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turning into opportunites

Craig Watson, new president of Junior Chamber International thinks more people should tune in to the opportunities which the organisation offers.

As a schoolboy he grabbed the opportunity to learn to play the bagpipes. That enabled him to earn a few extra pounds during his summer holidays by entertaining visitors to Urquhart Castle.

Ten years ago, just after he had upped sticks and moved to London, he was offered the opportunity to join the Aberdeen office of Murgitroyd & Company, the European patent and trade mark attorneys, and is now Director, patents.

In January he welcomed the opportunity to become President of Junior Chamber International Aberdeen and during his tenure wants to encourage fellow members to seize the plentiful opportunities which he believes JCI creates.

Craig is a great ambassador for JCI which he joined several years ago for both the social life it offers and the chance to develop personally and professionally.

He was brought up in Inverness but studied first at the University of Glasgow for a BSc in Chemistry and then the University of Aberdeen and Institut de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Bordeaux for an MSc in New Materials.

Having joined an office where most of the relatively small of number staff had family commitments he decided the ideal way to widen his circle of friends of similar ages and interests was to join Junior Chamber.

He explained that there are four areas of opportunity in Junior Chamber which aims to develop tomorrow's leaders - international; business; community; and personal and professional development.

"In ‘business' our flagship event is the Grampian Industrialist of the Year award which was first won in 1978 by Sir Ian Wood and was won this year by George Yule, chief executive of Dominion Gas," he said.

"We recently visited the Harbour Board to learn about its operations and regularly organise similar events with local businesses.

"We organise community events like the annual Speak-to-Santa and are currently planning a ‘Goals for Africa' fund-raising event during the summer with Aberdeen Football Club.

"There are extensive opportunities for personal and professional development," he said. "There are events almost every week and the Junior Chamber has a long tradition of public speaking and debating at local, national, and international level if you are that good.
"The Urquhart Partnership has been really supportive recently and has just given us an interviewing skills seminar. This was on how to present yourself at an interview but also, if you are going to be an employer, what to look for and ask when you are carrying out interviews.

"Other events organised are with a financial adviser and an Alexander Technique instructor."

Craig said that the recent Scottish annual conference organised by the Aberdeen members epitomised the blending of social activities with events from which the members and others benefit.

"On the Friday evening there were public speaking and debating events followed by a disco and a buffet.

"On Saturday morning there was a business game organised by local training company Pearl Onion followed by a session on ‘Word of Mouth Marketing.'

"On Saturday there was a civic lunch in the Town House, a whisky tasting in the afternoon and a gala dinner and awards ceremony in the evening.

"It ended on Sunday after a Pilates session."

Craig is looking forward to the rest of his year in office - and is already finding that his bagpiping skills are standing him in good stead.

That began during his first official engagement when he piped in the top table at the annual dinner in Barnsley, a Junior Chamber with which Aberdeen is twinned.

He has also piped in the haggis, and toasted it, at the Edinburgh Burns Supper and piped at the annual Glasgow Colquhoun Dinner.

His election has given him the opportunity to travel and in preparation for the post spent a "fantastic" weekend of intensive training at a leadership academy in Sweden late last year with 75 others from 25 countries.

He will also be in Budapest this year attending an international conference.

"Junior Chamber believes firmly in learning by doing and I am learning a great deal. I really do believe that Junior Chamber offers all sorts of fantastic opportunities."

Further information is available at: www.jciaberdeen.org.uk

Or for enquiries email: membership@jciaberdeen.org.uk.