Summer Club Speaker Online – James Gibbons

As usual, President Charles welcomed everyone to the meeting and, in his piece of Interesting Rotary Information, highlighted ‘Classification in Rotary’

Virtually all membership in Rotary is based upon a “classification.” Basically a classification describes the distinct and recognized business or professional service that the Rotarian renders to society. Classifications are determined by activities or services to society rather than by the position held by a particular individual. In other words, if a person is the president of a bank, he or she is not classified as “bank president” but under the classification “banking.”

The classification principle also permits businesses and industries to be separated into distinct functions such as manufacturing, distributing, retailing and servicing.

The classification principle is a necessary concept in assuring that each Rotary club represents a cross section of the business and professional service of the community. Members are permitted admission if they are retired, and who had never been in Rotary but would have been qualified. These individuals can be admitted as past service members and are the only Rotarians without a current or former classification.

Limitations. This club shall not elect a person to active membership from a classification if it will result in the classification making up more than 10 percent of the club’s active membership.

Announcements:

Pigeon Derby - Paul Begley reported he had received some responses.  He was looking for more responses as a matter of urgency since the first race would be on Saturday 31^st July.  Many members at the meeting indicated that they wished to participate and that payment would follow.  Next week, Paul would give his report on the first race.

Willie Talbot reported that the Bonus Ball had been won by Jane Allan – a four-week rollover.

Secretary reminded members to give him an indication of which committee(s) they wished to serve on.

International Convenor, James Gibbons, reported that more money had come in from ‘Lend with Care’ and another entrepreneur had been sponsored.

Speaker for the Evening:

Tonight, this was James Gibbons, who gave a talk and presentation on ‘Trains, Planes, Automobiles (and other stuff)’.  He covered various ‘encounters’ he had had during his working life!

At 14 years of age, James had a part-time job in Cooper’s Finefare supermarket and this seemed to go without incident!  On leaving school, he started work with a sub-contractor at Ravenscraig as an apprentice electrician. He was with the company for 17 years.  He had his first ‘encounter’, when the bumper of a train clipped his shoulder, causing him injury.  His second ‘encounter was also at Ravenscraig when a car drove into a group of workers he was with.  It hit James, flipping him over the bonnet and roof, breaking his arm.  He ended up at A&E in Law hospital.

James’s next ‘encounter’ was while working on part of the taxi-way at Glasgow Airport.  He was hit by the jet steam of a plane that had taken a wrong turning, catapulting him into the air.  This time his collar bone was broken and his shoulder dislocated.  Another trip to A&E, this time in Glasgow!  In another incident at the airport, while working on the runway lights, which had been disabled, he was electrocuted when he touched a cable that was not supposed to be live.  His hands were blackened and again he was hurtled through the air.

Other ‘incidents’ occurred at work resulting in James losing a bit of a finger and he lost his teeth and cracked his palate after an ‘encounter’ with a chainsaw, which he was trying to start up.

James asked the question at the beginning of his talk “Lucky or unlucky?”  The consensus of opinion at the end was definitely “lucky”.