1970
From 1st January the Co-ordinated Appeal changed its name to “Church of Scotland Mission and Service Fund”. It would finance the Church's work under four headings – Overseas Council, Home Board, Social and Moral Welfare and Department of Education. The Overseas Council was responsible for a staff of 289, including 20 doctors and 35 nurses engaged in the missionary countries, working in hospitals, colleges, secondary and primary schools, special schools, leper colonies, etc. The Home Board was responsible for new churches, 204 had been built since 1945, Deaconesses, Lay Missionaries, Industrial and Hospital Chaplains, University Chaplains, etc. The Social and Moral Welfare Board operated a chain of 80 homes, hostels and approved schools throughout Scotland, including 40 eventide homes and 9 homes for children. The Department of Education dealt with Organisers for Sunday School, Senior Youth and Youth Fellowship, as well as Carberry Tower Conference Centre and St Colm's College. The total sum required in 1969 was £1,050,000. This sum was divided among the Presbyteries and the congregations according to their ability to help. Castlemilk West were asked to pay £743 as their share.
Although Mr Thomas Telfer had been in failing health for some time, his death on the 26th January in Mearnskirk Hospital at the age of 75 was sudden and rather unexpected. He had been born in Rutherglen, but moved to Possilpark, where he became a member of the Henry Drummond Church. He had been an elder for nearly fifty years at his death. He had been Assistant Session Clerk in North Woodside U.F. Church, and in 1958 he became the first Session Clerk of Castlemilk West, a post he held for four years. He was also Presbytery Elder for a number of years. “He had a sincere and friendly nature with a keen sense of humour, and he loved the Church and everyone in it.”
The Sunday School had been noticing a number of empty seats and was planning on knocking on a few doors to encourage attendance.
One night when the editor of the Crusader was delivering the magazines in the area of Castlemilk Drive, a man in his shirt sleeves came out of the cold, dark night and thrust three two-shilling pieces into his hand, saying “That's for the Crusader.” This man was not alone in his gesture as, in 1969, £103 17s 8d had been collected in the Crusader Box, including £1 notes and 10/- notes on occasion. £7 had been donated by the Men's Association, £2 from the Rev. Bob McDill in the U.S.A. and £2 from an anonymous donor, also thought to have come from the U.S.A.
Members of the Retired Ladies' Group, meeting in the Community Centre, raised £230 of their target of £250 to provide a Guide Dog for the Blind.
The Welcome Committee of the church, under the convener, John Smith, entertained retired members in the second of a series of three Social Evenings, and served them with light refreshments.
Elaine McCarroll of Dougrie Drive, seven years of age, grand-daughter of elder James Dool and Mrs Dool, won the Kay Shield Skating Competition at Crossmyloof Ice Rink. She had been skating for two and a half years and was a pupil of Castleton Sunday School.
The 3rd League of the Boys' Brigade football team beat every other side in the league. “Rangers might still get Manager Les Warnock from the 18th if Waddell fails”.
The 2nd League under Eric Ashley had mixed fortunes and a fair number of postponed games due mainly to weather conditions. As a result of a grant from Youth Services Department of the Education Authority the Junior Boys' Brigade got a complete new outfit, red pants and red and black vertical strips. George Barbour was in charge of the boys there. Mr John Dick took the 2nd and 3rd stage First Aid class. In the Campers' Badge, 1st, 2nd and 3rd stages, 38 boys entered and 38 boys passed. Mr Alistair Angus worked very hard with the Pipe Band, and was helped by Mr Morrison Wilkie of the 118th B.B. who worked with the drummers. Mr Gordon Sneddon and Miss Irene Stewart joined the Junior Section of the Company Staff. There was an immediate need for staff for the Senior Sections, as they had only five permanent staff, and if none were forthcoming, no new recruits would be accepted for the new session. The roll was 73 Company and 14 Seniors. They also thought about disbanding the Senior Section. They needed help also with the camp at Kildacoil Estate, Campbeltown, as they had only five members of staff instead of ten. The cost was to be £12 for staff.
