Newsletter

	Newsletter
	… from the Ministers Gulf of Mexico, Oil and Spills. We are thousands of miles away from the Gulf of Mexico and none of the oil drilled there will reach us … not even the spills. We can watch with detached disinterest or can we because we too are dependent on deep sea oil rigs drilling in fragile eco environments to supply our needs. I believe that we should watch the current spill with considerable concern. I have a friend who works in the oil industry and his knowledge of the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I asked him recently what he made of it and this is part of his reply …. Well obviously I am deeply shocked, both at the inability to stop the flow, and the complete loss of a very modern high tech ($350 million) rig with the loss of 11 lives (it was less than 10 years old). It will only be a matter of time till they eventually stem the flow but in the mean time it still continues to spill. I am not sure people realise quite the complexity of the operation; we have let the genie out of the bottle when we lost control, and it is proving very difficult to put back. We are fighting nature itself; in some ways it is analogous to trying to stop a tornado. The depths and pressures are enormous. It bothers me that the oil companies announce huge profits but push people to complete projects to maintain these high profits, and, though they will never admit it, are ready to cut a few corners. They are of course answerable to their share holders; greed is good is it not!!!! This time they did not get away with it. When will people realise that safety is very expensive, but not as expensive as an accident. I do not understand why there was not an acoustic shut down option on this well. It may not have prevented the disaster but would have been another line of defence, another option. Unfortunately as long as we require and are reliant on oil this sort of thing will always be a risk, and it is too simplistic to think we could just give up oil tomorrow; these risks will be there. It is a salient reminder to our masters about seeking out oil in environmentally sensitive areas. When you realise the risk these guys take with the forces of nature, the gas pressure is somewhere in the region of 40000 psi, it is humbling. It should also be noted that when you consider the number of rigs drilling not just in the Gulf it was only a matter of time something would happen. We should take this as a lesson learnt and NOT drill in very environmental sensitive areas. The damage here on the Louisiana coast will last a generation, the rich will get richer and the poor will have to pay for it, as usual. This is not good for the shrimpers and fishermen on the LA coast and the abundant wildlife. It should be a wake up call that we need to re-think our incessant raping of the planet for resources, non-replenishable resources. When they have gone they have gone, so unless our political masters start to have a longer term view, thinking beyond the immediate future, beyond the immediate horizon, we will be doomed. That may of course be the plan............... In the Book of Genesis we read that God put man in the Garden of Eden to nurture and care for it. I do not believe that that is literally true but I do, most firmly, believe the underlying principles of stewardship and nurture. What do you think??? Malcolm ****** Walls out with the walls** The Glens and Kirriemuir Old Parish Church now have a Facebook page. It is one of the ways we are broadening our communication and connections with folk beyond the walls of the church. On this page we post details of services, special events, items of interest and things to make you think. We also have photographs of the churches, the J M Barrie service, the political hustings and the interview between Lesley Riddoch and Andrew Birkin. We have 59 members so far (increasing day by day) and they are free to post comments on the GKOPC wall (page). So, if you are on-line and have signed up for Facebook, why not pay us a visit? Linda Stevens ******* Calendars The winners of the 2010 Photo Competition were announced in May as follows 1^st prize ‘Autumn at Cortachy’ Dave Robb 2^nd prize ‘Squirrel at Cortachy’ Dave Robb 3^rd prize ‘Dusk, Kirriemuir Square’ Al Schoepp John Ray won the prize for choosing the most photos included in the final calendar. The 2011 calendar goes on sale at the Kirrie Show on 17^th July and will be available from the church office thereafter. It will be available from the local shops from August. It is another super calendar with photos varying from Lintrathen Loch to Glen Clova and Cortachy Castle to Kirrie Den and more – another varied journey round this beautiful area. We have managed to keep the price at £5 so they make wonderful reasonably priced Christmas presents – especially for sending to far flung corners of the world. Don’t forget we also sell other things from the office – cards for all occasions, jewellery, Traidcraft goods, pure olive soap, jams & chutneys, books and more besides. Feel free to come in and browse. ******** A YEAR IN THE GUILD** Rev. Malcolm Rooney opened our 2009/10 session and we discussed the various Guild Projects that we will support during the next three years. Seven members had attended the Annual Guild Conference in Dundee. There is always a great camaraderie at this meeting with members travelling from “a the airts” and renewing friendships; a packed Caird Hall confirms the popularity of this Conference. A video entitled “Safe As Houses” was shown by Angus Care and Repair and we were made aware of the services offered by this group. Energy Saving Bulbs and medical emergency containers were distributed to Members. A new venture for the Guild was an extremely enjoyable visit to the Guide Dog Training Centre in Forfar. We were shown many aspects of the training procedure followed by afternoon tea and a chance to purchase from a well stocked shop selling Guide Dog related goods. One of our Members, Mrs. Kay Belton, who served in the Catering Section of the WAAFS had been invited to represent Angus at the VJ 1995 parade in London and we heard how she had travelled on the first jumbo jet to leave Edinburgh for London. Following the many parades and “get togethers” it was back to Edinburgh for a sunset ceremony on the Esplanade of the Castle. A truly wonderful experience and one which we were delighted to share. Our next meeting featured Mr. Peter Andrews who told us the harrowing conditions he and another three Rotary Members found on a visit to Bosnia. The Rotary has given tremendous support to the Bosnian people and will continue to do so. A dreich November day saw us on the West Highland Way, courtesy of Mr. Jim Nicoll and the photography was superb. …………and then it was Christmas! An excellent meal served by Alison Beattie, readings from Sheila Mann interspersed with carols from the Guild set the scene for the festive season. We had a “Burns” afternoon when Maimie Jamieson and Elma Munro compiled a selection of poems and readings and also tested our knowledge on Burns!A successful “Bring and Buy Sale” was held following which, we dined on one of Margaret McLaren’s clootie dumplings - delicious. “Befriending Offenders” was the subject of our next meeting and speaker Mrs. Wyn March gave a fascinating talk about her involvement with this organisation. An extremely informative talk by Mrs. Cath Hardman gave an insight into the extent of the services undertaken by Barnardos; problems from childhood into adulthood are all part of their commitment. We welcomed Major Ronnie Proctor, always a favourite with the Guild, and he updated us with news about Balhouse Castle and the Black Watch - as far as our generation is concerned, this name still lives on! The A.G.M. was held at our final meeting and we welcomed several new Committee Members. Our final discussion was led by Rev. Linda Stevens and she invited the Guild to participate in a question and answer session on the various topics discussed at our meetings and how they affected us personally - a very thought provoking experience. In November we held a very successful coffee/lunch morning with a Christmas sales table; this was held in conjunction with the Isla Parishes Guild. We chose Dunkeld for our annual trip and visited the Cathedral where we had an excellent guide then very quickly made our way to the nearest café as it was snowing! Our next stop was the Birkie Inn where we had a first-class high tea and a very pleasant drive back to Kirriemuir. We would be delighted if anyone (male or female) would like to join us at our meetings; we meet Monday afternoons 2 - 4pm in the Church Hall and will resume our next session on 13^th September, 2010. Not sure of joining? Then just come along and visit, you will be very welcome. Margaret Mair ********** Litter Collection** Members of Kirriemuir Round Table have taken Christine’s lead with a few evenings out collecting litter from the roadside verges and paths around the town. The path through the woods from the top of Kinnordy Road along to Windyghoul Road and down to Woodside was cleared with an enormous amount of rubbish collected, in fact a fairly large trailer load! Amazing the things we picked up including a dog basket, car exhaust, glass milk bottles, carpet, various car parts and unfortunately an enormous amount of bags of dog waste which were found on the ground and hanging from the trees!, we removed as much as we could but it would be helpful if Angus Council could erect more bins in the area or the walkers take their waste home. We also covered the verges from Slade Road to Kinnordy Loch where a further ten large black rubbish sacks were filled. Some of what we picked up may well have fallen from refuse collection vehicles but it looked like most had been thrown from passing vehicles. In a few evenings we believe we helped to make a difference; we do plan do some more over the summer and improve the area for all of us living in the area and the many tourists that