2013 and earlier - What we did

June 12 - A sincere thank-you to everyone who turned out to help at Kids Out on Wednesday  12th. June. We had 140 kids there -  more than in recent years - reasonable weather,  and a smooth hitch-free operation.  Special thanks are due to Alistair Justice for his efficient planning.

GLAD tidings are on the way to a second wave of charities thanks to the Christmas fund-raising endeavours of the Rotary Club of Dunfermline.
Having already placed cheques totalling £5000 into the Christmas stockings of nine local good causes, Rotarians gave an extra festive fillip to their benevolent fund by ringing up £7368 in the joint proceeds fromtheir Santa's sleigh collections around local neighbourhoods and two festive concertsin Dunfermline Abbey, in association with the Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines Scotland.


Latest beneficiaries include four military charities RN & RM Charitable Trust;Fife branch of SSAFA,which offers lifelong support to the Forces and their families; Seafarers UK and Combat Stress. Also sharing in the proceeds are the two Rosyth primary schools whose choirs performed at the Abbey events:  St John's and King's Road.
The club is also to give a four-figure sum to the charity, Playlist for Life, for whom they are piloting the local iPod donation drive to improve the lives of those living with dementia by giving them digital access to personally meaningful music. 

Dunfermline Rotarians looking happy before the kick off at Twickenham.  A good afternoon with lots of banter.  The wifes went to afternoon tea and joined in for an evening buffet.

March 6th at Commercial Primary School - 6 Local Primary Schools competing for certificates, medals and a cup for the winning school.  Question Master Tom MacMillan, Question Setter John Anderson. Prizes presented by President Bill Runciman. Certificates prepared by Brain Dean. Help on the night from Leslie Botten, Alistair Gellan, Russell Matthews, Brian Steer, Alex Elder, Bill Spence, David Thomson.  30 contestants, lots of parents and siblings, lots of Rotarians, cakes baked by parents, fizzy drinks, tea and coffees.  A perfect Rotary project in the community.
The contestants were as follows

Craig Stephens of Woodmill High School, shown here with President Bill Runciman, was our representative on this year's visit to the European Parilament in Strasboutg.  Craig visited the club on 14th March and gave an amusing report on his experiences. See more about Euroscola at District 1010 website and see some of the Scottish candidates in action here.

St Margaret's School, winner of the Dunfermline round went on to win the Area 8 Final


The trophy was presented by John Anderson at a school assembly

June 16 - Seven brave Rotarians will jump off the Forth Bridge to raise money for needy causes.  Click here  to read all about them and to make a donation.

The team will bond with Dunfermline legend - Jim Leishman .

Entrants will be registering at 13:00 and descents begin soon thereaftre - why not have an afternoon out in South Quensferry and be inspired to donate?

Traffic in South Queensferry can be busy but a trip on the train across the Forth Bridge to Dalmeny might also be a funthing for youngsters.

BABCOCK apprentices at Rosyth Dockyard have turned Santa?s little helpers by giving an early ?MoT? to the sleigh on which Father Christmas will be touring neighbourhoods later this month.

The apprentices have been improving the sound and lighting systems on the sled aboard which Santa will be helping Dunfermline Rotarians to put an extra jingle in their collecting tins for local charities.

As Santa and Rudolph road-tested the sleigh this week, club president Alan Mutter explained, ?The sleigh will be touring from 16^th to 22^nd December and we hope the public will again give a festive fillip to the club?s benevolent fund.

?The club has already disbursed ?5000 in early Christmas presents to nine local good causes. We have also dispatched two ShelterBoxes to typhoon victims in the and Service and local charities will benefit from the two Christmas concerts we are staging in Dunfermline Abbey on 18^th and 19^th December, in association with the Band of Her Majesty?s Royal Marines Scotland.?

The apprentices were also thanked for their input by Rotarian Tom Arnott - the local garage owner whose team last year conjured up the sleigh from a caravan chassis ? and by Rotarian David Steele, who is organising the tour itinerary.

Between 6pm and 8pm, Santa will be touring the following districts: 16^th December, Queen Margaret Fauld estate; 17^th December, and Garvock area; 18^th December, Bellyeoman and Headwell area; 19^th December, and area; 20^th December, Garvock, and estates; 21^st December, Parkneuk and Milesmark; and 22^nd December, Limekilns.

The grand tour climaxes on the weekend of 21^st and 22^nd December when Santa is due to make afternoon pit-stops at the Mercat Cross in ?s High Street between 12 noon and 4pm each day.

And it worked - we were given ?2550 by generous residents of Dunfermline.

From the Dunfermline Press

DUNFERMLINE Rotarians have solved the riddle of the ?mystery? Santa ? the good Samaritan who donated two sacksful of gifts for distribution to deserving kids at Christmas.

