Activities 2003 2004

President Sandy Green

A light-hearted moment, during during the hand over ceremony, when outgoing  president Robin passed over the chain of office to the incoming president Sandy.

 

Lend A Hand

President Sandy began his year in office by making an appeal to the members based on this years Rotary International theme and asked them to 'Lend a Hand'

In your Club

By helping to strengthen and diversify its membership.
Focus on retention by making all members feel that they are an integral part of the group with an important contribution to make.
Show concern for the well being of members and provide help and support if they are troubled by illness or other problems.
Keep in touch with the spouses of deceased members so that they remain part of the Rotary family.

In the world

By reaching out to people of all cultures, races, and religions.
Through RI and Rotary Foundation programs, work to alleviate the abject poverty that afflicts so many people and obstructs the path to peace.
Join with your twin club to develop projects that educate women, address population issues, establish micro credit programs, and help to meet the basic needs of the world's poorest people.

Sandy's hopes for the coming year is for everyone to enjoy Rotary and create an active and positive Club.

By:-
Consolidating current positive position
Lets look forward to Tuesdays
Foot off the fund raising pedal
Emphasize the social side of Rotary

Evaluating
Loss of former members
Inconsistent attendance
Difficulty in recruiting new members
General decline in Rotary numbers nationally

Success Breeds Success
Continue the Club's upward spiral
Better friendships
Better attendance
More willing involvement in projects
Maintaining membership
Encouraging us to make our friends members

(l) Sandy presenting senior vice president Oliver Will with his chain of office

Involving
Encourage new members
Re-encourage "problem" members
Our friends
Former members
Other local clubs  scatter night
Club twinning scheme

REMEMBER TUESDAY NIGHT IS ROTARY NIGHT

There then followed presentations by the committee chairs giving details of each committee's ambitions for the year

Oliver Will (Club Service) proposals included
Rotary Centenary Project 2004-5                                            A Club inventory
Ceilidh                                                                                        Hotel Housekeeping
Potato Sales                                                                               Rotary Lecture
Golf Day

Wilf Cameron (Community and Vocational) included the
 Euroscola                                                                                    Primary Schools Quiz
Challenge Enterprise                                                                 Stroke Awareness Environmental Project
RYLA                                                                                           Riding for the Disabled
Taking Rotary to the Community                                           Schools EssayCompetition                                                      
CHAS

Jim Storrar (International & Foundation) proposed that the following causes would feature during coming year
Shoe Box                                                                                   Roteract Overseas Project
Shelter Box                                                                                Mercy Ships
European Teacher                                                                     Foundation Suppers
Virtual Club Visits                                                                    Group Study Exchange
International Social Event                                                       Polio Plus
REMIT                                                                                        Ambassadorial Scholar

Alan Whiteford (Membership) will concentrate on
 Recruitment                                                                                Retention
Mentoring

District Community Award - October 2003

On his first visit to the Club as District Governor our new DG, Iain Young, took great pleasure in presenting president Sandy with the District Community Quaich for the Club showing the greatest commitment within the community.
The club saw off strong competition with several entries from across the district were told that it had been a very difficult choice for the judges.
The differences between the entrants was minimal with the Howe of Fife club edging out the other candidates because of their strong and sustained commitment over the past 13 years, (since the Club's inception), - season 2002-2003 being no exception.
Here are a few of the projects from the clubs community activities during the year which the judges took into consideration
Environmental Project:
The Club was instrumental in the raising of some £18000 for the transformation of a reclaimed gravel pit into a now, well established, bird sanctuary and nature reserve. We are still heavily involved with the next stages of the project which involves the reclamation of an abutting gravel pit. We have installed two bird hides and benches, resurfaced the paths to wheelchair standard along with planting many oak trees on the site.
Potato Sales:
Each year the club sells bags of potatoes round the doors of the local community raising over £3000 with the majority of the money going straight back into the local community.

