This message conveys my best seasonal wishes to all fellow Burgesses, and also to your families and friends.  I want to avoid over-used cliché’s about this past year and simply say that I hope all have coped with the unusual and unexpected situation and now look forward to a better lifestyle in 2021. The finishing line is in sight !

Burgesses’ activity in the past nine months or so has been limited to forms of social networking including virtual lunches: nominations were also suspended. The emergence of the vaccine seems to have been a catalyst to reawaken interests about past and potential future events, this is heartening and things are happening. With the Assessors I am working on a provisional programme for 2021 and hope soon to communicate further with you.

Meanwhile, this will be a Christmas and New Year celebration like no other we have known but it can and still be enjoyable and fulfilling. Please make the most of every opportunity you have, for yourself and your family, keep safe and keep well, mask up when you have to but don’t mask the laughter.

Best wishes to everyone. 

Colin G. Taylor

Lord Dean of Guild of the City & Royal Burgh of Aberdeen

We recently held our second virtual lunch due to the current restrictions, and 44 Burgesses attended to hear an excellent humorous and informative presentation by Lord Provost Barney Crockett on the US voting system.

For those who were unable to attend the meeting was recorded and placed on YouTube, the link can be accessed by clicking the link below:

It’s been a while, but we are delighted to announce a virtual lunch to be held via Zoom on Tuesday 1st December at 12.00 noon.

People in the UK are often puzzled by elections in the United States. They take a long time, methods of registering votes and counting vary in different places. There are delays in implementing results. Counts can get involved. All so different from the UK. How did it come about and what is the big problem in the future?

Lord Provost Barney Crockett will give a personal and light hearted take on this.

If you wish to hear the Lord Provost please email Clerk Garry Stevens at clerk@aberdeenburgesses.com

Details of how to join via Zoom will be sent out to you before the date.

Please see email below from fellow Burgess Neil McLennan:

I have brought three veteran’s charities together: PoppyScotland, Legion Scotland and the Royal Caledonian Education Trust (I am a director of the last one) to mark the first national commemoration of St Valery. https://www.poppyscotland.org.uk/get-involved/saint-valery/
Can I ask that you share this with fellow Burgesses.  Many Aberdeen men and their families were impacted by St Valery. It is apt that we mark their service and sacrifice on the 80th anniversary.
Many thanks in advance
Neil

Burgesses of Guild of the City of Aberdeen

LORD DEAN OF GUILD COLIN G. TAYLOR

17^th May 2020

Dear Burgesses of Guild

I am pleased to report a successful AGM last week, with the assistance of the internet meeting place, Zoom.    In accordance with tradition a group of Burgesses convened at Noon on the second Tuesday of May.   The relevant papers had been circulated by email in advance of the meeting and on the day our agenda was completed in fifteen minutes or so.   The attendance was 23 and history was made, importantly because this was the first ever online gathering of Burgesses for an AGM and also because no butteries were served !    Lord Provost Barney Crockett, himself a Burgess of course, attended and kindly offered his appreciation of our support of the City; regrettably, Council Chief Executive Angela Scott could not be there but did send a message which we circulated a few days ago.  The meeting agreed the co-option of Stephen Wedderburn to be an Assessor, replacing Chris Croly whom I thank for his past service.

Our programme of lunches with guest Speakers is mothballed now, with no explanation necessary, however we are to trial a virtual lunch and this will be on Wednesday 3^rd. June commencing at 1214.    The Speaker will be Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski who will address the hot topic of Education with a talk entitled “’Post-Coronavirus Aberdeen: what should be the role of the universities and the college?”.  If you wish to attend the virtual lunch, please email Clerk Garry Stevens at – clerk@aberdeenburgesses.com

Garry will send a link to the meeting to all attendees prior to the lunch

I look forward to your support, please.

In my Lord Dean role I am a Trustee of the Lord Provost’s Charitable Fund which is administering a Hardship Fund to support local charities which support fellow Citizens for whom life is difficult in the current crisis.   The initiative for this came from our colleagues in The Seven Incorporated Trades (‘Burgesses of Trade’) whom I applaud for their foresight and generosity.   The Council through the Common Good Fund and the LPCT is fully supportive and the Lord Provost is heading up the Appeal for funding.  There has been quite a bit of publicity and a number of people have defied the old music hall joke about the meanness of Aberdonians.    Significantly, there have been a couple of anonymous donations of very large amounts but more is needed.   When the Trustees met last week to consider the many application requests for funding I found it eye-opening to read the hardship which is suffered by many families in this, OUR CITY, thus I am incorporating a copy of a recent press article which carries more details including how individuals can contribute to the Fund.   Please offer your support.  Regretfully in terms of our Trust, we are forbidden from contributing to such initiatives, but perhaps individual Burgesses would like to make a contribution.

Best wishes to everyone, keep well.

                                                Colin

Charity registered in Scotland – Number SCO11857 City of Aberdeen Council Guildry & Mortification Funds

History was made today (12th May) when 23 attendees logged on the virtual AGM meeting at 12.00 noon via the Zoom platform. Attendees included Lord Provost and fellow Burgess Barney Crockett.

Unfortunately Aberdeen City Council Chief Executive, Angela Scott was unable to attend the meeting, but submitted a brief report which is attached below:

We are not anticipating being able to hold events or lunches anytime soon, but we are going to look at holding our annual fun quiz in early December, which may be interactive depending upon the situation with Corona Virus at that time. We will keep you all posted.

Following the posting of the AGM papers yesterday, The Lord Dean has agreed that the meeting can be held via Zoom conference call. Therefore if any Burgesses wish to join at midday on Tuesday 12th May please email clerk Garry Stevens at

clerk@aberdeenburgesses.com

and you will be invited to join.

If there is any questions please send in advance of the meeting to the clerk email address.

Due to Covid – 19 outbreak, the Burgess AGM will not take place in its usual format this year. The Lord Dean and 6 Assessors can meet under exceptional circumstances to hold the AGM. They will be doing so via Video Conferencing at 12.00 noon on 12th May.

Below are the papers and if there are any queries, questions or AOB, please email Clerk Garry Stevens at:

clerk@aberdeenburgesses.com

Please note this year Aberdeen City Council have included the Burgesses accounts along with all other Trust Funds that they manage.

Dear Burgesses

The Lord Dean in conjunction with the Assessors, have taken the decision in light of the current COVID – 19 outbreak to postpone all Lunches and Social Events until further notice.

For those who have paid for lunches or events, we will look to reschedule these at dates in the future. If you would like a refund please email clerk@aberdeenburgesses.com with your bank details and this will be organised, otherwise the payments can be carried forward to the rearranged date.

We trust you will all understand the reasons for this decision and any further updates will be issued via the website as we will be following developments on a daily basis.