Report of 2026 AGM

MINUTES ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD 19/05/26

PRESENT:- COUNCIL MEMBERS - MARK TODD, NEIL SPRIDDLE, DOUGLAS SCOTT, BRIAN MITCHELL, MARGARET NETHERY, AILEEN NORTH, ROBERT NORTH & MORAG CARMICHAEL PLUS 6 CLUB MEMBERS

APOLOGIES:-   DONALD MacKAY, MORAG PRINCE

TREASURER’S REPORT – MORAG PRINCE

President Mark read out the Treasurer’s report, please see report attached to email.

Budgets to be set, Mark to discuss with Convenors, they will possibly be the same as this years but fundraising MUST be increased. Margaret Nethery will work with Douglas Scott re fundraising.

Subscription – Last year the amount of  £106, District and GB&I are increasing by £1 each. The proposed subscription for year 2026/27 is £125, £10 of which will be ringfenced for the Club’s special anniversary in a few years and the additional £9 be used for additional unforeseen expenses (Gavel Challenge this year £200 of unforeseen costs).

Subscription of £125 was approved at the AGM by all those attending.

COMMUNITY & VOCATIONAL - NEIL SPRIDDLE

As in previous years, we have continued to seek opportunities to lend assistance throughout the whole of our catchment during the past year, albeit with limited success in some of the West Fife villages, as reported in previous years, however we have been reasonably active through the year.

We have achieved many of our objectives in serving the Community with the budget set for the year nearly expended or accounted for.

The full list of donations made during the year can be summarised as follows, with details confirmed during the years Business Meetings.

We have continued to support the local branch of the Salvation Army through their Christmas Toy Appeal as well as supporting Fife Gingerbread Christmas Toy Box Appeal..
We once again repeated the laying of 4 Poppy Wreaths on Remembrance Day at local War Memorials and sponsored 2 classes at the Fife Festival of Music, attended on the Clubs behalf by myself and Aileen and Robert North.

Autumn Cowdenbeath Duck Race, High Valleyfield Community Council, The Patons of Dunfermline, Carnegie Dojo, Charleston Bowling Club, Link Living, Limekilns War Memorial and the Limekilns Beacon Way Project.
We have also continued to assist the New4U Children’s clothing project, mainly through Delivery of clothing to individual recipients and are continuing to assist with the Specsort spectacle recycling project as reported on a monthly basis through the year.

Our participation in local galas is ongoing and will continue during the remainder of this and into the new Rotary Year.

We are looking to continue our support of Community Gardens in the local villages, most recently in Crombie.

I will be relinquishing my role as the Convenor at the end of this Rotary Year. Many thanks to everyone who has helped with the Community and Vocational work this year and hopefully we will have a busy and rewarding period to come for the rest of this year and the new Rotary year.

YOUTH – AILEEN NORTH

YOUTH COMPETITIONS

YOUNG ARTIST – Entries received from 2 schools, Carnock and Crossford.
Our Junior winner Maisie Arneil (Carnock) was runner up in the District Final
 The Intermediate winner was Callum Craig (Carnock)

YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHER
Entries received locally from Carnock PS, in the Junior Category the winner was Sadie Crawford, unfortunately she was unsuccessful in the District competition.

YOUNG WRITER
Entries received locally from Carnock PS and externally from North Leamington School Rugby and Wokingham.
Intermediate winner was a private entry from Sing Ching Wong who then won the District Final and has been submitted to Rotary GB&I Final. This continues the Club’s excellent record in achieving National Finalists. Club Junior winner was Alfie McGrath from Carnock. Presentations of certificates and prizes to be arranged at Carnock and Crossford in the near future.

PRIMARY SCHOOL QUIZ

The Club heat was held at Oakley Campus on Wednesday 25th March. Once again the Club was indebted to Inzevar Primary School for their help in arranging the excellent venue. An audience around the 100 mark saw Crossford PS triumph and progress to the Area final on 20th April, Crossford finished 2nd in the Final and advanced to the District final which will take place at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen on Saturday 20th June.

YOUNG MUSICIAN COMPETITION

Following withdrawal of Dunfermline and Carnegie Clubs the planned combined clubs heat was cancelled. An attempt was made to enter 2 nominated candidates from Woodmill School but organisers refused to accept them.

TECHNOLOGY TOURNAMENT

This year’s Dunfermline Clubs Tournament has been arranged for Monday June 29th at St Colomba’s School, Dunfermline Campus. Provisional entry of 4 teams from each of Woodmill HS and Queen Ann HS.

WALK A MILE FOR POLIO

All pupils at Carnock PS took part in Walk a Mile for Polio on Monday October 27th, raising £92 for the Rotary End Polio Now Fund. This sum was doubled by District and additionally that will be trebled by the Gates Foundation, so effectively £552 raised.

The aim is to get other schools in our area involved in Polio Talks and Walk a Mile for Polio.

FOUNDATION & INTERNATIONAL – DONALD MacKAY

The Committee has had a relatively quiet year. We have tidied up loose ends and completed two projects.

The first was the link to the schools in Cambodia which officially finished a couple of years ago. Minor details still required to be completed.

The second was the project in Malawi. A full report on this has been submitted to District. Despite some initial concerns, this has been a highly successful project which has brought building and agricultural techniques to two rural communities. This was carried out during two difficult periods for the Malawians. The report and accompanying video was well received by District who participated in funding the project.

