Rotary Club of Dunfermline Weekly Meeting
President Ian Wilson’s Introduction for the new year.
Thursday 02 July 2026.
Members: 29 incl. 3 transfers from RC of Inverkeithing & Dalgety Bay
Guest: 1 ADG Brian Mitchell
President Ian Wilson welcomed Members and our Guest ADG Brian Mitchell to our Weekly Meeting, his first as President.
A particular welcome was extended to three gentlemen recently transferred from the RC of Inverkeithing & Dalgety Bay: Fred Housego, Doug Ritchie and Bryan Mottershaw. A fourth transferee, John Liston, will be joining us in the coming weeks.
TFTD. The Thought for the Day was delivered by David Walker. A brief epistle which touched on the World Cup and Scotland’s disappointing performance; our likely new PM Andy Burnham and his plans to revitalise the Country (he’ll perhaps need to start by revitalising his own party); the arrival of three (soon to be four) new members to the club, mentioned above; and the incoming Club President’s plans for the year.
Business / Social. Ian delivered Business and Social updates and asked members for the same.
· The first Council meeting of the new year is planned for Sunday26th July at Ian’s home address.
· Members were reminded that we have committed to support the Kinross Agricultural show on Saturday 8th August, names are already with David Walker who will advise times etc as the date nears.
· We have received an invitation from RC of Crieff to their annual Golf competition. Thursday 13th August £200 per team of 4, includes breakfast. A shotgun-start which will be most appropriate for the ensuing Texas Scramble.
· Bill Spence asked that some of his tech-duties be handed off to other members of the Club. David Walker & Neil Wlson agreed to take these on.
· Ian announced that he had received communication from Gordon and Cynthia Black regarding their recent medical concerns. Both are on the mend, and Gordon was happy to announce that he will be returning to the club as soon as he is comfortable to do so.
· Treasurer David Fraser announced that all annual fees are now due and payable, anyone yet-to-pay is asked to do so ASAP.
o Fees have been held at £125 for the year plus, for those wishing to take part, an additional £60 (£5 per month) for the 50/50 draw
o The 50/50 draw uses half the proceeds to hand a prize to two members each month; the other half are donated to Rotary Foundation.
o Fees should be paid into the Rotary General Account, details of this are available from Treasurer David Fraser.
· Program Convenors Andy Croxford and Dave Brown advised that the program was filling up for the coming year, we have speakers and events in-place set for the coming weeks – see program at the foot of this minute.
· Andy went on to say that the Google sheets showing the Rotary calendar and program is current and will continually be kept up to date going forwards.
· Youth & Schools Convenor Alan Condie reported on the recent High School Technology Challenge held on Monday 29th June at St Columba’s HS.
o Sixteen teams from four schools competed to design and build a working model of a vehicle to remove debris from a pipeline and then return to its starting point.
o One of the teams from Queen Anne won with a score of 95/100
o Two teams from Woodmill HS came joint 2nd place with scores of 72/100
o Alan told members that this had been a well-attended and well-run event that the clubs involved should be proud of.
o Alan thanked all Rotarians who helped on the day.
o Alan also advised that, because both sponsors to this event (Exxon and Babcock) have withdrawn from the event we need to find new sponsors; if any members have a suggestion regarding new sponsorship, please let Alan know.
· SVP Sean Doran attended the recent District Handover held on Sunday 28th June, previous DG Graham Leith handed the torch to Alastair Robb (his 2nd time as DG); Alastair outlined his plans and hopes for the coming year.
· Sean went on to remind us of the upcoming District Conference, Saturday 24th October, to be held again in Dunfermline; members are asked to step if they are able to help with the event or wish to attend the event.
· Finally, Sean was asked at the handover if RC of Dunfermline would be interested in an inter-club golf competition – a bit like a Golf-Gavel. To be discussed.
· Social Convenor Andrew Watson advised that he was looking for fresh ideas for our next Charter meeting March 2027.
Speaker. New President Ian Wilson delivered his plans for the coming year. Ian’s
Well... it finally happened.
If you'd asked me 20 years ago what my life plan was, "Become President of Rotary" wouldn't even have made the top 100. Somewhere between "learn to play golf better" and "keep the garden weed-free" perhaps—but not at the top of the list!
So, why am I standing here?
I think the answer is quite simple. Like everyone in this room, I've always believed in giving something back to the community that has given so much to me. And I've also always believed that if you're prepared to enjoy being part of an organisation, then at some point you should probably stop hiding at the back and volunteer to help run it.
So, when I joined Rotary, becoming President wasn't really an aspiration—it was more of an expectation. I always knew that if someone eventually tapped me on the shoulder, I'd say yes.
At our recent Club Assembly, I outlined five priorities for the year ahead.
