As another year draws to a close, I am delighted to say that during my tenure we have weathered the Covid-19 storm - where others have not been so lucky; have forged a closer relationship with the School, maintained attendance at our events and also have a solid plan for the next few years.
We have continued to offer our events, communications and services both in person and online where possible and I am delighted that tonight we can again continue to offer online access for those unable to attend. Thank you to those joining us online.
Over the last twelve months, we have continued our regular meetings, virtually with the Principal, Anthony Simpson; Head of The Mary Erskine School, Kirsty Nicolson and Director of Development, Angela Alexander joining us at these meetings. Thank you to the Principal and his team for making the time to join us and also to the committee for their attendance.
I want to also note a further thanks for the last 6 to 9 months since Angela joined the Development Office and with Anthony taking the reins at the School, the Guild and the School have never been so closely aligned for quite a few years.
With regards to events, we have held successful Coffee Mornings, our Annual Reunion achieved high attendance rates and our Remembrance Service continues to run at at Mary Erskine's grave at Greyfriars annually. Thanks to former S6 Mary Erskine School Captain Zanab and Tabby for laying the wreath and reciting the poem.
Due to changes at the School and changing events, we did not hold our Strawberries and Champagne event for the Leavers but hope this year to find a suitable replacement. I did however get the chance to meet them as they crossed the stage at Prizegiving as we welcomed them to the community and handed over a small gift.
Technology has been at the forefront of our work this year with our website undergoing a much-needed transformation and update; we moved to an online ordering system for our events and have been continuing to add archives to an online repository with plans to make these accessible to members in the coming months.
My final point is to thank the Committee for their efforts – home baking, sensible advice and assistance at our events, Sam Roger as the Guild Coordinator, Christine Collingwood and Dorothy Sharp for their help with the archives and also to our members who continue to support us as we navigate the future of the Guild.
It is disappointing to say that although the Guild Committee remains strong, I have not found a successor for the role of President. Instead, I hope that we can collectively cover the role as a Group until a suitable former pupil is found. If anyone wishes to discuss their suitability for the role, please do reach out to us.
Thank you again for your support over the last 12 months.
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