The Founder President and Members

R.G.Brown, proprietor of Courts and Son, tobacconist, in the Crossgate, Cupar with a branch in Bell Street, St Andrews had become a member of the Rotary Club of St.Andrews. Not surprisingly, he had come to the view that Cupar, where his home and headquarters were, should follow the St Andrews example.

With the blessing of the District Extension Officer of the day he explored the possibilities and found support. Those of his early contacts became founder members in due course including the town's senior minister, the Rev Robert Alexander who became the club’s second president after the Founder President had served a second term.

The original membership met, very well, the rules and spirit of the Rotary movement by including an ironmonger, gas manager, water engineer, laundryman, banker, accountant, solicitor, dentist, printer and publisher, architect, doctor and the procurator fiscal who had recently come from Kilmarnock where he had been a member of the Rotary Club and thus was ready made to be Cupar’s third President.

R.G.Brown was wont, in lighter moments to recall how the first solicitor got his seat. The early explorers had been daunted by the formidable array of senior men in that profession - Davidson, Grosset, Anderson, Pagan, Rollo - and rather than choose, resolved to invite the first one of them to enquire about the omission. One did, in time, to become a founder member.

R.G.Brown became a leading figure in the area in Rotary and in business. He was nominated for office in Rotary District and served on the Council. There followed nomination as vice-chairman but then R.G. was faced with a dilemma. Having served his trade association to such effect that the National Presidency was competing for his time with Rotary. He chose trade politics and rose to the top, a job which in war time was just his metier. He was not, however, lost to the Cupar Club and continued to help and advise when asked.