They're very simple:
· Greater Community Engagement
· Membership
More Collaboration with other clubs
Having Fun in What We Do
And finally—my own personal project.
Greater Community Engagement
We're already involved in some great projects.
Our schools programme over the last few years has been fantastic.
Santa Dash has become a brilliant community event—not just for us but for lots of other organisations who use it as a vehicle to raise money for their own causes.
We've got Kids Out, the Marine Band Concerts and, more recently, our members driving for Dunfermline Foodbank every week. We even have members helping in the warehouse.
That's already a lot; but can we do more?
Last year we planned to have a presence at the Bruce Festival. It didn't happen.
We talked about having a promotional stand in the Kingsgate. It didn't happen.
We discussed a promotional stall at the food/craft markets in the city. It didn’t happen.
So, do we have the appetite to do more?
This year we've already got one new project supporting the Kinross Agricultural Show in August. It's slightly outside our patch, but it's a great opportunity to get involved and might even inspire us to consider being involved with the more local West Fife Agricultural Show, that takes place each June, if the opportunity exists. Many of us who are ex Round Table will remember helping at this event in the past.
So, the Council will be looking early in the year at what else we can realistically do—with the emphasis on "realistically."
We'd quite like to avoid adding another brilliant idea that only exists on agendas and meeting minutes!
Membership
Membership remains one of our biggest priorities.
This evening we're delighted to welcome four new members.
Now... technically they're not "new" Rotarians. They're experienced members who have joined us following the closure of their own club. But, despite the unfortunate circumstances, we're absolutely delighted to have them choose to join us.
Sadly, they also remind us how quickly a club's fortunes can change if membership numbers begin to fall.
Over the last six years we've welcomed 13 new members to this club — which is excellent. Unfortunately, we've also lost 16 members for assorted reasons.
The maths isn't complicated... and it isn't going in the right direction.
So, we'll be looking at fresh ideas—from corporate membership to making better use of our social media and attending more community events to raise the profile. We also have new stickers, that Ronnie designed, that we will ask the recipients of our funds to display, that say they were supported by “The Rotary Club of Dunfermline” so making more people aware of the type of support we are giving and hopefully encourage more people to get engaged. We will also, again, be encouraging every single member to think of just one person they could invite along.
After all, everyone in this room joined because someone asked them.
Working More Closely with Other Clubs
We're already doing a lot together.
· Schools’ competitions (this week’s Technology Challenge that Alan has already mentioned being a perfect example)
· Kids Out.
· The Intertwined PTSD research project.
· Joint financial support for CHAS
· Lending our Sleigh for other Clubs to use.
But I think we can do more.
Supporting each other's events makes every club stronger.
Given what's happened and is happening with some neighbouring clubs, it's clear that none of us can afford to operate in isolation.
If we can help each other, we should.
And if that also means we get invited to more dinners with decent puddings... then everybody wins.
Have Fun
Now this one is possibly the most important.
Yes—we raise money. Yes—we support amazing causes.
But if we're not enjoying ourselves, then we're doing something wrong.
Gin Fest is the perfect example. It's demanding work. It's long days. It's heavy lifting.
But somehow Ralph and the team still manage to make it one of the highlights of the Rotary year. The laughter over those four days often lasts much longer than our energy levels. I'd like that same spirit to run through everything we do this year.
So, if you've got ideas for speakers, visits, social events, fundraising activities, or something completely different—please tell us and if you have ideas for how we can make any of it more fun…… don’t keep it to yourself.
It's your club.
And I promise not every idea shared at a meeting will lead to someone becoming President 4 years later!
My Personal Project
Finally, my own priority project.
This year I'd like us to focus on supporting organisations involved in dementia research and those providing care and support for people and their families who are living with dementia.
Sadly, dementia has touched many of our own members and their families.
I suspect everyone here knows someone affected by this disease. It's something that touches every community.
Over the coming year I'd like us to hear from speakers working in this field and look at ways we can support organisations through our fundraising.
If we can make even a small difference to families facing dementia, I think that would be a year very well spent.
In conclusion…
I'm incredibly proud to have the opportunity to serve as your President and I hope we achieve everything we set out to do this year, but to be honest, if we manage even half of it, while having plenty of laughs along the way, I'll consider it a successful year.
Together I'm confident we can continue to “Make Lasting Difference” in our community.
Ian’s presentation was followed by a few words from visiting ADG Brian Mitchell.
Brian expressed thanks for being made welcome at our meeting and joined members in welcoming four members transferring into the club. Brian was pleased to see the membership fully engaged and enjoying their membership and expressed his positive thoughts towards the program and direction of the club as outlined by Ian. Finally, Brian referenced the Technology Challenge he attended on 29th June as a great example of Rotary engaging and supporting the community.
President Ian then closed with the usual toast to Rotary the world over.
