The club’s guest speaker this week was Group Captain Phil Cox who is based at RAF Boulmer in Northumberland.

Phil has served in the RAF for almost 30 years. Phil’s father was also RAF although the rest of the family served in the Navy.

Phil has been in duty in the Falklands, Afghanistan and in the Gulf War.

Phil has experienced many changes to life in the RAF over the past 30 years.

In the 1980s there was the cold war with Russia. Then in 1991 there was the first Gulf War.

In 2008 Phil carried out a tour of duty in Kabul in Afghanistan where the midday temperature could be as warm as 50 degrees.

Phil’s command at RAF Boulmer is responsible for 1million square miles of air space and they use the latest technology to maintain our national security.

The defence systems are ever vigilant and there is no doubt that the world changed as a result of the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers in America.

Rotarian Douglas Forrest thanked Phil for an informed and refreshing insight into the RAF and the challenges they face on a daily basis in an ever changing world.

Carluke Rotary Club welcomed Jean Tate a retired languages school teacher from Uddingston as their guest speaker for the evening.

Jean talked about her experiences as a tourist guide with Visit Scotland.

After retiring from teaching Jean replied to an advertisement in the Glasgow Herald looking for tour guides who were fluent in French and German.

Jean’s first step towards being a guide was to attend a training session at Strathclyde University.

The topics covered included the history and geography of Scotland, our customs, food and drink, music, agriculture and fishing,

Over the years Jean has acted as guide to numerous foreign visitors to Scotland.

The vast majority of these visitors have been French, German and American and they are all completely different in what they expect from a holiday in Scotland.

French visitors invariably look for good food and drink whereas the Americans are interested in their family tree.

The typical tour is to a castle or distillery and perhaps even both.

The one question which all visitors ask is “what does a Scotsman wear under his kilt?”

Rotarian Mike Arthur thanked Jean for regaling the club members with her reminiscences of her days as a tourist guide.

UNDER OTHER BUSINESS

The club reported on a successful and enjoyable International Night at which over 100 quests had attended and danced the night away.

The Community Services Committee announced that the nominations had closed for this year’s Citizen of the Year and that the recipient would be announced over the next few weeks.