At our June 6th 2013 weekly breakfast meeting we were pleased to once again welcome Graeme Archibald who is here from Scotland visiting his daughter and grandson who live in Guelph.  Graeme last visited our club in October 2012, and it was wonderful to see him again!  Graeme is Assistant Governor for District 1010 in northern Scotland, a Paul Harris Fellow, and a member of the Rotary Club of Elgin, a club of 74 members with one very special honourary member.....HRH Princess Royal (Princess Anne).  Graeme's role as Assistant Governor has him responsible for 12 clubs.  Graeme's club meets on Thursdays as well, although they are a lunch club.

Our club also boasts an Assistant Governor - Margaret Nixon - so we couldn't resist the opportunity to photograph the two Assistant Governors together!

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Some more information on District 1010, and Graeme's home club, follows.....

 

ELGIN ROTARY CLUB:

Elgin Rotary Club is part of the 1010 District which stretches from Fife in the South to the Shetland Isles in the North, a small but vital part of the Rotary International organisation that stretches over 200 countries with approximately 1.2 million Rotarians.   Currently the club has 74 members + 3 honorary members. An extremely active club, Elgin is involved in most aspects of Rotary where service and fellowship apply.   They have a most original and unusual fundraising program towards Polio eradication - the Fellowship Malt.

Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Polio ?

What’s the story here?  Elgin Rotary has teamed up with family owned and managed firm, Gordon & MacPhail, to bottle, distribute and sell a unique single malt whisky – The Fellowship Malt.  ‘Fellowship’ is a 10 year old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky with a difference!  Supporting Rotary’s charity, Rotary Foundation, the proceeds of each bottle sold will buy 10 inoculations against polio.  In the almost 2 years to 28 February 2011, over £6,800 has been generated from the sale of The Fellowship Malt: this is equivalent to 13,600 inoculations which helps support the international efforts to eradicate polio worldwide.

Why polio?  In 1985, the Rotary movement worldwide committed to the eradication of polio in all countries. This has almost been achieved but there remain four countries where new cases have been identified. The revised target is to complete the task in those areas over the next two years.   

Since the founding of the business with the opening of their retail shop in Elgin in 1895, Gordon & MacPhail has grown into one of Scotland’s leading independent whisky specialists, through bottling, exporting and distilling – owning Benromach Distillery in Forres.  The company is also one of the UK’s top independent whisky, wine and spirits wholesalers. David Urquhart, Joint Managing Director, added  “We were delighted to be approached to work with Elgin Rotary on the Fellowship single malt and are pleased that the first period of trading has seen such a valuable contribution worldwide.  Here’s to the continued success of Fellowship.”  

The Fellowship Malt can be purchased through the website www.thefellowshipmalt.co.uk or from Gordon & MacPhail retail shop at 58-60 South Street, Elgin.  Online orders for multiples of 6 bottles are delivered free of charge within the mainland of the UK .

 

Currently (and sadly), orders can only be shipped to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.

 

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Elgin Rotarian Graeme Archibald and his wife Carol show RI President Sajukin Tanaka a bottle of Fellowship Malt and discuss its contribution towards the fight against polio.

 

DISTRICT 1010:

District 1010 Scotland North covers some of the most beautiful and famous landmarks in the world such as Eilean Donan, the most photographed Castle in Scotland.  Geographically, the District stretches from the Northern shores of the Firth of Forth, to the Shetland Isles in the North, and the Hebrides in the West. There are 89 Rotary Clubs and over 3000 Rotarian members. Every single area of theDistrict has something to offer. From the green valleys and fertile fields of the south, up through the old fishing towns along the east coast and in the Highlands with their serene lochs and majestic peaks, their quiet glens and sparkling rivers where salmon abounds you will find some beautiful scenery.

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