Rotary Club of Dunfermline Weekly Meeting
President Ian Wilson’s Introduction for the new year.
Thursday 02 July 2026.
Members: 29 incl. 3 transfers from RC of Inverkeithing & Dalgety Bay
Guest: 1 ADG Brian Mitchell
President Ian Wilson welcomed Members and our Guest ADG Brian Mitchell to our Weekly Meeting, his first as President.
A particular welcome was extended to three gentlemen recently transferred from the RC of Inverkeithing & Dalgety Bay: Fred Housego, Doug Ritchie and Bryan Mottershaw. A fourth transferee, John Liston, will be joining us in the coming weeks.
TFTD. The Thought for the Day was delivered by David Walker. A brief epistle which touched on the World Cup and Scotland’s disappointing performance; our likely new PM Andy Burnham and his plans to revitalise the Country (he’ll perhaps need to start by revitalising his own party); the arrival of three (soon to be four) new members to the club, mentioned above; and the incoming Club President’s plans for the year.
Business / Social. Ian delivered Business and Social updates and asked members for the same.
· The first Council meeting of the new year is planned for Sunday26th July at Ian’s home address.
· Members were reminded that we have committed to support the Kinross Agricultural show on Saturday 8th August, names are already with David Walker who will advise times etc as the date nears.
· We have received an invitation from RC of Crieff to their annual Golf competition. Thursday 13th August £200 per team of 4, includes breakfast. A shotgun-start which will be most appropriate for the ensuing Texas Scramble.
· Bill Spence asked that some of his tech-duties be handed off to other members of the Club. David Walker & Neil Wlson agreed to take these on.
· Ian announced that he had received communication from Gordon and Cynthia Black regarding their recent medical concerns. Both are on the mend, and Gordon was happy to announce that he will be returning to the club as soon as he is comfortable to do so.
· Treasurer David Fraser announced that all annual fees are now due and payable, anyone yet-to-pay is asked to do so ASAP.
o Fees have been held at £125 for the year plus, for those wishing to take part, an additional £60 (£5 per month) for the 50/50 draw
o The 50/50 draw uses half the proceeds to hand a prize to two members each month; the other half are donated to Rotary Foundation.
o Fees should be paid into the Rotary General Account, details of this are available from Treasurer David Fraser.
· Program Convenors Andy Croxford and Dave Brown advised that the program was filling up for the coming year, we have speakers and events in-place set for the coming weeks – see program at the foot of this minute.
· Andy went on to say that the Google sheets showing the Rotary calendar and program is current and will continually be kept up to date going forwards.
· Youth & Schools Convenor Alan Condie reported on the recent High School Technology Challenge held on Monday 29th June at St Columba’s HS.
o Sixteen teams from four schools competed to design and build a working model of a vehicle to remove debris from a pipeline and then return to its starting point.
o One of the teams from Queen Anne won with a score of 95/100
o Two teams from Woodmill HS came joint 2nd place with scores of 72/100
o Alan told members that this had been a well-attended and well-run event that the clubs involved should be proud of.
o Alan thanked all Rotarians who helped on the day.
o Alan also advised that, because both sponsors to this event (Exxon and Babcock) have withdrawn from the event we need to find new sponsors; if any members have a suggestion regarding new sponsorship, please let Alan know.
· SVP Sean Doran attended the recent District Handover held on Sunday 28th June, previous DG Graham Leith handed the torch to Alastair Robb (his 2nd time as DG); Alastair outlined his plans and hopes for the coming year.
· Sean went on to remind us of the upcoming District Conference, Saturday 24th October, to be held again in Dunfermline; members are asked to step if they are able to help with the event or wish to attend the event.
· Finally, Sean was asked at the handover if RC of Dunfermline would be interested in an inter-club golf competition – a bit like a Golf-Gavel. To be discussed.
· Social Convenor Andrew Watson advised that he was looking for fresh ideas for our next Charter meeting March 2027.
Speaker. New President Ian Wilson delivered his plans for the coming year. Ian’s
Well... it finally happened.
If you'd asked me 20 years ago what my life plan was, "Become President of Rotary" wouldn't even have made the top 100. Somewhere between "learn to play golf better" and "keep the garden weed-free" perhaps—but not at the top of the list!
So, why am I standing here?
I think the answer is quite simple. Like everyone in this room, I've always believed in giving something back to the community that has given so much to me. And I've also always believed that if you're prepared to enjoy being part of an organisation, then at some point you should probably stop hiding at the back and volunteer to help run it.
So, when I joined Rotary, becoming President wasn't really an aspiration—it was more of an expectation. I always knew that if someone eventually tapped me on the shoulder, I'd say yes.
At our recent Club Assembly, I outlined five priorities for the year ahead.
