Office Bearers 2021 – 2022
The Rotary Club of Lochaber
(Fort William Scotland)
Simon Hardiman
President
Flora McKee
President-Elect
John Harvey
Secretary
Donald Young
Treasurer
The Rotary Club of Lochaber
1949 – 1996
by Bruce Tulloch
Rotary came fairly late to Lochaber. Before the war, Fort William was a smallish town and, in spite of the railway, was still remote from the larger centres of population. Only the better-off owned motor cars and public transport were relatively expensive. For these reasons, the town tended to be socially self-contained. Employees of the British Aluminium Company formed a close-knit community of shop-floor workers on one hand and technical and office staff on the other. The other industries- distilling, agriculture, railway -likewise formed their own social groupings and only organisations like the churches and the Masonic Lodge cut across them.
The war brought an influx of population and, with it, increased prosperity to the town and this tended to continue after the hostilities ended. At the same time, the fairly rigid pre-war class structure was breaking up. The shared hardships had made people more aware of and concerned about the welfare of their neighbours, not only in a local but also in a wider sense. World organisations, like the United Nations and its subsidiaries, were highly thought of and great hopes for the future of the world rested upon them.
In this climate of benevolence and international altruism, coupled with material prosperity, it was really only to be expected that Rotary, with its worldwide philanthropic ideals and its underlying spirit of fellowship, would become increasingly appealing, both to the men who had served in the Forces and to those who, for the first time, felt secure enough financially to contemplate lending a helping hand to others less fortunate than themselves.
On July 1st. 1949, sixteen good men and true met together in the Grand Hotel and decided that they would try to form a Rotary Club. It would meet in the Grand Hotel at 1.10 p.m. – this, presumably, to allow for a brief sojourn in the bar beforehand – and go on till 2.30p.m. These times were to be ‘rigidly adhered to’ so that there would be plenty of time available after the meal for talks and discussion. It was only in 1966 that the starting hour was officially set at 1.00 p.m. and at the same time, one presumes, 2.00 p.m. came to mark the end of the meeting.
Events moved swiftly and within a week, on July 7th, the first Council Meeting of the Lochaber (Formation) Rotary Club was held at 9.00 p.rn.Shops
closed later in those days and businessmen were not able to attend at an earlier hour. The 8.30 p.m. arrival of the train from Glasgow may have been another factor as it brought perishable goods, papers and various other items whose arrival was attended with a fair degree of urgency.
Jirnmy MacBean, Category – Beverages, was elected Chairman and Charlie Steel was appointed Secretary. Charlie went on to become President in 1953-54, before emigrating to Canada in 1957. Happily, he is still alive and is probably the only surviving founder member. He actually paid a return visit to Fort William in 1995.
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How Rotary Began in 1905
over 100 years ago
Past Presidents from
1949 – 2017
2001 - 2025
75
74
73
72 2021-22. Simon Hardiman
71 2020 -21 Richard Baxter
70 2019 -20 Clive Talbot
69 2018 – 19 Iain Johnston
68 2017 – 18 Donald McCorkindale
67 2016 – 17 Paula Ross
66 2015 – 16 Terry Lee
65 2014 – 15 John Harvey
64 & 50 2013 – 14 John Rosie
63 2012 – 13 Sheana Fraser
62 2011 – 12 Paul Brian
61 2010 – 11 Angus Nicolson
60 2009 – 10 Ken Johnston
59 2008 – 09 John Goodall
58 2007 08 Duncan Gillies
57 2006 – 07 Ron Gretton
56 2005 – 06 David Mee
55 2004 – 05 David Thomson
54 2003 – 04 Donald Young
53 2002 – 03 Mike McGruer
52 2001 – 02 David MacFarlane
51 2000 – 01 Alan Kirk
1976 - 2000
50 & 64 1999 – 00 John Rosie
49 1998 – 99 David Robertson
48 1997 – 98 Finlay Finlayson
47 1996 – 97 Alistair Grant
46 1995 – 96 George Bruce
45 1994 – 95 John Hutchison
44 1993 – 94 Duncan MacPhee
43 1992 – 93 Ray Sutherland
42 1991 – 92 Ian Milton
41 1990 – 91 David Anderson
40 1989 – 90 David Blair
39 1988 – 89 Russ Morgan
38 1987 – 88 Dennis Laws
37 1986 – 87 David Dingwall
36 1985 – 86 Will Adam
35 1984 – 85 Dan Ryan
34 1983 – 84 Bruce Tulloch
33 1982 – 83 Hector MacLean
32 1981 – 82 Peter MacLennan
31 1980 – 81 Duncan Stewart
30 1979 – 80 Jim McWilliam
29 1978 – 79 Sandy MacFarlane
28 1977 – 78 Alex Duncan
27 1976 – 77 Charles Cochrane
26 1975 – 76 Donald Currie
1949 - 1975
25 1974 – 75 Mick Sutton
24 1973 – 74 Ian Wynne
23 1972 – 73 Sandy Kinnear
22 1971 – 72 William Slater
21 1970 – 71 William MacIntosh
20 1969 – 70 James Hogg
19 1968 – 69 Hugh MacKenzie
18 1967 – 68 Robert Michie
17 1966 – 67 George MacPherson
16 1965 – 66 Andrew Honeyman
15 1964 – 65 John Campbell
14 1963 – 64 John MacLellan
13 1962 – 63 Joe MacPherson
12 1961 – 62 Robert Stuart
11 1960 – 61 Donald Reid Thomas
10 1959 – 60 William Cuthbert
9 1958 – 59 Murdo MacKenzie
8 1957 – 58 A. K. MacDonald
7 1956 – 57 Robert Kean
6 1955 – 56 Alan Ribbeck
5 1954 – 55 Charles Connachie
4 1953 – 54 Charlie Steel
3 1952 – 53 David Sydie
2 1951 – 52 Farquhar Kitchen
1 1949 – 51 James MacBean
Let’s Start Something New
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OFFICE BEARERS
President: Simon Hardiman
President-Elect: Flora McKee
Vice President: Jenny Cooper
Secretary: John Harvey
Treasurer: Donald Young
The Rotary Club of Lochaber Benevolent Fund
Charity Number SC007767
RI Club No.: 20090
This Club is a member of District 1230
Date of Charter:
19th June 1950
Site updated: November 2021