CLUB NEWS: Quarter 1 - 2008
Club News as it Happens
31st March 2008 - Curling Team Update: Perth were edged out by Forfar in the opening game of the Championships, when the team played well, but just didn't get any breaks. The second game saw the team suffer a 9 - 4 defeat at the hands of a very good Niagara Falls outfit, but have managed to turn things around in the third game on Monday afternoon against Barrie, when a superb draw to the button by Russell McCabe saw the Perth team home by a single shot.
30th March 2008 - The Young Bowlers Competition took place at Dewar's Rinks, with the winner's coming from Stonehaven Bowling Club. Convener Peter Bing is pictured with Scottish Bowling Association Regional Coach, Ricky Grant in the group picture.
The second picture shows Peter Bing and President David Anderson presenting the trophy to the winners from Stonehaven wearing the red polo shirts; Matthew Colvin, Skip, Callum Allsop and David Colvin. Runners up from the Dunfermline, Headwell Bowling Club, wearing the white polo shirts are left to right Cameron McKenzie, David Duncan and Skip Patrick McMahon.
28th March 2008 - Our curlers set off today for the 19th Rotary World Curling Championships in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Played on a bi-annual basis in either Scotland or Canada/USA alternatively. Our 5 man team of Alistair Ritchie, Bill Duncan, Alay Milne, Hamish Milne and Russell McCabe will play a minimum of 9 games in the round robin stages of the competition against 3 rinks each from Canada (Niagara Falls/Bethesda, Stratford & Barrie) and USA (Clarksville, Florida/Bethesda and Madison), a rink from Berwick-on-Tweed, England, and two other Scottish rinks both representing the Rotary Club of Forfar. The competition starts on Sunday 30th March at the Brantford Golf & Country Club and runs through the round robin matches until Thursday 3rd April, with the top 4 rinks then qualifying for the semi finals and final which are played on Friday 4th April.
27th March 2008 - The Rotary Club of Perth presented a Cheque for £16000 to the McMillan Hospice project at Perth Royal Infirmary, following the very successful, Perth's Silent Auction. The Rotary Club in co-operation with the Perthshire Advertiser run Perth's Silent Auction - 2007, all proceeds this year were donated to MacMillan Cancer Support, what an acheivement.
The Club were gifted the LOTS from Businesses, Clubs, Rotarians and Friends of Rotary, and take this opportunity to thank every one of them most sincerely for their generous gifts, plus a special thanks to all the people of Perthshire and beyond for their wonderful support.
27th March 2008 - Paul Kyle, Perth & Kinross Business Development Manager gave a most enlightening talk on what is going on commercially in Perth at the moment, with special emphasis on the River Tay and Perth Harbour. In particular the imminent opening of the much extended and improved quayside and associated buildings. Also the arrival of a new Pilot Craft 'The Fair Maid' which can double as a Tug Boat when the need arises. A completely new and much improved River Navigation System has now been installed, this will maximise the number of vessels that can use the shipping channel which further enhances the appeal of the harbour, also the complete charting of the River Tay for the first time in its history.
Paul further informed that the Harbour was almost at full capacity, with the new developments just coming on stream at the right time. He is actively encouraging more companies to use the harbour, with its added benefits, of being able to bring 2000 tonne of cargo, 23 miles inland before being discharged, and with Perth being strategically well placed, this is a major advantage, with great savings on road haulage. All-in-all it would appear that Perth Harbour and the Silvery Tay are very well positioned for the challenges of the 21st century.
25th March 2008 - The latest round of the Gavel Challenge took place between Rotary Club of Perth and Rotary Club of Glenrothes in the Gilvenbank Hotel. Both Clubs fielding strong teams, lined up for what turned out to be a very entertaining evening with excellent hospitality. Perth run out worthy winners, due to some quality play from the team, captained by Alistair Ritchie and ably assisted by Gordon Dow, Alan Calderwood, Charles Evans, David Lindsay and Jimmy Robertson, but again our youth team of Sandy Dow and Alistair Duffy were the star turns with an impressive total of 7.5 out of 8!
Glenrothes, good humouredly suggested that we had an extra man in the name of Krishna Swamy (pictured) who had one of those nights they would all like to forget. All-in-all a great night of fellowship.
20th March 2008 - Dick Salvin, Bridgend Gannochy Kinnoull Community Council gave us an insight into the workings of the community council, it is a voluntary organisation with 10 elected councillors. The main function of the community council is to represent the interests of the local residents, in Planning and Licensing applications and social behaviour issues. They liaise with the community police, the Perth & Kinross Council and other organisations with an interest in the area, and perform as a much needed community watchdog
19th March 2008 - A painting by Rosa Branson, one of London's foremost painters, entitled Service above Self, was unveiled by Baroness Hayman, The Lord Speaker, in the River Room at The House of Lords, in front of an audience of politicians, business people and diplomats. Rosa recently completed this major commission for Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland. The thematic painting depicts the many facets of the humanitarian work carried out by Rotary around the globe. The Family of Rotary: Rotary Clubs, Inner Wheel, Rotaract, and Interact, are all featured representing the work of more than two million members in over 200 countries.