come to visit one of our great assets, the local scenery! Keith Headridge ******* The Skein Trust The Skein Trust was established in 2007 to help fund the work of the West Angus Area Ministry and appealed to the congregations to support the Trust with monthly or annual donations. The response from the elders and the congregation of the Glens and Kirriemuir Old was especially encouraging and with the help of a few individual donations the Trust now has a current income of approximately £20,000 per year and has, to date, given or approved grants to WAAM of £65,400. The current aim of the Trust is to reach a target of £30,000 per annum to enable further funding of the services that WAAM provides and it is hoped to achieve this by increasing the monthly congregational giving to Skein and also continuing to approach other charitable organisations. The purposes of the Trust are to: Promote the benefit of the people of the parishes of the Glens and Kirriemuir Old, Eassie and Nevay, Newtyle and the Isla Parishes; Assist in the provision of, or facilitate, services that would benefit physical, emotional or spiritual well being; Promote educational and social welfare. To give an indication of the type of work done by the pastoral and administrative team, listed below are examples of work being funded by The Skein Trust: Bereavement Support: spending time with the bereaved; Parental Support: helping parents in family crisis, guiding parents who are explaining death to their children; Drop in visits: dropping in to chat on an informal basis; Leisure time activities: taking people who are unable to go on their own to the theatre, church concerts etc; Hospital and illness related visits: spending time with the sick and their families; Relationship issues: offer support and a listening ear at times of crisis. The administrative team does vital work not only to support the Pastoral team but to: a) Type, print and distribute all WAAM’s newsletters and magazines; b) Prepare and distribute Minutes and the related papers; c) Operate the hospital pool car system; d) Provide a copying and printing facility for the Parishes and for local organisations within the Parishes. e) Co-ordinate and supervise the hire of halls; f) Host and maintain the WAAM Web Site. The trustees would like to express their thanks to the members of the congregation who currently support the work of the Trust and hope that other members of the Glens and Kirriemuir Old congregation will want to add their support to enable the Trust to reach its target of £30,000 per annum. Many donations are of £5 or £10 per month and new donors are asked to contact John Mountford, Chairman of The Skein Trust through the administration office on 01575 572819. Similarly please contact John if you wish to increase your monthly contribution. ****** Kerygma Bible Study This was a course Malcolm and I learned about during the pulpit exchange with the Rev Dan Michalek in Brighton, Michigan back in 2005. On my return I was keen to do the course. It sounds very grand with the Greek name… meaning “proclamation”. However it is a well-structured introduction to the Bible as a whole, and participants in Brighton met over 30 weeks to study the material from the 30 Sessions….a huge commitment as there was study to do at home as well. It was offered to members of the West Angus Area Ministry and 3 groups of about 10 people were led by Geoff Miller and myself. We met fortnightly, as we discovered there were many carefully selected Bible passages to read at home and discuss later, and we chose to do this over a period of 15 months. Having done all the preparation, it was decided the course should be offered a second time, and we have now just completed our second run with a new group of people. Geoff and I admire the fact that they stayed the course, and we are grateful for their contributions which led to stimulating discussion giving much food for thought. The course does not set out to give pat answers to the big questions, but it does provide the opportunity to air views. I learned so much the first time through, gaining a lot of knowledge, and benefited even more from the second run. Though I have been part of a church all of my life, I had never made any systematic study of the Bible. I found it challenging and reassuring, realising that the problems we face today were also experienced in similar ways all these centuries before. So much has to be taken in the context of the times. People (Old Testament prophets) who spoke out for their faith then, those who challenged standards and self-centred approaches were shouted down, or ignored. Years later Jesus came to give a new commandment of love and compassion for others and HE was crucified. Yet, his followers were so committed to what they believed about his teaching, his resurrection and promise of constant presence with them, that they risked life and limb to spread the good news about him. The words of Jesus challenged the people of his day. He was not always