books for her CHAS project. The Club is putting on a Pantomime in a local Community Centre in October which we will attend. It should be fun!

President Alastair with books for Winnie.

On the 22nd of September it was a big day for me personally, I was visiting my own Club for the first time since I had become District Governor. I was expecting a hard time with some heckling but not so! I was received very well and the Club gave me a very good response and some very kind words about the Conference. The team from Forres were superb, not many had ever been to a Conference before but they were brilliant and even enjoyed it thay said. The Sergeant-at-Arms, Ally Urquhart and the Registrar Chris Combe worked very hard to make it a success.

'We'll make this the best Conference ever - just you watch!'

The following day was a trip to Anstruther to celebrate the 60th Charter of the Club. I was to give the toast to Rotary International. We were met and warmly welcomed by President Derek Mathie at the 'Craw's Nest'. It was a great night of fellowship and celebration and well attended by neighboring Clubs and their Mother Club Leven.



President Derek and I on the Charter Night

Next day, Saturday the 24th, Winnie and I went to the Scores Hotel to meet the new group of Ambassadorial Scholars who have come to study in St Andrews. We were met by my old friend Sylvia Donaldson, who is Coordinator for the Scholars, and enjoyed a very nice lunch with them and some of the St Andrews Clubs Rotarians. The four young people were very nice and were so happy to be in Scotland. We all must remember to invite them to speak at our Clubs, they are keen to do so. All you need to do is pay their fare, feed them, perhaps look after them overnight if it is some distance and let them talk to you about their experience. Remember to build this into your speaker diaries when a slot become free, contact Sylvia she will do the rest.


Diego, Robbie, Myself, Jordan and Zachary