chatters chatters ju april/may 201€¦ · april/may 201 3 this month’s issue contains news of...
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This month’s issue contains news of the Club over the month of July, a normally quiet time. Peter’s presidency
got off to a flying start with the new Calendar already on sale while each committee has laid down their plans
for the coming year and we have had a full crop of excellent speakers.
Editorial I feel reticent to mention the weather again in case
I upset the present pattern which we are all enjoying.
So thoughts turn to the future in other ways. All the
convenors have committed themselves to their
programmes that extend the commitment of the Club both locally and internationally; the breadth of
involvement is truly breath-taking
But, overall, it is the release of the new Charity
Calendar for 2014, shown below, which was first available at the Perth Show where a committed
team led by Ian Baird were able to show how well the public have received the venture. The pictures
selected through the Club Photographic Competition are shown right. Good luck to everyone.
Vice President Bob Abernethy and Club Secretary Janet Simpson with the new Calendar for 2014
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Rotary Fair 31st August
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Tom explains the advantages of buying a Charity Calendar
Rotarian Ian Hallifax, one of our newest members relaxed with the Club Members in his talk on Virgin Mobile, which he had been instrumental
in development. As a marketing strategist, Ian was involved with the launch of Virgin Mobile. As if that wasn’t enough he used his skills to
develop the brand Scottish Golf.
It was Ian’s concept to create a communications facility for all golfers for
which he formed a virtual golf club based at St Andrews. The Gateway by the 17th hole of the Old Course, now the home of a European Centre for
the golf industry, the hub for the transmission of information allows the marketing of the game in Scotland.
St Andrews was chosen as the natural venue for such an entity because of its tradition as the ’Home of Golf’, and provides visitors with advice on
hotel accommodation, where to play golf, and even about activities for non-golfers
Peter MacDougall, Club President 2013/14
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Speakers 2 July Ian Hallifax - "The Creation of Virgin Mobile"
16 July Alastair Anderson - "The Guildry"
23 July Andrew Turnbull - "Microlite Flying"
30 July Susan Scott - "PLUS Perth"
Rotarian Alastair Anderson gave a
talk on the Guildry Incorporation of Perth which began as an early friendly
society, supporting members who had fallen on hard times, infirm members,
widows and students. The first Dean of Guild was elected in the early
fifteenth century to preside over the
Guild Court, which dealt with disputes between traders and also collected
fines for breaches of the trading laws.
In the early sixteenth century
craftsman were admitted to the Guild Council and we still have two
representatives from the trades who officiate at the present day Guild
Court. Nowadays the Guildry is a charitable organisation which
continues to provide support for its
members by way of bursaries, pensions etc. and also supports
deserving local causes.
It was good to have such a talk from
the horse’s mouth, so to speak, as Alastair was elected Lord Dean of
Guild in 2012. His term of office will last for three years, serving a further
three as ex-Dean
The club welcomed Susan Scott, manager
of PLUS Perth & Kinross. Susan explained that the organisation was a user-led charity
for people who had suffered from mental
health problems and also those who were recovering from any form of substance
abuse. Based in the city centre, their small office provided an important resource
where PLUS members could drop in and
get support and also benefit from working with other PLUS members and volunteers
to aid their recovery. Susan went on to explain that her biggest challenge, other
than funding, was trying to tackle and overcome the stigma which goes along
with mental health. She then highlighted a
recent project which Members had started at ‘Horner’s Plot’, a small piece of waste
ground behind the Barber’s shop between South Street and Canal Street. Members and volunteers were now
working on the onerous task of clearing the site and had the intention of starting cultivation and perhaps sale of produce in the
fullness of time. Such projects are immensely valuable for PLUS
members as it gives them a purpose in life and a sense of value within society as well as counteracting some of the stigma felt
within the greater community. PLUS did not provide ‘services, or have ‘clients’ but acted as a ‘scaffolding’ to assist Members
affected by mental health to aid them back to making a valued
contribution to society. Susan explained that they received modest funding from the local council and health board and had recently
benefitted from the Guildry’s funding of their Members newsletter – a valued means of communication and support amongst
Members. Susan answered a range of questions from Rotarians, underlining the interest she had generated by her talk. In inviting
Rotarians to thank Susan for her talk, Bob Thomson, who is a
member of the PLUS Board of Management, commented on the passion which Susan obviously had for this challenging endeavour
Charity Golf Tournament at Dunkeld Golf Club
Wednesday 4th September
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President Peter exchanging banners
with Rotarian Tom Katus from Rapid City, South Dakota who visited our
club in July along with his granddaughter Rebecca
Colin Moreland, Iain Smith & Ian Baird selling Calendars on a sunny day at the Perth Show as part of the team organised by Ian that worked hard over the three days
The Jo Homan Charity – a letter from J. Infant Pamila and P. Muthapandi.
Dear Uncles and Aunties
Having now started back to school after the Summer with my family, I am looking forward to moving into the
11th Standard. I have progressed through my education and am now moving towards Apprenticeship which will allow me to receive training and a qualified position. Without all the help I have received from you, this would not have been possible and my family thank you for giving me this opportunity. With love
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George Cameron, convenor of the Community Committee, hopes to begin a new venture providing
financial support for the purchase of “Datalink Emergency Information Bottles”. This is a system
where a small green bottle is located in the fridge
of vulnerable persons which contains details of their medication and medical conditions. There is a small
magnetic green flag on the outside of the fridge to let medical support personnel know the information
is in the fridge.
This is part of a voluntary scheme aimed at
reassuring the household that essential information is readily available to the Emergency Services,
should an accident, sudden illness or break-in occur.
Andrew Turnbull, already known to many Club
Members through his chartered Accountants firm, gave
a delightful and amusing talk on his new experiences
with the microlite, (or is it microlight?) a small airborne machine of doubtful temperament. He was able to relax
with his love of trout fishing but craved more excitement in his retirement, setting himself the target of learning to
fly.
Choosing the microlite as a suitable vehicle through cost
and training, he worked towards his pilot’s license and membership od the Scottish Aero Club. To achieve the full license required a solo flight which
Andrew explained was only made clear to him as he climbed aboard.
An eventful journey saw him negotiating the Fife
airspace with clearance from Leuchars and, as it turned out, more guidance than he thought he
needed. His target, the airfield at Kingsmuir, turned out to be, indeed, a field which he tried to locate by
going to the coast and following the road back.
Still unable to make the location, he asked for advice
from Leuchrs control tower to be told he was just above the field. It was only on landing that he found
a New Zealand visitor had been following him on the ground to find another spot.