Presidential Profile

Presidential Profile

Gillian A. Thomas (née Crookshanks) (1975-80)

The author of the Profile on Gillian in last year’s Magazine, Peter Jeffrey, was the person who had originally suggested to the Club’s principal officials that she would be an appropriate candidate for the office of President. She having been elected, the Editor naturally approached Peter to write the Profile. When he began it by remarking that she had achieved a double first in FP Club affairs he could not have foreseen that she was to make that a triple first.

To being the first daughter of a former President to hold this office and the first overseas member of the Club to attain this office she has now added a third as she is the first President to be elected for a second successive term. The only other President to serve twice was Dr Douglas Simpson, the son of the Rector and founder of the FP Club, H. F. Morland Simpson. He was President in 195354 and was specially invited to serve again ten years later in 1963-64, the year which marked the Centenary of the School’s move from Schoolhill to Skene Street.

Brought up in Aberdeen, Gillian attended Mile End Primary School before entry to the Grammar in 1975. She played hockey, badminton and tennis and was a keen member of the hill-walking club. She graduated as a teacher of Primary Education in 1983 and after marrying she moved to Calgary in Alberta. Over the next number of years her husband’s employment in the oil industry took the family to Yemen, from which civil war compelled their urgent evacuation to Britain in 1994. They later moved to Indonesia before spending several years in the U.K. in Windsor before returning to Canada in 2003.

Since then Gillian has associated herself with the Canadian Centre of the FP Club, serving as its President in 2003-04, the first lady President of any Centre. Since 2010 she has been Centre Secretary and is a wonderfully enthusiastic supporter, energetically pursuing any lead for new members. As one of the youngest Canadian FPs she brightens any gathering of the Canadian Centre and keeps a kindly eye on everyone. Her enthusiasm reaches Aberdeen, too, where she encourages Aberdonians and other FPs to join our Canadian Reunion weekends – and they do!

Gillian also has a strong interest in encouraging Canadian FPs to give back to the School, and she played a key role in planning the Canadian Chairs Project. She has stayed in touch with the School and again was a key operator in the Library Study Area project which has just been completed.

It has been an added bonus for Gillian that the eldest of her three daughters is now working for Nexen Petroleum in Aberdeen.

All FPs will wish our President well in this further year of service to our Club.