At a well attended meeting on Monday 11 August, President Jim provided reports from his self and other members relative to meetings attended and other club business being dealt with.

Jim attended a District meeting on Sunday: The GSE students this year, 2008/09 will be attending from Columbia, GSE students for 2009/10 will be from South Africa. This year there will be 8 Ambassadorial Students, down in numbers on previous years, mainly from America and Japan, attending Edinburgh University.

Foundation: are suggesting £s per member to Foundation from Clubs. Sustaining Foundation members will recoup roughly £s from each £ donated via Gift Aid. In a hoped for final drive to eradicate Polio, Rotary International are attempting to raise at least £100m worldwide for a final push to this end. Bill Gates is prepared to provide a matching grant of £100m over this period. Clubs are therefore each being requested to provide at least £s per year over the three year period, to this programme, in efforts to maximise the effort of fundraising.

Schools for All: will be managed by the Leonard Cheshire Disability Trust.

International: The application for the matching grant for the Malawi Project is likely to receive approval in September, with matching grants this will mean £10,000 has been raised for this project. Unfortunately the joint project with Innerleithen has not been successful in getting a matching grant, therefore the monies allocated have been returned to Club funds, however, it is suggested we give support to a proposed “Eye Camp” in April 2009, as an example, £500 would allow 100 cataract operations to be undertaken.

Senior Vice President John Gennard and Junior Vice President Allan Smith reported on the recent West Zone meeting they attended, chaired by our Zone Leader John Barbour. The Zone Leader would like the future zone meetings to be more structured and more social visitations between clubs, especially to clubs with smaller membership. He also suggested “scatter meetings” instead of the usual weekly meetings, setting aside a particular week’s meeting for members to visit other Rotary Clubs. He would like to be kept informed on submissions to the Around District 1020 Newsletter as he wishes to ensure any suitable articles appear in the next or most convenient future publication.. With regard to boosting membership within clubs he emphasised that the drive to achieve increased numbers should not compromise the fellowship enjoyed by Rotary at present. John Barbour also commented that all too often Rotary were hiding their “light under a bushel” and he recommended that Clubs be more proactive in keeping their local communities aware of club activities and enterprises.

 Club Committee Reports Communications: President Jim advised that due to the resignation of a Club Member, David Chadwick has agreed to take over responsibilities of Communications Officer for the coming year.

Sports Committee: The Junior Golf competition has been postponed until Friday 15 August. Due to the huge success of the Junior Golf Competition and the increased administration this has heaped on the organiser, it has been agreed that in future the Community Services Committee will assist in the management of this event.

Club Services: The Rotary Plaque is to be refurbished of replaced.  Secretary Ken Mackie is making the necessary enquiries. A committee meeting was to be held after the full club weekly meeting.

Community Services: Sandy Morrison advised that the 2nd party of senior citizens will be taken on a day trip next week. (As members were aware, the previous outing to Biggar had been a great success despite the weather.)

Vocational Services: David Logan outlined his plans for organising the business for the coming school year’s activities.

Tinto Viewing and Indicator Table: Tom McNicol advised the Club Members of the untimely death of fellow Rotarian and Biggar Past President Bill Gibson, who was very active in the proposal to repair the plinth and replace the missing phosphor bronze Viewing and Indicator Table on top of Tinto Hill.

                                          (The extent of the damage to the plinth>>)

 (<<Plinth and granite table)

The replacement indicator table will be fashioned out of stainless steel, inscribed by a one of our fellow Rotarians at the Biggar Club and the plinth will be repaired and the indicator table installed by Robert Hogg Ltd, both at no cost. Consideration is being given to some suitable memorial on the plinth. Tom will keep the members abreast of the developments.