New Members' Guide

THE PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE

A warm welcome to you as a new member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry. We are delighted you have chosen to join the “family” of Rotary.

 This guide has been developed to help the new member to become familiar with the workings of Rotary and, in particular, the Rotary Club of South Queensferry,. As well as this guide you will also have the support of an experienced club member to be your guide and mentor. He/she will help you become acquainted with the club, the things that we do, the way we operate and show how you, personally, can help the club achieve its aims and objectives and, most important of all, we hope you will enjoy the friendship and fellowship of being a member.

 THE HISTORY OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF SOUTH QUEENSFERRY

The Interim Rotary Club of South Queensferry held it's Inaugural Meeting and Dinner on Thursday 28th April 1977 in the Forth Bridges Motel and its Charter was presented by District Governor Lyndon Watkins of the Rotary Club of Portobello at the Charter Dinner held on Friday 29th July 1977 also at the Forth Bridges Motel.

Our "Mother Club" was the Rotary Club of Linlithgow and Bo'ness and there were 28 founder members of the club when it was chartered in September 2007.

The Club Directory lists all the present members of the Club and shows those who have served the Club as President.

The Club's "territory" includes Kirkliston, Newton, Dalmeny, Newbridge Industrial Estate and Abercorn, but that does not prevent anyone living or working outside this area from being a member of this Club.

RELATED CLUBS

INTERACT - SPONSORED BY ROTARY

Interact is a club for young people of  Secondary School age or, if they have left school, under 18. There is an Interact Club at the High School in South Queensferry  

ROTARACT - SPONSORED BY ROTARY

Rotaract is a club for young people aged 18-30. There is no Rotaract Club in South Queensferry although one was chartered on 14th July 1984 but has since folded.  Much of the necessary regalia isl held by the Club Secretary.  

INNER WHEEL

Inner Wheel is a club for the wives and widows of Rotarians . There are three very active Inner Wheel Clubs in Edinburgh area – Corstorphine, Edinburgh & Musselburgh - and  information is readily available for any wives who may wish to join.

PROBUS

Probus (an amalgamation of the words Professional and Business) is an association of retired and semi-retired men and women to provide regular gatherings of persons who, in retirement, appreciate the value of , and the opportunity to meet others in similar circumstances and have similar levels of interests. The name Probus is recognised by Rotary International and was started by the Rotary Club of Caterham in 1966. At present there is an active Probus Club in South Queensferry.

DISTRICT 1020 (SOUTH EAST SCOTLAND)

Our Club is one of 60 Clubs with a total of more than 1700 members in what is known as District 1020 covering South of the Forth, the Borders and  the South East Lowlands.

The other Districts within Scotland are District 1010 covering the Highlands & Islands and District 1230 covering the South West. Brief details of their club meetings can be found in the back of the District Directory.

The District Governor, his Executive and Officers provide guidance and help to the Clubs and visit us from time to time.

Our Club has had three past District Governors, Alex Laughlan who is now an honorary member, Gordon Mclnally & David Buchanan.  Gordon McInally  has also been President of Rotary GB&I & is a past Director of Rotary International.

There is no District Office as such, it being administered by the District Secretary who works from his home. Each year there are District Council Meetings in various locations at which the Club is always represented, usually by the Club President and Senior Vice President. It is recommended that a new member should attend at least one of these District Council Meetings to get a feel of what goes on above Club level!

Prior to these meetings, Area meetings are held throughout the district. These are used as `sounding boards’ by the clubs for complaints & to share information & best practice within the local movement

In October of each year there is a District Conference in a location chosen by the reigning District Governor. The conference lasts from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon, and whilst it has it's serious side, it is a great fellowship event for members and their partners and is always good fun! The Club President is expected to attend but South Queensferry Rotary is usually well represented. Members pay their own expenses.

