Author Archives: Susan Mitchell

Welcome to our new Burgesses who were admitted at Full Council on Wednesday 5th February 2025

Robert John Leslie, Retired Chartered Surveyor. Nominated by Stuart Milne and Seconded by Matthew Finnie.

Allan McKimmie, Chairman AFC Heritage Trust. Nominated by Greg Poon and Seconded by Dr Stephen Wedderburn.

Graham Mountford, Solicitor. Nominated by Professor Paul Meallor LVO, FRSE and Seconded by Lindsey Fettes.

Syed Abdur Razzak, Director. Nominated by Mohammad Taqeer Malik, and Seconded by Barney Crockett

Reverend Keith Blackwood, Minister of the Church of Scotland (Mannofield Church), nominated by Joe Mackie OBE and Seconded by Lord Dean of Guild

Christina Clunes, Retired Care Assistant, Nominated by Anne Milne and Seconded by Joe Mackie OBE

Dr Iain Duthie, Church Pastor/Minister (Kings Church Aberdeen), Nominated by Dr Stephen Wedderburn and Seconded by Lord Dean of Guild

Gloria Kochman, Retired University and College Music Lecturer and Organist, Nominated by Irene Cormack and Seconded by Gordon Williamson

Craig Pike, Lawyer-Advocate, Nominated by David Parkinson and Seconded by Seonaidh Baker

Helen Will, Retired Remittances Manager/Dance Teacher, Nominated by Anne Milne and Seconded by Gregory Poon

We are pleased to welcome the following new Burgesses:

Professor Mervyn Bain, University Professor, nominated by Martin Ewan and Seconded by Antony Walker

Colin Lawson, Company Director. Nominated by John Otto and Seconded by Colin Wilson

At our lunch on Thursday 3rd October we received a most inspirational and thought-provoking presentation by Dr Iain Duthie. Although the Pastor at King’s Church Aberdeen, this was not a religious presentation. It was entiteld “What is in Your Hand” and was reflective of an extremely interesting life and career together with the work that has been carried out under the banner of the iniative ‘Love Aberdeen’. There was common ground with our Action Plan and our motto ‘For Aberdeen’, the main difference being that Dr Duthie and his team have turned aims and objectives into actions and reality.

Under the headings To Guard; To Grow; To Give he gave examples of the power of Community, the price of Loyalty which is why Burgesses are admitted in the first place. Many of our Burgesses continue to do great work for the benefit of our communities and many have said that they would like to contribute with something worth much more than money – your time, knowledge and experience.

Can I urge you all to revisit our Action Plan and let me know where you can contribute to turn the plan into more action. Can I also ask that if you know of any young people whose future education or career path might be helped with a contribution either in monetary terms or in some material way – as with the laptops earlier this year – please let me have appropriate information. This assistance may also be extended to an initiative covering a number of young people.

Link to the Action Plan:

Thank you for your time
Sincerely
Sylvia Halkerston
Lord Dean of Guild

Sheena Blackhall, Scottish Poet, Vocalist, Singer and Writer. Nominated by Albert Thomson and Seconded by Ronnie Watt OBE.

Stuart Clark, Police Inspector. Proposed by Martin Ewan and Seconded by Antony Walker

Dr Tracey Menzies, Solicitor. Proposed by Martin Ewan and Seconded by Roger Connon.

Deborah Mitchell, Financial Advisor (Retired). Proposed by David Parkinson and Seconded by Past Lord Dean, Colin Taylor.

I am delighted to advise that six pupils from Lochside, Northfield and St Machar Academies were the recipients of new laptops to take them into their courses of study at university as part of the first Educational Award from the Guildry and Mortifications Fund under the terms of the new Trust Deed.
Caleb Kelly, Chukwouma Orike, Dana Pinkovska, Karina Moravska are pictured receiving their laptops. Aleksandra Rzepka and Timurs Koptevs unfortunately could not be present but will receive their laptops later this week.

These students have shown exceptional commitment and our support has helped enable them to take up the places they have earned at university. Their potential studies include Law, Architecture, Mechanical Engineering and Teaching.

We will do more in this vein and all these young people have undertaken to keep us informed of their progress.

In addition we have underwritten the cost of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme accreditation for seven young people who have gone through very trying times but who have turned their lives around. The accreditation has enabled them to take up full time paid employment and set them on a pathway unimaginable without the skills training. We have done this through the good offices of Aberdeen Foyer who will monitor progress on our behalf.

We are pleased that we have been able to help thirteen young people on their way on an educational and vocational journey which, without the assistance of the Burgesses of Guild, they would not have been able to do. We will continue to offer such support in keeping with the terms of our Trust Deed.

Lord Dean of Guild

Pleased to post a photograph of Burgesses who were awarded various levels of recognition for their contribution and achievements in their professions and/or community activities at the Order of Scottish Samurai ceremony led by Ronnie Watt at Broomhall House on Sunday 3rd March.

Ronnie Watt, a strongly committed and supportive Burgess, is the founder of the OSS. The ceremony was a special celebration celebrating 30 years of the OSS attended by the Japanese Consul and hosted by Lord Charles Bruce, a direct descendant of Robert the Bruce, and whose historical home is Broomhall House.

All awardees have gone above and beyond for their communities and in keeping with the ethos of being a Burgess of Guild.

Congratulations to all award winners and to Ronnie Watt for his outstanding continuing commitment to our wider community.

On Saturday 17th February we held an event in conjunction with the Order of Scottish Samurai at the Town House with two internationally renowned speakers – Professor Thomas Weber, an authority on and author of books on Adolf Hitler and Professor Beatrice de Graaf, an authority on and author of books on Vladimir Putin. Both speakers are winners in their own right of the Duc d’Arenberg Prize which is awarded for the best book on European History. They did not disappoint giving us facts, perhaps unknown, the story behind the men and their objectives. Hitler may well have been a history lesson with lessons for the future, but the Putin story brought us from his beginnings right to the present day.

The speakers gave generously of their time presenting on their subjects and the questions from the floor of ninety-four attendees were plentiful. The turnout was exceptional given that it was a very wet, Saturday night and the event only consisted of the presentations and questions. I thank all who attended.

 Our fellow Burgess, Ronnie Watt, President of the OSS, suggested these speakers. We have a full calendar of lunchtime speakers, but if any Burgesses would like to recommend speakers or topics for events, I will happily pursue.

Sylvia Halkerston
Lord Dean of Guild

On behalf of the Burgesses of Guild of the City of Aberdeen, the Lord Dean wishes to pass on her congratulation to Burgess Paul Meallor who was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in the New Years Honours List for services to royal music.

The LVO is a personal gift given by the King. He is the first composer since Sir Arthur Bliss in 1969 to be recognised in this manner. Prof Mealor LVO CStJ FRSA CLJ was also awarded a Coronation Medal to mark his contributions to the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey in 2023.

I am sure all Burgesses will agree that this is a well deserved honour for Paul.