The Manse

Manse Road
Kirkton of Skene
Aberdeenshire
AB32 6LX

Tel: 01224 745955
Email: Minister.skeneparish@mail.com
Dear Friends,

What values are most important to you for the Future of Scotland? This was one of three
questions asked of over 900 people across 32 events organised by the Church of Scotland.
Imagining Scotlands Future was designed to enable young and old to discuss in depth the kind of
Scotland they long to see, beyond the
referendum.
A space created so that deeply held
aspirations could be voiced and developed
in cooperation with others. Aspirations
around our economy and employment; our
public services including our education and
criminal justice systems; our ability to care
for the most vulnerable in society whether
in terms of poverty or health or age; our
ability to nurture inclusive communities; our
government and our sustainability; and living
out the values of the gospel.
What do we want our nation to be like?
What do we want our community to be like? How can we make them better? How can we put our
aspirations into action? These are questions we need to be asking. But where will the answers
come from?
Jesus talked a lot about the Kingdom of God. There has been much debate as to what is
meant by this phrase, and yet every time we pray the Lords Prayer, we say - your kingdom come.
Perhaps it is best understood as being about the kingship of God where God rules - where
Gods will is done. It is where we experience Gods love, Gods justice, Gods compassion, Gods
care. It is where we experience the world being put right. For example, when forgiveness is
offered, when broken relationships are healed, when poverty is eased, when human slavery is
tackled or when villages are rebuilt after war or natural disaster.
When we think about what we long to see grow and flourish in our community and in our nation, I
believe we should think more about the Kingdom of God. When we ask the questions about our
vision for Scotland, I believe we should focus more on the prayer Your Kingdom Come. Then we
will see the kind of transformation we long for in our hearts at a personal, family, community and
national level.
Yours in Christ,

Rev Stella

A change of heart: a nation whose values flow from the human heart -from Gospel, not
from policy or legislation Glasgow Presbytery, Imagining Scotlands Future
www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/19243/our_vision.pdf
2

Dates for Holy Communion:
Trinity Church September 7
th
10am and 7pm
Skene Church September 14
th
9.30am and 11.15am
Trinity Church October 1st 2pm Afternoon Tea Service

Prayer and Pudding 1
st
Wednesday of the Month
Our next prayer and pudding will be on Wednesday 3rd September at
7.30pm at Trinity Church. Come along, enjoy some time in prayer and
some pudding for afters. It is a great way to be involved in the life of the
church and to take some time out with God. If you have particular prayer
requests, please use the prayer request box in each church or email the
minister.

Time out with God November 2014
Look out in the next Chronicle for details of our
prayer room in November. It will be open for
everyone to come in and enjoy, although there will
also be an opportunity to sign up for a specific time
slot. If you want even 15 minutes of peace, quiet
and an opportunity to pray or sit in silence with
God, please come along. Our focus will be on
praying for reconciliation for our nation and for our
world.

Midweek Bible Study
We will start back on Wednesday 10
th
September at 7.30pm in Trinity
Church. We will be continuing with our further exploration of the chapters of
The Story. Each week we will watch a DVD recapping the next chapter and
we then spend time discussing the questions relating to that chapter. It is
followed up by a cup of tea and a time of prayer. Please consider joining us
as we learn more about God and ourselves. It is a great opportunity to get to
know one another better too.

Holiday Bible Club
This year our holiday bible club will combine the Commonwealth
Games with learning about King Jesus. A five-day action packed
fun time programme of activities, with bible stories, crafts, games,
music and lots more. It begins on 11
th
August at Westhill
Community Church, and runs from 10am until 12pm. Registration
forms can be found at http://www.skeneparish.com/.
We will end our adventure on Sunday 17
th
August at 10am with
our all-age service at Trinity Church followed by a Brunch
Banquet. Come and join in the fun, ending the summer holidays
on a high.
3


