GOLSPIE INTERACT CLUB ELECT OFFICERS

Over the last 3 months, the Interact Club of Golspie High School has slowly but surely started to take shape.  With around a dozen pupils meeting each Wednesday lunch time to discuss and to plan howthey can improve the life of others, locally and Internationally, while still having fun doing so. 

They have now held their election of officers and Gabriel Dalfour is their President,  Elen Wheelan is secretary, Jack Ross is treasurer and Vice President is Lewis Mclennan.  

The club will shortly take part in the Global Swimathon at Golspie pool to raise funds for Polio Eradication and are also raising money for Womens Aid 

Pic shows Youth officer for East Sutherland Rotary Fiona Risk with the club officers.

Dornoch Academy Interact Club Election

Since its inception only 2 months ago, the embryo Interact club of Dornoch Academy has blossomed and now has over 20 members.  The plans are to increase the schools community awareness and to increase the schools understanding of many of the problems around the world.

The club has already identified 2 projects for this year:

1 To Support the World Rotary endeavour to eradicate Polio starting with taking part in the Rotary Sponsored Swimathon on Saturday 25th February at Golspie Pool

2 To play a part in the refurbishment and re establishment of the Embo community centre

While these are worthy aims they will not be blind to the many other local community groups which need understanding and help

This week, the members gathered to elect their club officers and perhaps, unlike many Community Councils, there were as many as 5 members putting themselves forward for each and every committee position

The election results were:-

President------ Jack Fairweather

Vice President---Annie Cole

Secretary---- Lauren Anderson

Treasurer----- Patrick Gray

Committee members----Anna Stewart & Erin Smith

Pictures show the committee with Fiona Risk Rotary Youth Convenor and Paddy Murray Rotary Community Convenor, along with a few of the members of the Dornoch Academy Interact Club.

THIS IS THE YEAR OF YOUTH !

The Rotary Year has got off to a flyer within the newly renamed service area of “New Generations”

Firstly the Rotary club members along with a few “friends of Rotary” have just completed a very rewarding series of Mock Interviews at each of the Secondary Schools within Sutherland---Kinlochbervie, Golspie High and Dornoch Academy thus providing over 70  fifth and sixth year students with vital experience and advice as they prepare to apply for places in Universities and Colleges or for “real” jobs.

All of the schools have expressed their thanks and appreciation and have asked that we do the same next year.

Secondly, the club has set up the new Interact Club of Golspie High School, ie Rotary for School age, under the Presidency of Gabrielle Delfour, with her committee and with Headmaster Dr James Vance strongly behind the initiative as it encourages the members to appreciate and assist in community and international charity work as well as simply taking an interest in the world at large and how each of us who live in it is dependent on the others.
Already the members have taken part in a sponsored walk for Women’s Aid and have been selling Children in Need merchandise within the school and by taking sales tables in the local Co-op.

And they have an interesting programme of speakers and events planned for the year ahead and have set up their own web site within the schools site.

However not content with setting up one Interact club, thanks to the support of Jack and Lauren who were two of our summer RYLA Awardees, Headmaster John Garvie of Dornoch Academy has arranged for East Sutherland Rotary to take over the morning assembly and encourage the pupils of that fine school to set up their own Interact club before Christmas and they too have raised money for  Children in Need bringing the Interact / East Sutherland Rotary cash raised up over £500 and they will be helping with the Swim-marathon for Polio at Golspie Pool on Saturday 25th February .

You could be forgiven for thinking this is enough but NO!!

The Primary School Quiz with 12 schools from across Sutherland taking part is well into the planning stages as is the preparation work involved in finding the right candidates for the Rotary Young Leaders Awards camps with interviews in February.

All this and the thought of two Interact Charter events is keeping the New Generation Team busy but working with Youth really does keep us young at heart if a little tired, as this is helping the youngsters, the community, and ensures the future of Rotary if we nurture this resource.

Golspie High School Interact Club Visit

The newly elected President of the Interact Club of Golspie High School Gabriel Delfour and the club secretary Ellen Whealing were guests of the East Sutherland Rotary Club.  Rotary President Graeme Mclaughlin was delighted to introduce them to the club members and to announce the formation of such an important new society within the school--Interact being part of the New Generations of Rotary especially designed for 14 to 18 year olds with the prime aim of encouraging community and charity awareness as well as helping build leedership skills and ambition within the members.  The new club has hit the ground running and has already assisted in the Big Burn Walk to raise money for a panto trip for children affected by domestic abuse (through Womens Aid) and all this week they are selling merchandise and dressing up to raise money for Children in Need.

