Reflections

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Jean Thomson Harris David Paton Past President, Longniddry and District Rotary Club, Scotland has offered Rotary Global History these fine photos and the thoughts of a fellow Scotsman about our organization's founding First Lady.

My club of Longniddry and District is situated in East Lothian, around 12 miles east of the city of Edinburgh. We are a fairly new club founded in 1980 and our village is very, very small. (It is the birthplace of John Muir, founder of America's National Parks)	Jean Thomson Harris is by far the most famous of the wives of Rotarians who make up the Inner Wheel organisation. Inner Wheel has been a forgotten branch of the Rotary family made up of the womenfolk of Rotarians (wives and to a lesser extent, daughters) who do sterling service to good causes and should be recognised.	Our Club also has an Inner Wheel club and we started a web site for that organisation as a service to them. Inner Wheel involves the wives and female members of a Rotarian within the family of Rotary and help many worthwhile causes. Jean Harris is by far the most famous of the wives.	Jean Harris' birthplace is commemorated at little-known 9 Cumberland Street, Edinburgh with the pictured plaque donated by the Rotary Club of St. Louis, Missouri, USA stand proud. This famous Rotary Club from many thousands of miles away obviously recognise the importance of Rotary Global History in this splendid gesture. I wonder how many residents of this small residential avenue have noticed this plaque as they proceed along the road? This commemoration may, however, be like a small magnet for visiting Rotarians to “Auld Reekie”.

Cumberland Street is at the heart of Edinburgh's New Town¹ designed in the late eighteenth century by James Craig for Edinburgh's professional classes. The streets were designed to be "symmetrical, clean and classical" and many were named after the British Royal House of Hanover e.g., Princes Street, George Street, Hanover Street, Charlotte Square, Fredrick Street, Queen Street and of course, Cumberland Street after the Duke of Cumberland, brother to King George III and infamous for his merciless Highland clearances after the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion - hence his nickname "Butcher Cumberland".	A few blocks up from Cumberland Street, walking on the lengthy, uphill, Dundas Street. From the summit we see the unmistakable Edinburgh Castle², the jewel in the city's crown and turning around we see below us the Port of Leith and the majestic Firth of Forth with the Kingdom of Fife as a background. As we head for the city centre we may well encounter the birthplace of another famous Edinburgh resident - Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, Kidnapped and Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.	About one mile to the west of Cumberland Street lies Comely Bank. This is the famous area of Edinburgh where Jean spent her childhood and whose name Paul and Jean Harris affectionately used in the USA to describe their "home". The small businesses have changed but the main buildings of the Victorian era remain. This is one of the most pleasant areas of Edinburgh very close to the thriving little "village" of Stockbridge. With its intimate restaurants and quaint specialist stores. Nearby are some of Edinburgh's famous private schools including Fettes College where current Prime Minister Tony Blair was educated.	As preparations were being finalised for the 1997 RI Convention in Glasgow, Scotland, the Braids Rotary Club was asked by the Organizers to help restore the graveside of Jean Harris. RI President Luis Giay (and other Rotary International officials) made it known that they wished to visit the last resting place of Rotary founder Paul Harris' widow some 30 miles away in Edinburgh. The Braids Rotary Club - as the local club - decided to commemorate Jean's grave by placing a plaque at the cemetery gates. The gravestone is very close to the gates probably 20 metres straight ahead on the left hand side.
P.S. I wish to say that photos are not exactly my work but that of my step-son and Rotarian, Calum Thomson David Paton ¹New Town www.great-britain.co.uk/borders.htm ²Edinburgh Castle www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~mart03/Scotland1.htm copyright 2002 M. Ruffe ³The phrase 'We're a' Jock Tamson's Bairns' is well known in Scotland. It roughly means 'we're all the same - we're all equal', a sentiment that is echoed in many a folk song.