STEWARDSHIP 2014; Talents
Earlier this summer we were treated to the delights of the Football World
Cup. Many of the players and teams had no issue with expressing their
faith before, during and after the matches. It is encouraging to see how
some of the best players in the world want to glorify God with their skills
and talents.
One such player, Edison Cavani scored for Uruguay in a match against
Costa Rica. When asked by a newspaper if he is an athlete of Christ, he replied 'no, no, no. I am
an athlete for Christ.' It reminds me of Colossians 3:17. Let every detail in your liveswords,
actions, whateverbe done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step
of the way. (The Message)
Let everything be done for Christ.
This Stewardship Season we are focussing on our skills, abilities, gifts, talents and how we can
use them in life (within and outside the church) to serve God. We want to celebrate the many
talents of folks in our community, including in our schools and we want to find out more about our
hidden talents those abilities or experiences that we can offer but which are often behind the
scenes.
When we watch sports men and women at the top of their game, we are rightly amazed at what
they can achieve. But sometimes we are tempted to look at them and think we have nothing to
offer in comparison. We may be even tempted to look at the people around us, closer to home,
and think the same. It is perhaps easier to see and celebrate the gifts of others especially those
who are sporty or musical or great at baking than to recognise our own.
But Gods word teaches us that everyone has a part to play and everyone can glorify God with
their lives. Our talents include being a good listener, being able to encourage, being there when
others needs us, praying for other nations, teaching children about the love of God, welcoming
strangers, caring for our families and being good at our jobs.
We all have something to give and our prayer this Stewardship Season, is that we would be able
to discover more of what that is. Look out for your Stewardship Booklet, delivered by our elders,
and join us in our various Stewardship Season Events.
There are some needs only you can see. There are some hands only you can hold. There
are some people only you can reach.
Timothy Keller

World Mission Partners
David and Rebecca Morton, who are based in Malawi, will be visiting with us on Sunday 14
th

September 2014. We look forward to welcoming them at our morning services and hearing more
about their work.
Journey: Joint Service
It has been a great joy to see the development of the Westhill Community Church in its new
building on Old Skene Road. We are looking forward to hosting our joint Holiday Bible Club there
at the end of the school holidays. This is a new step on our journey together and we are planning
to mark it with a joint service on Sunday 14
th
September. Please do come along and join in, in
whatever way you can.
4


Stewardship Season 2014
FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Saturday 27 September
TRINITY CHURCH
Harvest Display
Our local schools and many organisations in our community have
contributed their ideas in exploring the different ways we can use our
talents through the theme of harvest.
The display will run from 2 4pm.
Teas and coffees will be available.


READY...STEADY...DECORATE!
at TRINITY on Saturday 27 September at 3pm
Demonstrate your cake decorating skills!

Bring along your basic cake (including cupcakes), decorations and utensils
and show us, in 20 minutes, how you create your masterpieces.
Collect an entry form from Trinity office and return by
Wednesday 24th September.

Categories

Families Children Men Ladies Funny, quirky or unusual


5




Saturday 25 October
HARVEST DISPLAY
SKENE PARISH CHURCH
2 5pm

Visit Skene Parish Church
and see our celebration of Harvest.
And after
If your talents lie in the area of craft work, the Milne Hall hosts a
display of various crafts, with demonstrations and an opportunity
to try out something for yourself.
So if you would like to take up a new hobby, now is your chance
to find out how to do it.


Thursday 9 October
TRINITY CHURCH 7.30PM
We have many talented people in our community.
Our schools and some community groups will be showcasing
some of their talents on this fun packed evening.
Tickets cost 5 and can be purchased from the office at Trinity
on Monday, Wednesday, Friday mornings, or after the services
at both churches from the week beginning 21 September.
Proceeds will be donated to charity.
6




J ourney
Sunday 14
th
September 2014
Beginning at 5pm at Trinity Church, Westhill
J oint service of worship reflecting on the beginning of the
journey,
followed by those who are able walking to the new
Westhill Community Church building.
There will be an opportunity to see around the new building as
we prepare to continue our service of worship at 7pm, reflecting
on where we are now and what lies ahead.
Refreshments will be served after worship.
This is a time to be together, to celebrate and to look forward.