R.I.B.I. - ROTARY INTERNATIONAL GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND

There are 29 other Districts in R.I.B.I. with a total of 1850 Clubs and over 50,000 Rotarians. Our northern neighbour district 1010 is easily the biggest geographically and numerically. - only the London District has more Clubs - but nearly 1000 less members!

The Charter Number of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry’s is 1296

The headquarters of R.I.B.I. are in Alcester, Warwickshire, and here there is an R.I.B.I. President, Council and Officers, in addition to a permanent secretariat, all of whom provide guidance and a service to Districts and Clubs.

ln April of each year there is an R.I.B.I. Conference which lasts from Friday evening until Sunday morning and is held in varying locations such as Blackpool, Bournemouth, Glasgow, Brighton, Dublin, Edinburgh and Belfast.

Conference serves three purposes :

1.     It provides a platform for Rotary to showcase its achievements of the last year with a raft of good speakers covering a wide range of subjects

2.     A business section  where the accounts for the year are presented and reports of the formal business of Rotary GB&I is discussed. Here, too, suggested changes to the constitution and bye laws are debated and voted on

3.     A House of Friendship where delegates can meet and network. There are normally 100 or more stalls representing the many charities looking for help from Rotary as well as stalls selling Rotary branded goods, badges etc.

There is fellowship in abundance at conference and all Rotarians are welcome to attend. South Queensferry Rotary has been well represented in recent years, particularly when Gordon McInally was President of Rotary GB&I.

R.I; ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

In the world of Rotary International which began in Chicago in 1905, there are 1.2 million members in 31,314 Clubs in 530 Districts in166 Countries!

The headquarters of R.I. are in Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A. and here there is an R.I. President, Board of Directors and Officers chosen from around the world including the Trustees of the Rotary Foundation – Rotary’s own charity.

Each year, to set strategic direction for the movement, an R.I. Convention is held in the month of June in different  cities throughout the world. However, as 25,000 to 30,000 delegates attend, only a few cities worldwide can accommodate the number - most of these are in the U.S.A.. 1997 was a notable exception when the Convention was held in the S.E.C.C. Glasgow and was generally regarded as a great success. It gave the South Queensferry Club the opportunity to provide fellowship to a large number of Rotarians from around the world.. Birmingham, in England, was also host to the 2009 R.I. Convention.

HOW THECLUB IS ORGANISED

The Rotary Year is from 1st July to the 30th June.

To ensure the Club is run effectively and efficiently and complies with prescribed Rotary GB&I/RI requirements, our Club has a defined structure – Council, its Committees and key Club Officer roles. These are detailed in the following structure chart

COUNCIL

Our Club Council consists of the       President

Immediate Past President

President Elect Chair Admin.

Junior Vice President (JVP)  

Honorary Secretary

Honorary Treasurer

Membership Services Convenor

Press Media & PR Convenor

International Service Convenor

                                      Foundation Convenor

Youth Opportunities Convenor

Programme Convenor (Total 12)

Plus a Member without portfolio who provides expert imput

So What Function Does The Club Council Perform?

The Club Council is similar to the board of directors in a limited company and it  is  responsible for ensuring that all required decisions are made to facilitate the development and delivery of the Club’s Programme of activities. A key responsibility of Council is considering requests from individuals, groups and organisations for financial donations and it has a mandate to approve these within specified parameters and financial limits.  It is also responsible for ensuring the strategic aims of Rotary International, Rotary GB&I and the Club are achieved with emphasis on the continued growth and development of the club..

So how are the Council posts filled?

The President, President Elect, Junior Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer are elected at a Special General Meeting (SGM) which is held before 1st  December each year. It is, of course, normal for the Junior VP to be elected to the post of President Elect and for the President Elect to be elected as President for the following Rotary Year. All members are formally invited to propose nominations for the new Junior VP, and if there are two or more nominations there is an election by secret ballot.

The Secretary and Treasurer can serve for periods of five and three years respectively and so may offer themselves for re-election each year until their term is finished. Of course, new nominations can be submitted but no nomination should be submitted without that member's agreement.