Pic shows President Graeme, Gabrielle, Ellen and Fiona Risk the Rotary Youth Chairman

A SUPER LETTER FOLLOWS SCHOOL’S MOCK INTERVIEWS

This year’s mock interviews for all the secondary schools in Sutherland have begun with a visit to Kinlochbervie. East Sutherland’s Alistair and Fiona were joined by local businessman Bill Bell, a former member of the Oban Club and a Rotary supporter to perform the interviews.

The school was very appreciative and it was a very good experience for our team as well and we look forward to fielding up to 10 interviewers at Dornoch and Golspie when the numbers approach 40 students at each venue

Stephanie Sutherland from Kinlochbervie sent us a few comments which illustrate the benefit this exercise has for the students

Stephanie writes …. Firstly a very big thank you to all three of you for giving up your time and coming over to our school. The students found this an invaluable exercise and it is already having an impact on several of them and their ideas for the future.  A sample of comments from the questions I asked of them:

How do you think the interview went?  “I was nervous before I went in but it was just like a chat. My interviewer was very friendly”

What would you differentely next time?

“I would give more information and have a clear back up idea. Wash my hair! I would try and add more to my answers Check for spellings in my CV Think harder for my personal statement and try and include more.”

Was this a useful experience?

“It gave me an insight into the sort of questions I might me asked. It made me remain calm and try and answer questions It is making me think about my career choices and what courses and work I want to do. Showed me where i need to improve or think more.”

DORNOCH HEAD BOY JACKS ADVENTURE

Jack Featherstone, from Golspie, is this years Dornoch Academy Head Boy.  An honour he really appreciates but one wh

ich a few months ago he would have felt incapable of taking on with out a great deal of persuasion as he was perhaps, not the most confident boy despite his undoubted talents in sport and other skills.

However, he was selected by the Rotary Club of East Sutherland to represent the male youth sector of the local population on the Rotary Youth Leadership Award Weekend and he testifies that this changed his outlook and built up his confidence---"a life changing experience".

This experience included mountaineering , cross county mountain biking, water sports, camping, and survival skills as well as interpersonal skills training and talks from inspirational speakers, including sport and industry leaders.

Jack's RYLA experience has convinced him that more young people from the Dornoch School catchments area would benefit from developing the Rotary principles and as a result he hopes to create an Interact Club in his school, something which would open many doors to personal development for their life ahead. East Sutherland Rotary Club has pledged their support.

Pic shows Jack with his Mum and President Graeme McLaughlin
 

HAZEL AND LAURA'S FANTASTIC CHALLENGE

Hazel Murray from Golspie High and Laura Anderson from Dornoch Academy were the guest speakers at this weeks Rotary Club meeting. 

Both girls had been selected by the club to represent Sutherland in RYLA ( the Rotary Youth Leadership Award Challenge) held at the Abernethy Adventure Centre in the heart of the Grampian mountains during August. 

They were just 2 of around 150 girls who set out nervously to test their outward bound skills, their team work and leadership skills and to learn from the pillars of industry and sport how to maximise their own skills and to inspire others. 

Amongst the events they took part in were mountain trekking, gorge walking, raft building, kayaking, cross country cycling/mountain bike riding, orienteering, and general survival exercises not to mention cooking, cleaning and learning all about each other and what makes each one of us tick. 

Both girls expressed the opinion that this was a life changing experience which will live with them for ever and they believed that they had grown in confidence and in an ability to have empathy with those with different skills and different origins which together had made them better people. 

When asked parents, Iain Murray and Jimmy Anderson confirmed that the challenge and what the girls had learned had increased the girls ability to make the right decisions, to understand people and had provided them with added confidence---BUT had failed to bring about any desire or ability to keep their rooms any tidier than before !!!! 

The club members were really impressed by both girls and their presentations and look forward to watching them achieve so much in their chosen careers. 

