New President and Rotarian of the Year

THE retired rector of his former high school will head the Rotary Club of Dunfermline as it prepares to celebrate its centenary in 2021/22.

As its newly-installed president, Brian Blanchflower will lead the club through a year of commemorative events and projects which will include the planting of an avenue of flowering cherry trees in Pittencrieff Park.

Mr Blanchflower - who served for 10 years as rector of Dunfermline High School until his retiral in 2016 - said he was honoured to be taking over the club presidency in its centennial year.

He acknowledged, “The past year has been extremely challenging but, even during Covid, the club has, under the guiding hand of Alan Mutter, substantially increased its membership and has boosted to an incredible £37,000 the sum raised during the pandemic for local, national and international charitable causes.”

Affirming the club’s aim to build further on this achievement in 2021/22, he said they already had firm plans in place for several fund-raising events - including its third Santa Dash, Royal Marine Band concerts, sponsored golf events, a cycle ride, quizzes and a reprise in May of the successful GinFest it launched in the Glen Pavilion in 2019.

“Locally - as well as continuing our wide-ranging support of several youth and schools activities - we will be working in partnership with the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust and Fife Council to provide up to 100 four-metre-high flowering cherry trees to be planted in the lower part of Pittencrieff Park.”

Internationally, the club would be assisting with the upgrading of a dilapidated primary school in Kenya.

Mr Blanchflower added, “Our two main celebratory events for our centennial will be a dinner in the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh in March and a summer ball in Garvock House Hotel in June, 2022.

“Everyone is really looking forward to a 'more normal' year for fun, fellowship and fund-raising whilst celebrating the club’s first 100 years."

Mr Blanchflower was inducted as a member of the Dunfermline club in 2016 and served as

its youth and schools co-ordinator from 2017 until 2020.

Belfast born, Mr Blanchflower moved to Rosyth at the age of 13 and completed his secondary education at Dunfermline High School.

Having graduated from Edinburgh University with a BSc honours degree in geography with mathematics, he gained a post-graduate teaching qualification with distinction at Moray House College of Education and began his teaching career at Inverkeithing High in 1979.

Following promoted posts at Buckhaven, Beath and Lochgelly High Schools, he was appointed rector of Lochgelly High in 1996, assuming the rectorship of Dunfermline High in 2006 and retiring from the role in August, 2016.

A father of two, with three grandchildren, Mr Blanchflower resides in Limekilns and is an elder of Dunfermline Abbey and secretary of the Dunfermline branch of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.

His many outdoor interests include rugby and hillwalking as well as leisure cycling.

Photos by Jim Payne