Guest speaker - Ian Thomson

Over the airwaves President Jim Allison welcomed guest Maureen McKerrow from Dumfries Rotary Club. He then introduced the evening’s speaker Ian Thomson MBE, whose presentation was to be on target shooting. Ian is the Vice Chairman of the organisation Scottish Target Shooting and also its leading coach. His MBE took note of his great contribution to sport in this country.

While presenting to a Club in St Andrews Ian reckoned it was only proper that he told of his long-held belief that there are many similarities between target shooting and golf. Primarily the need for focus, patience and discipline. But talent in one did not necessarily mean talent in the other!

Ian carries out most of his teaching in Edinburgh’s George Watson’s College and outdoors in Aberdeen. He has trained a lengthy list of very successful young shooters, not least his son Matthew who in 2006 was the World Junior Champion.

“My priority coaching children, aged 12 and upwards, is always safety. You can accept accidents in rugby, football and many other sports – but clearly not in shooting,” said Ian.

He went on to praise 24-year-old Seonaid McIntosh, from Dollar, who is currently the star of the Scottish game. She is European Champion and rated Number 1 in the world in the three disciplines of shooting from kneeling, standing and prone positions. In November last year at a Scotland-wide sports event she was named Best Overall Athlete in the country.

Right now, had life not taken an unpleasant turn, Seonaid would have been representing the UK at the Olympic Games and would almost certainly have returned with at least one gold medal.

Ian mentors Scottish schools teams shooters, whose members he rates as the best in the UK. The teams include youngsters from all over Scotland. Two of the leading lights attend St Leonard’s School in St Andrews.

In an accompanying slide show, Ian described and detailed a number of the weapons used in the various disciplines such as air rifle and small-bore shooting.

In her vote of thanks Fiona Roger thanked Ian for shooting the breeze on a fascinating subject and apprising the Club of such a wealth of young talent in Scottish sport.