1975

Mr William Martin of Magnus Crescent took over from Mr William Hurst as rollkeeper.


Mr Bert Greig, Mr Ian McIntyre and Mr David Maxwell were ordained as elders. All three were officers in the Boys' Brigade.


Rev. James Millar in his letter to the congregation drew attention to the difference between Christ's life which was one of giving and the lives of those of the world whose only thoughts were of what they wanted.


In an article in the Crusader it stated that one of the aims of Industrial Chaplains was to urge men to attend their Trade Union meetings and especially to encourage Christians to do so, otherwise the affairs of the country would be decided by people who were prepared to make sacrifices in time and effort, however unrepresentative their views.


A couple who wished to remain anonymous donated “lovely” red cushions for the church pews. The donation was a closely guarded secret until the cushions appeared on the the pews on Sunday, 16th February.


More helpers were requested, especially on Thursdays for the work done by the W.R.V.S. in bringing hot meals to the housebound in Castlemilk. Twice a month for about two hours, touring the area in the W.R.V.S. van, was all you would have been required for. In all 76 people received a hot meal (cooked at the Langside Geriatric Unit) two days a week, 38 on a Monday and Thursday and another 38 on a Tuesday and Friday, with four people on the waiting list. The service was begun in Castlemilk with a team of voluntary helpers in February 1973. Anyone who wished to help was to contact Miss Browning, or Mrs Stevenson at the Community Centre.


Mr Gilchrist suggested that any men wanting an “interesting job” with no pay, no overtime, no holiday pay and no redundancy money should come to the church on Wednesdays in the forenoon at 10 a.m., where their services would be much appreciated.


Mrs Millar, the minister's wife invited women in the congregation to become part of International Women's Year by coming to join the hundred or so women who already attended the Woman's Guild. The Guild provided “scope for the individual woman to prove her equality – if not her superiority – to develop her talents in many ways, and to work for peace and harmony wherever she is”. The United Nations made the theme for the year “Equality, Development and Peace”, with special concern for the state and status of women in the developing countries.


At the end of May, Miss Marie Browning, the deaconess, married “a bearded young man”, Mr Lachlan Cameron, who had appeared now and again in the church, and who was mistakenly thought to be a relative of Miss Browning's. “The church was well filled for the occasion” and the minister was assisted by the Rev. John Jamieson, the minister from Marie's home church in Balfron. Before the wedding Marie received a nest of tables and a table lamp from the Kirk Session and the Congregational Board. On leaving her work as a deaconess in Castlemilk she received from the congregation the gift of a sewing machine.


The plan to have a path from Glenacre Street into the church was shelved as twelve steps, outside, would have been needed. The Congregational Board now intended to cover the space at the far end of the church building, giving storage accommodation, and stopping the vandalism there.


The leaders of all departments of the Sunday School requested parents to encourage their children to attend Sunday School, as attendance in all departments had been falling over the past few years, due to families leaving the district. In the Junior departments the leaders were Mrs Grant and Miss Rough and in the Primary departments Mrs Gold and Mr Sloan. Miss Pat Cockburn, the leader of the Beginners' appealed for more teachers.


The White Heather Club which had started up in January 1957 in a hut in the grounds of the Croftfoot United Free Church in Carmunnock Road now had a membership of 112 with twelve committee members.


Miss Joan Dunnachie, Miss Anne McKechnie and Miss Averil Rough were appointed officers by the National Board of the Girls' Brigade, having completed training.


John Crichton, the editor of the Crusader for 17 years resigned. John, an elder, had used his know-how in printing to publish “a very fine church magazine” and several years previously came first in all printed church magazines throughout Britain. He also looked after the Magazine Stall and encouraged the sale of the Church's publications, which he was continuing to do.


Morag Erskine, who had not been feeling too well for a time, but was now regaining some of the weight she had lost, thanked the congregation by letter for the cheque sent to set up the library, which was now under way. She was also able to set up a library account to purchase new religious publications, about which Terry McMullen, the chaplain in Mzuzu and the person responsible for stocking the bookstall in the market there, would advise them. Many of the students had never read books other than text-books or the Bible.


The Youth Fellowship, under the leadership of Colin Taylor, was running Congregational Social Evenings “to revitalise the social side of the church”.


Kenneth Olverman came third in the Battalion Individual Piping Competition, and there were entries from Boys' Brigade companies throughout the Glasgow area.


Following an appeal to the congregation by letter concerning the financial position of the church and the Church nationwide because of inflation, the offerings for the first eight months of the year increased by 53% and the Covenant Scheme brought in a sum of £845. This meant that the congregation would be able to fulfil its commitments for the year.


Originally commissioned in Wallacetown Church, Dundee, Miss Elizabeth Bell, the new deaconess had had a long experience as a deaconess, as she had served in Hutchesontown, Barlanark and Cranhill congregations in Glasgow.


Mr Paul Guy, son of Mr and Mrs James Guy, of Castleton School House, graduated B.Sc. (Hons.) from Glasgow University in 1974, and was now in his second year of a Ph.D. course.


