Air ambulance's vital role
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It would be true to say that local Rotarians are becoming quite accustomed to the weekly meeting using Zoom.
As member Jim McColl said: "Once again we had a good turnout or, more accurately, should it be an audience, for this week's get together.
"Much of the business side was dominated by the problems we have in meeting our promises to others because many of our fund-raising activities are 'on hold' during this pandemic.
"Take for example the annual Christmas Car Raffle aimed at helping the likes of Charlie's House.
"This year, there will be no car but there is still an intention to have a raffle in the Bon Accord Centre with 'no actual cash changing hands' only cards allowed.
"Two or three significant cash/vouchers will be offered as prizes.
"I sensed that the Inverurie members, usually strong supporters of the raffle taking their turn in the Centre every year, were not too keen on the idea but, they will be prepared simply to sell tickets. "Methinks that is a very justifiable compromise."
He continued: "Following on from the fantastic news that the Continent of Africa has now been cleared of polio, World Polio Day is still to be celebrated on 20th October but I guess that will also be more low-key than normal.
"From the foreign desk came another great news story from John Nicol concerning our projects to help a community in Uganda.
"The Health Clinic we helped finance is almost completed and has already been nominated to be up-graded!
"At Monde School the teachers residing in the new school are holding classes for children and adults in the local community, including basic agriculture.
"As a result they are now cultivating 1.5 acres of land with resulting produce being taken by the local community!
"That alone will have significant benefits to health and wellbeing and then, to top that good news story Rotarian Howard Hughes introduced Jim Brand, known to quite a few of the once-fit Rotarians who played rugby with him at Garioch RFC."
He explained: "As a First Responder, Jim gave us a fulsome update on the SCAA - The Scottish Charity Air Ambulance.
"Recently retired from the oil and gas industry, Jim has devoted his efforts to this invaluable, life-saving facility and it showed!
"With a series of slides to illustrate his tale, he kept members enthralled, gob-smacked even, with the facts and statistics relating to how it came about and how it operates, dove-tailing with Government sponsored emergency services.
"In Scotland, we have two helicopters and two fixed wing aircraft providing the emergency ambulance service.
"The charity air ambulance helicopter, based in Aberdeen, has a crew of two pilots and 6 paramedics on duty 12 hours per day.
"Their motto being 'Saving time, Saving lives' and as an example, Jim quoted a few comparisons - from Ballater to ARI by ambulance takes 65 mins, by SCAA - 15 mins.
"Huntly to ARI by road 54 mins, SCAA 14 mins and in the west, from the island of Arran to Crosshouse Hospital (near my home town of Kilmarnock ) ambulance by ferry and road - 127mins, by SCAA -15mins.
"And so the intriguing story went on!
"Since the service began they have logged 2500 emergencies.
"All of this activity, seen to be so vital, costs a lot of money, one mission can cost £2500.
"The service needs £4m per annum.
"One of the successful fundraisers is a monthly lottery with a first prize of £1k, to use an old saying, 'you must speculate to accumulate'.
"Needless to say there were countless questions and suggestions for compensating the loss of income because of the virus pandemic.
"Just one example being waste collections by the local Scouts which can raise £20k annually, have had to be stopped for the time being.
He concluded: "Jim Sommerville offered our thanks for an excellent presentation which will certainly have registered with our fund-raising committees."
