Speaker Alan Prentice

Rotary club of Stirling meeting of 14th July.

President Stewart Wilson welcomed our only guest, President Kevin MacLeod from the Rotary club of Alloa.  Colin Bayes has entered the club in next year's Gavel competition and will be looking for members to take part.

Our speaker, Rotarian Alan Prentice took the subject, life in a medieval monastery, the basic monastic unit being 13 monks and an abbot. In addition, within the monastery there were lay brothers, and in the community mendicant friars. The monks tended to be from the more educated classes able to write and speak Latin, especially important after the Synod of Whitby in 664 AD when the church adopted the Latin model as opposed to the Celtic. Life was dangerous and because of this King David the first was sent to France for safety, but was captured by
the English on the way, and   on his return to Scotland he brought back
the English style of monastic organisation. In addition, he created the first Royal burghs, a source of influence and income for him.  Most monasteries had 30 to 40 monks, led by an abbot, chosen by the monks, and a prior, his deputy. Churches were built with the choir in the East and the nave in the West, and within this community there were seven services each day, out with which the monks observed a vow of silence.
Compared to the country in general life in the monastery was safe, but the diet was poor and the enclosed living conditions made the spread of disease common. Each monk was given two habits, an apron and shoes, and was expected to work at one of the many tasks essential to the running of the community, some specialising in a specific task, others in general work.

Dr John Rankin gave one of his excellent rhyming vote of thanks.

Next week, 21st July Speaker's host Alan Skilling, Visitors host Malcolm Cordwell Smith.  For more info www.stirling.rotary1010.org

Ian Richardson