The six members of Council are elected by ballot at the AGM in March/April

The Council meets once every 6 weeks. Ad hoc council meetings may be called to discuss urgent business.

It is recommended that the new member should attend at least one of these Council Meetings to get a feel of what goes on.

 Usually the Thursday immediately following a Club Council meeting is a "Business Meeting" when the Council Minutes are made available to the Club and when the members have the opportunity to question the Council or vote on any items requiring approval It is not usual to have visiting speakers at these meetings.

The Key Club Officer Roles in Greater Depth

THE PRESIDENT

The President acts as chairman of the club and is in charge of the smooth running of the club. It is the Presidents responsibility to delegate duties to the various committees and to check that these duties are being carried out. The President does not make policy decisions without consulting the Club Members

THE SECRETARY

The Secretary has the vital function of administering the affairs of the Club, responding to correspondence, writing the minutes of Council meetings and preparing the agenda for meetings as well as appraising the membership of any issues within the wider circles of RI.

THE TREASURER

The Treasurer collects the money and pays the bills! The Club keep two accounts, the first is the General Account and the second is the Charity Account.

The General account is used to meet all the running expenses of the club and comprises of annual subscriptions, topped up by the surplus from dinner receipts. The fund is kept with a healthy surplus to meet any emergency expenditure.

The Club is a charity registered with OSCR – the Office of the Scottish Charities Regulator - and maintains the Charity Fund to receive the proceeds from all of our special fund raising events. All monies within this fund must be used for the Charitable purposes that they were collected for and must be distributed as soon as possible after collection

The Treasurer also produces an annual budget, presents the accounts for approval to the appointed examiners and is responsible for the submission of an approved copy to OSCR the Charities’ Regulator within 9 months of the end of the financial year end.  

THE MAIN COMMITTEES THEIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Service Committee Convenors usually serve for a one year term following their appointment by the membership at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in early April each year.  The incoming President generally appoints at his/her discretion the Convenor and membership of each committee. The names of the Convenor and members serving each committee can be found in the Club Directory.

CLUB ADMINISTRATION

Club Administration deals with a wide range of day to day operational club duties

The Chairman is the President Elect and the Committee's main and most important duty is the well-being of members and their guests. The President Elect is responsible for liaising with the Hotel for the preparation of meetings and functions, checking the quality of the meals and planning visits to other Clubs. Other members of this committee include:-

1.          The Secretary who, in the past, was normally the Junior Vice President, but in recent years has been drawn from the membership of the committee.

2.          The Treasurer who reports on the General account

3.       The Attendance Officer who maintains records of member's attendance, make-up visits to other Clubs, attendance at District, Rotary GB&I or RI meetings, leave of absence etc.    The Attendance Officer and the President Elect encourage members to keep up a good level of attendance as our Club usually does well and is able to report average attendance in excess of 75%.    Quarterly figures are reported to the Club through the Club Council.

4.       The Speakers Secretary   is responsible for arranging speakers to address the club. Members are expected to provide at least one name of a potential speaker each year to the Speakers Secretary so that the Speakers Secretary can organise a rota of speakers at least 4 weeks in advance. Details of the rota giving speakers names and subjects are sent to all members by email.

Inviting a speaker. T he  speaker should be advised that they will be expected to restrict their talk to 15 to 20 minutes at the most, followed by questions from the floor. The Speakers Secretary should ascertain if the speaker requires any visual/audio aids. The club can provide a screen, lap top and data projector &  also has a loud speaker system with radio mike. The President Elect (or whoever may be in charge of these props) should be advised of any requirements for visual/audio aids well in advance of the meetings so that he/she can ensure that they are available in good time. It is also important that those on reception duty should double check, on the arrival of the speaker, any requirements.

Whenever we have a speaker, members are assigned to introduce the speaker & give a vote of thanks. These duties should be short and to the point. Introductions and votes of thanks should last no more than two minutes.

