Club Meeting 20 June 2013

On Thursday 20th June, the Rotary Club of South Queensferry held its club assembly in the Hawes Inn.  President Liz Mackenzie welcomed Assistant District Governor Ken Robertson of the Rotary Club of Cumbernauld and District.

President Elect Iain Fairbairn then presented his programme for Rotary year 2013-14. Popular community-based events such as Santa's Sleigh, the Carol Concert and the Senior Citizens' Concert will continue. The club will develop its connection with Hopetoun, and again hold a fund-raising plant sale. The principal public event will again be the Rotary Forth Bridge Abseil which has proved a winner in raising funds for national and local charities. The Youth Services Committee will run Primary School competitions and support and promote the very successful Interact Club at Queensferry High School. It will also develop the JET programme at the High School which offers one-day-per week vocational experience to 4th year students. The International Committee will continue its long-term programme of support for an orphanage in Kenya. Hopetoun events will fund 'send a cow' for Africa, and the committee will investigate a scheme for funding short term loans for people (often women) to start small businesses, again in Africa. A Swimarathon in Queensferry Recreation Centre pool will raise money towards the Rotary End Polio Now project.

President Elect Iain concluded his presentation by hoping that the next Rotary year would be challenging, satisfying, successful, but most of all promote fellowship and fun. Assistant District Governor Ken Robertson congratulated the club on its performance and wished Iain well. In his view, the club epitomised next year's Rotary motto -'Engage Rotary and Change Lives'.