Cowdenbeath: Large attendance expected at Rotary centenary dinner

Thursday’s club meeting heard that 113 people were expected to attend the event, being held at Wee Jimmies, on High Street, which will mark 100 years since the rotary club started in the town.

Club president, John Gilfillan, told the meeting that the main speaker will be Cowdenbeath chairman, and prominent defence KC in Scotland, Donald Findlay; and other guests will include Alan Condie, the president of Dunfermline Rotary Club, the organisation which helped establish the Cowdenbeath club in 1923, along with north of Scotland Governor Jim Hatton.

Mr Gilfillan said: “The interest in the centenary dinner has been tremendous and to welcome 100 plus people to celebrate the event is exciting.

“We have members of clubs from all over Fife joining us and we will also have an important presentation to make with one of our group set to receive the rotary movement’s highest award.”

During Thursday’s meeting, Colin Sneddon, one of the club’s three new members, talked about being a Cowdenbeath person born and bred, and how he was so delighted to be able to start his business in the town.

Educated at Broad Street Primary and Beath High schools, he originally became a baker in the town with Stephen’s, but after many years in that role, he decided to change direction and became a funeral director with the Co-op Funeral Service.

Colin said: “I was lucky enough to be offered a position with the Co-op Funeral Service and was soon working in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area, but when the opportunity arose to start up myself in Station Road, I felt I had to take it.

“I have thoroughly felt it encouraging to have the chance to help local families at such a difficult time in their lives.”

He went on to say that the opportunity came to extend the business into the Leven area, which has proved to be a successful move, and he received the Prestige Awards Funeral Director of The Year Award for Fife last week.