Once a new member has had time to settle into the Club, that member will be asked to give a"job talk" which is an opportunity to tell the Club something about that person, their family and occupation.

5.        The Reception Officer generates and maintains a list of members to be on duty at each Club meeting.

6.        The Sales Officer duty it is to maintain a small stock of Rotary ties and badges for sale to members. He/she has various catalogues of goods at his/her disposal and brings these along to Business Meetings.

7.        The Club Protection Officer duties involve advice regarding child protection & vulnerable person legislation

8.        The Health & Safety Officer duties involve the proper risk assessment of all the club activities

9.        The Risk Officer duties involve the producing and maintaining a risk register

10.     The Sports Officer. Numerous sports activities take place within Rotary & the Sports Officer is responsible for organising & publicising sports events within the club & between clubs

11.     The Data Protection Officer has the duty of ensuring  the Club complies with the current legislation regarding the keeping and storing of personal information

For more detailed information on the responsibilities  of Council, Committees and key officer roles see the Governance section of the Club’s Web Page

 MEMBERSHIP, CLASSIFICATION & INFORMATION

This is an ad hoc committee chaired by the Membership Development Officer and supported by the Information Officer. Their function is to report to the Club Council on the suitability or otherwise of suggested and proposed new members. The Committee arranges an "Information Meeting" to inform the possible applicant about Rotary, and agree a classification. The President and the proposing member usually attend this meeting as well.

 INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

Encourages and fosters the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through its world fellowship of business and professional persons. The Club contributes to a chosen selection of international charities and welcomes delegates and students from overseas for both long and short term visits.

FOUNDATION

Foundation  is Rotary’s own charity which supports the efforts of R.I. to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational and cultural exchange programmes As well as raising funds for Foundation, Clubs play an active part in hosting visiting Group Study Exchange (GSE) teams from overseas, and supporting ambassadorial scholars who come to study for a year or more in Scotland. They also have the opportunity to identify possible candidates for outgoing District GSE Teams and Ambassadorial Scholars.

YOUTH SERVICE

Youth Service embraces a variety of schemes which give young people the chance to travel and meet young people of their own age throughout the world.

a)     The committee is responsible for selecting candidates for the annual outward bound RYLA Camps (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) at Ardeonaig on Loch Tay, and these have always been successful events.

b)    Challenge Enterprise – a very worthwhile project whereby young people are given  the chance to listen to, & meet, `high flyers’ from  industry – encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit.

c)     Georgia Scholarship -  The Rotary Clubs in Georgia sponsor a  young person in 4^th or 5^th year at school to study for the academic year in Georgia

d)    Young Musician of the Year – a competition involving both instrumentalists and vocalists.

e)     School Liaison - meeting with the heads of local schools to see how Rotary can help young people reach their full potential

f)     Interact club A junior version of Rotary within the High School

g)    Poetry, art & other competitions as well as annual, primary, interschool Quiz

h)    Other schemes sponsored by District eg, young chef

i)      A Development Programme for Queensferry High School Students –The club , in partnership with Queensferry Ambition (QA) a local business federation, runs a comprehensive programme of workshops for more senior students to help them transition from school to Further Education and the workplace. These events include: motivational talks, CV workshops and mock interview workshops. The committee also  organises an annual Careers Fair to showcase a wide range of jobs/careers for the students.

PROJECTS

The purpose of Projects is to encourage and foster the application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business and community life. It achieves this through a series of fund raising events.  The focus of the Committee's work is in the South Queensferry area, although it is not restricted to this, It does it's best to provide help to the old and the young and those afflicted with physical or  medical difficulties.

