Service Above Self Rotary Club of the Howe of Fife Information for Members
Contents WHAT IS ROTARY?... 1 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL (RI)... 1 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND (RIBI)... 1 DISTRICT 1010... 1 ROTARY CLUB OF THE HOWE OF FIFE... 2 Related Clubs... 2 Inner Wheel... 2 Probus... 2 Club Organisation... 2 Constitution & Bylaws... 2 Council... 2 Committees... 3 Other Posts... 3 MEETINGS... 4 Weekly Meeting... 4 Special and Annual General Meetings... 4 Club Assembly... 4 Introducing Visitors to Club Meetings... 4 INTRODUCING NEW MEMBERS... 4 SUBSCRIPTIONS... 4 DRESS... 5 Badges... 5 Gilets, sweaters, ties and tabards... 5 Other Rotary items... 5 FUNDRAISING... 5 CLUB SOCIAL FUNCTIONS... 5 Annual Barbecue... 5 Off to the Races!... 6 Treasure Hunt... 6 Himalayas... 6 Ceilidh... 6 Christmas Dinner... 6 Burns Supper... 6 Joint Meeting... 6 Quiz Night... 6 Gastronomy at Elmwood... 6 Foundation Suppers... 7 Cogwheels... 7 WEEKLY DUTIES... 7 ATTENDANCE... 7 VISITS TO OTHER CLUBS... 7 Banners... 8 PUBLICATIONS... 8 Club Directory... 8 District Directory... 8 District Magazine... 8 Rotary Today... 8 The Web... 8 SOME FINAL THOUGHTS... 9
WHAT IS ROTARY? Rotary is made up of three parts: at the heart of Rotary are our clubs, which are supported by Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. Rotary clubs bring together dedicated individuals to exchange ideas, build relationships, and take action. Rotary International supports Rotary clubs worldwide by coordinating global programmes, campaigns, and initiatives. The Rotary Foundation uses generous donations to fund projects by Rotarians and our partners in communities around the world. All of the Foundation's funding comes from voluntary contributions made by Rotarians and friends who share our vision of a better world. Together, Rotary clubs, Rotary International, and The Rotary Foundation work to make lasting improvements in our communities and around the world. ROTARY INTERNATIONAL (RI) Rotary International is the global association of Rotary Clubs. Our 1.2 million members are the heart of our service efforts and share a dedication to the ideal of Service Above Self. It is organised worldwide into over 500 Districts. ROTARY INTERNATIONAL IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND (RIBI) RIBI is the Association of Rotary Clubs within England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland, comprising 53,000 members in 1,850 clubs. These clubs are organised geographically into 29 Districts, three of which, Districts 1010, 1020 and 1030 are in Scotland. Our Club is part of District 1010. District 1020 covers the South East of Scotland and District 1230 the South West. DISTRICT 1010 There are 89 clubs and over 3000 members in the District. The area covered by the District, which is the largest in RIBI, extends from the northern shores of the Firth of Forth to the Shetland Islands in the north and the Outer Hebrides in the west. The District Governor and the District Council provide guidance and help to clubs. The District is further sub-divided into Areas with an Assistant Governor in charge of each one. The Howe of Fife is in Area 6 together with other clubs in East Fife and Dundee. District Council meetings are held three times a year at various locations. Every club is urged to be represented at these meetings. New Rotarians are encouraged to attend a District Council to get a feel for what goes on above the club level. A District Conference is held each year, usually in the Autumn. It is a major fellowship event, which lasts from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. There is also an annual District Assembly. This is a one-day meeting held in Spring and is an opportunity for the District Governor Elect to brief clubs on major issues and prepare them for the next Rotary Year. The Rotary Club of the Howe of Fife is usually well represented at the Assembly with Committee Chairs and ordinary members enjoying a day out and learning about new initiatives in our District. 1
ROTARY CLUB OF THE HOWE OF FIFE The Rotary Club of the Howe of Fife was formed as a daughter club of the Rotary Club of Cupar. The inaugural meeting of the Club took place on the 2nd May 1990. A company of 120 Rotarians representing 22 clubs within District 101 attended the meeting with District Governor George Brown, Laurencekirk, presiding. The area boundaries are shared with the Rotary Club of Cupar, viz: New Inn to Dairsie, Newburgh to Gateside, including the town of Cupar, the Royal Burgh of Auchtermuchty and the villages of Strathmiglo, Kingskettle, Falkland, Freuchie and Ceres. Weekly meetings were held every Tuesday, and the interim members were exposed to regular sessions of Rotary philosophy and protocol from regular and visiting Rotarians as well as the new members giving their vocational talks to introduce themselves formally to their fellow Rotarians. The first function was a cheese and wine evening with wives and friends on the 4th July 1990 followed by the Club's Charter Dinner in the Corn Exchange, Cupar, on the 21st August 1990. The club met for several years in the Lomond Hills Hotel, Freuchie, and then moved to Fernie Castle Hotel, Letham. We moved to our current venue, the Village Inn in Pitlessie, in January 2007. Related Clubs Inner Wheel Inner Wheel is a club for the wives and widows of Rotarians. A number of wives of Howe of Fife members are members of the Inner Wheel Club of Cupar, which is linked directly to the Rotary Club of Cupar. Probus Probus (an amalgamation of the words Professional and Business) is an association of retired and semi-retired men and women to provide regular gatherings of persons who, in retirement, appreciate the value and opportunity to meet others in similar circumstances and have a similar level of interests. The Howe of Fife Probus Club was formed through an initiative by Howe of Fife Rotary. Probus Clubs were started by the Rotary Club of Caterham in 1966. The name is now recognised by Rotary International. Club Organisation The Rotary Year is from 1 st July to 30 th June. Constitution & Bylaws All Rotary Clubs affiliated to RI are required to have a Constitution and Bylaws. These are based on standard documents issued by RI and RIBI. Council Council is the governing body of the club. It is constituted in accordance with the Bylaws and is made up currently of the President, Immediate Past President, President-Elect, President- Nominee, Secretary, Treasurer and up to three ordinary members elected annually. Council meets at least 9 times each year. 2
