Speaker Evening

On Thursday 14th November the Rotary Club of South Queensferry were addressed by Dr Louise Aldridge on the subject of Mercy Ships. This faith-based organisation operates the largest charity-run hospital ship in the world. Staffed almost entirely by volunteers, the Africa Mercy delivers free, vital medical care to some of the world's least developed countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Equipped with a complete surgical hospital, the ship spends up to ten months in an African port treating dental and eye problems, cleft lips and palates, tumours, club feet, childbirth injuries, burns and various other conditions. Dr Aldridge, who served on the Africa Mercy in Freetown, Sierra Leone, explained that the Mercy Ships team also mentored and trained local medical professionals to improve their skills and enable them to offer after care to the patients who had been operated on. In many cases, they also assisted in upgrading shore-based medical facilities with equipment donated to the charity in Europe and the US. Founded in Texas by Paul Harris Fellow Don Stevens, Mercy Ships have been operating since 1978. The UK branch was founded in 1996. In many parts of Africa, two out of three people have no access to surgery so the visiting Mercy Ship represents the only hope for thousands. Mercy Ships are currently involved with Rotary in the Global Grant 1 million Dollar Challenge to raise money for medical equipment for a new hospital ship Global Mercy at present being built in China. In response to the many questions from the floor which her interesting talk stimulated, Dr Aldridge said that security was always taken into consideration because of the volatile political conditions in some of the countries visited. The ship also carried a large number of  Land Rovers to bring patients who lived inland with no access to transport. To find out more about Mercy Ships, visit mercyships.org.uk

Immediate Past President Sandy Mackenzie introduced the speaker. The vote of thanks was proposed by Vice President Irene Brownless.

In other business, President Jim McCulloch thanked Rotarians who had helped with stewarding at the Hopetoun House fireworks display. He also announced that the President, Vice President and Junior Vice President had laid wreaths on behalf of the club at Remembrance Day services in Queensferry, Kirkliston and Dalmeny respectively.