The unknown lady donor surprised Rotary collectors with the presents when Santa?s sleigh made a pit-stop in High Street on 21st December during their week-long tour of local neighbourhoods in aid of local charities.

President Alan Mutter - who appealed through the Press letters column for the generous donor to make contact, so that her gesture could be appropriately acknowledged by the club - explained, ?It turns out there was not just one mystery Santa?but a whole streetful of them!?

Namely, Jane Russell and her neighbours in , Keltybridge.

Jane, who is BADMINTONscotland?sTayside and Fife regional development officer, said, ?I am delighted to know the presents went to children in and around . Please give all the credit for the presents to the residents of ?they deserve it.?

Jane explained, ?I was brought up in Rosyth, and I run a youth club on Friday nights in the Community Wing of Inverkeithing High School. I know there are many children who, through various circumstances, don't get much or anything at Christmas.

?Years ago, when I stayed near in Dunfermline, my next-door neighbours were the minister and his wife from . They are now retired and living in . Each Christmas Evelyn would ask me to buy a gift for a child she knew wouldn?t get much at Christmas. I loved the idea of helping a child at Christmas and decided, when I moved to Keltybridge three years ago, that I would try something similar.

?Initially,I just asked my immediate neighbours to help. The response was so good I decided to e-mail everyone in the street - there are 19 houses - and nearly everyone has contributed in the last couple of years. I do thank them, but it would be nice for them to know that their presents really do make a difference.

?I decided each year to ask the residents to buy a present up to the value of ?10, wrap it and mark on it whether it was for a boy or girl and the age. Most of the residents take part and some buy more than one present. In previous years, I have given the presents to a local charity in Kelty and the Salvation Army.? 

Mr Mutter told Jane, ?We were delighted to forward your gifts to less fortunate families in through the social work department of Fife Council. This is something our members do every Christmas, and it is a task from which we take considerable pleasure. Your outstanding and generous donation made a very big difference to several families this Christmas. I cannot thank you enough.?

To allow his fellow Rotarians to endorse his personal thanks, Mr Mutter has invited Jane to attend a weekly meeting of the club as their special guest.

Jane added, ?I really want the presents to go to local children, so working with the Rotary Club and its social work contacts would be the ideal scenario.
If Rotarians are keen, I would like to make this an annual donation?and I'm sure I can rope in more neighbours and friends to donate.


?I am a lucky person. I know the way to true happiness is through helping others. Who knows? It might lead to other streets doing collections for kids at Christmas!?

All proceeds to Club Benevolent Fund.  Tickets from David Steele/John Haxton or Carnegie Hall  (01383 602303)

IT was hard hats off to Big Jim Leishman and the Magnificent 007s from Dunfermline Rotary Club on Sunday as they Bonded together to drop 165 feet from the Forth Bridge.

South Queensferry Rotary Club?s world-famouscharity abseil did not prove a bridge too far for the Pars legend and his Rotary companions who immediately began roping in sponsorship pledges for a range of good causes, including Jim?s own Mary Leishman Foundation and a range of Rotary charities, including the event?s core beneficiaries: Maggie?s and Alzheimer Scotland.

The seven-strong Rotary team ? aggregate age 439 years ?launched themselves off the approach viaduct of the iconic structure in true James Bond style?none more so than maiden abseiler Tom Arnott, a ?fully-paid-up member of the Fear of Heights Club?.

Rotary president Bill Runciman, himself an experienced abseiler and mountaineer, said, ?Tom was star of the day in his dinner jacket. His was a major personal achievement and one which I?m sure will be prominent in the family archive. I think we all Bonded and I am so grateful to everyone for their participation. It was good fun. Well worth repeating!?

As he came back to earth Tom reflected, ?My mind is still in the clouds. After considerable persuasion my hand released its vice-like grip on the railings and I was off, with the first part of the drop spend staring at the rope a few inches from my nose.

?The sounds of cheers from below gave me the courage to complete the trip down but there was an overwhelming sense of relief on reaching the bottom. The fear I went through is nothing compared to that teenagers with cancer must feel and that is why I did the abseil for Teenage Cancer Scotland.?

 

While our brave boys are throwing themselves off the ere is much to celebrate here on the home front.

 

St Margaret?s School from Dunfermline were the winners by just one point, of the District Final of the Primary School Quiz held at Race Course with an audience of 300 and against 15 other schools.

 For more details click Here

On Friday in the Birthday Honours List our fellow member Angus Hogg was awarded an MBE

In the same list, Margaret Dean, Lord Lieutenant of Fife, wife of our fellow Rotarian Brain became a CVO

The Rotary Club of

cordially invite you to our prestigious???