Committees The club is organised into committees. Each club member is assigned to a particular committee and the committee structure is shown in the club directory. Strategic Planning Committee The Strategic Planning Committee is responsible for producing all policy documents in relation to the running of the club. These documents - the Constitution, Bylaws, Strategic Plan and Job Descriptions - are available to read on the club clipboard and can be downloaded from our website. Administration The President Elect is responsible for Club Administration. The Secretary and Treasurer are members of this committee. Foundation The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programmes. Each club is urged to donate $100 annually for each of its members to Foundation. A number of Howe of Fife members have opted to fulfil their personal obligations in this regard by making their donations direct to The Rotary Foundation UK. A monthly contribution of 5 gift-aided equates to $100 annually at current exchange rates. In this way the Club s obligation is reduced, enabling more of the funds we raise to be used for projects supported by the Club directly. Membership The membership committee is essential to implementing the Club s membership development plan. Its main rôle is to recruit, retain, and educate club members. Marketing, Public Relations and Communications The Chairman of this committee is responsible to the President for overseeing the output of the Press Officer, Webmaster and Archivist. Club Service The President-Nominee is chair of the Club Service committee. The committees that come under the umbrella of Club Service are Youth, International, Community and Vocational. Details of each remit are to be found in the Job Descriptions document. Sports and Gavel The Gavel competition is an inter-club mini-league competition within District 1010 to foster fellowship between clubs. A number of Howe of Fife members are keen golfers of varying abilities. The club runs an annual Charity Golf Day and individual members organise a Spring and Autumn outing. Other Posts The club has a Children and Vulnerable Persons (CVP) Officer, a Health and Safety Officer, a Sergeant-at-Arms and two Internal Examiners. Information about their responsibilities can be found in the Job Descriptions document. 3
MEETINGS Weekly Meeting The Club meets every Tuesday evening. The time of the meeting is 5.45 for 6.15 pm and members should endeavour to be ready to sit down just before 6.15. The meeting ends between 7:30 and 8 pm. Members are encouraged to move around and sit with a different group of Rotarians each week rather than create cliques. Apart from the President s table, no seats are booked or reserved. By convention in this club, the Secretary sits to the left of the President and the guest speaker on the right. The Rotarian giving the Vote of Thanks sits to the right of the speaker. A business meeting or Committees Night takes place about once a month when members sit with their own committees. Special and Annual General Meetings A special meeting is held during the first half of each Rotary Year, usually in November, to elect the office bearers for the following year. The Club AGM is held in April and has as its main business the receiving of annual reports from the council and committees of the club for the current Rotary year and the receiving of the Treasurer s report and proposed budget which determines the subscription for the ensuing Rotary year. Club Assembly The Club Assembly is invariably the final meeting of each Rotary Year. This is where the outgoing President hands over to his successor. The Assistant District Governor for Area 6 attends this meeting and reports back to the District Governor on the health of the Club. Introducing Visitors to Club Meetings A member may bring a guest to any normal meeting of the Club. Guests names, together with the name of the introducing Rotarian, should be entered onto the Club s Visitors Book. If possible, the guest should be introduced to the President before the meal starts. It is up to the individual Rotarian and his guest to decide who pays for the guest s meal. The Club will pay for the meal of a guest who is a potential new member. INTRODUCING NEW MEMBERS Any member may propose a new member. The procedure for doing so is laid down in the Bylaws. It is normal to bring the person as a guest for a few times to allow them to get a feel for the Club and to allow Club Members to meet him. It should be borne in mind, however, that existing members have to agree to the proposal. Proposers should make it clear that membership is not granted automatically. A proposer s responsibilities do not end with the induction of the new member, but continue for at least another year while the individual learns about Rotary in general and our club in particular. SUBSCRIPTIONS The Treasurer will advise the new member of the amount of the joining fee and the portion of the annual subscription due. The subscription is reviewed annually by the Club, taking into account necessary payments to RI, RIBI and District and the cost of running our own Club. 4