(l-r) President Sandy, Dist. & Voc. Chair David Rankin, District Governor Iain Young

Stroke Awareness Day:
 Along with our mother club Cupar we took part in a very successful Stroke Awareness Day and came out the top in the district for number of volunteers tested with over 300 members of the public passing through our testing caravan.
Community Out Reach Programme:
The club are involved in taking Rotary to the community by way of regular meetings in the village halls in the area. making the public aware of what Rotary is doing within the community and further afield.
Annual Rotary Lecture:
An Annual Lecture has been established over the last five years covering many interesting topics from the local environment to international terrorism. Along the way we have fielded many well versed and topical speakers such as Sir Timothy Garden, Dr. Simon Taylor, the internationally famous journalist John Lloyd and Professor Paul Wilkinson with this years speaker being Alistair Lawson, from Scotways, - an authority on "Rights of Way"

Fund Raising
'Service before Self' has always been an important part of of the Club's raison d'être and manifests itself in the number of hours we give up to fund raising within, and for, the community. Last year, (2002/2003) we beat all previous years totals, and exceeded  all expectations, by raising over £14000 with much of it going to help local clubs and charities.

End of Season Golf Outing, October 2003
Late October is not the ideal time to play a golf match, but conditions at Scoonie last month were close to ideal. A record turn out of 18 came along to enjoy the sunshine and the banter and perhaps even the golf.
The locals had also got wind of the good weather, so the first threesome of President Sandy Green, Bob Simson and Sandy Davis had to show a little patience on the first tee.

However, they were soon on their way with no sign of nerves and 3 balls on the fairway. There were no temporary greens to contend with and only 2 teeing mats, though a number of the tee boxes were quite far forward. This tempted one or two of the big hitters to drive the green, with Bill Inglis managing a net score of 1 on the par 3 second. This tactic had the drawback of putting you in '3-putt' territory, and at least one unfortunate incurred the minus point penalty for this sin after a magnificent tee shot.
The combination of good weather and a shortened course produced some excellent scoring, and the competition for the prizes was quite fierce. The first four were within a point of each other, and there were no less than 8 scores of 60 or over. Bob Simson finally took the honours, with Sandy Rennie, Sandy Matthew and Roger Guy running him close. Sandy Green got nearest the pin on the 16th. Six ladies joined us in the outing – Sheila Will, Dianne Matthew, Bunny King, Ann Davis, Wilma Simson and Jeanette Guy. They also enjoyed their golf, but did not on this occasion displace any men for the prizes. Ann Davis outscored a few men to win the ladies' prize, and Dianne Matthew was deemed to have enjoyed herself the most.
After a plain but satisfying lunch of soup and filled rolls, President Sandy limbered up for the daunting task of presenting the glittering array of prizes. The first presentations were made for the Foursomes League. Bill Inglis and Sandy Davis won a wooden spoon each

The second prize of 4 bottles of wine was shared between John Kerr and Robin Rippin and last year's winners, Bob Simson and Sandy Matthew. The winners of the Matthew Vase together with a bottle of port each were Oliver Will and Roger Guy. They won all of their matches this year and so will share this magnificent trophy until next year's presentation ceremony. President Sandy also presented the Howe of Fife Claret Jug for the Golf Singles League. The runaway winner and inaugural recipient was Roger Guy. Not content with winning the Foursomes League, Roger blew all opposition away in the singles competition as well.
So the golfing year draws to a close. With 2 'Away Days' and 2 Leagues we played a grand total of 83 rounds of golf together. Let's see if we can do even better in 2004!

(Many thanks to Sandy Davis for the photographs and also for the report)

Gavel Competition v Anstruther, 28th October 2003

It's the silly season once more when grown men's fancies turn to thoughts of Snakes and Ladders, Super Jenga, Dolphin Basketball and other mind bending games. Yes - the Gavel competition is with us again and your web master cannot remember when last he saw such a competitive game of partner Snakes and Ladders as he did last Tuesday night when we were hosts to the Rotary Club of Anstruther. Every tactic was used to attempt to nobble the opposition even to rearranging our Club diary to organise a special business meeting on the evening of their visit in an attempt to bore them to distraction and ruin their concentration - but to no avail. It was just not to be our night, (again). The evening started badly when our guest player, in attempting to finesse a tricky maneuver at Super Jenga, over reached himself and, to use an old Scottish expression, 'couped the lot'.
Undaunted captain Roger, muttering such euphemisms as 'it is a game of two halves', 'We will win if we score more points than them' and 'The game is not over until the final whistle', tried to spur his men on to greater things but alas the snakes were as unkind to us as the ladders were kind to our opponents, the dolphins showed a definite bias when shooting for basket, the carpet golf delivered some very unfair borrows and Anstruther ran out worthy winners beating us 12 games to 4.

