Former Pupils’ Section
President’s Report I felt very honoured to be nominated as President of the Former Pupils’ Club two years ago. After presiding over the 2017 Annual Dinner, which I had believed to be my final duty as President, I was surprised but even more honoured to be elected to serve for a second year. The significance of my being the first person to serve two consecutive terms is not lost on me. I have much enjoyed my several contacts with the Head Teacher and the School, and the interviews for the All Round Trophy in April were an inspiring revelation of the quality of pupils currently in the School – not only were all the candidates well equipped academically but all gave back in volunteer hours in both School and community and also had sporting and musical talents which left me wondering how they had time to sleep. I was disappointed in April when, having returned from Canada to attend the Edinburgh Centre dinner, I found that it had been cancelled for lack of numbers. This is a major problem in Club life as our membership ages and numbers decline. I am pleased that this is a matter which is being addressed as a matter of urgency. Planned surgery, from which I took longer to recover than had been foreseen, prevented me from attending the Yorkshire and Glasgow dinners and the School Christmas Service at St Machar’s Cathedral as well as other local dinners in Aberdeen, which I much regret. I am most grateful to those others who deputised for me at these various events. I am proud to have been associated with the updating of the Club Constitution resulting from the proposal advanced by my own Canadian Centre which brings the proceedings of the Club into the 21st Century and the technological age. When I returned home following the AGM I had travelled over 100,000 kilometers as President which, while taxing, has been my great pleasure to do. One of my key interests as President has been the establishment of links between School Leavers and the Club, which have rather fallen by the wayside in recent years, and also planning a renewal of contacts between FPs and the Club. I have made contact with people who were in my year at The Grammar and now have details of over 60 classmates, some of whom were at this year’s Dinner. Each has been asked to reach out to all their school friends and this has grown arms and legs. I hope that this may be taken on board by other years and help to revitalize the Club. This is an ongoing project in which I will continue to be involved. May I say, as I did in my Report in last year’s Magazine, how grateful I am for the support which I have enjoyed from my Aberdeen ‘team’ - Alan Campbell, John Michie and my father, Brian Crookshanks. 43
