Linlithgow Grange Rotary Club - Meeting Reports
The Linlithgow Grange rotary Club meets on Mondays at 6:45 for 7:00pm at:
The Palace Suite, West Port Hotel
18-20 High Street, Linlithgow
Tel: (01506) 847456
30 January
President Rory Cameron chaired Monday's business meeting as usual. He welcomed one visitor and he thanked everyone who had contributed towards the success of the Burns Supper that had been held at the Linlithgow Golf Club the previous Monday. He remarked on the amazing capability of club members to put on such an excellent evening of entertainment. This being a business night, convenors outlined future plans for the club. Phill Ratcliffe said that applicants had been received for the sports bursary and that consideration was continuing of those who had entered the Jim Clark Memorial essay competition. Phill announced that the numerous entrants for the young writer of the year were currently being evaluated. Progress for the young photographer’s competition, was, Phill said, also continuing to schedule. The primary school quiz competition was due to be held at Low Port Primary School on 24th February. He announced that Bo’ness Academy was due to host the young technologist event during March.
The Rotary Club of Linlithgow Grange will be holding a coffee morning at St Michael’s Kirk Hall on the morning of Saturday 18th February. This is a must for the social calendar. There will be a cake and candy stall, fun and other side stalls. Gordon Young outlined the full programme of events being planned for Rotary Week starting with the coffee morning. Club member Stephen Blake said that he hoped to finalise shortly following discussions with Historic Scotland, further environmental work around Linlithgow Loch in early March.
12 December
President Rory Cameron chaired Monday's meeting as usual. Phill Ratcliffe reminded members of the Jim Cowie Cup that had been reported extensively in the Gazette. Young writers are invited to compile a 600 word essay on ‘the Olympic spirit’. This competition is open to all first and second year pupils living or educated in Bo’ness, Linlithgow or South Queensferry. The first prize is a day with the Journal and Gazette, the Jim Cowie Cup plus a book token for £50. Runners up will receive book tokens. It should be noted that the closing date is 15th January 2012. At the subsequent Special General Meeting, the following were elected as office bearers for 2012- 2013: President-Elect – Ian Adams, Vice-President – Stephen Blake; Secretary – Phill Ratcliffe and Treasurer - Roy Redwood. Also approved were the Club's financial accounts. Members are reminded to submit their entries to the Club’s Scottish Pride quiz. The deadline is Saturday 17th December 2011, so speed is of the essence! Return of the forms should be made to the Line Gallery by this deadline or to any Rotary Club member. The winner of the £25 prize will be announced at the forthcoming Christmas Social to be held on Monday 19th December 2011 at Linlithgow Golf Club.
5 December
President Rory Cameron chaired Monday's meeting as usual. Phill Ratcliffe thanked club members for their contributions towards four thousand shelter boxes that had been distributed to those in dire need of shelter. Bill Duncan welcomed two pupils of Linlithgow Academy; Rebecca Scott and Alastair Napoli - the speakers for the evening. The two recalled, with refreshing enthusiasm, their experiences in attending the Rotary Challenge Enterprise weekend at the well-appointed Newbattle College, Dalkeith, between 30th September and 2nd October of this year. They recalled that the focus of the weekend had been to develop business and entrepreneurial skills amongst the assembled young people taking part. Both Rebecca and Alastair had been impressed at the presentations by three successful female speakers over the weekend; Chief Superintendent Gill Imery of the Lothian and Borders Police, Tanya Ewing who had developed the Ewgeco range of energy meters and Carol-Ann Brown who had seen the possibilities of land yachting on beaches in Scotland. The weekend included challenging role-playing debates about apparently everyday issues such as wages and holidays in the work environment. The session had ended with team building exercises when the group of twenty four were able to get to know one another as well as developing a new product and ‘selling it’ to the assembled audience. Bill thanked Rebecca and Alastair for their excellent address and wished them well, looking into the future. Members were reminded to promote the Club’s Scottish Pride quiz. The winner of the £25 prize will be announced at the forthcoming Christmas Social. Rotarian Gail Boardman of the Line Gallery, 238 High Street, Linlithgow also has quiz sheets to sell in the Line Gallery.
28 November
President Rory Cameron welcomed Jane Henderson and her father, Gordon, to Monday evening's meeting. Jane was sponsored by the club to attend the Rotary Youth Leaders Award camp - an outward-bound course - which she thoroughly enjoyed. It was obvious from her light-hearted and entertaining presentation that she had benefited immensely from the experience as she recounted the gorge walking, the team building exercises and the high poles where she managed to overcome her fear of heights as she stood (suitably harnessed, of course) on what was a pizza-box platform and jump to catch hold of a trapeze bar. President Rory thanked her for her lively talk and presented her with a certificate and an official photograph of all the girls that attended the RYLA camp in July.
The remainder of the evening was allocated to our monthly business meeting. An update was received from Thom Riddell who is planning to take a Rotary Vocational Training Team consisting of a doctor, physiotherapist and environmental engineer to the Uttar Pradesh area of India next year. The intention is to provide a 3 - 5 year support for water and sanitation projects and a centre for sufferers of cerebral palsy via Rotary Clubs in the district. Other convenors gave their reports and Christmas Quiz sheets were distributed for members to sell at £1 each to the public to raise funds for local good causes. The winner of the £25 prize will be announced at the forthcoming Christmas Social. Rotarian Gail Boardman of the Line Gallery, 238 High Street, Linlithgow also has quiz sheets to sell in the gallery.
A suggestion was made by one fellow Rotarian that anyone who feels that the additional £200 heating allowance provided by the Government is unnecessary for them was invited to discuss with our Treasurer the possibility of donating it to our club Benevolent Fund for disbursement to worthy causes in the community. Members of the public who would like to do likewise can contact the Treasurer at treasurer@linlithgowgrange.org.uk.
21 November
President Rory Cameron chaired Monday evening's meeting as usual. Rotarian Jim Rae spoke about the club's recent efforts assisting the Park Ranger to clear areas at the Hatchery Burn at Linlithgow Loch by felling trees, clearing undergrowth and laying a new drain. This neatly preceded a talk given to the members by Ian Lewis, one of the two Historic Scotland Park Rangers based at Linlithgow with a remit also covering Cairnpapple and Blackness Castle. Ian first outlined the history of the loch, formed by glacial activity as the Ice Age retreated, and palace - there has been a royal residence sited there since David I had a manor house built in 1143. He defined the role of the Park Ranger Service as education, interpretation, community, visitor safety, conservation, and stewardship. Surveys of birds, butterflies and, more recently, bees are carried out by the Rangers. Historic Scotland are currently planning a Community Day next year in which it is hoped the Linlithgow Grange Rotary Club will be able to participate in some way. Rotarian Stephen Blake thanked Ian for a most interesting and entertaining talk.
Earlier Meeting Reports
For reports on earlier meetings, the programme of events and more details please refer to the Linlithgow Grange Rotary Club Website or to the Grange rotary Facebook page.