The AGM on 21st September saw new masters elected and I am deleted to welcome Dr Nina Baker, Prof Martyn Cullen, James Watson, Vickram Dhami to the Master Court. Andrew Young was elected Collector and Late Deacon Colin Botfield was presented with his replica medal. The accounts and several rule changes were approved and the Deacon read the Legend of the Pears to members at the Collector’s Breakfast.
Since then the IESIS and Trades House dinners including our own on 8th November and a visit to University of Glasgow Racing have been highlights. The first two months have been busy but rewarding!
Deacon Gordon Masterton
The period since April has been very busy. A re-scheduled Coopers dinner, School Prizes, Arrol Bursaries awards. On top of this have been visits to the annual launch of University of Glasgow Formula Student Racing Team’s new car and the Fem Eng Rwanda project. I visited HMS Defender in HM naval base Portsmouth to present awards.
We visited the Glasgow Subway, City Chambers, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Clydeside Distillery. The Deacon was also a guest at the Royal Garden Party at Holyrood Palace.
April and May 2018 also saw the Prince Philip Prizes awards and the Scottish Engineering joint award and deciding among an excellent field of applicants. Greg Stark of BAe Marine Ships won the Scottish Engineering award which was presented by the Rt Hon Ruth Davidson MSP.
Work continues on our artefacts and researching and preserving our history. We found in our records details of a Miss Margaret Coats who was operating a brass foundry in Saracen Street Lane in 1794. Although she did not join the Hammermen (lacking a burgess ticket but only after some debate and with her agreement) she paid a freedom fine to trade under our jurisdiction and was excused from presenting an essay or sample of her work. Perhaps the first female engineer.
An impressive 39 new members were collected during the year. We still seek new members to join our Master Court so if you are interested please email the Deacon at deacon@hammermenofglasgow.org
Deacon Colin Botfield