They're very simple:
· Greater Community Engagement
· Membership
More Collaboration with other clubs
Having Fun in What We Do
And finally—my own personal project.
Greater Community Engagement
We're already involved in some great projects.
Our schools programme over the last few years has been fantastic.
Santa Dash has become a brilliant community event—not just for us but for lots of other organisations who use it as a vehicle to raise money for their own causes.
We've got Kids Out, the Marine Band Concerts and, more recently, our members driving for Dunfermline Foodbank every week. We even have members helping in the warehouse.
That's already a lot; but can we do more?
Last year we planned to have a presence at the Bruce Festival. It didn't happen.
We talked about having a promotional stand in the Kingsgate. It didn't happen.
We discussed a promotional stall at the food/craft markets in the city. It didn’t happen.
So, do we have the appetite to do more?
This year we've already got one new project supporting the Kinross Agricultural Show in August. It's slightly outside our patch, but it's a great opportunity to get involved and might even inspire us to consider being involved with the more local West Fife Agricultural Show, that takes place each June, if the opportunity exists. Many of us who are ex Round Table will remember helping at this event in the past.
So, the Council will be looking early in the year at what else we can realistically do—with the emphasis on "realistically."
We'd quite like to avoid adding another brilliant idea that only exists on agendas and meeting minutes!
Membership
Membership remains one of our biggest priorities.
This evening we're delighted to welcome four new members.
Now... technically they're not "new" Rotarians. They're experienced members who have joined us following the closure of their own club. But, despite the unfortunate circumstances, we're absolutely delighted to have them choose to join us.
Sadly, they also remind us how quickly a club's fortunes can change if membership numbers begin to fall.
Over the last six years we've welcomed 13 new members to this club — which is excellent. Unfortunately, we've also lost 16 members for assorted reasons.
The maths isn't complicated... and it isn't going in the right direction.
So, we'll be looking at fresh ideas—from corporate membership to making better use of our social media and attending more community events to raise the profile. We also have new stickers, that Ronnie designed, that we will ask the recipients of our funds to display, that say they were supported by “The Rotary Club of Dunfermline” so making more people aware of the type of support we are giving and hopefully encourage more people to get engaged. We will also, again, be encouraging every single member to think of just one person they could invite along.
After all, everyone in this room joined because someone asked them.
Working More Closely with Other Clubs
We're already doing a lot together.
· Schools’ competitions (this week’s Technology Challenge that Alan has already mentioned being a perfect example)
· Kids Out.
· The Intertwined PTSD research project.
· Joint financial support for CHAS
· Lending our Sleigh for other Clubs to use.
But I think we can do more.
Supporting each other's events makes every club stronger.
Given what's happened and is happening with some neighbouring clubs, it's clear that none of us can afford to operate in isolation.
If we can help each other, we should.
And if that also means we get invited to more dinners with decent puddings... then everybody wins.
Have Fun
Now this one is possibly the most important.
Yes—we raise money. Yes—we support amazing causes.
But if we're not enjoying ourselves, then we're doing something wrong.
Gin Fest is the perfect example. It's demanding work. It's long days. It's heavy lifting.
But somehow Ralph and the team still manage to make it one of the highlights of the Rotary year. The laughter over those four days often lasts much longer than our energy levels. I'd like that same spirit to run through everything we do this year.
So, if you've got ideas for speakers, visits, social events, fundraising activities, or something completely different—please tell us and if you have ideas for how we can make any of it more fun…… don’t keep it to yourself.
It's your club.
And I promise not every idea shared at a meeting will lead to someone becoming President 4 years later!
My Personal Project
Finally, my own priority project.
This year I'd like us to focus on supporting organisations involved in dementia research and those providing care and support for people and their families who are living with dementia.
Sadly, dementia has touched many of our own members and their families.
I suspect everyone here knows someone affected by this disease. It's something that touches every community.
Over the coming year I'd like us to hear from speakers working in this field and look at ways we can support organisations through our fundraising.
If we can make even a small difference to families facing dementia, I think that would be a year very well spent.
In conclusion…
I'm incredibly proud to have the opportunity to serve as your President and I hope we achieve everything we set out to do this year, but to be honest, if we manage even half of it, while having plenty of laughs along the way, I'll consider it a successful year.
Together I'm confident we can continue to “Make Lasting Difference” in our community.
Ian’s presentation was followed by a few words from visiting ADG Brian Mitchell.
Brian expressed thanks for being made welcome at our meeting and joined members in welcoming four members transferring into the club. Brian was pleased to see the membership fully engaged and enjoying their membership and expressed his positive thoughts towards the program and direction of the club as outlined by Ian. Finally, Brian referenced the Technology Challenge he attended on 29th June as a great example of Rotary engaging and supporting the community.
President Ian then closed with the usual toast to Rotary the world over.