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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.m. 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.
Jimmy 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.
(* Sadly no longer. Charlie died in July 2011 but his widow, Faye, was made an honorary member in April 2021.)
Should you wish to read the rest please download the pdf file from here.
Follow the link below for the full Timeline of Rotary. This opens on another web site provided by Rotary International.
74 2023 – 24 Flora McKee
73 2022 – 23 Simon Hardiman
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: 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
50 1999 – 2000 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
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
OFFICE BEARERS
President: Malcolm MacRaild
Pres-Elect: Iain Johnston
Vice President: Vacant
Secretary: Donald Young
Treasurer: Flora McKee
The Rotary Club of Lochaber Benevolent Fund.
Charity Number SC007767.
RI Club No.: 20090.
This Club is a member of District 1320.
Date of Charter: 19th June 1950.