perceived as Gentle or Mild in his approach. He was a rebel at times. I wonder sometimes how he would speak to us in 21^st century Kirriemuir….What would his challenge to us/to me be? ……… Am I/ are we too comfortable? Do I/ do we think of others and their needs?...... Am I/are we moved to action with love for the other person, or is the focus my/our need? I think Jesus might tell me/us to spend a little more time in contemplative thought and prayer, for otherwise how can we follow his new commandment to love God, and to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. He would certainly tell us not to judge. He would tell us to take the plank from our own eye before looking for the splinter in someone else’s. His question to Peter was “who do you say that I am?” If we take these challenges on board, our church will become a place of love and support where in humility, people can look to the needs of others, respecting that we are all different, and that each is a unique individual, loved by God. Christine Rooney ****** Le Choeur du Roc** Towards the end of May – the 20^th to be exact- we were fortunate to have a visit from le Choeur du Roc, a choir of some 42 members from Embrun, France. Their choir Director, Esther Allan, is one of the daughters of Mrs Betty Allan and the late Mr John Allan. Esther who lives in Embrun has done much on the musical scene in that area, and is held in high regard. The choir was keen to make a trip to Scotland and en route to Inverness and the West, Glasgow and Edinburgh, gave a concert in the church. The hour and a half programme was varied – at times serious, at times light-hearted. One of the early items was sung as a tribute to Esther’s late father who had died in 2000, and the date of the concert coincided with the tenth anniversary of his funeral. Esther joined the choir for this particular item, which I found very moving and the former choir director stepped into her place to conduct the piece. For the second half of the concert the choir donned tartan bow ties /rosettes and one gentleman was even kitted out in kilt and hose. Esther had taught them some Scots songs, some of which were sung in French, and a burst of spontaneous applause welcomed those sung in English (with French/Scots accents). The audience didn’t need much encouragement to join in. Afterwards the choir enjoyed a supper of haggis, neeps and tatties served by the Thrums Hotel staff, and a selection of delicious sweets generously donated by church members. Sandy Jamieson organised a small concert party who gave a flavour of a Scots ceilidh for the visitors: bagpipe music from Alfie Henderson and young Ben……., a selection on fiddle and accordion by Sandy Ingram and Alan Morrison, a poem from Iain Duncan, and some Scots songs from Davina Farquharson, accompanied on the piano by Lynne Pattullo. Photographs of the local area from previous church calendars were displayed in a loop on the overhead screen throughout. The hall had not been available for ceilidh dancing because of a previous booking, but that did not deter the guests who were on their feet once the Scottish beat took hold, and for once we saw dancing in the aisles in the Kirk!! We say a big thank you to all who made this possible. We are grateful to the members of the congregation who volunteered to host choir members in their home. Sometimes English was limited or even non-existent and sign language or schoolday French came into its own on occasions. Our friends left reluctantly next day, so grateful for such a warm welcome and were keen that their gratitude be expressed to the congregation, and urging return visits to Embrun where possible. Christine Rooney ****** Book Recommendation I was given a book to read by one of the members of our recent Kerygma group. It’s a most unusual slant on a very familiar story. As I write, I am half-way through, and intend to finish it on holiday. A write-up from the Courier in December 2009 describes it thus: Novelist and academic Ann Swinfen has taken the story of Jesus, and with a mixture of scholarship and creative imagination, presented her readers with a very human tale of real yet extraordinary people living in equally extraordinary times Her new novel, The Testament of Mariam** grew from a fascination with the life of someone who, whether you are a believer or not was a very remarkable man….. This introduction appealed to me. I feel very strongly that the contents of the Bible should always be set in the context of the times. Customs, traditions, ways of life which may now seem alien to us were very relevant to the people of Jesus’ time. I have often wondered what Jesus family life might have been like, what brought him to the point of setting out with twelve friends on that extraordinary journey, challenging the authorities of the time, which led ultimately to his cruel death We can only read the highlights as told by on-lookers, and what conviction they had, risking life and limb for their belief! Ann Swinfen makes it clear that