Club Meeting 1pm "” Saskia Parsons

President Lesley Kennedy welcomed 14 other members, Colin Shannon of the Helensburgh Garelochside club, guest speaker Saskia Parsons and her mother, Hermitage Academy head of home economics Jane Thomson, and Young Chef prizewinners Ashleigh McGrath, Tamara Jones and Lois Fish.

Colin Shannon invited members to attend the Garelochside club's dinner in the Rosslea Hall Hotel, Rhu, on Monday November 30 in aid of Shelterbox, when the guest speaker will be former local MP Alan Reid. Tickets are available from Colin or from Stuart Travel in Sinclair Street.

The secretary gave details of the joint Christmas Dinner with the Garelochside club in Helensburgh Golf Club on Monday December 14, probable ticket price £27.50. Members are asked to inform the secretary as soon as possible if they and partners intend to attend.

The guest speaker was Hermitage Academy pupil Saskia Parsons, whom the club sponsored to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards camp at Auchengillan in July. She said that all the young people at the camp enjoyed it, bonded well together, were sad to leave at the end, and still kept in touch with each other.

There were all sorts of activities she had never undertaken before, including air rifle shooting, abseiling, making a raft, and sleeping outside in a hammock. The emphasis was on teamwork, and each evening they reflected on what they had achieved and what they could improve on next day.

Those attending are also undertaking fundraising for charity, and Saskia herself has raised over £100 to help towards the eradication of polio. She said that she would thoroughly recommend RYLA to any young people. Bill Jones proposed the vote of thanks.

The meeting ended with president Lesley presenting engraved gold, silver and bronze medals respectively to Ashleigh McGrath, Tamara Jones (for the second year running) and Lois Fish, and the engraved trophy to Ashleigh.

The weekly raffle for a whisky miniature was won by Gordon Burgess.

Pictured front are Lesley Kennedy and Saskia Parsons; in the middle are the Young Chef winners; at the rear are senior vice-president Bill Jones, who organised the RYLA selection, Hermitage Academy head of home economics Jane Thomson, and youth services convener Adam Muggoch, who organised the Young Chef competition.