New Member November 2003
President Sandy was delighted to welcome Graeme Bain as the first new member of his year in office

St. Andrew's Day Charity Ceilidh November 2003

All right -so it was only the 29th of November but what is a day between friends. We celebrated our national saint's day early by holding our annual charity ceilidh.
The ladies decorated the hall with tartan and laid on a magnificent buffet while SVP Oliver Will and his committee arranged the bar and the Herculean Ceilidh band to dance the night away.
Once again raffles were organised with the main prize this year being a week at a holiday cottage in Gairloch, presented by Sandy Matthew, auctions for a round of golf at the St Andrews Bay Hotel, on the course designed by Sam Torrance, and a large bottle of whisky which holds six normal bottles plus the hugely popular general raffle with prizes donated by friends and members of the Club.
Over £700 was raised on the night.

(Above) president Sandy greets his guests (Middle) Some of the dancing. (Bottom r) Sandy conducting the auction for the bottle of whisky at his feet and calling the raffle prizes.

Christmas Charity Appeal November 2003

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
 No comfortable feel in any member                   -
 No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,       
 No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! -        
   No-vember.'                                       Thomas Hood

It was a bleak start to our 2003 campaign and for the first time since we started seven years ago the weather decided to be really unkind to us. However a summer gazebo was soon put to an different use to keep John Ewan and Sandy Rennie dry and cheerful at the Deer Centre. (The van which we had on loan from G.H.Cook, Strathmiglo, also proved a godsend not only for transporting the potatoes but in keeping the paper bags dry)

Some wear hair shirts, some wear heavy belts and add weights as the years progress as penance, some wait until Lent to atone for their wrong doings and we prepare for our expiation  by wrapping up as warmly as we can in our winter thermals to brave 'November's chill angry sugh', (Robert Burns), to sell bags of tatties at the Deer Centre, Rankeillor and Cupar Garden Centre at the weekend and round the doors of the villages in the Howe during the week in support of our Christmas appeal.
This must have been what was in the back of the minds of our founders when they came up with the motto 'Service Before Self' .
This year we are, again, lucky enough to have two sponsors who have donated potatoes.
Cavaghan and Gray, the subsidiary of Northern Foods PLC gave us, what is now, their annual gift of 10 tons and

we thank them and their associates Charles Raeside of the Brake  Farm, Dunino, (Grading & Bagging ), Peter Grewer

of East Ardler Farm, Meigle, (Paper Bags), and Walter Glindinning of Glen-Mar Windygates, (Haulage), for their support once more and, for the second year, Ken Lang of Star Farm has come up trumps with another 2 tons of tatties. We could not do it without you - many thanks

Photos: (Top l) Gus Farmer of Cavaghan & Gray handing the potatoes over to president Sandy; (Bottom l) Rtn. Alan Whiteford with a sack of potatoes on one shoulder and a chip, (rtn.Bill Inglis), on the other; (Bottom r) JVC Maggie Maciver knocking on the door of Santa's Grotto:

Shoebox Appeal, Christmas 2003
This Christmas tide 12 primary schools in the north -east of Fife took part in this important Rotary appeal despite many other calls on their fundraising and generosity at this time of year. Presentations were made to the head teachers in October. They, in turn, took the information to their student/parent committees who, after discussing the project, had no hesitation in giving us their wholehearted and enthusiastic support.

By December phone calls were filtering through letting us know that the boxes were filled and ready for collection and when the final tally was made 507 boxes were sent down to the central depot for onward delivery to their final destinations

Overwhelmed by the response president Sandy said, 'The Rotary Movement are really only the facilitators in this wonderful appeal.  The real hard work is done by the children within the primary schools with great support from school staff and parents.  It has been a joy for me to travel round the primary schools in the Howe of Fife this last two weeks to experience the enthusiasm for this project and the recognition by the youngsters in our area that they are making a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe. 

