President: Ian Gardner
Vice President: Bill Brown
Immediate Past President: John Hamilton
Secretary: Allister Todd
Treasurer: Charlie Low
Club contact: Allister Todd, Secretary.
The Club meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 10:30am. We meet at Pathhead Parish Church Hall, 33 Harriet Street, Kirkcaldy KY1 2AG.
Raith Probus Club
FUTURE TALKS:
If any club member has had a particularly interesting career or has a hobby and wishes to share by giving a talk, please contact any committee member.
Raith Probus Club
Meeting Number 951
Pathhead Church 1st October 2024
President Ian Gardner opened the meeting at 10:30 am, with 44 members present, 3 apologies and no guests. Ian also welcomed today’s speaker, Eddie Taylor.
Previous minutes: 17th September, no matters arising.
REPORTS
IT: Jim Neilson: Nothing to report.
Membership: Ray Griffiths & Bob Taylor, nothing to report.
Press: Malcolm Walker: nothing to report.
Recorder: Bob Terras: Nothing to report.
Probus web: Bob Terras: Nothing to report.
Welfare: Tom Reilly: Tom welcomed Douglas Black, back after his medical problems.
Treasurer: Charlie Low: all payments are now in.
Secretary: Allister Todd: nothing to report.
Vice President: Bill Brown: nothing to report.
STANDING ORDER REPORTS
Speakers: Charlie Low: nothing to report.
Social: Ragnar Ingebrigtsen: Annual Dinner, Friday 4th October at Strathearn Hotel, 6:30 for 7:00.
CONVENERS REPORTS
Bowls: Jack Lowther: nothing to report.
Cycling: John Chalmers: on a dry morning three members had an outing clockwise around Loch Leven on the 20th September. There had been welcome improvements to the track and after a couple of stops we finished at the café at the lodge’s car park.
Gardening: Ron Steedman: at our last meeting, amongst other things, we discussed the merits of three different types of secateurs.
The next meeting will be on the 17th October in the room to the left rather than the usual main bar area.
Golf: John Fairfull: final Outing – Raith Probus Golf Section Results from the Thornton GC Outing.
Team winners of the Brunton Texas Scramble Trophy were: Alistair Hugh, Colin Fowler, Mike Paton and John Fairfull with 55 points. Runners Up were: John Johnston, Ray Griffiths and Bob Taylor with 51 points. Nearest Pin: John Fairfull, Longest Drive: John Johnston.
Lottery: Charlie Low: there were no returns from our latest investment.
Photography: Allister Todd: on the 26th of September we had the annual competition judging and the winner was John Chalmers.
The next meeting will be on the 31st October at Kirkcaldy Golf Club.
Snooker: Malcolm Walker: nothing to report.
Walkers: Ken Campbell: on the 24th September, despite the adverse weather conditions forecast nine members took part in the walk around Elie where we were met off the bus by Crawford Ross, our club member, and our guide for the walk as we headed along the beach though Elie and Earlsferry in the direction of Kincraig Point. We turned back at the golf course, heading towards the Pavilion Café, Crawford pointing out places of interest on the way, including the Elie and Thistle golf courses. The weather held up and was much better than forecast and after a stop at the café we headed home.
The next walk will be on the 22nd October to Tayport.
SPEAKER: Jack Lowther introduced todays speaker, Eddie Taylor; topic ‘Signs’.
Eddie who was born in Edinburgh has worked as an apprentice at Rosyth Dockyard, as a bus driver, has an interest in the Scottish Bus Museum and is a member of Dunfermline Probus.
Eddie entertained us with a very amusing slide show of signs from roads, shops and product identification. He pointed out that the Amazon logo was a smiley face and that the FedEx logo had an arrow between the E and the x which few in the audience had noticed.
Many of the signs had spelling mistakes but many also had apostrophes’ either missing or where they weren’t needed. He felt the more obvious errors may have been deliberate in order to attract attention.
Many of the road signs had too much information which made them difficult to read for car drivers especially if the same information was in two languages e.g. English and Gaelic.
Everyone found the talk very amusing and all present will now look at signs more closely.
Bottom of Form
The Vote of Thanks was given by Ray Griffiths.
Next Meeting; will be on the 15th October 2024. Speaker – Mike Simpson, Topic: ‘The Road to Mandalay’; Vote of thanks – Ray Griffiths.
