FRIENDS OF BLAIRS

MINUTES OF AGM OF 2008

ST MARY’S CHAPEL

JUNE 7TH AT 16.00HRS

 

AGM OPENED WITH PRAYER LED BY ARCHBISHOP CONTI.

PRESENT WERE 34 MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION.

 

1/ APOLOGIES WERE RECEIVED FROM; BISHOP P.MORAN, MGR MCINTYRE, MGR DONNACHIE, CANON ANDERSON, FR HENNESSY, FR N.DONNACHIE, J.CAMPBELL, S.GARLAND, J.REID AND I.KENNEDY.

 

2/ MINUTES FROM AGM OF 2007 WERE READ AND APPROVED. PROPOSED BY D.FORSYTH, SECONDED BY P.GORMAN.

 

3/ CHAIR ADDRESSED THE FLOOR THUS -

HE THANKED MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THEIR ENDEAVOURS OVER THE PAST YEAR. PARTICULAR MENTION WAS MADE OF ANNE CARUANA, WHOM THE CHAIR FELT HAS SHOWN THE WAY FORWARD FOR OTHER LADIES TO JOIN AND PARTICIPATE IN THE ASSOCIATION.THANKS WERE ALSO EXTENDED TO THE OTHER LADIES OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN OUR EVENTS.

HE GAVE INFORMATION ON HOW THE “OPEN DAY” ON MARCH 1ST 2008 WENT. HE SAID THAT 600 PEOPLE CAME THROUGH THE DOORS THAT DAY WHO WERE SHOWN ROUND BY SOME OF THE MEMBERS WHOM HE THANKED FOR THEIR HELP. THEY WERE ASSISTED BY MUSEUM STAFF PAST AND PRESENT. THE MUIR GROUP ORGANISED THIS DAY TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE BLAIRS PROJECT. THIS EVENT WAS THEN REPEATED ON THE 7TH JUNE, OUR AGM DAY.

HE THEN WENT ON TO SAY WHAT A SUCCESS THE CEILIDH WAS IN RAISING FUNDS FOR FR MCINNES, A FORMER STUDENT, NOW WORKING IN ECUADOR. CHAIR NOTED THE HELP GIVEN TO THE ASSOCIATION IN THIS EVENT BY HOLY CROSS PARISH, GLASGOW AND ITS P/P FR. N. DONNACHIE. CHAIR HOPED THAT SUCH EVENTS WOULD BE REPEATED IN THE FUTURE.

THE REQUIEM MASS WAS HELD IN GALLOWAY DIOCESE ON THE 3RD NOVEMBER AND WAS SAID BY BISHOP CUNNINGHAM TO WHOM WE EXTEND OUR THANKS. THANKS ALSO GIVEN TO FR E.MCGHEE

IN WHOSE PARISH IT WAS HELD. THIS YEAR THE REQUIEM MASS WILL BE HELD IN ST. ANDREW’S CATHEDRAL, GLASGOW, ON THE 8TH NOVEMBER AT 13.30HRS.

CHAIR THEN THANKED HIS GRACE, ARCHBISHOP CONTI, FOR BEING WITH US AND FOR BEING THE PRINCIPAL CELEBRANT AT OUR AGM MASS.

CHAIR REFERRED TO THE WATER COLOUR PAINTING OF THE COLLEGE THAT THE ASSOCIATION HAD COMMISSIONED AND COULD BE SEEN IN THE MUSEUM.

CHAIR THEN CLOSED WITH THANKING THE PARISH OF ST MARY’S BLAIRS, ITS P/P FR. HUTCHEON AND DEACON MCDONALD FOR ALLOWING US THE USE FOR OUR AGM AND MASS.

CHAIR THANKED THE MUSEUM MANAGER, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS FOR THE GREAT WORK THEY ARE DOING AND FOR GIVING US SUCH A WARM WELCOME. HE ALSO THANKED THE MUIR

GROUP FOR ALLOWING US ACCESS TO THE COLLEGE AND GROUNDS.

 

4/ THE TREASURER REPORTED THAT OUR TOTAL FUNDS SIT AT £2,513. THIS INCLUDES £974.27 IN OUR SPECIAL ACCOUNT. £93.10 WAS TRANSFERRED FROM OUR GENERAL ACCOUNT AS A DONATION TO FR. MCINNES TO BRING THE MONEY GIVEN TO £2,500. SPECIAL ACCOUNT

WAS EXPLAINED BY THE CHAIR TO THE FLOOR AND WAS ACCEPTED BY THE FLOOR. ACCOUNTS HAD BEEN AUDITED PRIOR TO AGM.