It is particularly poignant at this time of year as our local children realise that their contribution to the shoebox appeal may be the only present which the recipient has this Christmas.'

Our thanks go to the children, parents, teachers and helpers at Auchtermuchty, Dunbog, Dunshelt, Falkland, Freuchie, Gateside, Kettle, Ladybank, Letham, Newburgh, Pitlessie and Strathmiglo schools for all their help.

Annual Senior Citizens Christmas Party, December 2003.
On the last meeting night of the year we held our traditional Christmas party when we invited our log suffering spouses, senior citizens from various lunch clubs and residential homes in the area and friends from other Rotary and Probus clubs

After an excellent meal we were fortunate enough to be entertained by J. Scott Berry, a magician of international repute and good friend of president Sandy. Scott took time out from a busy schedule of travelling the world to mystify us with slight of hand,  illusions and tricks which, no matter how closely we watched, left us totally bemused

Congratulations, Feb 2004
The Club would like to take this opportunity to congratulate president Sandy on his marriage to Caroline.
It only seems like only yesterday that Caroline was introduced to us at David Rankin's presidents' barbeque and since that time she has been a regular supporter of the Club at many of our fund raising activities, especially the walks, and our social outings.
They were presented with a set of crystal wine glasses from the members of the Club and we wish them every success and happiness for the future.

Primary School Quiz, February 2004.

Seven teams battled it out in front of a packed audience to find out who would represent the Howe of Fife in the next round of the Rotary Primary Schools Quiz in St. Andrews later in the year and, as on previous occasions, it was a fiercely fought  contest. Teams  representing  Auchtermuchty,  Dunbog, Freuchie,  Falkland, Kettle,  Newburgh  and

Strathmiglo primary schools made their teachers proud by answering some difficult questions on ten subjects including maths, spelling, collective nouns, holiday travel, science, history, capital cities, word meanings, observation and a word search which were prepared by rtns. Wilf Cameron and Charles Samson.
Near neighbours and close rivals Freuchie and Falkland eventually made the front running with Falkland just managing to win despite Freuchie's very strong finish.
Congratulations must go to all the teams for such an entertaining evening.

President Sandy presents the shield to the winning team

RYLA

Once again we were extremely fortunate in the selection of the two candidates we sent to RYLA last year.
Kimberly Meekison and Stuart MacAulay, who both attend Bell Baxter High School in Cupar, accepted our invitation to attend one of the Club's meetings and, in a lighthearted 'double act' told us of their experiences and, more importantly, what they managed to get out of the course and how they think it will improve their understanding of life in general.

6th Annual Rotary Lecture, Fernie Castle 31st March 2004.
Six years ago when past president Bill Inglis introduced the concept of a Rotary lecture I do not think he envisaged it becoming an annual event which, as far as we can establish, seems to be unique in Rotary circles.

This year our invitation was accepted by Ramsay Smith, who became  an acquaintance of rtn. Sandy Davis at briefings during the Gulf War.. Ramsay has 25 years' experience in British newspapers and is now with Media House.

As editor of the Scottish Daily Mail, he led the newspaper through one of the most successful periods in its history and relaunched the Mail on Sunday in Scotland. He was also executive editor of The Scotsman, held executive positions in Mirror Group newspapers and enjoyed an extremely rewarding period in Fleet Street as a senior journalist with the Daily Mirror, covering many major international assignments. He is also co-author of the best-selling non-fiction book, Lambs to the Slaughter.
Since joining Media House as executive director, Ramsay has specialised in advising major corporate clients on media relations, public affairs and crisis management.
His lecture 'Media Matters' covered a wide range of subjects including personal experiences throughout his career and stories about the many characters he met during that time and, while he could never be considered a Luddite and welcomes many of the changes that have happened in the profession over the years, he feels that modern technology is responsible for a drop in standards. With fewer reporters out in the field and too many stuck in front of computers combing the internet for their stories and information to accumulate column inches

