President Ewan's Valedictory Address

Alex is going to Singapore later this month and will not therefore be here on the handover date the 30th June.  Due to this we have agreed to enact the handover early.

I will however continue with the duties of president up and until 30th June, during Alex’s absence.

It has been my privilege to have served as your President during the last year 2014 - 2015.  I would like to firstly say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me during my presidency.

However I would like to mention the following.

Club Chairmen:-

Barry Walters Club Service & Admin (Robert Haig standing in)
We are grateful to Barry for his work up until his illness & for the succession plan he created.
Alan Farquharson  - Community & Vocational
Dave Riddell - Entertainment Fellowship & Sport
Alex Evan - Wong  - Foundation & International Service
John Stirling - Fundraising
Robert Haig - Membership
Neil Spriddle - New Generations, Club Protection, Equality & Diversity, & Health & Safety.
Greig Hill - Speakers Programme
Douglas Scott - Public Relations Media & Website, Attendance & Archives.
Donald Mackay - House
Stuart Nicol - Secretary
Alastair Durkie  - Treasurer
George Primrose  -  Auditor

Together with all committee members assigned to the functions aforementioned.

I would like to drill down in greater detail in my thanks.  I would like to put on record the following members that have made a difference in my year.

Stuart Nicol our secretary
Stuart has been outstanding in his support to me and the club as secretary - and the quality of his work has been excellent.  A good secretary in any organisation is essential and without doubt  Stuart is truly first class in his role.

Alastair too has been an excellent and meticulous treasurer - he has provided great support ensuring all transactions were dealt with speedily and efficiently. Providing reports and adding valued gift aid, and following in the good work of the late Alex Imrie in gift aid.

Both Stuart & Alastair are truly a credit to our club.

I was delighted to present Alastair with a Paul Harris Fellowship Award at our Charter Dinner on Friday past.

There have been a few sad things that happened over the year, and I am sure you will all agree we are the poorer for the loss of both Alex Imrie and Cliff Mackenzie, and we should and will keep them in our thoughts.  Both were great supporters and contributors to the club.

During the year too, it was unfortunate that Barry Walters took ill, and I am sure you will all join with me in wishing Barry's return to good health.  

Moving on to the plan for 2014 – 2015

We as a club put together a plan for the past Rotary year, largely in consultation with the appointed team convenors.

The plan has largely been acted upon, and either completed or work in progress.

As a resume of the plan.

We aimed to make our Rotary Year bright, fun, enjoyable, and embrace change.  Engage with the local community, to create more awareness of Rotary –‘Light up Rotary’ was the theme for the year – and show we are for communities.

To facilitate this our convenors submitted their plans, and to expand and meet the objectives.

Programme
I am sure you will all agree has been totally successful, and thanks go to Greig Hill, and his team - Robin Grant, Ian Grieve, Ken Mackay, Tom Pettigrew, and Neil Spriddle.

We have had an amazing variety and quality of speakers, as well as games night, and a couple of visits to the Aircraft Carrier Queen Elizabeth.

Entertainment Programme.
Again I am sure you will all agree we have had a fabulous year, all thanks to the dedication and enthusiasim of Dave and his team.  

The list of activities include – Trip to Santander, Gourmet evening  in Edinburgh, Lawn Bowls, Ten Pin Bowling, Theatre show ‘Wicked the Musical  in Edinburgh, Presidents BBQ to mention just a few.

But we are not just about entertaining ourselves – we mean business when it  comes to helping others and SERVICE ABOVE SELF is at the heart of what we do.

Fundraising
John and his team committed in their plan to again make the AM-AM Golf Day, and the The Ultimate Quiz their key fundraising events  (As John put it – Simply they are tried & tested and worked well over many years) supporting Maggies and Children in Need respectively.  Another firm favourite was of course the Footsie Competition, however due to Cliff’s illness, and his passing we did not run the Footsie this year.  I am sure you will all agree that Cliff had done a huge amount for the club, and had contributed well in fundraising over the years.  We also had a fundraising concert provided by the Dunfermline Strathspey and Reel Society, and which provided a donation to our funds. 

Membership
A big thank you goes to Robert for all his efforts in trying to recruit new members. We have had a few notes of interest over the year, following some of Robert’s efforts trying to promote our club, as well as from some of our members efforts.

I am delighted to report that during the year we have had two new members join our club - Robin Park transferring from the Inverkeithing & Dalgety Bay Club.  And of course just recently Keith Davison.  

We are delighted to have Robin & Keith in our club, and hope too that others may yet join in the near future.

We are delighted too that Mark Todd has attended our club on several occasions, and hope he too may consider membership.