CHARITY GALA DINNER

7.00 for 7.30pm, Friday 8th November 2013, Keavil House Hotel



Drinks on arrival

Superb four course meal and coffee

Raffle

Entertaining Speaker-Willie Allan

Auction

Music & Dancing to the fabulous Royal Marine Dance Band

Tickets ? 50

Dress Formal                  

Carriages at 1.00am

with

sports journalist and television presenter

 Alison Walker

 Friday 9th November2012

 Keavil House Hotel, Crossford

Alison McFarlane will entertain,

with Scottish and 60's items

Keavil House Hotel Crossford

6th December - 7 for 7:30

Names and numbers to David Fraser by 2nd December

DUNFERMLINE folk singer cum friendship ambassador Gifford Lind will be packing more than his guitar with him when he flies out to perform on 31^st January at a Burns Supper in Dunfermline's twin town of .

For the convener of Dunfermline-Trondheim Twinning Association will be exploring with his Norwegian counterparts initiatives to mark during 2015 the 70^th anniversary of arguably the oldest twinning link in Europe

Gifford reminded Dunfermline Rotarians, whose predecessors helped to cement the original friendship bond, The link was formed in 1945 and the very first ships to free Trondheim brought with them a bond of friendship which had been adopted by a group of over 1000 young people meeting in the Regal Cinema in Dunfermline.

It was an initiative which was taken because there was the feeling that something should be done to win and sustain the peace. So it was very laudable and very worthwhile thing at the time, and really something for which the young people of should be given a great deal of praise for having initiated and carried out.

Recalling that there had since been many visits exchanged and friendship links forged, he said, "I first got been involved way back in 1998, and it has taken me outside of Dunfermline and made me look back at the place. I think we all need to do that, because it lets you see your own place and your values in a different way. it also lets you hear what other people think of your own town."

Gifford stressed there was a great deal of emotional connection with Dunfermline amongst older people in Trondheim and the younger people were now hearing about it as well.

This year will be the 70^th anniversary of the start of that twinning and I have a list of initiatives to be taken this year to try to make things happen, he said.

Three years ago we did a democracy project involving young people from the twinned cities The more I think about it, the more I realise that democracy is what this is all about, because if you have a democracy that doesn't involve everybody, some people will get to the position where they may think to do something violent against others. So inclusion is important.

That was confirmed to me when we were planning visit from the Youth Council of Trondheim. A young man blew up the centre of and then went up to an island and shot a large number of young people. The young people who were due to visit us had relatives and friends who were killed in that incident. When we realised that, I put the point to the organiser that maybe we should call the visit off. He said, "No. We need to come. We need to develop democracy. We need young people to understand it."

That represents one of the priorities that we would see in renewing the bond of friendship this year, which is to get young people involved in democracy, in talking to one another and in being friends with one another.

 

HIRE education is already paying dividends for two fifth-year pupils of Dunfermline High School.

For Sarah MacDonald and Robyn Pattison have been awarded iPad Air tablets by the Rotary Club of Dunfermline as the High performers in the third Rotary employability skills project run in association with the school.

Sarah (16), of Garvock Hill Dunfermline, and Robyn (16), of Backmarch Road, Rosyth, received their iPads from President Graham Steedman to acknowledge their performance in the 2014 round of theproject which gives senior pupils of Dunfermline High School expert mentoring on how to get their feet on the first rung of the jobs ladder.

The girls acknowledged, in turn, the input by Rotarians and school staff to a process which they said had developed skills which they would apply throughout their lives.

THE Rotary Club of Dunfermline has landed a record £24k in funding which - over the next two years - it will plough into the most ambitious international project in the clubs 93-year history.

'Delighted!' was how President Graham Steedman greeted the news of his club's success in assembling the investment packageto provide training courses in agribusiness and home-care management for disadvantaged young people in Kenya -  so that they can have opportunities for independence through employment or self-employment.

International& Foundation convener David Chalmers reported to the special general meeting that the club's financial contribution of £3550 from its own fund-raising had been the catalyst for grants of £300 and £11,000 respectivelyfrom the club's Rotary District and from Rotary Foundation, the movement's international charity, with the balance being contributed by their Kenyan partner Muthaiga Club,who will oversee and support implementation of the project on the ground..

The year-long agribusiness course will teach a wide range of farming skills such as use of farm tools and equipment, irrigation/drainage, crop production, soil fertility, livestock management and marketing.

Mr Chalmers explained, At the end of the course graduates, will retain the tools they trained with and will work on family land or take up paid employment or set themselves up in self-employment. An added benefit will be that the food grown during the courses will be sold for re-investment in the project.

Farming in many parts of Kenya is carried on by old-fashioned inefficient methods so more productive use of the land will be to the benefit of the community generally.

