Club Meeting ~ Bill Deans

President Graham Smith welcomed 13 other members, and Community Service convener Bill Jones urged members to sell as many tickets as possible for the Wine Tasting at the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club on Wednesday November 6 at 6.30.

Youth Services convener Adam Muggoch advised that the first round of the Rotary Young Chef of the Year competition would take place at Hermitage Academy on Monday. Members were asked to give their Polioplus Crocus Appeal cash to the Treasurer as soon as possible.

President-elect Bill Deans spoke on 'Liberty ships - things that go bump in the night!' His uncle served on one of these American-built ships which supplied Allied countries in the later part of World War Two. More of these coal-fired tramp steamers were built to the design than any other ship.

It was no secret that the target was to build ships faster than the enemy could sink them, using welding rather than rivets, and the first appeared in November 1941 at a cost of $2 million. Some 2,710 were built at 18 shipyards in four years, the later ones taking only 44 days to build.

Bill said that 9,300 mariners were killed and 12,000 injured on these ships, but they made a huge contribution to victory in the war. Only two are still operational today, one in Baltimore and one in San Francisco.

Jack Rudram proposed the vote of thanks, and the weekly raffle for a whisky miniature was won by Dave Campbell.