 

5/ MR McCANN FROM THE HISTORY GROUP ADDRESSED THE FLOOR. GROUP NOW WORKING WITH MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES IN EDINBURGH WITH INCREASED COMMUNICATION. STANDING GROUP

NOW FORMED, CONSISTING OF MR McCANN, MISS MURRAY AND MR A. NICHOL. PLANS TO CATALOGUE ALL DOCUMENTS AND ARTEFACTS ARE UNDERWAY. MEMBERS CAN NOW LEND ANY ITEMS FROM BLAIRS THEY HAVE TO THE ARCHIVES AND THEY WILL BE RETURNED IF

REQUESTED. A POINT FROM THE FLOOR WAS MADE THAT THE BLAIRS ARTEFACTS WOULD BE RETURNED TO ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY IN THE NEAR FUTURE. ONE LONG TERM AIM OF THE GROUP WOULD BE TO TRACK DOWN INFORMATION ON THE TRINIDADIAN STUDENT.

MR McCANN ASKED FOR VOLUNEERS TO JOIN THIS GROUP AND MR MCLAUGHLIN PUT NAME FORWARD. BEFORE CLOSING HE POINTED OUT THAT THE GROUP HAD THE “TALKING HEADS” VIDEOS AND HAD ALSO ACQUIRED THE FILMS OF FR J. KANE.

 

6/ MISS MURRAY, MUSEUM MANAGER, THANKED THE ASSOCIATION FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT. SHE REMINDED THE MEETING THAT SHE STILL WOULD LIKE STORIES ETC OF STUDENTS’ LIVES WITHIN THE COLLEGE. SHE THANKED THOSE MEMBERS WHO ASSISTED AT THE MUIR GROUP’S OPEN DAY. SHE WENT ON TO THANK THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE PAINTING. SHE TOLD THE AGM OF A NEW MUSEUM WEBSITE AND NOW CHILDRENS’ COSTUMES WERE BEING USED IN THE MUSEUM TO ENHANCE VISITS. A FILM, SHE SAID, WAS BEING MADE ON LIFE IN BLAIRS AND WOULD BE SHOWN IN THE MUSEUM AND WOULD, SHE HOPED, BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN THE MUSEUM SHOP.

 

7/ A.O.B.

Q/ WILL MUSEUM BE EXPANDED?

A/ DISCUSSION ON THIS IS CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE.

Q/ WOULD THE HISTORY GROUP INVESTIGATE GAINING ACCESS TO THE FILM MADE BY A FR. JOHN McKEE ?

A/ MR McCANN WILL TAKE THIS ON BOARD.

 

8/ ELECTION OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS

CURRENT MEMBERS PUT THEMSELVES UP FOR RE-ELECTION. THIS WAS ACCEPTED BY THE FLOOR. IN ADDITION, MR P.BRADFORD AND MR J O‘BRIEN AGREED TO JOIN THE COMMITTEE. THIS WAS ACCEPTED BY THE FLOOR.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR 2008/2009 ARE;

P.CRERON, A.CARUANA, R.CARUANA, J.BROWN, D.MCCANN, B.MCGUIRE, J.O‘DONNELL, J.CASSIDY, P.BRADFORD, P.GORMAN AND J.O’BRIEN.

OFFICE BEARERS WILL BE ELECTED AT THE FIRST COMMITTEE MEETING ON THE 14TH SEPT IN ST BRIDGET’S. DUE TO GEOGRAPHICAL REASONS MESSRS CASSIDY, GORMAN, BRADFORD AND O’BRIEN WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND ALL MEETINGS BUT WILL KEEP IN CONTACT VIA INTERNET AND WILL ACT AS REPS FOR EIRE, WALES, ENGLAND AND EAST SCOTLAND.

 

9/ AGM 2009 WILL BE HELD ON 6TH JUNE 2009 IN ST MARY’S CHAPEL BLAIRS AT 14.30HRS WITH

MASS AT 17.00HRS.

 

 

10/ AGM CLOSED WITH PRAYER LED BY ARCHBISHOP CONTI. .

 

James Cassidy 2008