her book is fiction, but for me it brings home the reality of Jesus as a human being with emotions, feelings, and a deep love for people. The article in the newspaper continues: Mixing the known with the fictional and making the resulting story not only believable and compelling but also with an integrity of its own is no mean feat. Ann Swinfen has taken what has often been called the greatest story ever told, that of Jesus Christ, and given it a context in history and in the human heart that opens up a new world of thought-provoking story-telling. *The Testament of Mariam* is set in the distant world of the first century, in lands that existed and still do exist, and is a tale peopled by real figures and their fictional counterparts whose lives and times come together to create a compelling vision of what was and what might have been,It also, in its scope and vision, holds up a mirror to the present day and the continuing turbulence of a world in almost continuous transition.. The Mariam of the title is a fictional sister of Jesus, giving a woman’s perspective of a time where women’s place in society and active contribution to it was severely limited and circumscribed……. The author is quoted as saying: Jesus siblings are mentioned in the New Testament and the Apocrypha – including two sisters who are named Melkha and Eskha – but I wanted to create a fictional sister, one whose life could encompass the period of Jesus life, and also, as a later refugee living in another land, create a way for her and us to look back on it all from a different perspective……..when you see Jesus in context, it makes you realise where he came from and what an amazing story his ministry was. It is very much a novel she insists, not a history. She says in the article that she did wonder if the way she had written the book would offend devout Christians and she emailed the manuscript to a friend in the USA to see what she thought of it. She responded that she found it “absolutely fascinating” and that it had made her go back to the original sources! Why not judge for yourself? It costs £7.99 and the ISBN no is 978-1-84923-489-4 Christine Rooney ********* B.B.COMPANY We have just finished a varied session, from indoor football competitions, making a meal for mums, Heart Start course, and weekends away. The Junior Section boys took part in the annual indoor 5 a side football at Webster’s and we didn’t finish in last place this year. This was the best attempt yet. We were the only company from the Angus part of the Battalion, and we have the smallest company! For the first time the 2^nd Forfar have boys in the Junior section who don’t play football!! When we restarted after the Christmas break, the Company Section boys chose two topics which with some guidance they would follow through themselves. As part of their Healthy Living topic they decided that they would choose a menu of their own making and treat their mums to a meal which they had created and cooked. We had a few treats for several Friday nights as they tried and tested their various options on myself and Norrie Dyce. We have two vegetarians in the Company, and they had to be taken into consideration as well. The final menu was chosen and on Friday 19^th Ferbruary, six mums sat down to a very enjoyable meal created and cooked by their sons. Their other topic which is still ongoing is to design and set up our own web site. Hopefully this will be completed when we restart after the summer. The Anchor and Junior Section boys had entries in the Spring Flower Show this time with decorated flower pots. After convincing them that they didn’t have to cover every inch of the pot with decorations we had some very good entries, especially from the Anchor Section. Members of staff also entered various categories this year for the first time and had varying degrees of success. They ended the session decorating wellies for the summer show. When the Company Section boys are doing their first aid group work, we are unable to carry out the CPR section, and we are fortunate to have Helen Brady and her colleagues from Heart Start ever willing to come and teach the boys on how to carry it out. May was a busy month for the staff. We started the month with a coffee morning for Help for Heroes, raising a grand total of £400. Our thanks to everyone who supported us. Helen and I then completed a Holiday Leadership course at Broughty Ferry on the Sunday. The following weekend we took the Anchor Section to the Compass Centre at Glenshee, where we had a super time. Rory Dyce was also with us . He has been working with the Section as part of his Presidents Badge. They started off on the climbing wall and whilst some were a little wary to begin with once they saw Rory doing it they were soon competing to see who would be first at the top, and believe it or not the smallest boy in the Section got to the top without any bother. From there they went to the rope walk which was quite challenging but didn’t deter them. After lunch it