Linlithgow

Linlithgow Grange Rotary Club President John Reid welcomed the 36 members present for the first meeting of 2017 with very best wishes for the new year and then reported on some of his activities in recent weeks presenting awards on behalf of the Club at local schools.= Rory Cameron reminded everyone that the Burns Supper is only two weeks away and passed round the menu for information. Speaker for the evening was Douglas Robertson who showed a film about Mary’s Meals entitled Generation Hope. Before doing so Douglas told how only 14 years ago Magnus Macfarlane-Barrow began Mary’s Meals after a young boy told him his only wish was to have food to eat and to be able to go to school. In 2009 Abeer Macintyre gave a talk to Linlithgow Grange on Mary’s Meals that inspired Douglas to become a supporter and to give talks to other Rotary Clubs in Scotland. One meal every day in a place of education for the world’s poorest children” remains the mission for Mary’s Meals. As of last weekend the number of chil- dren being fed was 1,187,104 over 13 countries. Overheads are kept to a minimum to ensure that at least 93p of every £1 donated is spent directly on charitable activities and in recent times this has risen to a staggering 96.3 pence in every £1. After the film Douglas answered a few questions but our Club already gives a lot of support to Mar’s Meals and a collection was taken in further support. There followed a brief report on Rotary’s Tree of Light which has raised in excess of £1,700 in this first year and it is hoped to repeat the venture. ORCHESTRAL CONCERT IN LINLITHGOW – SOLOIST ROBIN MICHAEL ello Soloist Robin Michael comes to Linlithgow on Saturday 28th January, playing with the Scottish Sinfonia Orchestra. Robin studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. The concert is at St. Michael’s Parish Church at 7.30pm on Saturday 28th January. Tickets are available online at www.LinlithgowArtsGuild.co.uk, by ‘phone at 1506 777666, from “Far from the Madding Crowd” and other outlets in Linlithgow High Street including the Post Office, News and Card Shop and Peterkin and Kidd.