The cost of Life and Work was 8d per month, and they were running a series of articles by a team of young ministers, under the leadership of Rev. D.W.D. Shaw, lecturer in Divinity at New College, Edinburgh. The titles included:”Who is God?” “How do we know God?” “Why bother about religion and the Christian Faith?” and “Why must I belong to the church?”
Rev Gordon Keir, who stood in when Miss Grigor was in America, was ordained and inducted to Galston New Church.
The Sunday School put on the pantomime”Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs” to 400 strong capacity audiences for two nights in the Community Centre. The police said they were beginning to cause a traffic jam on Castlemilk Drive as many non-ticket holders had to be turned away. Misses Jean Cochran, Kathleen Grant, Irene Sinclair and Christine Stewart were the authors and producers of the pantomime.
The minister invited the congregation to select their ten favourite hymns or psalms and put a note of them in the Crusader Box, to find out which were the most popular. The favourite hymns were: 1. 106 When I survey ...... 2. 700 I need Thee every hour 3. 12 Immortal, invisible 4. 251 Hushed was the evening hymn 5. 286 Abide with me 6. 410 I heard the voice of Jesus say 7. 477 Be Thou my vision 8. 479 Love Divine, all loves excelling 9. 508 O Jesus, I have promised 10. 701 What a friend we have in Jesus.
In an article in the Church magazine abstinence was recommended to all young people.
The Home Board of the Church of Scotland assigned an architect to the church and he was working on plans for enlarging the accommodation.
The first part of “The New English Bible”, the New Testament, had been published in 1961. The translation was now completed with the publication of the Old Testament and the Apocrypha. The cost was 30/- for the Standard edition without the Apocrypha, and 35/- with the Apocrypha.
The Boys' Brigade entered a team for the second year in the Battalion Cross-Country Championships and the Junior team finished 3rd among about 30 teams. The Intermediate team, because of an oversight by stewards, were entered for the Senior event, and the smallest boy in the field, John “Shomey” Duncan came 10th among the 16-19 year olds, although he was only 14. “No need for Frankie Vaughan in Castlemilk!” Jim Symon, Junior Section Leader in Charge was accepted by the Glasgow Police. Mr J. Brier was welcomed as a Warrant Officer.
The new bookstall, made by a member of the congregation, was now in position, hosting many paperbacks.
The Church of Scotland Social Services Committee opened 3 new establishments to add to the 42 eventide and other homes for old people they ran. The new ones were Belmont Castle Eventide Home, in Meigle, Perthshire, Morlich House, Edinburgh, under the Stein Trust, providing flatlets for elderly women on an economic basis, and an eventide home in Stonehaven.
The Sunday School Trip went to Troon. The cost was 14/6d for adults and 8/3d for children and this included the train fare from King's Park to Troon and back, and the purvey.
Mr James Aitken of Carmunnock Road took over the job of Halls Convener from Mr William Hurst, of Simshill, who became Rollkeeper.
Mr Bill Strain resigned as Session Clerk after three years, as he was taking up a post outwith the city. Bill had given “outstanding service to the church as Sunday School Leader, Building Fund Convener, Property Convener and Presbytery Elder, before becoming Session Clerk”. During his time as Session Clerk, he managed to find time for the supervision of a scheme of renovation of the church and manse buildings, and he played a leading role in the Impact '69 campaign. “His finest hour was at the time of the gale damage to the church” when he led a party of volunteers on to the roof with tarpaulins. He also helped Rev. James Millar “in a tenacious and successful battle” over the insurance to be paid, so that “in the end there was little or nothing to contribute to the cost of the new roof and the redecoration of the church”.