Captains v vice captains matches, Ladybank Golf Club, April 4th 2004

In a repeat of last year the Ladybank mens' teams, under the leadership of Dougald MacGregor and Norman MacRae, and the ladies with Nan Gray and Liz Mackenzie in the van, battled it out in their annual captains v vice captains matches but, unfortunately, unlike last year the weather was not as kind.
As is usual in these 'friendly' matches no quarter can be expected and Norman's team showed little respect for their captain by beating him for the second year in succession to be awarded the Rotary Quaich by President Sandy. Dougald did manage a crumb of comfort though by beating Norman in their tie.
The ladies match was much closer and after some nail biting in the clubhouse it was declared a tied match.
A raffle held in the clubhouse in aid or Rotary funds raised £220

(top l the mens teams; top rDougald and Norman and bot. some of the ladies with president Sandy

Stroke Awareness Day, 5th  April 2004

(l)Cheryl Harvey, cardiac nurse at Ladybank Health Centre and (r)Carole Bennett, superintendent physiotherapist at Perth Royal Infirmary, busy with some of their 'patients' who took advantage of the check up.

The Club along with our mother club, the Rotary Club of Cupar, joined forces once more for another Stroke Awareness Day.
Members from both clubs turned out at Tesco's store in Cupar to persuade shoppers to be more aware of the risks of high blood pressure and invited them to have it measured by trained medical staff in a caravan we had set up in a corner of their car park
Stroke is a leading global health  problem and predicted to grow. It is the second most common cause of death and  major disability worldwide. This joint venture is an effort to give lifesaving information to the public and to serve as a public education campaign designed to increase awareness about stroke prevention and treatment within the community
Altogether over 220 shoppers made their way to our caravan and the results were quite alarming as the majority monitored showed signs of hypertension and a significant number advised to contact their doctors for medical attention
Both Clubs would like to thank all the medical staff who gave so freely of their time and the management of Tesco for  their help in making the day a success.

Groups of rotarians, in their distinctive yellow tabards, approached the public and invited them to spend a few minutes of their time to go to the caravan for a blood pressure test.

Euroscola 2004
We sent two six year language students, Anna Webb and Richard Roberts, to Euroscola again this year and were delighted to hear of their success in the Eurogame played in the debating chambers while they were there.
The explanation of what they achieved and what the game entailed is best left to Anna and Richard who are both studying for advanced highers at Bell Baxter High School.
'During our day at the parliament we formed groups with students of other nationalities to play the Eurogame. The three other members of my group were from Germany, Portugal and Denmark.
The first round of the game was a quiz which was written in all the languages of the European Union. The four highest scoring groups went through to the final where we had to stand at the front of the debating chamber and answer general knowledge questions. I was thrilled when my team won and. as well as a Euroscola sweatshirt, cap and scarf, we were given a large trophy.
It was a wonderful experience and I would like to thank the Rotary Club of the Howe of Fife for giving me this fantastic opportunity.'
Richard  summed  up the  trip by telling  us, 'It is my opinion that this trip

 was highly  beneficial to both my French language and group communication skills. Of course, the trip was also a huge amount of fun and gave me the opportunity to interact with fellow students of a similar age and interest, as well as allowing me the  chance to visit a spectacular building - the European Parliament!
However, this was not all we did. We carried out a survey on the streets of Strasbourg, concerning both Scotland and Europe. Some of the answers to the questions were very interesting, not to mention amusing! (Apparently, Loch Ness is a major Scottish city)
Overall, the trip was a magnificent experience and I am exceedingly grateful for being selected to participate in it. I got the  chance to use my French, meet new people and sample a different culture.'

We look forward to them visiting us at one of our meetings in the near future and telling us of their experiences.