DRESS There is no prescribed dress for attending a Rotary meeting, and what is acceptable varies widely throughout the world, depending largely on the prevailing weather conditions. It is generally accepted in this country that normal office wear is worn. A blazer or other jacket and slacks has become equally acceptable. If in any doubt, wear a jacket and tie when visiting a club you are not familiar with, as these can be discarded easily if necessary. Dress for normal meetings of our Club is very relaxed, with many members favouring open-necked shirts. After all, we do meet in a pub! Badges When you join Rotary you are asked to wear the Rotary badge at all times and with pride. The badge is always worn on the left lapel. Many Rotarians find it more convenient to have a number of badges, one for each jacket. Badges are available in three sizes and three fixing methods. They can be obtained from the Club Secretary or from the District Supplies Officer and are always on sale from the District Shop at District Meetings. Members are also issued with Club Badges showing their name and job classification. These badges should always be worn during Club Meetings and when visiting other clubs. Gilets, sweaters, ties and tabards A number of members have items of clothing that bear the Rotary wheel and sometimes even their own name. These have been block-purchased for previous events, though there is currently (2014) an initiative to procure more. You will be issued with a club tabard to wear at various fund-raising activities. District and other Rotary ties are available from the District Supplies Officer. There is no requirement to purchase or wear any of these ties. Other Rotary items There is a large range of merchandise available from numerous suppliers. The District Shop stocks a range of these and the District Supplies Officer may be able to help in obtaining particular items. FUNDRAISING Raising funds for good causes is central to our existence. Members are expected to contribute financially to the Rotary Foundation, whereas the contribution to fundraising for other purposes is time, effort and expertise. Details of current and historic initiatives abound on our website, and there is information on how some of them operate on the Members Only page. New ideas on how to raise money are always welcome. CLUB SOCIAL FUNCTIONS The club holds a number of social functions throughout the year. The list given here is not exhaustive and is subject to change according to the wishes of the membership. All of the events listed below include partners. Annual Barbecue It has been the custom over many years for us to start the Rotary Year off with a barbecue held in the extensive grounds of a member s house. This event is organised by the incoming President-Elect, but all members are expected to help with setting and clearing up. 5
Off to the Races! Peter Whyte has organised a visit to Perth Racecourse in midsummer in the last two years. Members travel by bus, which sets off from Glenrothes and goes to Cupar thence west to Gateside and on to the Bein Inn for a meal before going to Scone. Should this outing be repeated, it is likely that the meal at the Bein Inn will be dropped in favour of eating at the racecourse, which has plenty of eating opportunities on site. Treasure Hunt Sandy Green has a rare talent for putting together Car Treasure Hunts and for the last few years has led club members a merry dance around the roads of rural Fife in search of obscure clues. These events have culminated in a get-together for participants at a member s house for light refreshment. We have not, as yet, lost anyone en route. Himalayas A feature of our Rotary year for some time now has been an annual outing to the Ladies Putting Green at St Andrews for a competition round on the Himalayas followed by a meal together in the Links Clubhouse. The Sports Member makes the arrangements for this. Ceilidh Our club has been running a ceilidh for many years now. This usually takes place around the end of November in Strathmiglo Public Hall. This annual function is part fun and fellowship, part fund-raising. Christmas Dinner The last meeting before the Christmas/New Year break is a dinner in the Village Inn. Cost is a little higher than usual, since the meal is more substantial and there is some form of paid entertainment provided. Exact details vary from year to year. Burns Supper The Club has always acknowledged the birth of Robert Burns on 25 January 1759. This has taken the form of full scale Burns Suppers to a normal club meeting with soup followed by a haggis course. The mood of the membership is back to having a proper celebration complete with Sangs and Clatter. There is certainly sufficient talent within the club to support this, and also plenty of room for new talent to emerge. So don t be shy when January comes around! Joint Meeting There is a close relationship between our club, our mother club of Cupar and the Inner Wheel Club of Cupar. One of the ways this relationship is manifested is through the holding of a joint meeting at Elmwood Fairways, usually in February. The responsibility for arranging this rotates among the three clubs. Quiz Night A Quiz Night is a popular way of having an evening of fellowship. The club generally has one of these each year. Gastronomy at Elmwood Our club has also developed a good relationship with Scotland s Rural College, Elmwood Campus. In recent years we have enjoyed an evening of fellowship and gastronomy courtesy of SRUC Elmwood s hospitality faculty. 6
