Front Row: Sergio Lamarra, James Lavery, Guy Millar, Brian Donald and President Elect Allan Smith.  Rear Row: (Committee) Ken Mackie, Tony Hey, Danny Duncan, John Perryman, David Brown, Eric McGuinness, Mike Arthur (Chairman) and Jack Watson.   (Photo: J Watson)

THE Rotary Club of Carluke celebrated their 28th Sportsmans Dinner at Dalziel Park Hotel on Friday night, helping to raise funds for charities at home and abroad.
The dinner, attended by around 300 Rotarians, guests and sponsors, was another huge success for the club who have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for good causes in recent years.
Entertainment on the evening was provided by retired restaurateur and regular after dinner speaker Sergio Lamarra, BBC Scotland rugby commentator Brian Donald and former Ayrshire councillor and respected speaker, Northern Irishman Jim Lavery.
With tales of past experiences in their respective trades and quick witted jokes, all three gents kept the audience thoroughly amused throughout the evening.
The event also has a serious side, with money raised adding to the Club's funds that are dispersed to various charities locally, nationally and internationally.
As well as the raffle, which was again extremely well supported by all in attendance, the Club auctioned off signed prints of England midfielders Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, both of which raised in excess of £350 and capped a worthwhile and enjoyable night for all involved.
Michael Arthur, chairman of the organising committee said: “The night was a great success and we are very grateful to everyone who supported us, not only those who were present on the night, but especially the many local businesses, for whose help we are particularly grateful for during this period of economic difficulty.
“Last year’s dinner raised £10,000 and although we don’t have a final figure for this year just yet, all proceeds from the night will be going to benefit many local voluntary organisations in and around Carluke as well as further afield.”
It is the second year that the dinner has been held at Dalziel Park after the Club was forced to move from its regular venue in Carluke.
The rebuilding of the Carluke Community Centre meant that the Club had to find a new arena, with the Lanark Agricultural Centre also being utilised in recent years.
Unfortunately, the new Community Centre does not meet the requirements of the Rotary Club, and many other organisations and Michael is disappointed that the dinner cannot be held closer to home.
He said: “For 25 years the annual Dinner was held in the District Hall in Carluke where we always had a capacity audience of over 400 and, over the years, we have raised in excess of £200,000. The new replacement hall, however, can only accommodate about half this number.
“Most of the building is given over to the library, the Social Work department and to St Athanasius Primary School. The hall, which is shared with the school, is quite inadequate for our needs and not available at all on school days.
“I know that other organisations in Carluke now have the same problem and it is ironic that Carluke, the largest community in Clydesdale, has no adequate facilities to hold any large prestigious events and is really consigned to be a civic backwater from now on.”
The Club, who meet regularly on Monday evenings at the Cartland Bridge Hotel in Lanark, have now began planning for next years dinner and hope that the local community will continue in their support. ( C. Jack)
 

Carluke Rotary Club held its 28th Annual Sportsman’s dinner at Dalziel Park Hotel, Motherwell, on Friday 26 February.  The Dinner is the club’s main fund raiser and has been ever since its inception in 1983.

Some 300 Rotarians and friends attended the evening and were regally entertained by three of Scotland’s leading after dinner speakers; Sergio Lamarra, Brian Donald and Jim Lavery.

The dinners have raised over £200,000 for charitable causes throughout the years, the funds being disbursed to local, national, and international charities, as well as supporting many emergency appeals.  President Elect, Allan Smith, explained that, over the past year the club have raised funds to provide fresh water wells, build school rooms and construct hospital toilets and shower blocks in remote parts of Malaw,i together with other numerous grants to local and national charities.

It was an evening of wit and fellowship thoroughly enjoyed by organisers and guests alike and  the Club look forward to many more Sportsman’s Dinners in the years to come.

Rotary are indebted to the Dinner Chairman Guy Millar and Committee Chairman Mike Arthur and his team for all their hard work which made the evening possible.  A special thank you was also given to the many loyal sponsors and guests who have supported the Club generously over the years.