Thanks go to District for their support, to Robert North for writing up the report and to Alex Evan Wong for guiding matters here and in Malawi. Thank also go to Ecology for their leadership on the ground.

The Club has also committed to donated £150 per year for three years to help with schooling of a child in Malawi.

£1,250 was given to Foundation.

PUBLIC IMAGE & MEMBERSHIP – DOUGLAS SCOTT

The club currently has 26 members and 5 honorary members. Of the 26 members, 4 do not attend and several more are infrequent attenders. That narrows our pool of participants when it comes to projects and events, so as I said last AGM, we need to ask more people to join the Rotary Club of West Fife.

Attempts to interest new members have been through the Primary School quiz, our website, social media and by having a presence in the Dunfermline Press.

Public image has been enhanced by the Youth competitions that have run including the Primary School Quiz. Our support for the Salvation Army continues to gain us publicity. Dunfermline Press also carried stories about PHF Helen Fowler, President Robert’s installation and Carnock Primary School’s End Polio Now walk.

Our website has been updated regularly and provides news and information for both members and interested parties. Our youth competitions again ranked high on search engines due to the frequent updating of our website and providing information that users actually want to find.

Four years ago we had 509 followers on Facebook this time last year we had 1,120 and now we have 1,180.

The club gazebo was put to good effect with presence at the Crossford and Limekilns galas. Unfortunately the Cairneyhill gala was hit by bad weather.

That might sound reasonably successful but personally I feel that the PR this year has been fairly light. I have managed to obtain coverage for most of our highlights but newsworthy events have been limited. That impacts our profile and consequently chances of attracting new members.

It was suggested by Janice Sinclair as a link to Specsort the venues where spectacles are collected could be offered Corporate membership. Fee could roughly be £200, this would allow them to have two members.

A suggestion by Margaret Nethery that  a letter, inviting the new occupants to come along to one of our meetings, could be included in the New Home pack given to the new houses in Cairneyhill and Crossford, this would have to be agreed with the Sales and `Marketing teams of the houses being built.  A letter drop by ourselves could be another option.

Crosssford gala usually charges £50 a stall, however, as our Club is a charity we get our for free, Mark Todd suggested that perhaps our Club pays £100 in exchange for an advert for RCWF included in their flyer about the Crossford Gala. Post Script, this has taken place and RCWF feature in the Gala brochure.

FUNDRAISING & HOUSE – Mark Todd

FUNDRAISING

Funds raised of £5,000 plus, Mark thanked Douglas for all his help and hard work throughout the year and also Robert North for his help with the Race night which generated by far the most funds. Mark then went on to thank everyone who had assisted in the fundraising effort throughout the year.

CLUB SERVICES & ADMIN

In general food has been Okay –  This will continue to be monitored. Kevil House hotel will shortly have a new chef, let’s keep our finger crossed they prove to be at least the same standard but preferably better.

ENTERTAINMENT, FELLOWSHIP AND SPORT – Neil Spriddle

Golf Competitions have been held in a New Format which seems to have been very successful and will  continue in this format going forward.

The Ken Forbes Quaich was also played under the new format and again was very successful, the winner was Neil Spriddle.

Gavel Challenge – RCWF have been very successful this year and have reached the final, the Club’s opponents are Kintore Rotary Club, awaiting date and venue, probably it will be held in Forfar which should be about halfway for both clubs.

With Galas, Pilgrim Way Walk, Duck Race etc. the next month or so will be very busy

PRESIDENT – MARK TODD

The idea of not having committees under each Convenor was possibly not the best idea and feel that it hasn’t worked particularly well and has given the Convenors more work as they did not have committee members to help with project work.

The club has engaged with Gala committees and will be attending Cairneyhill, Crossford and Limekilns & Charleston Gala days in the near future.

Connecting with Local Communities is something that should be continued to be worked on. As we are West Fife Rotary Club it would be good to expand further afield to Kincardine and Saline.

The Club’s Constitution will remain the same as before which was the Standard District Constitution, before they made their recent changes

Finally I would like to thank everyone for their help and support throughout the later part of the year as I am sure Robert would for the earlier part of the year, it is very much appreciated.

CONVENORS FOR 2025/26

President                                                                                 Mark Todd

President Elect                                                                        Margaret Nethery

Treasurer                                                                                  Morag Prince

Secretary                                                                                  Neil Spriddle

Club Service & Administration, House                                Mark Todd

Community & Vocational Service.                                       Janice Sinclair

Youth Service                                                                           Robert & Aileen North

Fundraising                                                                               Douglas Scott & Margaret Nethery

Foundation & International                                                   Donald MacKay

Membership, Recruitment & Education                              Douglas Scott

Communications (PR & Website)                                          Douglas Scott

Entertainment, Fellowship & Sport                                      TBC

Compliance Officer                                                                  TBC

Risk Assessments are to be done for each event held and to be reviewed at regular intervals.

Voting member representatives on the District Council will be Mark Todd and Margaret Nethery.  Brian Mitchell appointed as Deputy, as the Club requires 2 Deputies anyone willing to take this on please let themselves by known. TBC

The Independent Examiner for the Rotary year 2026/27 will be Lara Beattie (CA) it was recommended that she should be recompensed for her work.

Mark Todd as President for 2026/27 will sign compliance forms and sent to District.

AGM Closed

Morag Carmichael – 26th May 2026