Presidential Handover 2015

Out with old and in with the new was the order of the day at last Friday’s East Kilbride Rotary Club lunch. Outgoing President, Archie King, handed over the chain of office to incoming president Ian Macpherson who served as 20^th president of the club in 1984, 1985 and now presides over the members as 50^th president to guide them through its 50^th year celebrations. It was a busy afternoon for the club and the Stewartfield Farm who had designed a special menu for the occasion and serves a full capacity restaurant made up of members, member’s wives, visiting Rotarians and guests. Recounting his year in office, Archie recalled his first duty as president representing the club at the District Conference in Tulliallan. It was an active year beginning with a garden party raising £300, the golf AMAM and quiz night raising over £4000 for Dementia Care in Greenhills and the Christmas toys for kids. Responding to National disasters the club supplied shelter boxes and funds to the Philippines, Syria, Sierra Leone, Liberia and East Africa. Closer to home over £800 was disbursed from the Heritage Park wishing well, schools Burns competitions and Youth Speaks competitions were organised with the winners from both gaining success in district and national finals. In May the two schools Euroscola pupils enjoyed 5 days in Strasbourg culminating in a full day debate in the parliament. Archie’s last duty at the handover was the presentation of a Paul Harris Award to Rotarian Roddy Shanks. Roddy is a very committed Rotarian, involving himself wholeheartedly in almost all of the clubs events. He helped build the wishing well, organised charity and fun walks, held garden parties, arranged the clean-up of Calderglen with the primary school, planted 5000 crocus bulbs in the front of the civic centre to raise funds for Polio Plus, regular reader of the East Kilbride News recorded for the blind and more recently organised the supply of 350 trees for Hunter Primary school, each of the 350 pupils planting their own tree. He does all this and still runs with harriers and a piper in East Kilbride Pipe Band. He was piping on the Friday evening at the 24 hour Relay for Life at the John Wright Sports Centre where again as a proud dad and grandfather the band included his son and grandson, a first for the band. Roddy’s daughter, Karen Wilding, a member of Leyland Rotary Club was first to give dad a huge congratulations hug on receiving his award. Taking over from Archie for the remainder of meeting, new President Ian thanked Archie for his drive and enthusiasm during an active year and outlined his plans as President for the forthcoming celebrations of the clubs 50^th year.  Watch this space for future articles as the year unravels.