THE FUTURE OF THE SHRIGLEY ASSOCIATION.
For much of the past year and more members of your Committee have been candid about the difficulties facing the Association for the future. The 2010 AGM (as reported to everyone shortly afterwards) agreed that, unless fresh individuals came forward to lead the Association, the 2011 Re-Union at Shrigley would be the last of its kind.
At that stage Mike Kilduff and I planned to attend (as we and others have done for several years) the meeting of the Scottish group of Old Boys, traditionally held in Glasgow as close as possible to Don Bosco's Feastday in January. There were hopes that the Scots might decide to carry matters forward from their own base at St. Benedict's in Easterhouse. They are a sizeable group, on average somewhat younger than the rest of us, and many of them live relatively close to one another in the greater Glasgow area.
These hopes have been fulfilled. We had a very enjoyable weekend, including a useful meeting to discuss possibilities for the future. Subsequently, they held their own further meeting, organised by John Bergin, where they agreed that they were 'keen to see the Association survive and prosper' and willing 'to do what is needed' to this end. They are to hold another meeting on Thursday 14 April. The decisions of that and any later meetings will be conveyed to the forthcoming AGM in September.
I am delighted to be able to report, therefore, that the baton has been picked up and will be carried forward from a new base in Glasgow. To what extent Shrigley, the place, will feature in future plans remains to be seen, although inevitably, given inexorable geographic factors, arrangements are likely to be significantly different than hitherto. However, the Association has won a new lease of life for which, I am confident, we will all be grateful.
Further details of the 2011 Re-Union, scheduled for 16-18 September, will be circulated as soon as they have been finalised. As we do not know if, or when, we will be returning to Shrigley thereafter, we urge you to ring fence these dates and to attend if you possibly can.
On your behalf I wish warmly to thank John Bergin and our other Scottish colleagues; and to wish them well with their future efforts on our behalf.
PETER ROEBUCK (Chairman)
Members at our 2010 reunion
Full reports will follow shortly
Latest Newsletter with info on 2010 Reunion is available HERE
COMMITTEE MEETING : EASTERHOUSE GLASGOW 07.02.2010 Reports are HERE