Rotary is a worldwide organization
of business and professional leaders that provides
humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards
in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace
in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians
belong to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs located in
167 countries.
Where
did we get our name?
Well, St. Fittick was an Irish monk preaching the
gospel in France. In a vision, he was ordered to get
to the coast and board the first ship bound for the
north. Off Nigg, a great storm arose and the superstitious
sailors blamed the Holy Man and threw him overboard.
He was washed ashore half-dead with thirst from the
salt water he’d swallowed. As he prayed for
water, a little spring bubbled up from under his hand
and his life was saved. He proceeded to preach the
Gospel to the fisherfolk of Torry and the farmers
of Tullos.
The well, naturally, had miraculous curative powers
and drew pilgrims for centuries, until the Reformation,
when the Reformers denounced the practice as superstitious
heathenism. People were fined for seeking cures and
the holy well, but the belief in its powers lived
on and those who were desperate for a cure risked
the wrath of the Church.
Aberdeen St. Fittick Rotary
Club, when it was formed, was given the geographical
area around the harbour area of Torry, including the
town of Torry, now absorbed into the city of Aberdeen.
In carrying out the principles of the Rotary movement,
the Club has since its inception been involved in
aspects of community service which would have appealed
to a monk such as St. Fittick, fostering close links
with the people of Torry and Tullos, in particular
with the schools and young people, and also with the
aged.
Further
afield, jointly with other Clubs we have been active
in raising cash for the Tsunami Disaster Appeal. On
our own account we are involved in a number of international
projects, particularly in Malawi, where through the
efforts of our member Alastair Brodie we have been instrumental
in providing a house for an old lady who is blind, and
also in combating in a small way the dreadful effects
of the HIV virus, by enabling 40 mothers to have the
necessary treatment to prolong their lives, thus potentially
giving 200 children the benefit of having one adult
in their lives as they grow up (the “Save-a-Mum
Project”)
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