Club Meeting ~ Derek Hall

President Graham Smith welcomed ten other members and guest Brian Blackwell, president of the Helensburgh Garelochside club. The secretary passed on requests from international convener Douglas Dow for two more helpers at the Bridge Night in the Rugby Club on Friday March 21, and for most members of the club to assist at the Can Collection at the Co-op in Sinclair Street on Saturday March 29.

Alastair Wilson reported that Gordon Burgess was no longer able to take part in the Marie Curie Cancer Care Quiz Night in the Rugby Club on Friday evening, so the club team would be Derek and Fiona Hall, Bill and Rosemary Jones, and Alastair and Janette Wilson.

Bill Deans reported on the Presidents-Elect Training Session he had attended on Sunday, which he found interesting and enjoyable. A lot of time was spent on equality and diversity issues, and there was considerable emphasis on membership and PR matters.

Brian Blackwell appealed for help from Helensburgh members at the Garelochside club's Community Awards Night on Monday April 28, as it was important there was a strong rotary presence.

Derek Hall cleverly used the stubs of match tickets to talk about being taken to see international football matches as a boy, starting with England losing 3-1 to Scotland at Wembley in April 1949, when the performance of 27 year-old Scotland captain George Young so excited him that he has been a Rangers supporter ever since.

His favourite centre forward of all time was Lawrie Reilly of Hibs, whom he saw score for Scotland in their 2-1 defeat by England at Hampden in front of a 133,000 crowd in 1952. Another great hero was the late Sir Tom Finney, who died recently.

Bill Deans proposed the vote of thanks, and the weekly raffle for a whisky miniature was won by Alastair Wilson.