Business Meeting and Art Quiz

Another well-attended Zoom meeting of Hawick Rotary Club on 18^th March began with several items of business such as agreeing to purchase another sack of 4000 crocuses to enhance the display around the town, highlighting Purple4Polio. Members were also told of Jedburgh Rotary Club's highly successful E-bay project where donations of goods and surplus stock from shops and businesses in their area are sold on E-bay in aid of local charities. This project has brought in around £40,000 over its lifetime. The Jed Club have offered to cooperate with other Borders Clubs if items can be provided so local members in Hawick have been asked to look out for suitable opportunities.

Consideration was given to whether there were current needs for donations from the Seven Trigs Challenge funds, and it was agreed that this money could be carried over into next Rotary Year if appropriate.

Discussion took place on Presidents' Nights in the light of recent consideration at online Area Forum, which had been followed by a paper produced by AG Doug Forsyth laying out five possible options for these. After this discussion it was agreed that the Hawick Club would aim to hold its own President's Night at an appropriate time in the second half of 2021, and would invite Presidents and any other members from all Borders Clubs.If a President's Night was indeed feasible during that period, it could be a joint one hosted by 2020/21 President Ron and 2021/22 President Scott.

Speaker Secretary Ron Sutherland asked that members return to previous practice of finding speakers for their specific nights on the Club calendar.

It was confirmed that office-bearers for the next Rotary Year would be: President Scott Elliot, Vice President Jane Cox, Treasurer Scott Elliot (assisted by Sandy Bannerman), Secretary Ron Smith, Vocational & Community Convenor Mairhi Trickett, Foundation Convenor Gus Neilson, and International Convenor Ron Sutherland. Treasurer Scott noted that a new Auditor would be required. Two names were suggested and will be approached.

After attending to such items of business, Hawick's Rotarians were then set a test of their knowledge of art, being provided with 25 illustrations of well known (?) paintings, from the last 500 years! They were given three options as to the artists, with the warning that no two paintings were by the same artist. After some critical comment, and some head-scratching, Gus and Elsa Neilson emerged as the experts, with 23 out of 25 pieces of art correctly attributed. Sandy Bannerman was in second place with 21.