New Members

President Sandy took great delight in welcoming two new members to the Club during the past few weeks

Golf Spring Away Day - May 2004

The venue for our Spring Away Day on 29 April 2004 was once more the 9-hole golf course at Auchterderran, Cardenden. We received another warm West Fife welcome and enjoyed Mary's bacon or sausage rolls and some banter before getting down to the serious business.
First on the tee were Sheila Will and Dianne Matthew, who showed some of the onlooking male golfers how a good round of golf starts. On the first round Dianne managed to get her name on the card at the 'Nearest the Pin' hole, but Bill Inglis got a bit closer and Sandy Green eventually won the booty.
Bill Inglis led off the first foursome comprising himself, Oliver Will, Sandy Matthew and Sandy Rennie. They were clearly burning the course up trying to catch the ladies in front, as the threesome of Sandy Green, David Price and Sandy Davis never  looked like catching them up. Of cours

e, this may have had something to do with the number of balls Sandy Davis sent off among the whins!
The last foursome was Graeme Bain, Roger Guy, Robin Rippin and Sandy Davis' brother Ralph. Understandably, they soon lost ground on the three ahead, but the final pairing, Ann Davis and Jeanette Guy were complaining of catching cold on the tee waiting for room to play! Certainly, there was a distinctly strong and chilly north-easterly blowing for most of the time we were on the course, and this played havoc with a number of tee shots, especially on the long Par 3 Burma Road. A number of balls were lost here, nobody managed par and one stalwart failed to complete it both times around. However, apart from the occasional spot of light rain, the weather was generally fair, and there were times when it got quite warm if the wind dropped or you found a bit of shelter.

With 18 holes duly completed there was speculation in the clubhouse about who was going to claim the honours as the waited for the last six to complete. Sheila Will had posted an early net 64 claiming 36 Stableford points and 29 bonus points. Sandy Green also signed for a total of 65 points, but even with the number of single putts he made could manage only 28 bonus points, so Sheila would be the overall winner if those still out on the course failed to improve on that score. Dianne Matthew was quietly confident that her total of 59 points might therefore be enough to secure her the Ladies' Prize. The final men's foursome didn't manage to clear 60, but Ann Davis carded 61 points to finish overall fourth and only one point behind Bill Inglis who won third prize. The final prize was awarded to Robin Rippin, who enjoyed his round of golf immensely.
That was a slightly later start than last year to the Howe of Fife Rotary Golf season. Teams for the Foursomes Challenge have not yet been finalised, but will be posted by 11 May. Meanwhile, those who have signed up for the singles league are encouraged to get out on the golf course with their opponents. Remember, the more matches you play the more points you will amass and the better your chances of winning that claret jug.

Photographs and report courtesy of treasurer Sandy Davis

Annual Charity Golf Day, St. Mikes, - May 2004

As you can see from the Club banner our annual golf tournament was held on a sunny, if blustery, day and while the wind may have added a few strokes to some of the players cards it did not spoil the enjoyment nor did it affect the charitable mood of the competitors as at the end of the day's event over £1700 was raised for the Club's charity account.
St. Michael's Golf Club at Leuchars generously gave us the courtesy of their course for the day and rtn. Oliver Will and his wife Sheila are to be thanked and complimented on the smooth running of the tournament.

Open Garden, Gorno Grove- 30th May 2004
Many of the events run by the Club are reliant on fair weather and, with one or two notable exceptions which can be seen in the previous five activities pages, we have been lucky to run most of our outdoor events in sunshine.
Sunday at Gorno Grove, when Sandy and Dianne opened their garden for the third year, was no exception as the sun shone letting the many visitors see the grounds at their best, as well enjoying sitting on the lawn listening to the Milenberg Jazz Band while savouring  tea and scones served by our ever patient wives.
This year the charity chosen to benefit from the fete is the Children's Hospice Association of Scotland.  .

(above) The view over the pond looking south to West Lomond; (below)( top l) 'The cafeteria' ; (top r)Rtn. Roger Guy ready to show the shelter tent to visitors; (bottom l) Acres of green; (bottom r)The Milenberg Jazz Band:

District Representation, June 2004.
Rotarians who use their time and talents to help promote the growth of the Rotary are always to be commended and members of the Rotary Club of the Howe of Fife prove to be no exception when the call comes. In the coming centennial year there will be three of our members sitting on district 1010 council.
The picture below shows president Sandy congratulating (l-r) rtns. Robin Rippin, district chairman community & vocational, David Rankin assistant governor zone 6 and Sandy Matthew assistant district secretary.

