Dumfries Report to Distrct Magazine
We start a new Rotary year encouraged by our new President
John Henderson to continue our good work, and above all enjoy our membership
with all that it offers. John is pictured with outgoing president David
Campbell, under whose stewardship the Club contnued to flourish.
Our annual Charity Golf Am-Am event was, once again, a great team effort,
held as usual at the end of June, courtesy of Dumfries & County
Golf Club. Thanks to the Golf Club, to the 59 teams who took part and
to our many generous sponsors, we raised the handsome sum of £7,200.
Again, as is our usual practice, we donated the bulk of the surplus
to two local charities, a local disabled riding group and a local school
serving the needs of children with severe learning difficulties. Our
Club has its own Sports Foundation, which provides financial help to
local budding sporting stars, and it also received a considerable donation.
All in all, a most rewarding and enjoyable event, and one in which many
Club members are involved in a variety of ways.
Once again we have been involved with youngsters. We support the local
Primary Schools quiz, and the young speakers’ competition. The
winner of the latter, young Cathrine Callaghan aged 10, (photographed
with President David) came to our Club in June and gave us an address
entitled “If I were a teacher for a day”. Standing no more
than knee high to a grasshopper, Cathrine stood tall as a speaker, entrancing
members with her clear diction, great wit and vivid imagination. Lots
of Club members helped out with the Kids Out day at Barony College,
where we met not only the huge number of kids from the region, their
willing carers and, of course, many chums from other Clubs in our Zone.
It is a long tradition of our Club that we invited the Cornet, his Lass
and the Lynors to the Club meeting immediately before the annual Riding
of the Marches. This year was no exception, and our photograph shows
President David Campbell with the group, together with Past President
Douglas Barbour, who was himself the Cornet in 1950. You can work out
for yourselves how long ago that was!
Rotary Welcomes District Governor
At last Friday’s meeting of Dumfries Rotary Club,
President John Henderson welcomed an eminent Rotarian in the shape of
District Governor Alan Maclaughlan, who is a member of the Rotary Club
of Currie Balerno, and who took over the position of District Governor
on 1st July. A member of the teaching profession for some 40 years,
Alan is also a keen Burns enthusiast, so immediately established himself
as persona grata with the Club members.
It is always a pleasure to have our most senior District official in
our company. Alan thanked the Club for their welcome and brought greetings
from his own Club and District 1020, which covers large parts of Central
Scotland, and all of Scotland south of the central belt and as far west
as Newton Stewart.
In encouraging Dumfries Rotarians to continue with all their good work,
both locally and abroad, Alan introduced three themes to his talk.
Firstly, he reminded members of this year’s Rotary motto, namely
“Building Communities, Bridging Continents”. In embracing
this motto, Alan echoed President John’s own thoughts when he
took office, namely to concentrate on us and our Club, while at the
same time thinking up new ideas so as to reflect the motto.
Secondly, Alan assured members that District 1020 is aware of the increasing
cost of Rotary membership. Steps have been taken to address this problem,
with District cutting back on the cost of publications and by making
increasing use of e-mail for inter-club communication. The annual District
Conference is a costly item, but it must be held as required by the
Rotary rules. However, comments from members were invited as to other
possible savings in such areas as training costs and youth activities.
As Alan said, we are not immune from the general atmosphere of cost-saving
which is all-pervasive at this time.
Thirdly, Alan referred to District 1020’s preferred project,
one which he has developed with his two successors, so that the project
will run for three years. As part of the final push to End Polio Now,
Rotary International’s massive current project, District 1020
will raise funds, and hope to get them matched by Rotary’s own
Charity, the Rotary Foundation, so as to have sufficient to provide
a large number of flush toilets for schools in Uttar Pradesh, a huge
area in northern India. Our target is to raise £15,000, and volunteers
have already visited the territory to make appropriate assessments.
Alan hoped for support from all Clubs in the District.
President John Henderson thanked Alan for his stimulating talk, referred
particularly to the cost-saving measures, and presumed that Rotary would
be going for a 25% cost saving, as seems to be the norm in these hard
times! On behalf of the members, John wished Alan every success and
fulfilment in his year of office.
President John
Henderson welcomes District Governor Alan McLauglan
acknowledgements to Dumfries & Galloway Standard 20th
August