We have of course lost members, Jack Pryde & Ken Davison who chose to leave us, and for good and personal reasons.

Then as mentioned earlier we were all saddened by the deaths of Alex Imrie & Cliff Mackenzie. Alex had accepted our offer to become an honorary member not long before his passing.

We were all delighted when Brian Merrett accepted honorary membership too.

So membership is still work in progress and ongoing, and our thanks go to Robert for all his work – recruitment is not easy, and indeed a problem in Rotary generally.

I would also like to offer thanks to Robert, who has covered Club Service and Admin as necessary while Barry is on LOA.

The other big task undertaken by Robert has been dealing with and managing the generous donation provided by the family of a founder member.

Robert has taken ownership of managing the beneficiaries from this fund.

His meticulas attention to detail, and pursuit of achieving the right projects in line with the wishes of the family. Examples include, seating, soft furnishings, and bookcases for a library at Crossford Primary School.

Child Development Centre High Valleyfield for ipads complete with modern sensory applications, and specific toys to encourage interaction through play.

Torryburn Primary School to purchase a maths teaching system called Numicon. Dunfermline Advocacy with funding for a DVD for promotional & training use.

This has been a huge success story, and the benefits to these organisations will be of ongoing benefit.

Thank you Robert for a job very well done.

New Generations
In terms of what Neil and his team planned we have achieved much.

Sending a RYLA candidate to the RYLA camp from Woodmill High School, the Primary Schools Quiz with sponsorship for classes at the Fife Festival of Music, as well as a donation to a 17 year old schoolgirl who will be working in India for the Project Trust Organisation.

However despite the teams best efforts, and with excellent links with Woodmill High School, have failed to get support for an Interact Club, Young Citizens Award, Euroscola Candidate, Youth Speaks, or the Young Writer competition within the school.

Having said all that Neil and his team should be congratulated for their achievements, and no doubt will be successful with some of these other projects in future.

And many thanks to all members of Neils team who have assisted with their work this year.

I would also like to further extend my thanks to Neil too for his work on our behalf, in Health & Safety, Club Protection, and Equality & Diversity.

Foundation & International
Thanks go to Alex Evan - Wong and his team for their work, and who have achieved much of what was planned.

We continue with the Monthly Wine Draw, Foundation Box collecton, and supporting various appeals such as the recent Nepal Earthquake Appeal, and providing Shelter boxes & Aqua Boxes.

However no success to report on the District Matching Grant which Alex and his team have tried to get – but I know this is something he will continue to pursue.

Community & Vocational
Alan and his team have had a successful year, and continue with the theme ‘ We’re for Communities’

Along with the Dunfermline Club, RCWF members of the Rota continue to help the Dunfermline Foodbank – Thanks also to Ian Borland for managing the Rota.

Thank you to Alan who continues to represent our club in the Association of Fife Clubs in supporting Young Carers.

The Community Suppers continue, and with support for the Dunfermline Heart Town Activity etc.

The Beach Clean Up at Torryburn has been done again by a few of willing helpers from our club in a joint project with Torryburn Community Council.

The ‘Kids Out’ continues to work well, and again we will assist with our local clubs in tomorrows event.

We have not done Shoe Box Appeal this year, and a break from doing the appeal was right as the appeal had lost some of its momentum.  However we have still a stock of shoe boxes and we can do this again in the future.

The power of the press & publicity are something we care about.

Thank you to Douglas for his work in this regard, for getting the photographs and the story, and also to Robin Park who has been working with Douglas.

Oh !! and Robert Haig, for he too has been our roving photographer with his trusty ipad.

Well I hope I have covered every team in some way, but if not my apologies, as I really would like to thank each and everyone for their support during my year as president.

I have got a lot out of my year as president, and as I said at our Charter Dinner on Friday – I measure any level of success in my year as very much a TEAM EFFORT.  So a big thank you to you all.

My thanks go to Gladys also for her great support – it has not been easy at times as Gladys has health issues, so on occassions can be a problem – so to some extent I have not been able to go to everything I would have liked to.

However I have enjoyed my year, and now realise it was a bigger task than I imagined, but I am pleased to have been your president.

Well it is now time for me to pass on the baton, as we approach the new Rotary Year 2015 – 2016.

It is my pleasure to handover the reins to President Elect Alex Evan – Wong.

Alex - As a club we are pleased that you are to become our next president, and particularly as you have agreed to bring forward your term in office from the succession plan - due as you  know to Barry’s illness.  You were also the club president previously 2002 – 2003 so once again appreciate your willingness to serve again as our president.

Alex, may I wish you every success as our new club president, and offer my best wishes to Dave Riddell our new president elect together with all your convenors and committees.

Have a great 2015 - 2016