Presidential Handover

The occasion of the Presidential Handover usually involves the incumbent welcoming his successor and wishing him well for the year ahead.

And so it proved…. A minor difference being that outgoing President John Spittal welcomed himself, as he is remaining as leader of the pack for a second year.

He then formally presented the Senior Vice President chain of office to John Fernie, who will step up to the Presidency plate next term.

John welcomed a number of guests.

Lynna Wong is the Vice Fellowship Chair of the Rotary Club of Shanghai West and she brought greetings from that far off club: 

               President John Spittal exchanging club banners with Lynna Wong, from Shanghai

Also present were Jerry Beaulier, a Rotary Club of St Andrews member who is also leading the newly-formed St Andrews Beach Wheelchairs; Claire Robb, President of Buckhaven and Methil Rotary; and Gaye Steel, a Lodge Trustee of TCCL (Tayside and North East Fife Children with Cancer and Leukaemia).

All three organisations are being supported by funding from the club and member Dr Ian Black gifted cheques for £500 to Jerry and Gaye and a cheque for £100 to Claire:

Dr Ian Black, Jerry Beaulier, Claire Robb, Gaye Steel, John Spittal

Gaye told the club that the TCCL house in St Andrews is now in its second year of providing a holiday base for families whose young children suffer from cancer and similar conditions. The families are offered a week’s free accommodation, plus starter packs of foodstuffs, vouchers for Craigtoun Park, the SeaLife Centre, other St Andrews attractions and from a number of local businesses. The project requires a minimum £500 weekly to progress and Gaye was fulsome in her praise for the people of St Andrews who, she said, “Have supported TCCL wonderfully well.”

The Buckhaven and Methil Rotary Club, which came into existence only in September of 2016, also is constantly trying to raise funds for projects they lead to supported deprived children by giving them clothing. It was set up to help children who it was felt needed warm clothing for winter, but has expanded to assist them – currently 700 children in their area – for the entire year.

In an area which has high unemployment and consequently many social issues, the club also set up a foodbank and in addition aim to supply fuel vouchers which allow struggling families to cook the produce.

Jerry Beaulier, who was instrumental in starting up both Tourism St Andrews and the Hamish Foundation, kick-started the St Andrews Beach Wheelchairs programme earlier this month.

It is designed to allow people to experience time and leisure on the beach which they would be unable to do because of a disability. The group use specially-constructed balloon-wheeled chairs which can cope with being pushed on sand. In particular the fine sand of St Andrews West Sands.

Jerry explained he first became aware of the concept when it began in North Berwick in 2015 and then on Edinburgh’s Portobello beach last year.

Using a variety of funding sources, the St Andrews group’s objective is to this year acquire five beach wheelchairs of different sizes. Currently one of their chairs, known as the Nomad Desert, is of a size that can accommodate a user who can remain in their normal wheelchair.

Planning consent has been given for the group to erect a small structure near the existing café on the West Sands road. This will effectively garage the chairs and also offer space to allow trained volunteers to assist the disabled into them. It is likely this will be in place next month and extend the number of days the service – which is entirely free of charge – can operate.

Jerry is keen to attract more volunteers who can undergo formal training and also to increase the number of chairs available. They vary in price from around £4000 to £6000 each, depending on size.

The members warmly congratulated all the guests for their unstinting help to their communities and were delighted to donate funding.