Letter from the Dean – 29th June 2020
Dear Guild Brothers,
It does seem as if we are slowly moving in the right direction but it will be a long time before life returns to a semblance of the normality we knew four months ago. I am conscious that for many of you this will have been an anxious and often lonely time. The human contact we took for granted has been absent from all our lives for many weeks. The weather also seems to have reverted to wind and rain so getting into the fresh air is much less inviting.
It may seem that little has been happening which affects the Guildry but behind the scenes there have been some regular events. The Dean’s Council has met via Zoom and thus the business of the Guildry has been kept under review. The annual History prize has been awarded to Tara Leishman at Stirling University for a paper on, topically, the legacies of transatlantic slavery in 19th century Stirlingshire and Perthshire. I sent a message of congratulations via video. Five history prizes have also been awarded, although again not in person, to pupils at Queen Victoria School along with announcement of the first winner, Pratistha Khawas, of the new Guildry drum.
A new Master and Factor for Cowane’s Trust has been appointed and started with the Trust early in June. As lockdown eases we are able to resume work on the restoration of the inside of the Hospital and with the work progressing we hope we shall be able to anticipate a return to our normal meeting place during 2021. All the portraits are to be photographed and these framed in a uniform pattern for re-hanging in a logical sequence.
We have been much saddened by the loss of two Guild Brothers in recent weeks and send our thoughts and condolences to the families of Jim McGrandles and Roy Paterson. We also send these to Chamberlain and Past Dean Robin Iffla on the death of his mother.
We all look forward to the time when we can meet again safely and we shall keep you all well informed of when we hope that might be.
With best wishes
Elizabeth