The new Session Clerk was Mr John McKechnie, who had come to Castlemilk West in 1960 from the McMillan-Calton Church in London Road, where he had been ordained as an elder in 1955. He served on the Board for a time and was admitted as an elder in 1961, becoming rollkeeper in 1963. He acted as deputy Session Clerk for a year before taking up the post.
The practice of “scrambling” at weddings was discontinued because of the danger of accidents.
Miss Pat Kerr of Arnprior Quad., leader of the Youth Fellowship and Sunday School teacher and Miss Linda Flowerday of Glenacre Drive gained their Teacher's Diploma at Jordanhill College of Education.
The engagement was announced of Rev. Gordon Keir, who had been inducted as minister of Galston New Church.
The death was announced of the Rev. Raymond Hunt, B.A. B.D., the first Assistant Minister in 1957.
The Rev. Robert Ross of Castlemilk East died on the 30th July, as the result of a car accident. “During his seven years of ministry in the East Kirk, Mr Ross did much for the people of Castlemilk, and would be sadly missed, not only in his own congregation, but throughout the parish, where he was held in high esteem”. Heartfelt sympathy was extended to his two sisters and to the congregation. Rev. James Millar conducted the Memorial Service for Mr Ross.
A letter was received from Morag Erskine from Livingstonia, Malawi, where she was working in nursing. She gave her first impressions of life in an under-developed country. She had lived in Blantyre, the main town in the Southern region, for three days on her arrival, and had shopped there for groceries to last her three months. In the supermarket she had seen several items with a “St Michael” label. Very few of the people in Malawi were employed and most lived by eating maize and casava, resulting in a very high level of anaemia, malnutrition and associated diseases. Education was not compulsory and only the better off went to school, and only as far as Primary 7. There was only one university for 100 students per year. In Livingstonia, however, they had a secondary school with a staff of 50% African and 50% missionaries. The hospital was the David Gordon Memorial Hospital, with 86 beds for 130 patients, the surplus lying on mats on the floor. The hospital was very, very dirty and the standard of nursing very poor. There was only one doctor, Dr Brownlie, who had been there one year, and previous to that they had been “doctorless “ for 6½ years. In the maternity, they had had 20 deliveries since her arrival and only 4 nappies, and they had no cots in the post-natal so babies slept with their mothers. In the ante-natal they had 12 patients in a room approximately 8 by 6 ft. Morag thanked everyone for their prayers and she had felt constantly upheld.
The two companies of the Girls' Brigade along with a company from Hillington had a “wonderful week” at camp at Guay, in Perthshire. Mrs John Smith of 74A company, previously captain of 74B company in Castleton School for a number of years, resigned as captain and was succeeded by Miss Marilyn Deas. 74B company under Miss Ena Thomson invited “new faces” along to undertake the activities on offer, namely, First Aid, International Friendship, Handcrafts and Physical Activities for Seniors and Brigaders, Dancing, Knot tying, Helping in the Home, and Verse speaking for Juniors. There was also a varied programme for the 5-7 year olds towards the attainment of the “Explorer's Star”.
In the Boys' Brigade there was the introduction of the “new hat”, royal blue in colour, and described as “something out of Thunderbirds”. The Queen's Award was replaced by the President's Award. S. Sgt Ian Rough, Sgt Alistair Guy, Sgt David Braes and Sgt Stephen Robertson gained the Queen's Award. Cpl Alan McKechnie and Cpl Harry Olverman gained the President's Award. Alistair Angus was appointed Junior Section Leader in charge, while thanks were due to Jim Symon who, because of work commitments, was only able to help on the staff as his duties permitted. Sadly, Joan Sherriff, a capable leader, resigned as she had moved to Crookston.
In 1970 £101 3/- was donated to the church magazine via the Crusader box, while £5 was donated by the Men's Association and a further £2 came from the former Session Clerk in the U.S.A., Mr John Lawrence. The cost of printing had risen steeply, and unless the income could keep pace with the expenditure the future of the Crusader would be in jeopardy.
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