1971(Part 2)

The Sunday School Trip took place to Strathaven.


In the B.B., Lieutenants J. Brier and A. Imrie completed their officer training course. The 3rd League football team, run by Les Warnock was at the top of the league and the 2nd team, run by Eric Ashley was close to the top with a few games still to play. In the Battalion Cross-Country Championships the Junior team were 21st against very strong opposition and the Intermediates gained 1st place in their section. They were John Duncan, Andrew McDougall and George Buchanan. The Parents' Group ran a very successful dance.


Miss Jacqueline Petrie completed her three year training to become a deaconess, and took up her first appointment at the Mains of Fintry Church in Dundee. Mrs Mitchell of Carmunnock Road presented her with a wristlet watch to mark the occasion.


Mr J. Lavelle of Raithburn Avenue gained 1st prize in the Castlemilk Gardens Competition organised by the Community Centre. Mr D.J. McLaughlin of Arnprior Road and Mr A. Taylor of Carmunnock Road were 2nd equal. Mr W. Chesney of Dougrie Street was next in order of merit.


A branch of the Citizens' Advice Bureau was opened on the 4th May at the Community Centre in Castlemilk. Buying a house, Hire Purchase, Legal Aid, Personal Problems and Social Insurance and Pensions were among the subjects where advice was offered.

Mr Ian Paterson assisted with parish visitation, the Junior Bible class and work among the organisations after the departure of Miss Jean Grigor, since no deaconess was available. In the past Mr Paterson had previously visited the church as a B.T.I. student.



Mr John Smith accepted on behalf of Castlemilk West the Anniversary Trophy for bowls and John himself won the Tom Fraser Singles Trophy.


New arrivals in Castlemilk and existing members of the church were asked to come forward to help in the Sunday School, the Boys' Brigade, the Girls' Brigade, the Choir, in the Kirk Session and the Congregational Board, as their help was needed “very urgently”. Although the church roll showed that the numbers in the congregation were more or less what they had been five years previously, movement of workers in the church to new towns and other housing areas in the city, and the marriage of young people and their consequent removal from Castlemilk to set up home elsewhere, had resulted in the great need of help.

Sincere thanks for their invaluable service in Castlemilk West and God's richest blessing for the years ahead was offered to the young people who had just been married or who were about to be married. They were Christine Stewart, leader in Castleton Primary S.S. and member of the Congregational Board, Mary Duff, teacher in the Junior Bible class and Ena Thomson, Girls' Brigade Captain.

Also being married were Jim Campbell, B.B. officer, Nora McIntyre, G.B. Officer and S.S. Teacher, Andrew McLintock, elder and S.S. teacher, Irene Sinclair, leader in Arnprior Junior S.S., officer in G.B., and member of the Congregational Board, etc., and Jean Cochran, leader of the Beginners' S.S.



Mr and Mrs James Milne of Dunagoil Road, members of the church, celebrated their Golden Wedding on the 6th April, as did Mr Milne's sister and her husband in Calgary, Canada who had been married at the same ceremony in the Imperial Hotel in Aberdeen in 1921. Sadly in September Mrs Milne died.


Mr and Mrs Ronald of Drakemire Avenue, also members, celebrated their Golden Wedding on the 20th May. They had been married in Ibrox Church, and had lived in Ibrox and Riddrie before coming to Castlemilk four years previously. Their daughter lived in Downcraig Drive.


Mr and Mrs Robert Lawrence, of Ardencraig Road, parents of Mrs McAslan, Mrs Brier and Mrs Miller, all members of the church, and Mr John Lawrence, the former Session Clerk, were married in Chalmers Street Halls on the 14th July, 1921. John and family returned to Scotland for the Golden Wedding celebration. Sadly Mr Lawrence died on the 6th August, only three weeks after the Golden Wedding, and John returned for the much sadder occasion.


Mr Bill Strain paid a visit to Castlemilk West on one of the Sundays of John's visits and along with the present Session Clerk this made for rather a unique occasion with three Session Clerks attending the same service.


The Youth Fellowship entered for the first time an inter-church hockey tournament and to their surprise finished fourth in a league of eleven teams. For the winter session they had a very varied syllabus, with a film night, discussions on subjects like Capital Punishment and Racialism, guest speakers, panel nights and a musical evening.