There are currently 3 active fundraising projects and 2 Projects designed to support the community while raising the profile of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry. These are:

·      Santa’s Sleigh; through a combination of evening tours around Queensferry and Weekend collections at significant retail sites in the area this collects an average of £4000 each December.  This money is deposited in the Trust Fund and is available for disbursement to local groups and individuals as the club sees fit

·      Abseil; held normally in May or June each year (tide dependent) the Rotary Club Forth Bridge Abseil has been run annually since 2010 under licence from Network Rail.  It is run for the benefit of 9 or 10 charities each year, all of which have to use the money locally (Scotland wide).  Charities range from major charities like Macmillan Trust and Alzheimer’s Scotland to local charities such as Queensferry Churches Care in the Community and local Playgroups. Each year two charities benefit from being named as the ‘main charities’. Normally a charity stays as a Main Charity for only 2 years but may stay on as a Supported charity.   Over the years the amount raised by the Abseil has been a significant amount.  In 2014 the total amount raised was over £112,000 with approximately £8000 being retained by the club.  As agreed with network Rail, money raised by the club from the Abseil is ‘ring fenced’ to support Children and Senior Citizens in the area.

·      The club has an established relationship with Hopetoun House and is involved in 3 Hopetoun Events through the year.  The Main Event is providing Stewardship at the Hopetoun Horse Trials in June (usually providing transport around the site).  We also provide a Wristbands service at the annual Fireworks display and Car Parking Stewards at the Hopetoun Christmas fair, both in November.  Between these three events the club can usually expect to receive around £800 which has to go to a nominated charity agreed with Hopetoun (e.g. End polio Now, Medecin Sans frontiers etc).

·      The Senior Citizen's concert in March/April and the Christmas Carol Concert in December are not designated as fundraisers abut are very popular within the community and help to raise the profile of the Rotary Club.

 SOCIAL

Social looks after the lighter side of Rotary in terms of social outings such as mystery tours and the theatre. Special events such as a Burns Supper and the annual Speakers' Night are the responsibility of the Social Committee. This committee is supposed to be cost neutral                                       

MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS looks after all aspects of publicity, both within the club and within the wider community. It has responsibility for maintaining the Club website & keeping it up to date as well as submitting articles of the Club activities to the local, and if appropriate, to the wider press.  

WEEKLY MEETINGS

The Club meets every Thursday evening at 7 p.m. within the Hawes Inn and members should be ready to sit down at just before 6.55. The meetings usually end at, or soon after 9.00 p.m.  although special occasions sometimes go on a bit longer. Members are encouraged to choose their seats "haphazardly" and to mix as much as possible with different Rotarians each week. Apart from the President's top table, no seats are booked or reserved.

Members should wear their name badges at every meeting for the benefit of visitors and others. When visiting other Clubs and attending District functions badges should also be worn for the benefit of all concerned. It is a great aid to fellowship.

The President arranges the top table, which usually includes the President, the Speaker, the member introducing the speaker & the member whose turn it is to propose the vote of thanks. A visiting president would be asked to join the top table. At business meetings, the top table usually includes the President,  President Elect, Junior Vice President and Secretary. Badges of Office are worn at Business Meetings.

Partner’s Nights

These are arranged on an ad hoc basis by the Programme Committee in conjunction with the Speaker Secretary with the topic being appropriate for such an occasion.

CLUB ASSEMBLY

Long before the start of each Rotary year, the District Governor Elect attends the R.I. Assembly at San Diego, U.S.A. and is given introductory training and informed about the plans for the next year. Then in late March, senior District Officers attend the R.I.B.I. Assembly in Birmingham so that this training and information can be passed down to all the Districts in Britain and Ireland.

In May our District 1020 holds it's own Assembly, and this is attended by all the incoming Club Presidents and their chosen Committee Convenors and officers (together with any other members who wish to attend). The District Governor Elect outlines the plans of R.I., R.I.B.I. and our District to the incoming teams.

The most important meeting is our own Club Assembly which is usually held in the third week of June, when the incoming President and the new Committee Convenors outline their plans for the coming year. This meeting always lasts longer than an ordinary one!

SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

This is held in November to elect the Club's president, President Elect, Junior Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer for the next year,  nominations having been sought over  the previous few weeks.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

This is held in April to elect the Club Council for the coming year, and to hear the reports from  the out-going Convenors of their committee's activities over the past year. 

WEEKLY DUTIES

RECEPTION

The Attendance Officer is responsible for collecting and accounting for the meal money.

The Reception Organiser will arrange with two members to be on reception duties each week and a list of these appears in the Rota emailed to all members. The member on duty, whose name appears first against a particular date, is responsible for introducing the guest speaker.   The second named member is responsible for giving the Club's Vote of Thanks.  Both are responsible for welcoming guests and introducing them to the President.

It is the responsibility of any member on reception duty to arrange for a replacement to carry out that duty if, for any reason, he/she is unable to be present on that day.

It is particularly important that the Rotarians on reception duty arrive early and carry out their duties effectively.

The hotel staff undertake to lay out the Club's hardware before each meeting:- the lectern and bell on the top table, and the visitor's book on the reception table. The first `on duty’ member to arrive should check that these items are present.

The principal duty of the reception team is to welcome any visiting Rotarians, the Speaker, any other Club guests and of course members to our weekly meeting.  

INTRODUCING VISITORS TO CLUB MEETINGS

A member may bring a guest to any normal meeting of the Club. Guest's names, together with the name of the introducing Rotarian should be entered onto the visitor's sheet at the reception table, as well as in the visitor's book. If possible, the guest should be introduced to the President before the meeting is called to order. Under normal circumstances, the member is responsible for paying for his guest's meal.

VISITING ROTARIANS

One of the great advantages of Rotary is that members are free (and encouraged) to visit any other Rotary club in the world and are always made welcome. All they do is pay for their own meal! Similarly any Rotarian visiting our Club is made welcome, initially by the members on duty at reception, who should introduce the guest to the President and then ensure that the guest is put in touch with a member who has a similar classification or interest before the member on duty returns to the reception desk. The visiting Rotarian is of course expected to pay for his (or her) meal. The guest’s name, and the name of their club should be entered on the visitor's sheet and in the visitor's book.

If any visiting Rotarian comes with their spouse (or partner), they should both be made welcome.  

ROTARY REQUIREMENTS

ATTENDANCE

As the foundation of Rotary is fellowship, regular attendance is essential. The rules of attendance are detailed in "The R.I.B.I. Constitution and the Standard Club Constitution" but the basics are as follows.

A member shall be counted as attending if he is present for 50% of the allocated time for the meeting. If necessary he can request to leave early, and the President should invite those who wish to leave early to do so before the speaker for the evening is introduced.

A member should attend or make-up at least 50% of the regular meetings in each half year. A member should attend at least 30% of the regular meetings of his own Club in each half year.

If a member has to be absent for one or more meetings of this Club, then that member should advise the attendance Officer (or failing him/her, the Hotel) by telephone before the meeting.

Club Council may approve a request for "Leave of Absence" for longer periods if this is for a good reason, providing the request is made in advance of the period of absence. This Leave of Absence only relieves the member of the requirement to attend his own Club. Absences nevertheless still reflect on the attendance figures for both the member and the Club - hence every effort should be made to make up absences at other clubs.

Make-ups for either short term or longer term absences can be made within the period of 14 days before the scheduled absence until 14 days after. Club service events, at the discretion of Council, can be declared as counting for attendance

VISITS TO OTHER CLUBS

Attendance can be made up by attending other Clubs, either at home or abroad. Attendance at meetings called by a District Governor or, at other meetings requested by the Club Council, also count as attendance.

Visits to other clubs should not be thought of only as a means of making up. The fellowship engendered by meeting other Rotarians and seeing how other clubs work, makes these visits very worthwhile. After a "make-up" visit the member should ensure our Club's attendance officer is made aware of the fact so that proper credit can be given.