AOCB. The President reminded committee members that there will be a meeting on the 8th of October in the West End Congregational Church at 10:00 am.
The meeting closed at 11:14am.
Allister Todd,
Secretary
Bereavement / Funeral
Rik Bainbridge
Funeral Kirkcaldy Crem 29th October at 11.00 am
PHOTOGRAPHS:
2024 Burntisland Visit
2024 Photograph Competition
PHOTOGRAPHS:
2024 September Elie
2024 August Pittenweem
2024 July Forth & Clyde Canal Edinburgh
2024 July Forth & Clyde Canal Edinburgh
Silverburn to Lower Largo – 28 May 2024
Dundee Riverside walk 23rd April 2024
Kinghorn Loch March 2024
Murrayfield November 2023
Aberdour to Dalgety Bay – 24th October 2023
“Christmas” Highest Break
Birnie and Gaddon Lochs – 26 Sept. 2023
Loch Ore Meadows 29 August 2023 – Walking Group
Gardening Group Competition 2023.
Blackford July 2023
Burntisland to Aberdour – 27th June 2023
Golf – Scoonie GC – 22nd June 2023
Fountainbridge to Slateford – May 2023
Hampden – May 2023
Bunnet Stane
Winner of ” The Great Easter Break” is Jack Lowther.
Raith Probus cyclists -March 2023
Raith Probus walk -March 2023
Loch Leven 28 February 2023
Loch Leven walk 14 Feb 2023
Scots Night 2023
Annual Quiz Winners 2023
Golf New Year Meal
Snooker Champ 2022 – John Johnson.
Excellent break of 38 (4 Blacks, 1 Blue and 5 Reds).
Formonthills walk 22November 2022
Cramond Walk 29-Nov-2022
Slateford to Dean Bridge Walk, Edinburgh
25th October 2022
Annual Dinner October 2022
Kirkcaldy half-marathon course 21st September – 13.5 miles
Dean Bridge to Murrayfield walk – August 2022
Flower Competition 2022
1- Jim Neilson; 2 – Andy Morrison; 3 – Ron Steedman.
Incoming President Bob Terras and Vice President Colin Johnston
Cycling. A successful outing was held on the West Fife Way.
40th Anniversary of the founding of Raith Probus Club
Ian Gunn – Highest break 27 May 2022
Big Break winner – Ken Campbell. 22 points.
Lundin Links outing 21st April.
Big break winner, Ken Miller 12 points!!
North Queensferry August 2021
Balbirnie and Braes Loan, Markinch 29 Jun 2021 (at last we’ve got a new member!)
Markinch Heritage Rural Walk
Letham Glen walk – 28 July 2020
Lockdown Walking group July 2020
Walkers – 26 November 2019 – Formonthills, Glenrothes.
Amazon visit November 2019
Cyclists.
Visit to Tulliallan.
Crossgates Gardeners
Wullie’s allotment
Doubles Competition July 2019
Cramond Walkers October 2019
Cyclists – Loch Leven
CONSTITUTION AND RULES OF RAITH PROBUS CLUB OF KIRKCALDY
- Title
The club shall be called Raith Probus Club of Kirkcaldy
2. Aims and Objectives
The purpose of the Club is to provide a regular meeting point for retired business and professional men who appreciate and value in their retirement increased social contacts and opportunities to meet others in similar circumstances. The club shall be non-political and non- sectarian.
3. Membership
(i) The total of active members shall not exceed one hundred.
Membership shall be open to all professional and business men aged sixty years or over, resident in Kirkcaldy and District, who have fully or partially retired from their normal business or profession. The restriction regarding residence or age may be waived at the discretion of the Committee. Applications for membership shall be sponsored by two existing members and shall be subject to approval by the Committee. Admission to the Club shall be determined by interview of the proposed new member by the President and two other Committee members.