was tree climbing and then archery. At last, something in which we older members of staff could participate. The archery not the tree climbing!!! Although we have had only four boys this session we have had great fun with them. Those of you who get the Kirrie Herald will have seen that Rory was presented with his Badge at Trophy night Our last outing of the session was to Scott Lodge with the Junior and Company Section and we really scored for the weather this year. In fact the Saturday was just on the too warm side, and they spent the morning in the river building dams and having fun. David Winter, Matthew Chapman and Jonathon Fagerson took them on a different walk this year. The older boys walked to Bachnagairn, with the younger ones going halfway. The photographs taken by some of them are superb. Some of which were shown on Trophy presentation night. We had a very enjoyable weekend with lots of laughter and most importantly fun!! We have one other boy working towards his Presidents Badge and he is Alexander Fagerson, who is working with the Junior Section. He will gain his badge in the new Session, as soon as he turns fifteen. Our Session Clerk Peter Giles and trainee minister Tanya Webster presented the trophies this year. Tanya presented the Anchor Section with theirs and Peter presented trophies to the Junior and Company Sections. We ended the evening in the usual way with the photo show. My thanks to all the staff and to everyone who has helped in any way with the Company this Session. Pat Ritchie Company Captain ******* A real treat! I was recently invited to a concert in Perth. Delighted, I said. Then I was told it was to The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain** and I thought this must be a wind-up for the invitation had come from a known practical joker! But no. It was a concert organised as part of the Perth Arts Festival which has just finished. What a wonderful evening it was, and I recommend that if you ever have the opportunity to hear them, then take it. Eight musicians sat in a row on the stage of Perth Concert Hall and entertained a capacity audience for two and a half hours. How quickly the time passed and at the end they received a standing ovation. The instruments ranged in size and tone from the soprano model at one end of the line to the bass which resembled a guitar actually, but unlike a guitar, this instrument only has 4 strings. There was even one very tiny Ukulele produced which fitted into the inside pocket of one of the players and he even succeeded in producing an amazing tune on that as well. The right hands moved SO quickly, strumming all evening. All eight musicians (two women and six men) were skilled singers too. They played and sang modern, up-tempo pieces, all very tuneful and recognisable. They did touch on one George Formby number but gave that their own slant. The compere, another of the musicians introduced each item in a very amusing way with his own brand of humour, to which you had to listen very carefully as it was presented in a dead-pan way with serious tones, but caused riotous laughter when the penny dropped. I found it hard to believe, when mention was made, that there were 2 other ukulele orchestras in the audience, one from a school in Perth, and the other, believe it or not, from the Island of Ling!! What an inspiration for them that evening! Because it was such an unusual evening and I enjoyed it so much, I just wanted to share it with someone, hoping that, in time, they too might discover this feel good evening for themselves. contributed ***** Competition and Collaboration The internet is a great place for learning about others ideas and sharing your own. One of the fun things that people do on the internet is blogging. If you haven’t come across that term before a blog can be many things; here are a few. A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world. One blog I was reading recently gave me food for thought so I thought I would share it with you. It is found at http://sacredise.blogspot.com and was written by John van de Laar. I have edited it for this article. He wrote:- ‘In many ways sporting events reveal both the best and the worst of humanity. We all know the frustration and disappointment when our sporting stars turn out to have cheated, used performance enhancing drugs, or turned to destructive behaviour. But, we also all know the exhilaration and joy when sports men and women display amazing grace, compassion and good character irrespective of whether they win or lose. Who can forget the great display of skill and character that was demonstrated in the classic Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Raphael Nadal a couple of years ago? Hopefully we will see a lot of the glory and little of the darkness in the World Cup this year. But, perhaps the most amazing and inspiring aspect of sport is the way it brings together two essential human characteristics - competition and collaboration. There is a very positive side to activities