Aspects of Rotary's work such as promoting world peace and understanding, disaster relief as well as a variety of youth programmes are all featured. The centre piece is Rotary's logo - the blue and gold wheel featured with the motto Service above Self.
19th March 2008 - The Annual Pub Games Night was held at Perth West End Bowling Club, an evening of pub games and fun was enjoyed by a very large turnout from the club, it became obvious early on that there a few members, who obviously subscribed to the missed spent youth culture with there expertise in pool, darts and cards! Names will not be revealed. After a very close competition the pairing of Sandy Pearson and Joe Cairns were declared the winners by a single point.
lt was decided that an overall champion was the order of the day, so a tiebreak blindfold putting competition between Sandy and Joe was organised. Sandy Pearson run out the eventual winner, ably assisted by his guide Jimmy Robertson.
Members watch the final event, the blindfold putting competition at the Pub Games Night.
13th March 2008 - Karen McCleary of Balcraig Foundation gave us a most informative talk on the Kenya Children’s Home, plus an update on the club's sponsored child, Grace Njoki. We were shown photos of the neighbouring shanty town and explained how, at KCH they produce loaves of bread, on machinery sponsored by Kelvinside Academy, and sell it to the desperately poor,1200 are given away each day free of charge to the starving in the nearby shanty town of Kybera.
The Kenya Children's home showing their overnight bakery which produces 1500 half-loaves each night at a cost of 10 pence each. They now have two bakers, one privately sponsored and one paid for by the Balcraig Foundation. The loaves are sold at the cost price 10p, this is still to expensive for most family's, a loaf feeds a whole family for 1 day.
Karen distributed cards, seeking sponsorship for the Kelvin Loaf, President David encouraged all Rotarians to take one home and consider what they could do to help? By putting a donation in a sealed envelope with the Card, and bringing it back to the club next week, it is hoped that we can raise enough to provide at least 10,000 loaves.
28th February 2008 - New member Joe Cairns gave a fascinating job talk about his career as an accountant. Joe has worked with all types of companies from huge multi-national conglomerates to large family businesses, from the cheese industry to whisky producers, from electronics to hotel chains, as an accountant Joe say's you don't need to know anything about the business, the bottom line stays the same! you've got to make it profitable. Now back working with the McLelland family who he worked for previously in their famous cheese making business, which they sold to the French cheese giants the Lactalis Group, Joe now runs their very successful property portfolio and enjoys working from his other office in Portugal.
21st February 2008 - Douglas Gibson, Stockbroker with Redmayne Bentley gave a very interesting insight into the business of buying and selling shares professionally. Due to the strict code of practise regulating the financial sector Douglas ensured that he did not give any tips but did indicate that commodities could be a good alternative during this very volatile time with Stocks. The Stock Market has change almost beyond his recognition since his early days, when contacts and a telephone were the only tools available to the stockbroker, now with modern technology, real time pricing, buying and selling online, instant and accurate prices plus online transactions, takes it miles away from where he began. Technology though brings with it, its own problems, over reaction and the now all too famliliar red screen!
20th February 2008 - Rotary Club of Perth members in attendance at the world famous Perth Bull Sales at the Agricultural Centre, were delighted by the generosity of the local farming community, helping to raise money for the "Send a Cow to Africa" project! The funds collected will be sent to the Send a Cow - Livestock for Life project where they really make a difference. This work helps farmers in Africa, overcome poverty, and protect the environment, they treat all their recipents with respect, and work with those in most need, regardless of faith, to enable them to transform their lives. Rural families are the heart of Africa, yet traditional farming methods that once helped them wrestle livelihoods out of their harsh environment, are no longer adequate. In many countries over cultivation has left the soils exhausted. In others, conflict has wiped out livestock, and now climate change means weather patterns are less reliable. "Send a Cow" understands how to make the land productive by restoring the balance between people, livestock and the environment.
What does this deliver? Health, livestock delivers milk, eggs, and meat to be added to their diets, and manure to assist in cultivating fruit and vegetables, plus income to be used in education and healthcare. Happiness, through increased confidence which delivers improved self-esteem, and strenthened groups which can meet the challenge of long-term change.
15th February 2008 - The New Rotary Wishing Well was installed at Dobbies Garden Centre - Perth. The new wishing well was kindly constructed by the woodcraft department at the Walled Garden - Murray Royal Hospital, Perth. Made from solid oak, supplied free by Strathearn Stone and Timber Company, club members contributed varnish, sign writing and a Rotary Badge to finish this rather classy Wishing Well. The new wishing Well was officially unveiled by President David, also in attendance were Michael Hope the scheme originator and inspiration behind this very successful project, Gordon Bannerman the Walled Garden's mentor and Sandy Dow representing the Club Fund Raising Committee, along with Ross Anderson - Dobbies Manager and Theresa Edwards from Strathearn Stone and Timber.