Foundation Suppers You have read earlier in this booklet about the importance of the Rotary Foundation. For many years our club has raised money for Foundation by the holding of Foundation Suppers. The concept is simple. A member hosts a meal in his home to which two other couples are invited. The host provides the hospitality, the Rotarians in receipt of same donate a specified amount to the Rotary Foundation through the Club Treasurer. A list of hosts and guests is drawn up during the first three months of each year, as most people prefer to hold their suppers over the winter months. The term supper is used, but individual hosts are free to decide for themselves what to offer. Sunday lunch or a spring/early summer barbecue are acceptable alternatives. Cogwheels This is not a social gathering for Rotarians, rather it is a meeting of members partners. On the first Tuesday of each month, a number of partners meet in the main bar of the Village Inn and enjoy the same meal as we are served - at the same price. This is proving very popular; sometimes they have even more fun than we do! WEEKLY DUTIES The Club Directory is issued at the beginning of each Rotary year and contains details of all scheduled meetings. Three members are generally required to carry out specific duties each week. It is incumbent on every member to arrange a replacement if he is unable to attend. Those on duty should arrive early enough to hang out the club banners and furnish the top table with the lectern and gavel. All three also tidy up afterwards putting all club paraphernalia back in the cupboard. Two people are needed to sit at the reception desk and take payment as members arrive. They also complete the sheet of meal requests, note apologies for future meetings and complete the attendance sheet to give to the Secretary before the meeting gets underway. Please note that visiting speakers are guests of the Club. One of the members on duty is earmarked to say grace. The content of the Grace is up to him, but there is a Book of Graces in the Club cupboard. Another member is detailed to propose the Vote of Thanks to the speaker. This member sits to the right of the speaker at the top table. ATTENDANCE Rotary as a whole and this Club in particular are less focussed on attendance figures than once was the case. Nevertheless, regular attendance is important for many reasons, which should not require spelling out. If you are unable to attend, you should tender your apologies either by annotating the attendance sheet, by email to the Secretary or at short notice by telephone to the Village Inn. VISITS TO OTHER CLUBS Attendance can be made up by attending other Clubs either at home or abroad. Attendance at other Rotary events or meetings also count as an attendance. Visits to other clubs should not be thought of only as a means of making up for missed attendance. The fellowship gained by meeting other Rotarians makes such visits very worthwhile. 7
The Club has a Scatter Week when there is no meeting in the Village Inn, and members visit other clubs, usually in groups. This is a good way to make your first visit to another Club. Banners The Club has its own banner which is often exchanged with that of a visited club the first time a member of our Club goes there. It is a good idea to take some banners with you when going away on business or holiday. The banners are held by the Secretary and no charge is made for them. PUBLICATIONS Club Directory A copy of the Club Directory is issued to each member at the beginning of the Rotary year. The Directory contains the addresses and telephone numbers of every member, membership of committees and the dates of meetings and functions known at the time of printing. The information in the Directories should not be passed to anyone outside the Club and must not be used for trade or other purposes. District Directory This Directory is also issued to each Rotarian at the beginning of each Rotary year. The Directory contains details for all the District Officers and information about every club in the District together with meeting times and places. Similar restrictions apply to the use of the information contained in the Directory. District Magazine The District magazine ROTARYfirst is issued once a year in April. Electronic versions of ROTARYfirst appear periodically. Rotary Today Rotary Today is the official magazine of RIBI. Six editions are produced per year and distributed direct to each club, covering a wide range of features and articles, from model club and district projects, to national and international initiatives. The Web The internet is a great source of information about Rotary. Our own website can be found at http://www.rotaryhoweoffife.org and contains not only current information, but records of our activities back through the years. The webmaster will issue you with a password to give you access to the Members Only page. Most clubs have a similar presence on the web, and a quick browse prior to visiting any of them will pay dividends. District 1010, RIBI and RI all invest a great deal of time and effort to ensure that the Rotary message is available for all to access. You should register on the District 1010 website to enable you to view member-only content there and on the RIBI and RI sites. 8
SOME FINAL THOUGHTS If you are a new member - welcome to the world of Rotary and to the Rotary Club of the Howe of Fife. We hope that you will get a lot of fun and satisfaction out of being a Rotarian and that your association with our Club will be a long and happy one. Once you have settled in with us, we would appreciate feedback on your experience to date, including your views on the contents of this booklet. Rotary is an evolving organisation and it is important that individual members are confident that they can air their views openly in a spirit of constructive criticism. Changing things above the club level in an organisation of this size is clearly not easy, but there is ample scope to ring the changes at club level if that is in accord with the wishes of the members. 9