Chaplaincy

SECTION CHAPLAINCY HEADING

CHAPLAINCY REPORT 2021/22

There is an old joke that my father used to love telling, that tells of a sergeant major addressing a young recruit:

“I didn’t see you at camouflage training this morning, private”, the sergeant major bellows.

“Why, thank you very much, sarge”, replies the bold young recruit!

Well, we had not seen any parents at far too many School events, for far too long and for a very different reason. What a joy and relief it has been to be allowed to welcome parents, grandparents and friends of Merchiston back into the School community. Really, I / we have missed that unique community feel which having all ages at a Whole School Service brings to this place.

Ironically, given the anecdote that I started with, we were first able to get the wider Merchiston community involved again at our Remembrance service – you can read my address elsewhere in this magazine. However, the very special bit for me was to leave the confines of the Memorial Hall, where we held the first part of the service with the boys, and process out of the Hall, led by Pipe Major Will N, with the wreath-laying party and the rest of the School, down the front steps and outside. There, a crowd of about 150 parents, friends and Merchistonians, who had been waiting outside, met us. The Pipe Band marched up the driveway from Pringle to the Garden of Remembrance, and, symbolically and actually, we were one again – Inside and Outside, Past and Present. We were One School Community for the first time in over eighteen months. Wreaths were laid at the Garden of Remembrance and the Silence observed together on the dot of 11am – the key word in that sentence is “together”. For so many reasons, this was a very moving occasion.

We came together again for the most unique of Carol Services in December, when another familiar phrase, “necessity is the mother of invention”, was played out before my eyes. I am ashamed to admit that this “doubting Thomas” of a Chaplain kept worrying “but what if it snows....it rains....it’s too cold”. But seeing is believing – it was perfect! On our Merchiston Carol Journey, the “Wise Men” of Laidlaw processed from Laidlaw House singing carols, to join the rest of us on the steps of the main School building. Before a magically lit main School building, we sang and listened, on a unique occasion, to that most unique of stories, perhaps with fresh ears. Immanuel. “God is with us”. We then, appropriately, all processed together to Pringle, where the youngest of our community abide. From the Wise Men to the Child; it seemed, again, symbolically appropriate.

In February, our Senior Prefects did a fantastic job of pulling together a service about dynamic friendships and effective couples, entitled “Two are better than one”: where else would you have such a combination mentioned in the same service - Holmes and Watson, Woody and Buzz, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Brownlee brothers, the School and Us, and God and Me? This was another utterly unique occasion, delivered by a wonderfully accomplished and well-rounded group of Senior Prefects.

We have tried to take so many more steps to provide access to our wider Merchiston community in these last months. Whole School events are now live streamed, thanks to the expertise of our AV team, led by Mr David Thomson. Throughout the pandemic, sometimes daily and sometimes weekly, I wrote over 120 blogs for boys, parents, Merchistonians, and others within our community: these were voluntarily received by over 600 people each time. People seemed to want communication, community and care, and I do not think that has changed post-pandemic!

And now, the other highlights, no less important, but the editor has his word limit! • First regular Whole School Assembly in almost two years on 1 March 2022; • Regular Sectional Assemblies have now resumed each week; • The Chaplain’s curry night “spluttered” through the pandemic, but inside or outside around the fire pit, we managed to hold this most Tuesday evenings; • I have learnt how to use Zoom! However, it’s so much nicer to see people in person.

So, to completely de-humorise, if that’s a word, the joke at the beginning of this report, and in a heartfelt way: Chaplain: “It was great to see you again at Chapel this morning”. Reader: “Why, thank you very much, Rev”. Let us hope and pray that the personal connection continues. Philippians 1, verse 6: “…..being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”.

Rev Nick Blair, Chaplain

III Form Art