Published: Wednesday, 2nd July, 2008 12:00
Proud new leaders take charge in Rotary Club's 60th anniversary year
By Bob Lovik
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President Jim Keenan.
Pic by: Jan van der Merwe
THE Rotary Club of Alloa’s new president is delighted to be leading the organisation as it prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary.
President Jim Keenan (57) and vice president Robert Wilson (60) have been newly installed in their roles and will lead the club during a busy year of fundraising, special events and anniversary celebrations.
The Rotary Club of Alloa was officially chartered in 1949, and both men are delighted to be leading the group as it turns 60.
While the new president lives in Dunblane, he certainly has an intimate history with Alloa.
Mr Keenan served as a detective sergeant in Alloa in charge of CID from 1985 to 1988. He retired from his position as Deputy Chief Constable with the Central Scotland Police in 2003 after a 32-year career in law enforcement.
Jim told the Advertiser, “I have a very good feel for Clackmannanshire and Alloa and I’ve had a lot of involvement with the business community here over the years.
“It is a privilege to be the president of the Alloa Rotary Club and I will fulfill the role to the best of my ability.”
Mr Keenan is already enjoying his role as the official representative of a club which has raised over £20,000 for local and international charities in the last year. Alloa Rotary has already planned a busy fundraising schedule for the upcoming year and will continue being a vital funding source for many Clackmannanshire groups and charities.
Mr Keenan said, “Being a Rotarian is about service above self and giving back to the community. It is about assisting people who are less fortunate than yourself. The fellowship the club provides is also very important.”
Mr Keenan and his wife, Neina, have two sons, Paul (26) and James (28). Since retiring from the police force, Jim has been able to indulge his passions for spending time with his family, travel, hill walking and supporting his favourite football club, as well as keeping busy with a variety of business interests.
He continued, “I am really looking forward to being president this year. We have some really enthusiastic conveners and an energetic schedule. Being a Rotarian, you know you are really making a difference in people’s lives. I know because they come up and tell you.”
Joining Jim in the Rotary Club’s top tier is the new vice president Robert Wilson. Mr Wilson runs a Coalsnaughton dairy farm which has been in his family since 1921. Robert’s day usually begins at 5am as he looks after the 400 cows on his farm.
Robert was surprised to find himself as vice president after only being a member of the club for seven years.
He told the Advertiser, “I didn’t expect this so soon. I thought it might happen sometime down the line but this is much quicker than I thought. My main duty this year will be planning the organisation’s 60th anniversary event in April 2009.
“We will also be organising many charity events to raise money for both local and international groups. There will be a main push this year to eradicate polio as this is one of the Rotary Club’s major goals.”
Mr Wilson didn’t have to think twice when he was invited to join the Rotarians and the organisation has given him many memorable experiences.
He said, “Working in agriculture is very insular and you tend to talk to a lot of people only about farming-related topics. Being a member of the Alloa Rotary Club has been a great opportunity to meet people from other walks of life.
“One of my best experiences was when we raised over £12,000 in just 12 hours after the tsunami in Asia at local supermarkets. There were children coming forward with their pocket money. It was quite an achievement.”
For more information about the Rotary Club of Alloa, contact the club secretary, Ray Gill, on 01259 742936.
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