Elgin Rotary grants its highest award to Moray stalwart
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Honorary Membership of Rotary Elgin has been given to Glen Elliot in recognition of his commitment over the past 45 years.
The distinction, which comes on his 84th birthday, is the highest that a rotary club may bestow
Club President Margaret Stenton explained it is only conferred in exceptional circumstances.
She said: "The rotary motto is 'service above self’ and Glen has been a shining example of that in so many ways.
"He joined in 1975 and was president in 1990-91.
"Glen has made a superb contribution to the life of Elgin and Moray and to the work of Rotary overseas."
A keen runner himself, Glen was one of the leading lights in introducing Marafun in 1990-91.
This incredibly popular community event raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for essential local charities and major local initiatives over the course of the next 26 years.
In 1991 Glen was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship for his superb service to Rotary Elgin up to that point.
Then, in 1996, he received a further Paul Harris Fellowship from Rotarians in Pennsylvania as a result of successful golf exchanges.
With a keen eye for public relations, during the 1990s Glen ensured that Rotary Elgin won the national publicity award on several occasions.
These promotional skills helped launch the Fellowship Malt whisky in 2001 with the sales raising funds to help eradicate polio.
Of particular note was Glen’s inspired idea to auction Fellowship Malt bottles signed by world celebrities including among others Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, President Gerald Ford and Luciano Pavarotti.
Some £120,000 was raised, translating into 300,000 essential polio immunisations.
Glen’s organisational and persuasive skills were again put to great use when he was event organiser for three very successful concerts in Elgin Town Hall featuring Her Majesty’s Band of the Royal Marines in 2010, 2011 and 2013.
Some £30,000 was raised for Forces’ charities.
Given his superb contribution to Rotary Elgin and to the wider Elgin and Moray community, Glen Elliot was awarded an MBE in 2016.
The conferring of Honorary Membership of Rotary Elgin further underlines that service to the community.
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