Formal Evening

'Je suis Charlie!'

...were the opening words of journalist Charles Fletcher, President of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, as he chaired the club's first meeting of the new year two days after the terrorist murder of reporters and cartoonists at the French magazine Charlie Hebdo. His support for freedom of speech was endorsed by club members who had gathered at the Hawes Inn on Thursday January 8th for a formal speakers night. The evening's talk was delivered by Past President Robbie Brechin whose lifelong career in veterinary surgery caused no surprise when  he revealed the opening title:

 'Dissertation on the breeding of Dux Magnus Venteris Saginati in captivity.'

Couched as a learned presentation on veterinary research by Robert Brechin and colleagues into the preservation of a rare Scottish species and lavishly illustrated by pictures taken by Robbie in the field and laboratory as well as ultrasound images from the Department of Veterinary Medicine at Glasgow University, the speaker described the variants of the species found in Scotland and the process he and his team followed in developing a commercial version of this rare beast. By the time he described how dachshund genes were introduced to create a longer-bodied animal for catering purposes, the penny had well and truly dropped. Breeding takes place around the 30th of November and gestation is complete by the following January 25th. Ultrasound images of the pregnant hag (the male is a gis) preceded the delivery of a litter of haglets and the successful conclusion of the project.

In proposing the vote of thanks, Rotarian David Buchanan said he had heard Robbie Brechin speak at many functions but this talk was an absolute classic. We could not have wished for a better start to the new year.

Honoured guests at the club included Eric Williamson, President of the Rotary Club of Kinross, Tracy Thomson, Past President of the Rotary Club of Glenrothes and honorary members Jim Boyd, Alex Laughlan and Ronald Ainsworth.