The President Elect usually organises a number of "Club Visits" during the Rotary Year. This is recommended to new Rotarians as the ideal way to make their first visit to another club, and proposers of new members are encouraged to take those new members on a club visit as soon as possible.

BANNERS

All Rotary clubs have a banner of their own, and South Queensferry is no exception.   Banners are often exchanged with another club the first time a member of the Club visits. Banners have already been exchanged with all the clubs in the locality but it is a good idea to take one or more banners with you when travelling further afield - in the U.K. or overseas. Banners can be obtained from the Secretary and cost c.£5 each.

DRESS

There is no prescribed dress rule for attending a Rotary Meeting and what is acceptable varies widely throughout the world depending largely on the prevailing weather conditions. In this country it is generally accepted that a lounge suit or smart jacket is worn by the gents and suitable smart dress by the ladies.  

Within the new, younger clubs, a more casual attitude to dress prevails.

Most members of the Club purchase a maroon sweatshirt with a large Rotary Badge, the South Queensferry logo, and their name printed on it, to wear at fund raising and sporting events. These may be purchased via the Sales Officer    

Club, District and other Rotary ties and other merchandise are also available from the Club Sales Officer. There is no requirement to wear any of these ties or other items.

BADGES

When you join Rotary you are asked to wear the Rotary badge with pride, at all times. The badge is always worn on the left lapel. Most Rotarians find it easier to collect a number of badges so that one can be left in each jacket. Extra badges can be bought for a modest sum from the Club Sales Officer. They are also on sale from the Sales Officer at District meetings and conferences.

Members are issued with Name Badges showing their name and Club. These badges should always be worn during Club Meetings and when visiting other Clubs on official visits, Charter nights, District meetings etc.

WEEKLY RAFFLE

A weekly raffle is held to raise funds for Foundation and most people pay for their tickets (£2 each at present) by standing order. This sum can be gift aided which increases the giving by a quarter. One member  is charged with providing a prize for the raffle each week and the Reception Officer now lists that member in the duty roster. Members aiding Foundation in this manner  i.e. by paying on a continuous basis are recognised by Rotary as having `Enduring Membership’ and are given a special badge to denote their committment  

INTRODUCING NEW MEMBERS

Any member may propose a new member, and indeed is encouraged to do so, providing they are suitable and their proposed classification does not clash with an existing member. As time passes the average age of the club rises inexorably, so it is vital that new younger blood is steadily introduced - we are always looking for 40 year olds (or less) to join!

Rotary GB&I is particularly sensitive about the procedures surrounding proposing a new member. There have even been high-profile court cases when things have gone wrong and the formal procedures have not been followed. Every member should know the formal procedure and a "flow-chart" is now printed on the reverse side of the proposal form - a copy of which is on the last page. Copies of this form can be obtained from the Secretary and advice sought from the secretary or the Club President before embarking upon a recruitment!

The Proposer should then complete the formal proposal form which is then counter-signed by the candidate who should be made aware of the possibility of refusal and that membership may not be granted, as it is necessary for all the members of the Club to agree.

A proposer's responsibilities do not end with the induction of the new member, but continue for at least another year while the new member learns about Rotary and the Rotary Club of South Queensferry.

Mentoring is an important part of the new member’s introduction to the Club. The mentor will not be the same person as the original proposer

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Any potential new member should be made aware of the financial implications and obligations of joining the Club.

Upon joining, a membership card will be issued to the following 1st July on payment of a "one-off1 affiliation fee of £15.00 plus the annual or, where appropriate, a proportion of the annual subscription. The Treasurer or Secretary can advise on the current sums involved and part-payment rules. Thereafter membership cards are issued annually by the Secretary after the Treasurer has received the annual subscription. The amount of subscription is reviewed annually by the Club Council, taking into account necessary payments to R.I., R.I.B.I. and District and the cost of running our own Club. No longer is it normally required to show membership cards when visiting other clubs, the Rotary badge is sufficient. The membership fee for the Rotary Year 14/15 is £80.00

On arrival at the hotel for a Rotary meeting, members pay the attendance Officer for their meal - whether at this Club or any other. This cost is reviewed annually and is sufficient to cover the hotel's charge with a little left over to be accumulated and goes towards General Club funds. Other clubs often charge more, particularly in big cities and overseas, but very few charge less.

