Our guild managed to return to meeting in person September 2021.
The guild’s new strategy “look forward in faith” and the theme for this year: “lights and bushels” could not have been more appropriate for our times. So, we looked forward in faith and started our meetings: masked up, socially distanced, pre-wrapped biscuits.
Initially we hosted local speakers. Thankfully we are blessed with such interesting and talented folk in our community.
Anne McNeill informed us of trades, shops and occupations in Duns from 1830’s to 1960’s. She brought back lots of wonderful memories. Rev Bill Paterson gave us an illuminating bible study. Our very own David McLean shared his tale of the “lady in the birch canoe.”
Genny and Patrick Dixon told us and showed us their trip to Malawi on behalf of Rotary.
We even managed a pre-Christmas meeting with carols, crackers, goodies and pass the parcel without “passing the parcel” completed with a resounding rendition of “the twelve days of Christmas.”
THEN ANOTHER LOCKDOWN, Christmas happened!!
Although all the Burns nights were cancelled, we did return in February with our very own Joan Sanderson sharing stories and slides of her trip to Niger.
From Niger we were transported to Uganda with our new project charity “Starchild” brought to us by its founder, Michaela Foster Marsh who set up Starchild in memory of her adopted Ugandan brother, Frankie who died in a house fire, age 27. She passionately shared her story how her charity was opening an arts school for disabled children, normally ostracised in Uganda.
Last but not least, we were blessed to welcome Cara from BEAT (eating disorder support charity) who shared her own personal battle. A brave young lady who has totally turned her life around.
All our speakers have been inspirational and certainly do not hide their lights under a lamp stand.
We sadly lost our long-standing member and friend Minnie Wilson at the end of last year. Minnie loved her guild family and for those of us who remember the Young Woman’s Group, she was our second mother. She had a young mind, a positive spirit, and a loving heart which she has shared with all ages in our Church and community and further afield as social responsibility representative for the Guild. She lived her Christian faith in action and of course we will never forget her mouth-watering tablet which lives on in her recipe, secreted by some of our ladies.
Anne Hartley
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