(ii) The Committee shall have the power to recommend the election of members as Honorary Life Members, within the active membership numbers. Such members shall be those who, in the opinion of the Committee, have contributed service of an outstanding nature to the Club and who have shown a sustained interest in the club or the community.
iii) If any member conducts himself in a manner which discredits the Club, or acts willfully in contravention of the Constitution of the Club, the Executive Committee shall have the power to suspend that member until the matter can be fully considered at the next meeting of the Executive Committee. A letter shall be written to the member notifying him of the allegations against him and the basis of the allegations, inviting him to a meeting to discuss the matter, and advising him that he has the right to be accompanied by any member of his choice. If, subsequently, a member is called upon to resign and fails to comply within fourteen days after the request is dispatched, he will be expelled from the Club. The member shall have the right to appeal against the disciplinary decision of the full Committee and this must be lodged in writing with the Secretary within fourteen days of the Committee’s decision. In the event of an appeal, this will be heard by an Appeals Committee comprising of three of the most recent available Past Presidents of the Club. At that meeting the member has the right to be accompanied by a member of his choice. The Appeals Committee decision shall be final.
4. Office Bearers
(i) There shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Recorder, Press Correspondent, Social Convener, Speaker’s Convener and Welfare Officer and the general affairs of the Club shall be managed by the Committee of those Officers with the Immediate Past President and the various Conveners, whose names can be found on the current membership list. Within this group the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Welfare Officer, Press Correspondent, Recorder, IT Correspondent and Immediate Past President shall constitute the Executive Committee.
- The President of the Club shall hold office for one year, unless there are extenuating reasons why this period should be extended. Officers and Committee members shall be eligible for re- election each year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). If for any reason an AGM cannot be held then these office bearers’ term of office shall be extended until such times as an AGM, or an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) can be constituted.
Six members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum and the Committee shall have the power to co-opt and appoint one or more Sub-Committees. Committee Conveners shall be able to co-opt members who may have expertise useful for any issues under consideration by that Committee. In the event of it being unlikely that the President can continue to officiate then the Vice President shall assume the role of President with the appointment of a new Vice President. Both these officials will see out that presidential year and assume the posts in the next year i.e. there will be no appointments for these posts at the AGM at the end of the retired President’s year of office.
In the event of there being any reason necessitating a suspension of meetings or in the event of closure of the Club all committee members shall remain in office until an EGM can be called to review the situation.
- An Executive Committee (see 1) shall have the power to manage any urgent or unforeseen event or set of circumstances which may arise.
4. Meetings
- The regular meetings shall take place at a suitable venue in the Kirkcaldy area and will be held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 10:30am and at such intervals as may be decided by the Committee.
- An Annual General Meeting shall be held in June of each year at such time and place as may be determined by the At least two weeks’ notice of such meeting must be given in writing to each member.
- The Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting on the written request of not less than fifteen members and shall give to all members, in writing, at least two weeks’ notice of such a
- Voting at all meetings, including Committee meetings, shall be by a show of hands or by ballot if so In the event of an equal division of votes: the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote,
5. Visitors
Members may introduce male guests at meetings, but the same guest shall not be brought to a meeting more than six times in any Presidential year and may not attend the Annual General Meeting, but would be welcome to participate in Club activities.
- Subscriptions
- There shall be an annual subscription, the amount of which shall be determined each year at the Annual General Meeting. The subscription year shall run from September to August each year. Any member joining during the subscription year shall be required to pay the whole or part subscription depending on the date of joining. (see 7 iii). Life members will not be required to pay an annual subscription. Members who are unable to attend regularly but wish to remain in membership can do so by payment of their subscription.
- To confirm membership all subscriptions should be paid by the last day in August in any year unless the Club is unable to meet for an extended period due to unforeseen circumstances.
(iii) Months left in current subscription year:
September – November 100% of current subscription.
December – February 75% of current subscription.
March – May 50% of current subscription.
June – August 25% of current subscription.
- Capital Expenditure
Expenditure, other than revenue expenditure, will be brought before the Treasurer and one other Executive Committee member for approval, who would then consider and decide on the proposed purchase. The Treasurer would then inform the Executive Committee at the next scheduled meeting.
If necessary, the request, if not approved by these two Executive Committee members, may be referred to the Committee of the Club for consideration and either approval or rejection of the request.
- Accounts
A Receipts and Payments account for the Financial Year to 31st March shall be prepared, and after audit by two members of the Club appointed at the previous Annual General Meeting, be present for approval at the Annual General Meeting.
The foregoing Constitution and Rules were agreed at the inaugural meeting of the Club on 22nd June 1982, and as amended at General Meetings.