ANNUAL EVENTS

Many events have become "annual fixtures", but none of them are "written in tablets of stone". It is up to the committee convenors and their respective committees to decide which events will be arranged. With the exception of the Social Committee events, these events may well be used for fund-raising - though that need not be the primary motivator.

THE SENIOR CITIZENS CONCERT takes place in April. Various entertainments are arranged and refreshments and a raffle are organised. Club members volunteer to drive Senior Citizens to and from the concert.

THE YOUNG MUSICIAN COMPETITION takes place in January at Kirkliston under the custodianship of Youth Service. External adjudicators are invited and they judge Musician and Vocalist sections. There are also Area & District finals which the winners of our Club competition are eligible to enter.

SANTA SLEIGH is organised by Projects Committee on the Thursday - Monday nearest Christmas. The sleigh is "dusted off' prior to the event and is "drawn" behind volunteer Rotarians vehicles around the streets of South Queensferry and Dalmeny. A Rotarian dressed as Santa Claus speaks to the children and dispenses free lollipops whilst the Rotarians rattle collecting cans. We have been lucky to secure the good offices of the local superstores to allow us to collect outside their stores on a Saturday/Sunday leading up to Christmas. We have been fortunate, too, in being given a `slot’ at Craigies and Dougald Phillips of Hopetoun Gardens. This can be cold work in December, but it is one of the events for which we are well known and praised in the community. 

CHRISTMAS CAROL CONCERT is arranged by Project Committee in either Queensferry or Kirkliston Parish church. A guest band and/or choir is invited and there is usually an entrance fee.

PUBLICATIONS

CLUB DIRECTORY

This is issued at the beginning of each Rotary Year after receipt of the member's subscription!   The Directory contains the address,  telephone number(s) & e-mail address of each member alphabetically and includes abbreviations for Founder members, Past Presidents, Past District Governors, Council members, Committee Convenors and Vice-Convenors as well as the committee or office to which the member is assigned.

DISTRICT DIRECTORY

This used to be issued to each Rotarian at the beginning of each Rotary Year It contains details of each Club in the District, the District Executive and its Officers. The meeting times and places of all Scottish Clubs are listed. Only a few are now allocated to each club A copy is kept in the desk and can be accessed there

Amendments to these directories are  normally sent by email to club members

Note; The information held in both these directories is confidential and should not be passed to people outside the Club and of course must not be used for trade or other purposes.

WEB SITE

The club web site is kept up to date by enthusiastic club members and includes a general area which can be accessed by anyone and a members only area where members contact details can be found, rota lists for reception duties along with the calendar of speakers. The site contains the club’s Forward Planner so members can see the key events coming up in the weeks and months ahead. Details too of who is to provide the foundation raffle prize for any given week. Your mentor will explain how to access the site . Please take time to familiarise yourself with the website .

AROUND TEN TWENTY

The District issues a magazine three or four times a year containing Rotary and District news items plus contributions from other Clubs and articles of interest to members. These are normally distributed by the Secretary

ROTARY MAGAZINE

R.I.B.I. produces this magazine six times a year. These too are normally distributed by the Secretary

NEW MEMBER INFORMATION

We hope that you find this publication informative and helpful.  It will have to be up-dated from time to time, but should serve to remind new members (and older ones too) of their duties and responsibilities.

If you have any ideas of how this guide can be enhanced or how we can improve the new member induction process please speak to your mentor.  Meantime we hope you thoroughly enjoy the club and all we do.