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Feb 23, 2012
About Us
The formation of the 'Callants' began with an initiative originating in the established Paisley Rotary Club. This club was a luncheon club meeting on a Wednesday. The members of the club judged that the town of Paisley could accomodate a second club. This second club would be an evening club, meeting on a different day from the Mother club.
An extension committee was formed and included President Father Tom Cunningham, Past President, Tom Gibson and Tom Bell the Extension Officer for District 1230. The three Toms contacted individuals who they felt would make suitable Rotary members. Early discussions encouraged this group to enlarge the numbers who might be interested in forming a new club and the rest is history.
The new club venue was a local hotel 'The Friarshall' and meetings would be held on a Monday evening at 6.00 pm. The first President, Peter Monaghan, a local businessm, and, with Vice President, the Principal of Paisley College of Technology, were joined by twenty two other members at the Charter Dinner held in the Friarshall Hotel on Thursday 23rd September 1982. The Chairman for the evening was District Governor, David McMurray.
Much discussion took place before the word Callants was incorporated into the club name. Callants was suggested by Tom Gibson, a local poet of note, and past president of the Paisley Burns Club. A Lallans word, Callants was a word used by Robert Burns and means 'virile young men'. Eight of these virile young men were present at the club's 25th Anniversary Dinner held at the club's new venue, the Glynhill Hotel, on Friday 23rd September 2007.