Miss Flora Bailey of Birgidale Avenue, a teacher in the Sunday School, Miss Margaret Greenlees of Arnprior Road, Captain of 74B Company of the Girls' Brigade, Miss Joyce Millar of the Manse, Sunday School teacher and officer in the Junior Boys' Brigade, and Mr James Nixon of Downcraig Road, former member of the Youth Fellowship, all successfully concluded their studies at Jordanhill College of Education and embarked on their careers as school teachers.


Congratulations were also offered to Elizabeth Miller of Ardencraig Road, a Sunday School monitor, who was Senior Athletics champion of Glenwood Secondary, and who had also won medals for hockey and swimming. Marion Miller, sister of Elizabeth, a member of the Junior Bible Class won cups, shields, and medals for ballroom dancing and a certificate for swimming. Sharon Booth of Castleton Primary Sunday School gained a silver medal for ballroom dancing.


The Sunday School adopted a new teaching system and to cover the cost of the books and equipment needed they held a Jumble Sale which raised £70.


To commemorate the ministry from 1964-1970 of the late Rev. Bob Ross, who died in July 1970 as the result of a car crash, Castlemilk East erected a plaque in the vestibule of the church, and this was dedicated and unveiled at the morning service on the 3rd October.


Although the response to giving a day's pay two years ago was less than had been hoped for, more than £200,000 was collected from members of the Church of Scotland. Using the philosophy, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for one day – Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” was one of the ways the money was spent. The building work undertaken in war-devastated Nigeria by Archibald Halliday, a missionary returning there, was another way. Last year the Church of Scotland gave £44,275, as part of the Mission and Service Budget, to Christian Aid for their continuing work.


The Boys' Brigade hoped to form a Bugle Band and re-form the Pipe Band. A. Millar, G. Olverman, W.Watt, D. Heron and G. Clelland won the Gold Award in the Achievement Awards. As the officers would like to broaden the Company's activities, they wanted help from anyone with the specialised skills of trampolining, map-reading, athletics, snake-charming, etc.


On display at the church bookstall was “a fine selection of Bibles” including the Children's Bible at £1.75, and as it was in great demand towards Christmastime, orders were to be placed early.


Sunday, 21st November was “a historic day in the annals of Castlemilk West, for, although women had been eligible for election to the eldership for several years the Kirk Session of Castlemilk West had stoutly resisted the intrusion of the female sex into their all-male domain”. On that Sunday six lady elders were ordained and admitted, along with three new “mere male” elders to the office of Elder. The new elders were Mr Jack Brier of Ardencraig Road, Mr Chris Neilson of Dougrie Road, Mr James Richardson of Arnprior Quadrant, Mrs Margaret Aitken of Carmunnock Road, Miss Mary Dunlop of Dougrie Terrace, Mrs Elizabeth Erskine of Arnprior Road, Mrs Margaret Grant of Raithburn Road, Mrs Janet Rough of Dougrie Road and Mrs Barbara Neil of Rockall Drive. During the previous two years the ranks of the Kirk Session had been “seriously depleted by death and by the movement of elders to homes outwith the parish”.


The Social Service Committee of the Church of Scotland opened another Eventide Home at Bellfield House in Banchory, Aberdeenshire. This was the 44th home in Scotland and now it had 1,500 old people under their care. In addition there were 10 Homes for Children (one for the mentally handicapped), 5 Hostels for Young Women (one for epileptics), 6 for Young Men (one for epileptics), 1 Residential Club for Young Men, 2 Approved Schools for Girls, 1 Approved School Hostel for Girls, 2 Approved Schools for Boys, 2 Mother and Baby Homes, 1 Flat for Unmarried Mothers, 2 Holiday Houses, 2 Rehabilitation Centres, 3 Rehabilitation Hostels for Girls, 1 Hostel Flat for Girls, and 1 Rehabilitation Hostel for Men. Most of the money for these came from the Mission and Service Fund and Castlemilk West gave £896 to the Fund in 1971.


The church was broken into in the early hours of Saturday, the 18th December, when 16 large food parcels, destined for needy families in the parish were stolen. On the Sunday, after having been told about it, the congregation rose to the occasion, and Rev. James Millar was swamped with offers of help and all parcels were duly delivered the same week.


Boys from the Boys' Brigade Juniors went out carol-singing along Dougrie Terrace, and as it was a very cold evening a cup of hot soup awaited them on their return. During the session the Road Safety Officer for Glasgow had talked to the boys about the Green Cross Code. The Senior Section had visited the Police Museum, where they had seen counterfeit money and weapons, and had learnt what went on behind the scenes when a 999 call was received. The 2nd league football team was doing well while the 3rd team after a good start had fallen away slightly.