Youth - An Evening Meeting

The weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Kirkcaldy was held at the Dean Park Hotel on Tuesday 24^th April. The tables were filled to capacity with 19 members 1 visiting Rotarian and 24 Guests in attendance.

President Dallas announced that the Rotary GB&I President would be attending and speaking at next week’s meeting before proceeding to Kirkcaldy High where he is to start their sponsored walk.

The secretary announced that he would be away for the next few weeks and that PP John Kilgour would be standing in for him. The meeting on the 8^th May is a scatter meeting and PP John would outline at next week’s meeting some of the options available.

The meeting was the annual Youth Evening in which youngsters from the community have the opportunity to attend the meeting and give talks or demonstrations as to how they have been involved with, or benefitted from Rotary. First on the Agenda was Ken Johnston introducing the RYLA Candidates. RYLA is an initiative aimed at creating leadership and teamwork and enhancing the participant’s confidence through a week long adventure camp. 12 candidates were interviewed with only 4 being offered a place.

St. Andrews Interact group followed, Interact is basically a replication of the Rotary model at a school level, with basic goals of fundraising and community projects. The St. Andrews Girls, Maria Tomy, Jessica Stewart and Zainab Bah gave a run-down of the projects they had worked on during the year. Their achievements included raising over £1000 through a Macmillan coffee morning, holding a separate coffee morning for SCIAF which brought in over £300 and supporting Poppy Scotland both by raising £180 selling poppies and holding a memorial service.

Kirkcaldy High Interact was represented by Charlie and Rachael who again highlighted their activities over the year. Initiatives had included a bake sale which raised money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, they had also helped Rotary Members over the Christmas period with Santa’s Sleigh and bag packing to raise money for the children’s party. They actively embraced the shoe box campaign and managed to raise 29 shoe boxes. On 1^st April they have arranged a sponsored walk to raise funds for a shelter box.

Sharon Munro managed to get the Young Chef initiative actioned this year for the first time and there were 6 participants in all. Fraser Adams from Balwearie High was the Kirkcaldy winner and made it to the next round in Dundee but unfortunately did not get to the finals.

This year Kirkcaldy had three participants make it to the District heats of the Rotary Young Musician competition in Perth, President Dallas presented them with their certificates.

Euroscsola is an initiative that enables top end students experience a day debating in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Alice McCreadie was this year’s Euroscola and she gave a fantastic presentation of her time on the trip, which included having to randomly interview residents on the streets in French about the topic ‘Scotland in Europe.’

The evening was topped off with a guitar recital by Kieran McCrossan who was highly commended at last year’s Young Musician Awards.

President Dallas ended the evening by thanking all the teachers, parents, Rotarians and most of all youngsters who had made everything possible.