Page 42 - QARANC Vol 14 No 11 2015

40 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Scottish Branch
Chairman Lt Col (Retd) Laura Murray Secretary Maj (Retd) Isobel Gibson
Our branch membership has increased over the last year and now stands at 85. Members live in all areas of Scotland from the Highlands, to Galloway in the South West, and Dumfries in the South East.
One member Mrs Dorian Patterson a World War 2 veteran died last May, after a short illness.
Following the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland the first service taken by the new Moderator is the Scottish National War Memorial service within Edinburgh Castle. Two members represented the branch, in the presence of H M The Queen.
In October we again had our annual lunch at the Royal Scot Club Edinburgh, which was enjoyed by the 26 members who attended. Arrangements to have coffee in the library allowed more opportunity to chat afterwards.
This year past members have attended the opening of
the Remembrance
Garden in Princess
Street Gardens, and on Remembrance Sunday,
E Duncan accompanied by M Bordenkircher laid the QARANC wreath at the City
Chambers followed by a service at St Giles Cathedral. Some members attended Yvonne McEwan’s Remembrance Day talk in the Surgeon’s Hall Edinburgh, discussing an account of nursing during the Great War. The talk in general was well attended and gave greater insight into hospital / field conditions and the dedication and enthusiasm of the army nurses. Following the talk, there was a special book signing to launch her new publication ‘In the Company of Nurses: The British Army
Nursing Service in the Great War (2014).
At our AGM in May 2015 Lt Col L Murray was unanimously
re-elected as Chairman. Over tea and coffee we had a very interesting talk from Maj David Jenkins Training Maj 225 Sc. Med Regt. He gave an update on the transition of the AMSTC from delivering a Trauma Skills programme to that of Infection Control, providing and training for both military and civilian support to Sierra Leone in response to Ebola
Outbreak. The AMSTC had hosted a visit on behalf of 205 Fd Hosp, in April for representatives from across Scotland, which had included Senior Nurses and Managers, Microbiologists, Infection Control, Public Health, Ambulance Service and Health and Safety
personnel.
Isobel Gibson
Newcastle Branch Update Spring 2015
Chairman Maj (Retd) Ann Clouston Secretary Mr Ron Bell
March saw some changes in the committee and we would all like to thank Anne Dolphin as outgoing Chair and Lyndsey Staerck as outgoing Secretary for their sterling service. I shuffled seats and resigned as treasurer to become secretary and Tricia Fitzgerald took on my previous post as treasurer. Ann Clouston took on the role as Chair so I shall have to be on my metal.
As usual at the Branch AGM a buffet and raffle were held with food and prizes supplied by the members. We always hold our meetings at the same time as the RAMCA and after individual meetings the two Associations get together to try and hammer out some ideas for outings for the membership.
There has been a bit of cross pollination with Gill and Ron Bell invited to the Yorkshire and Humberside Dinner also held in March. There were a lot of old lamps swung and sandbags pulled up as we swapped unlikely tales of our exploits and there was a lot of “when I was...”
Corps day saw the several members sharing a meal in Newcastle upon Tyne at a Stowell Street Chinese restaurant. A good time was had by all who attended.
saw yet more cross pollination with the Chair welcoming Alison Muir the Chair of the Yorkshire and Humberside branch. This is a fairly new branch and Alison had come to see if she could pick up any tips. The RAMCA association was good enough to look after Jim her husband while Alison was with us.
The meeting was rounded off by an excellent lecture given to both associations by Lt Col Laverick-Stoven on the future of the army in general and the medical services in particular post Afghanistan leading up to 2020. Let’s just say we live in interesting times and that tentage is making a comeback.
Future Plans include a return trip to Beamish Outdoor Museum on the 24th June 2015 and if the first trip is anything to go on the members are in for a treat. On the 11th July there is to be a City tour; the tour is entitled Heart of the City. We are very fortunate now in that our Branch has a bona fide tour guide in the shape of our very own Chair, Ann Clouston. That should save a bob or two. On the 15th August 2015 Ann will once again take up the banner for another tour entitled Medical Matters. I wonder what that will be about?
There are other events planned but I want to save those for the next newsletter.
Ron Bell
Branch Secretary
The May meeting of the Branch was very well attended and