1st Pic shows L to R Laura Anderson, Graeme McLaughlin Club President and Hazel Murray

Rotary Sponsor new Uniforms for Struidh

The Struidh music group (as they are now called) have been an ever present part of the Rotary Clubs social and fundraising colander for 5 years.  As East Sutherland continues to give exposure and encouragement to young musicians from our area.  This Gaelic singing and music playing party of enthusiastic youngsters have developed into an absolutely superb group of performers from what was the Tain Primary School Gaelic Unit into the Struidh music group and the Rotary club marked this change by sponsoring their new "uniforms"

This picture shows them ready to play for Past President Pat May's Mum’s 90th Birthday

Happy Birthday Granny !!! we know you are very proud to have several of the Struidh music group as Great Grandchildren

Golspie Primary Hit the Right Notes

Pat May and Alisdair Miller of the Rotary Club of East Sutherland were delighted to be able to visit Golspie Primary School this week to hand over a cheque towards the purchase of equipment for the new Junior Ceilidh Band that has been formed amongst the pupils of that school along with children from the primary schools of Helmsdale and Brora.

The Rotary Club is proud to be able to support this wee band along with the Struie Singers and a number of other youth music groups. 

 Bonar Bridge Wins School Quiz (2nd year)

Once again the Bonar Bridge Primary quiz team showed that their school has that secret something that encourages the children to retain information as they stormed though the last round to pip Dornoch in the
Sutherland County Primary School Quiz held at Lairg on Monday taking the trophy for the second consecutive year.

The Quiz was co-sponsored by Harry Gow the Bakers and organised once again by the East Sutherland  Rotary Club with schools from KLB to Helmsdale battling out the rounds with a grim  determination that would have done justice to Eggheads or perhaps the Weakest Link (but please don't tell John Sterrett that he resembles Ann Robinson !!!).

The winning Bonar Bridge team will compete in the  Highland final in Strathpeffer this Saturday and they hope to make it through to the National Finals in Dundee in late May.
 

Youth Award

The Club was honoured to be asked to attend an Awards Event held by the Highland Education Service in Tain.   What was even more satisfying was that our Youth Officer Pat May was presented with an award on behalf of the Club in recognition of the considerable amount of work and the relationship we have with all the schools, be it primary or secondary in the county--RYLA, Environmental projects and the School Quiz plus the Purple Pinky Crocus Planting.  Pic shows Pat handing the Plaque over to President William at a recent Club meeting.

Rotary encourages the Brownies and Guides

As the Guide movement celebrates their 100 year anniversary with a special event at Dunrobbin Castle for all girls who have been in the movement since its formation the Rotary club took the opportunity to present a cheque for £100 to each and every Guide Company and Brownie Pack in the East Sutherland area President Alistair Risk said " we are very pleased to be able to recognise and to encourage Guiding in the county as they really do wonderfull work in molding todays youngsters into the leeders of tomorrow"

Pic shows - County Commissioner Dorothy Stewart with Fiona McLeod of Dornoch and Golspie Guides, Ann MacLeod Brown Owl and a group of the Golspie Brownies and Guides accepting some of the cheques from Rotary members Graham and Carrol Gillott and Fiona Risk
 

Wee Wonders Golf

Rotary Encourages Young Golfers

Past President Christine Henderson presented the Golspie Wee Wonders Junior golf section with a cheque for £200 as an encouragment to continue with the excellent work that coaches Sheila Robertson and Pat Hill and Liz Sawers carry out every week at the Golspie course

Pic shows Christine handing cheque to Sheila while Liz and Pat look on as does Rotary President Alistair Risk Also in the pic are some of the Gospie young golfers including:- Lewis  & Arron Gunn, Cameron & Bethany Sutherland, Danny Dougan, Findlay McLeod, Kyle McDonald and Caileam McLeod
 

Bonar Bridge (RHS) with Lee McKenzie and his Dad Donald receiving a cheque from Fiona Risk and Tony Tracey from the East Sutherland Club.

And finally, Paddy hands over a cheque to the Royal Dornoch Wee Wonders.

RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards)

The East Sutherland Rotary Club is proud of its tradition of selecting two or three young students (15 yr old) from the Tain, Golspie, Dornoch or Farr Secondary Schools and sending them on this cross between an outward bound and a personal develpment adventure.

Many of those who have successfully completed these courses comment on how it has changed their lives and attitude to their lives.

Practice Interviews

YOUNG MUSICIANS

While the club does not run a

Young Musicians competition it regularly encourages local young musicians by asking them to play at our events and at club suppers

 

Young Sports People

Fiona Risk  Chariman                  

John Sterrett, youth co-ordinator

The East Sutherland Club works with young people in a number of ways to promote the ideals of Rotary:

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