The six-month home-care management course will cover home nursing and first aid, food/beverage production and service, nutrition, house-keeping and child care.

Said Mr Chalmers, The objective is to equip graduates with skills which enable them to obtain better paid jobs in domestic service or in the catering and hospitality service where unskilled workers are poorly paid and undervalued.

Thecourses will be delivered at the Seed of Hope Centre in Kariti in the Murang a District of Kenya. Dunfermline Rotarians havealready carried out several very successful projects with Seed of Hope,which was established by the UK-registered charity, Vision Africa.

David added, The funding for this project will cover the first two years of operation and thereafter it is planned that it will be self-funding by means such as the sale of agricultural produce.

The Dunfermline Rotarians responsible for this project are David Chalmers, David Steele and Alan Mutter.

 

THERE are currently around 70 Fife ex-Servicemen on the casebooks of Combat Stress, the UK's leading military charity specialising in the care of veterans' mental health.
Retired wing commander Jim Lawrence, the charity's regional welfare officer for the East of Scotland, told Dunfermline Rotarians that the area within a 10-mile radius of central Dunfermline was one of his caseload 'hotspots' and that the calls on Combat Stress nationally were increasing by some 12 per cent a year.
In token of the centennial commemorations of World War One - and the 95^thanniversary of the charity's foundation to deal with shell-shock casualties from the trenches - Rotary club president Graham Steedman presented Mr Lawrence with a Combat Stress donation of £1000.

Mr Lawrence - who covers a patch from the Borders to the Shetlands with two mental-health nurses - explained that there were some 5000 cases on the charity's books across the UK and some 750 on its active client list in Scotland, where one of the three UK treatment and support centres was located in Ayrshire.

THE leading pupils of Dunfermline?s four high schools have received leadership awards from the Rotary Club of Dunfermline.
Gift vouchers were handed over to the following by President Alan Mutter at the club?s weekly meeting in Garvock House Hotel:
Dunfermline High: Head girl, Karyn Stewart (17), 8 Dick Street, Dunfermline, who is to undertake a geography degree at St Andrews University; head boy, Lewis Steer (17), 16 Hailes Place, Dunfermline, who is to study veterinary medicine at Edinburgh University.
Queen Anne High: Head girl, Kirsty Heigh (17), 59 West Baldridge Road, Dunfermline, who is to study medicinal chemistry at Edinburgh University; head boy, Calum Bonthron (18), 1 Craigluscar Lane, Dunfermline, who is to read psychology at St Andrews University.
St Columba?s High: Head girl, Niamh Mussen (18), 8 Earn Grove, Dunfermline, who is to read law and English at Glasgow University; head boy, Kieran Jack (17), 12 Parkneuk Road, Dunfermline, who is to study chemical engineering at Edinburgh University.
Woodmill High: Head girl, Eilidh Reid (18), 7 Blackwood Way, Dunfermline, who is to read ecnomics and finance at Edinburgh University and whose award was accepted on her behalf by depute head girl Kate Schafferius; head boy, Christopher Sparling (17), 79 Scotland Drive, Dunfermline, who is to study chemical physics at Heriot-Watt University.

The Rotary Club of Dunfermline successfully won the District Gavel Challenge for the third time in four years on Tuesday 29 April.
In the final, which was played at the neutral venue of the Queen's Hotel in Dundee, home of the Rotary Club of Claverhouse, Dunfermline defeated The Rotary Club of Banchory by 22 points to 10 points.
Dunfermline had won the trophy in 2011 and 2012, but after a shock defeat away to Inverkeithing & Dalgety Bay had been eliminated at the group stages in the 2013 campaign
Team captain Eric Spreng said ' we were delighted to get our hands back on the trophy after missing out on the hat-trick last year.  It was a great team effort with all participants playing a big part in the final.  It was very close at 8 points each at the half way stage but our concentration and commitment saw us pull away in the second half.
The team that played in the final against Banchory was Eric Spreng, Ralph McCran, Tom Arnott, Andrew Bathgate, Mike Williams, Keith McFarlane, Graham Steedman and Ian Morris.
Dunfermline won all their games on the way to the final, defeating Burntisland, Cowdenbeath and Alloa in the group stages, and won a very tight semi-final away to Crieff.  Other club members who played in the team in the earlier rounds were Gerry Gillespie, Andrew McGeorge, David Walker, Alan Watson and Alex Elder.

On Thursday, 14th November the Club agreed to fund two shelter boxes.  Within 24 hours two boxes with our name on them were on the way to the Phillipines.

A shelter box is an emergency home for four people who have lost everything.  You can see what a box contains here.  Even the box becomes useful as a water or fuel tank.

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