Club History

OUR FOUNDER MEMBERS (L to R) : Back Row - Hector Woodhouse, John Cadzow, Iain Morrison, Ian Bainton, Eddie Crawley, Harry Ness, Douglas Cook, Neil Miller, Jim Cowie.
Middle Row - Billy Aitken, George Stewart, John Barrett, Stuart Young, Tom Brown, Duncan Meek, Thom Riddell, Bob Twigans, Bill Millar, Jim Clark, Mike Boyle.
Front Row - Alex Linkston (Secy), George Montgomery (Dist. Ext. Officer), Sandy Stewart (President), Roy Redwood(Vice President), Colin Galloway (Treas).
In Absentia - Jim Chapman and Gerry Keating (>>> Current members in bold text. My! How they've changed!)

The first Rotary Club in Linlithgow was formed in 1955 and also embraced Bo’ness. Since the formation of this club the town of Linlithgow has undergone spectacular growth. The population in Linlithgow in the mid 1960’s was about 2500 and by the early 1990’s was about 14000. In 1991 the Linlithgow and Bo’ness Rotary Club under the Presidency of Mr. John Kerr suggested the formation of a new club in the Linlithgow Area. The L & B club agreed and set out to find prospective members of this new club. Mr. George Montgomery (PDG), in his capacity as District 102 Extension Officer, was appointed to oversee the process of formation as well as explain the basis of Rotary to the prospective members.

The Inaugural Dinner of the new Rotary Club, to be known as the Rotary Club of Linlithgow Grange, was held in the Inchyra Grange Hotel on Monday the 3rd of June 1991. Among those attending were John Sommerville District Governor, John Kerr President of Linlithgow and Bo’ness Rotary Club and Sandy Stewart President Elect of the new Club.

The club was formed by Linlithgow and Bo’ness to compliment their existing club. Both clubs cover the same geographical area but where as Linlithgow and Bo’ness meet at lunchtime, the new club was scheduled to meet in the evening. This enabled existing and potential Rotarians in the Linlithgow and Bo’ness Areas to participate in Rotary who would otherwise be prevented from attending at Lunchtime.

The Charter Dinner was held in the lnchyra Hotel on Monday the 16th of September 1991. The Chairman for the evening was District Governor William (Bill) Rutherford, who presented the Charter to Mr. Sandy Stewart, the first President of the new Linlithgow Grange Rotary Club. Mr. John Kenny from Grangemouth, as Vice President of RIBI was the main speaker and gave the welcome into Rotary. The President’s Jewel was presented to the club by the Royal Bank of Scotland PLC and was handed over by Mr. Jim Scott.

The new Club first met in the Earl O’Moray Hotel in Linlithgow on Monday evenings later moving to the lnchyra Grange Hotel and then to the B.P. Social Club in Grangemouth. It was always the clubs intention to meet in Linlithgow and it was not until 1997, under the Presidency of Mr. Tom Brown, that the club moved to the West Port Hotel in Linlithgow.

The first fund-raising even was a race night, in a marquee which is erected for a week preceding the local Riding of the Marches, and over £1000 was raised and Riding for the Disabled, the world swimming gala for the handicapped in Ayr and local charities all benefited from this event.