An Author in our Midst, June 2004
Our talented junior vice president, Duncan Pickard, has just added another string to his bow and had his first book published. Duncan who farms an 1,100 acre arable and livestock farm in the north east of fife with his wife Barbara and their two sons took two years to research and write it.

'Lie of the Land', (A Study in the Culture of Deception), is a hard hitting attack on the culture of deception that underpins the economics of agriculture and exposes how governments and lobbyists manipulate statistics to disguise the real income of farmers to justify the subsidies that enrich a relativity few big landowners. Showing that by doing so they abuse the interests of consumers and taxpayers.
Duncan takes no pleasure in revealing the scandal in which farmers are portrayed as living on the bread line - when many of them are banking handsome profits from the Common Agricultural Policy.
He, and his family, intend to reduce their dependency on subsidies so that more time can be spent with the crops, cattle and sheep rather than the paperwork that disrupts the business of producing food.
He also proposes an innovative remedy where the government should tax the value of farms' acreage and abolish taxes on peoples wages and savings as these taxes encourage the sacking of employees which cripples rural economies and village communities.

Lyalya Tonkonog, English Teacher form Kazan, Tartarstan, June 2004.

Lyalya Tonkanog

Lyalya is the latest visiting English Teacher from the Former Soviet Union Republics to visit Fife under an initiative organised and supported by several of the Fife Rotary Clubs. The program established in the early 1990's has been aimed particularly at English Teachers who had been unable to travel to Britain prior to "Perestroika"
The Howe of Fife Rotary Club has in the past sponsored and hosted teachers from countries including Lithuania, Czech Republic, Armenia and  Hungary.
Lyalya is a senior secondary school  teacher from Kazan in Tatarstan, a major city port of over 1 million inhabitants situated on the River Volga about 800 miles east of Moscow.
During her month's visit which was hosted by several club members Lyalya visited schools and  colleges  within  the

Lyalya being welcomed by Senior vice president Oliver Will before being introduced to her hosts during her stay
(l-r) Duncan Pickard, Andrew Kennedy, Aileen Kennedy,
Roger Guy, Janette Storrar, Janette Guy and Jim Storrar.

area.and also managed to see, and enjoy, some of the historical, picturesque and spectacular scenery that makes Scotland so beautiful.
A few days before she left rtn. Roger Guy and his wife, Janette, held a Scottish country dance in her honour and afterwards they all repaired to their home for some traditional Scottish fare of scotch pies, stovies and whisky.

Annual President's Barbecue, July 2004
It is the end of another Rotary year and time for our annual frolic at Gorno Grove only this year, as you can see from some of the photographs, the thunder  clouds gathered, crashed, rolled  and opened in a deluge in spite of the fact that our meteorological guest of honour, district governor John Minhinick and his wife were in attendance.

(top) Safe, warm and dry (if only externally) inside Sandy's garage during the rain showers while bottom right Bill, Robin and Sandy stand patiently waiting for John Kerr to serve luncheon. (Below) Robin making himself useful as an umbrella bearer for Sandy while Bill tries to abscond with the tray of strawberry tarts.

However, we refused to allow a little thing like the weather to upset us and during the heaviest of the rain we sheltered in Sandy's garage for drinks and then ate in a  marquee,  on the lawn set up for just such emergency, while  we watched the rain squalls coming over to engulf us.
It dried up for long enough for the treasure hunt to take place but unfortunately the croquet and other games had to be cancelled. It was still an excellent day and only goes to prove that its the company, and not the weather, that counts.

As you can see from the photo (above right) the storm clouds were gathering and (below l) eventually opened up over four poor 'waifs' begging for more after being thrown to the elements to make way for the sweet trolley. Meanwhile Sandy makes a start on the mountain of dishes when the treasure hunt is in progress.

District governor John, president Oliver and immediate past president Sandy cut a cake to celebrate the start of Rotary's centennial year. The cake was specially made by Sandy's wife Caroline.(below) Who won the treasure hunt again this year? Sandy and this year's partner Janette Guy standing beside a bed of the new 'Rotary Roses' cultivated for the centenary celebrations.

Thamks very much Sandy and
Congratulations on a busy and fun filled year.