Following in my father’s footsteps, and those of many notable Scottish engineering Masters, in ascending to the top office of Deacon in our Craft, I can really only say that it is an absolute honour to do so. Treading a path which has been meticulously laid out by the generations of Deacons before me and experiencing the best the people of Glasgow have to offer by way of charitable giving and education is somewhat dulled by the trying pandemic circumstances in which we find ourselves.
To fill this important role my Master Court and I find ourselves travelling a new and interesting path instead. We are finding ourselves getting to know our membership differently and look to enjoy their company as the year progresses, not in the usual way through our Annual Dinner and Hammermen Awards evenings. Instead by using the now commonplace online meeting platform, we aim to continue the great work of those who have gone before but engage with our membership in a new way.
The coming financial year will see a reduction in income for The Hammermen and consequently, less will be available for charitable distribution. We will however continue to invest in our beneficiaries and students. The applications are already underway for this year’s Prince Philip Prize awards, and this week will see us present our 2020 winners with their awards in an online event, our first venture into the forum with those outside of the Master Court.
It’s commonly accepted that Trades Hall, and the Crafts within its walls, are one of Glasgow’s best kept secrets but this is the ideal time for engagement and promotion of what we as a Craft and a House can offer. As such, my Master Court and I will be presenting a number of Hammermen Talks in the coming months to engage more with our members, these will be briefings and discussions open for all to attend and input is welcomed, if you would like to present on a topic please let us know. Our website is live, updated and monitored regularly by the communications committee, likewise our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages are populated regularly. I would encourage our membership to engage with us on these platforms, if you are working on an interesting engineering project, let us know. I’ll be using the forum to post some of my own interesting casting photos and welcome others to do the same.
The Hammermen of Glasgow is your Craft, engage with us and let’s tread the new path together to show an alternative way for the generations to come.
Andrew Young
Deacon of the Incorporation of Hammermen of Glasgow.