The Rotary Club of Carluke meet regularly, 6.00 for 6.30 pm, each Monday, at the Cartland Bridge Hotel, Lanark.  For further information please contact any member or use the "Contact Us" tab above.  (J. Kelly)

The Club’s guest speaker for the evening was Ian Valentine, a retired maths teacher,
Ian is the secretary of Strathaven Rotary and in his own words is the worst golfer at Strathaven Golf Club and his talk was on his 40 years in the teaching profession..

His teaching career started at Duncanrig Secondary, East Kilbride in the early 60's and Ian progressed eventually to be appointed head teacher at Cleveden Secondary, in Glasgow.

He described teaching is today as vastly different from his time at the “chalk face”. 
When he started teaching there were 18 new teachers based at Duncanrig, whereas these days new teachers have great difficulty in obtaining any contracts. Not only this, nowadays teachers face far more difficult conditions and come under much more scrutiny from parents.

Ian included many colourful stories of teaching staff and pupils throughout his career and obviously thoroughly enjoyed his job in teaching and would recommend the profession to anyone.

Proposing the vote of thanks, Rotarian Willie McSween thanked Ian for a most amusing talk on his days in the classroom.

Under other business President John Gennard announced that the club’s vice President for 2010/2011 would be Martin Speck.

John also had the pleasure of inducting David Palmer and Archie Ralston as new members of the Rotary Club of Carluke

I am delighted to report that arrangements for this, the 28th Rotary Club of Carluke Annual Sportsman’s Dinner are now finalised.

This very successful and entertaining event is being held 6.30 pm for a 7.00 pm start on Friday 26th February 2010 and is again taking place in the Dalziel Park Hotel, Motherwell, where we are assured of Good Food and Good Drink, Great Company and Great Entertainment supplied by our three excellent after dinner speakers; Brian Donald, Sergio Lamarra and Jim Lavery.

Brian Donald is a BBC Radio and Television Presenter and a superb after dinner speaker. He was Born in Glasgow and educated at Allan Glen's School, Glasgow College of Building and Printing and Glasgow University. Brian spent many years in the construction industry before leaving to pursue self-employment.

Radio Ayr saw the start of Brian Donald's broadcasting career and later he moved to the BBC as a sports reporter for BBC Radio and Television Sport.  Brian covers the rugby during winter and golf during the summer. He regularly contributes to 'Afternoon Sportscene', 'Sportscene Rugby Special' and Reporting Scotland on TV and Sports Report, Newsdrive and 'Good Morning Scotland' for radio. He also hosts all Radio Scotland's live rugby coverage and acts as reporter for the BBC.

A regular columnist and reporter for the Scottish Daily Mail and the Sunday Times Scotland he is also a keen golfer and a member of the Eastwood Golf Club, Glasgow and plays off a fourteen handicap

Sergio Lamarra is the owner of The Trees Restaurant in Glasgow.

Despite the name, Sergio is Bishopbriggs born and bred he says “The Embra train runs through it”.  He attended and was crowned the winner of the "Wits Dinner" at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh 2004, a prestigious after dinner speaker benefit event for St Columba’s Hospice, hosted by Jim Leishman in its twenty-fourth year.

Sergio makes a welcome return to our Sportsman’s Dinner

Jim Lavery has just retired as Executive Director of Development and Property Services with a Council in the West of Scotland. Prior to that he was Depute Director of Housing in Edinburgh.

Born and raised in Belfast, he has many stories to tell of his home town. He completed his full time education at Queens University in Belfast where he graduated with a law degree. Now he tells us that his "job is telling lies to strangers for a living".

Jim has been a regular on the after dinner circuit for sometime and has twice won the "Scotland After Dinner Speaker of the Year", a competition which has been held twice. He is also involved in amateur musicals with his local company the "Musselburgh Amateur Musical Association", and is also chairman of the "Melville Music Hall Company", which performs old time music hall in a variety of locations across Scotland.

In addition he has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe festival to critical acclaim, and has been involved in many straight dramas. He is also a regular guest on Radio Scotland, appearing on the Fred MacAulay show and the Radio Cafe.  Jim is making a very welcome return to the Carluke dinner after an absence of several years.

Guest attending the dinner are requested to be at the hotel 6.30 for a 7.00 pm start to the evening.

You are assured of a great night in great company.  Thank you for supporting our Sportsman’s Dinner!

Michael Arthur

Chairman, Rotary Club of Carluke Sportsman’s Dinner Committee