Club History

Seven Decades of Fellowship, Friendship and Action

There is simply too much history, and too many men and women making history, to do it all justice - but here is a whistlestop tour of the highlights.

2024 Shelterbox local campaign – Gaza (subject to logistics enabling local delivery)

2023 Shelterbox local campaigns – Morocco Earthquake response and war in Ukraine

2021 Leith Rotary Club team win the Hickory Gold Handicap

2021 Christmas Pop-Up Shop

2020-2021 Covid Pandemic inter-club and inter-Rotary Friend connections with Italy, Morocco, USA, China, UK and Scotland

2012-2019 Leith Rotary Concerts

2014 Leith Rotary Curling team attend World Friendship competition, Aberdeen

2012 Leith Rotary Curling team attend World Friendship competition, Washington

2010 Leith Rotary Curling team represent Scotlandin the World Rotary Championships, Perth

2010 Care home residents’ visit to Edinburgh Tattoo at Redford Barracks

2009 Leith Rotary Curling team win the Rams Head Scottish Championship cup

2004 Shelterbox local campaign – tsunami response

2003 Leith Rotary brought a west highland galley, Aileach, to Western Harbour for Leith Festival of the Sea

2001 Leith Rotary President captains the Scottish Rotarians Golf Team against Canada

1999 Leith Rotary forms an alliance with the British Executive Service Overseas, sending the Leith Rotary president to Russia advising organisations on sales and marketing.

1999 Leith Rotary Club members win the over-55s Trophy in the Great Scottish Walk

1999 Leith Rotary Shoe Box scheme sends filled boxes to Romania

1996 Leith Rotarian Sinclair Campbell represents Scotlandin a Canada Rotary curling competition

1996 Leith Rotarian Alastair Donald presented with the Paul Harris Award for services to Leith Rotary and the Leith Community.

1995 Leith Pageant welcomes the Tall Ships to the Port of Leith, with 30 floats, bands and street performers, and a Parade of the Crews. Margaret Allen and Cron Mackay led the Leith Rotary Club team work making this event a success

1991 Leith Rotary Club Road Safety Competition for schools

1990s Leith Rotary Club Members revive the Leith Civic Trust

1989 Leith Rotary Club welcomes its first female member, Margaret Allen (who remains an active member today)

1986 Leith Rotary resurrects the Leith Pageant, which had been discontinued in the 70s

1984 Leith Rotary Club erects a commemorative cairn on Leith Links and holds a commemorative game to celebrate Leith Links’ golfing heritage

1979 Leith Walk Rotary Toy Store raises funds at Christmas

1974 Leith Rotary Club members are instrumental in establishing a Leith Probus Club for retired people

1974 Leith Rotary member represents the Edinburgh District Governor at the Group Study Exchange with District 656 Indiana, USA – a six week tour of 26 clubs, 200 Rotarians, universities and high schools, industries and communities

1962 Leith Rotary Club members are instrumental in forming the Leith Community Association, which went on to successfully campaign for establishment of the Leith Community Centre in the Kirkgate, finally opened in 1968

1958 “Operation Spring Tide” supported completion of Leith Old People’s Welfare Centre in Lamb’s House, opened by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1962, noting “the enthusiasm and generosity of the Leith Committee and the Leith Rotary Club”

1954 Leith Rotary establishes a Community Fund, using member donations

1953 first banner presented to Leith Rotary by a visitor from Rotary Club of Hamilton, New South Wales

1952 Inaugural Meeting of the Rotary Club of Leith (17 April, the Royal British Hotel), with 26 founder members bringing their skills and experience from wide ranging business interests, many linked to Leith’s industrial and seafaring heritage: food and whisky industry, stevedore, engineering, cold storage, timber distribution; as well as insurance, banking and law. The Charter Presentation was held on 7^th November 1952

Rotary International started with the first club founded in 1905, a club for businessmen to act in fellowship and friendship to attract business – initially, only one representative of any business sector was invited to join. The nomination process was not disclosed to prospective members, who did not know they were being considered. This was the experience of our own Leith Rotarian, Cron Mackay, when he was nominated over 70 years ago! By 1911 Rotary was an international movement and in 1912, Rotary had reached Scotland.
Today, Rotary is an international movement with a mission to focus Rotary friendship and fellowship on charitable endeavour. Women and men are still nominated, but in the spirit of welcome and it is certainly no longer a secret process. The world-wide connections and the local civic commitment remain a hallmark of Rotary.