Mr Alisdair Swift, the younger son of Mr and Mrs Stan Swift of Croftfoot Road, graduated B.Sc. from Strathclyde University.


Mr Harry Olverman, the eldest son of Mr and Mrs Olverman of Holmbyre Road graduated B.Sc. (Hons.) from Glasgow University, and was now studying for a Ph.D.


A tutor from Ireland was expected to arrive in Malawi soon, to lighten the load on Morag Erskine, who had been acting as tutor as well as running the maternity unit. Morag was offering those who had made “such an excellent job of painting the church railings” free full board at the “Hotel Erskine” if they would book a charter flight to Malawi and paint the hospital wards.


The proceeds of the Garden Fête, £785, nearly £100 more than the previous best in 1974, were going to the Building and Equipment Fund.


A letter was received from Mrs Marie Cameron, the former deaconess, in which she said that it was no exaggeration to say that she was filled with thankfulness for the the warmth, friendship and kindness she received from the congregation of Castlemilk West, and it was a privilege to share a partnership with them in the Lord's service. Although she was no longer living and working in the area the experience of “oneness” and belonging would remain. She said she and Lachlan would be delighted to see anyone in Killearn at any time and the congregation should be assured of their prayers.


Castlemilk Civic Week was to take place from the 17th- 23rd May, 1976, and it was hoped that all churches, schools and organisations would co-operate to make it an outstanding success.


Mr and Mrs Erskine went on a trip to the U.S.A. where they met up with John and Nessie Lawrence, who were still very active in their church in Rochester, being members of a group called the Friendship Club. They then went on to visit the Rev. Bob McDill and his wife, Martha in Taylorville, Iowa, where he was minister of a large church, keeping him very active and which exercised to the full his admirable administrative ability. The last visit was to a small town in Canada called Cameron, where Margaret Syme who had lived in Cavin Road was now living. She was now Mrs Ray Carpentier. In Castlemilk West Margaret had been a member of the Congregational Board and a Sunday School Leader. In front of Margaret's home on Lake Sturgeon a flag, the lion rampant, was flying, the custom in Canada and the U.S.A.


Bob and Martha McDill donated 10 dollars to the Crusader magazine.


To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Girls' Guildry, now known as the Girls' Brigade, Glasgow Division undertook a massive fund-raising effort, and was able to buy a minibus for the Spastic Centre, and hoped to buy a meals-on-wheels van for the elderly. 74A and 74B Companies raised almost £200.


The Young Women's Club changed its time from afternoon meetings to mornings.


Mr Jimmy Guy, the janitor of Castleton School for twenty years, retired, and to mark this he was guest of honour at a Dinner in the Bellahouston Hotel. He was presented with a retiral gift from the teaching staff and one from the church organisations, the Sunday School, the Boys' Brigade and the Girls' Brigade, who had all used the school over the years.


Sadly, Mrs Mairi Robb (Miss Mairi Dick) died as the result of a car accident in Hawaii, leaving two young children. Mairi who emigrated to America in 1969, had been a teacher in the Sunday School and Captain of the Girls' Brigade in Castlemilk West. “She had a sincere, friendly nature and was very highly esteemed in the congregation and among a wide circle of friends”. The Rev. James Millar conducted a short service at the Johnstone home of Mairi's parents, Mr and Mrs Archie Dick (late of Croftfoot Road) to coincide with the funeral service in Hawaii.


The door to door collection in Castlemilk on behalf of Christian Aid realised the sum of £754.40. The East Church contributed £225.31, Carmunnock and Castlemilk area £206 and the West Church £323.09. The amount from the Congregational Church was not yet known.


The Rev. James Millar and Mrs Millar became grandparents for the first time when a baby boy, Alan, was born to Mr and Mrs David Maxwell.


Miss Alison Todd, M.A., daughter of Mr and Mrs Todd of Glenacre Drive, was married in Edinburgh to Mr Nicholas Hastie, Ph.D. (Cantab.), and they were setting off for Buffalo, U.S.A. where Mr Hastie had a post in a teaching hospital.


A sponsored painting of the church railings by “motley gangs of workers” from the congregation, caused “a bit of a stir” on Carmunnock Road from August to mid-September and resulted in a saving of at least £400-£500 for the church. “Young and old, male and female stood on either side of the fence, almost shoulder to shoulder, first scrubbing off the rust and loose paint, then re-covering the railings and quite often each other with a fresh coat of green paint”. Organised by the Malawi Committee, it was no mean feat as nearly a quarter of a mile of railings had to be scraped and painted. More than £150 in sponsor money went to Morag, the prayer partner in Malawi, and the painting, which was last done in 1967, greatly enhanced the appearance of the grounds into the bargain. One 12 year old girl, Avril Buchanan of Croftfoot Road earned sponsor money of nearly £16.

A very enjoyable joint trip to Craigengower, Tighnabruaich, was arranged by the deaconesses of Castlemilk West and East churches, along with several volunteers assistants, for a number of lady members from both congregations. It was “a very happy, carefree holiday with lots of fun, first-class meals, and tea in bed every morning”.