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What an exciting time for Aboyne and Upper Deeside Rotary Club as we approach a particularly busy time of the year first up this weekend we are looking forward to supporting the Run Balmoral event selling raffle tickets on behalf of the Charlie House Big Build initiative on Saturday and manning the water station on Sunday – here’s hoping for good weather!

While we are at Balmoral we are looking forward to discussing  with the management team there, the potential of holding a campaign to raise awareness and funds for ShelterBox to mark their 25^thAnniversary in the grounds at Balmoral over a weekend later in the year.

ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity originally established by the Rotary Club of Helston Lizard in Cornwall in 2000, UK, that provides emergency shelter and other aid items to families around the world who have lost their homes to disaster or conflict.

Her Majesty The Queen Camilla, has been the President of ShelterBox since 2007, and as such our club thought it would be a good idea to reach out and ask for support from Her Majesty in this regard.

Whilst doing so we realised that our club and members have many common interests and passions with Her Majesty.

Apart from ShelterBox we are involved with Horseback UK which is another charity patroned by Her Majesty, we have done and continue to do a lot of work with and for the River Dee Trust. Both organisations are represented by members of our club.

Our continuing focus on membership has seen us have the privilege of Deputy Lieutenant Mrs Nicola Bradford gladly accepting honorary membership of our club. We have worked together with Nicola in various ways over the years to mutual benefit including most significantly her connections with Children 1st and the Lord Lieutenant’s office.

Non Rotarians may or may not know that His Majesty the King has been an Honorary member of the Rotary Club of Banchory and St Ternan for many years and the Princess Royal is an Honorary member of Elgin Rotary. 

It occurred to our Vice President Jane that as Balmoral and indeed Birkhall are both situated within the geographical boundary of the Rotary Club of Aboyne and Upper Deeside it would seem an excellent opportunity, to invite her Majesty to become an Honorary member of the Rotary Club of Aboyne and Upper Deeside, to further extend and cement the Royal connection with Rotary here in Royal Deeside.

To this end a letter of invitation was dispatched to Her Majesty the Queen on the 20^th March and we are absolutely thrilled to report that only 11 days later, (on the 1^st of April) a reply was received reporting to us that HM The Queen would be delighted to become an Honorary Member of the Rotary Club of Aboyne and Upper Deeside.

And so we look forward to attending a garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in July, to meet our newest Honorary Member.

Together we will continue to make a difference in all our communities.

Rotary the world over indeed.