in which we set ourselves in contest with each other. In competition we are challenged to work hard, to discipline ourselves and offer our very best. Without competition, we would all too easily allow mediocrity to be the standard by which we live. When we allow others to call us to a higher standard, that ultimately benefits us and those who are then challenged by our achievements. At the heart of this competition, though, is the wonderful human characteristic of diversity. Each player has different strengths and weaknesses, which must be exploited by the opponent, and compensated for by team members. Each team has a different style, different language and different strategies. The World Cup is not just a celebration of soccer. It’s a celebration of the glory and diversity of the human race. On the other side, it’s incredible that in a tournament like this, every team and every player must collaborate in order for the competition to work. The rules are agreed on by all. The logistical elements must be shared and co-operation on times, venues, equipment and rewards must be given by all. Paradoxically, the competition cannot go ahead without significant levels of collaboration. This is the beauty of these events - even though there is only one winner, we all win because we’ve learned something precious about ourselves in the collaboration that made the whole event possible. These two elements can teach us a lot about our worship as well. In a sense we are called to competition with each other. As we seek to follow the foot-washing Saviour (See John 13), we are called to serve each other in the best way we can. We are called to outdo one another in love and humility (Philippians 2:3-8), not so that we can boast, but so that we can give and receive life. But, at the same time, we collaborate as parts of one body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). In Church we are diverse - in language, music, race, gender, age, sexual orientation, theology - but we are all one in Christ. When we can worship together, celebrating our diversity and seeking to outdo one another in love and service, then we truly begin to experience the power of being the Church.’ As I say, food for thought! Linda Stevens ******** Kirriemuir Day Care Day Care provides social stimulation through a varied activity programme, personal care, nutrition and much more. It also provides valuable respite for carers at home. As the years have progressed, individual needs have become greater and Day Care has become a much-needed lifeline to members attending Glebe House and their families. The service provided by Day Care is a valued asset for the community. We have a care centre manager and deputy manager and our six part-time social care officers are trained to look after the members in a homely and pleasant atmosphere. The voluntary management committee of 8 is responsible for day care policy and includes a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer and convenors with various areas of responsibility. Established about 30 years ago, Kirrie Day Care continues to offer meaningful support to the elderly within our community. As a committee, we try to respond to the ever-changing needs of the members and are at present working to complete the “McKenzie Room” which will help to facilitate this. We are grateful for all the community support we have always had for any of our major projects and indeed, for the day-to-day running of the centre. I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to anyone who would be interested in joining the committee or becoming a volunteer visitor within the centre. I would be delighted to chat with anyone would like to become involved with our service in either capacity. Aileen Ramsay. Chairman, Kirriemuir Day Care. ******* Thrums Tots Thrums Tots is taking a break for the summer holidays. We will start again on Wednesday 18^th & Thursday 19^th August*. I hope all the ‘Tots’ and their parents enjoy the holidays and come along and join us again in August. Thrums Tots (for pre-school age children) runs every Wednesday (10am – 12noon) and Thursday (1pm – 3pm) during the school term in the Old Parish Church hall. You do not need to join a committee or a rota so please feel free to pop along and enjoy the Tots group whenever you can. Julia Mitchell* ********* Thank you** I would like to say a big thank you to all the people who deliver the newsletters each month. They just appear and whisk away the bundles and deliver them with no fuss – what an asset! They now get a break until the end of August when the next newsletter is produced – well deserved. Thanks also to those who help organise the newsletter each month – our work is much easier and quicker these days! I would also like to thank all the drivers who take people to hospital appointments. They provide an invaluable service to people at a stressful time and often at short notice. They also provide company and a listening ear. Truly, faith in action. Anne Pole ********