TRADE CRAFT / FAIR TRADE
For several years Mrs Ann Findlay helped to promote and raise our awareness about fairly traded
goods, encouraging us to buy goods from the Trade Craft/ Fair Trade stall that was available each
Sunday at Trinity.
Since she left, no one has come forward to continue the weekly stall. In future a selection of fairly
traded goods will be on sale at Coffee Mornings.
A large variety of fairly traded goods can be bought in M&S; Co-op; Tesco and other
supermarkets.
Check out www.tradecraft.co.uk to order direct.
Planning on having a Coffee Morning or sale and would like to include a
Trade Craft Stall contact Marion Stewart ( 743407).
7


8

CONTACT THE MINISTER
For pastoral issues, weddings, baptisms, hospital visiting, etc, please do not hesitate to contact
the Reverend Stella direct. The Manse telephone number is 01224 745955 or you can e-mail
Minister.skeneparish@mail.com.
Baptisms and blessings
The birth of a son or daughter is a wonderful gift to be celebrated. We would be delighted to join
with you in marking this special occasion. If you would like to discuss the possibility of a baptism
or blessing for your child please contact Rev Stella. From 2014 onwards it is planned that all
baptisms/blessings will take place on the last Sunday of the month.
New Members
If anyone is interested in becoming a member of the church, please contact Rev Stella. Please
note that there is an expectation new members will attend a Christianity Explored series during
the year.
BAPTISMS
It has been our pleasure to welcome to our Church Family by Baptism:
Aiden Daniel Craigie 35 Main Road East, Echt
Riley Andrew Craigie 35 Main Road East, Echt
THANKSGIVING AND BLESSING
We have been delighted to celebrate the blessing of:
Bethany Frances Rose Kyle 39 Crombie Acres
WEDDINGS
As they begin their married life together, we offer our congratulations to:
Claire Henderson to Andrew Youngson Auchronie Views
Catherine Wilson to Steven Davidson 59 Beech Road
DEATHS
We remember with thanksgiving those who have died recently, and we offer their relatives
our prayerful sympathy:
Isabel Findlater Gairloch
Gladys Grant 25 Fechnie Brae House
Hugh Noble 5 Hamewith Cottages
Patrick Nuttall Wester Letter Steading, Lyne of Skene
Ruth Ormston 20 Spring Tyne
James Pirie 53 Kindmundy Drive
Marion Sey 4 Westhill Road
Judith Young 2 Kinmundy Avenue

All our Baptism, Wedding, Funeral and Thanksgiving & Blessing announcements are displayed in
The Chronicle and our website www.skeneparish.com. In the future, if the family would prefer not
to have their information inserted in either, could you please advise Rev Stella in advance.

9

AFTERNOON TEAS
After another successful year at Afternoon Teas the Team Leaders are looking forward to hanging
up their aprons for a few weeks and I am sure our team of bakers and helpers feel the same.
We would like thank all our bakers, helpers and customers for their continued support at what
remains a popular weekly event in the life of our Church and community.
Unfortunately we have lost one of our Team Leaders. Ann Findlay has been a valued member
of our team and I am sure you join with us in wishing her and her husband Norman all the best in
their new home in Kirriemuir.
Due to the popularity of the Afternoon Teas we are in need of more Bakers and Helpers to assist
us on a rota basis, the requirements to do so would be no more than once per month. If you
would like to join our Happy Band please call one of the team leaders whose names are shown
below.
I should say this call does not go out to just the ladies in our community but to the gentlemen as
well and gentlemen if the baking does not appeal to you we would welcome your help in the
setting up and the dismantling of the tables, and again more information can be had from the
Team Leaders.
Afternoon Teas restart on the 27th August at Trinity Church, Westhill. 2-4p.m. so we look forward
to seeing all our usual customers and hopefully some new ones.
Contacts.
Carol Green 01224 741965
Sheila Gray 01224 744951
Jill Chessor 01224 742823

TRANSPORT TO CHURCH
It is appreciated that some members may have difficulty in attending Sunday morning Church
Services owing to a lack of transport. A Transport Group has been established that is willing to
transport people to and from Church. Anyone wanting a lift to Church should contact Iain Miller
on 741406.
CRECHE
Crche facilities for children ages 0-3years are provided during morning worship in Trinity Church.
Sheila Smith organizes the crche and can be contacted via the church office (tel 742512).
Crche facilities can be provided at Skene Church in the event of a baptism.

SUNDAY SCHOOL UPDATE
2013-2014 Session of Sunday School was busy and it was good to see some new faces. A BIG
THANK-YOU to all the leaders and parent helpers who prepare an interesting programme of
activities each week.
We are enjoying shorter services during the summer months. Activities are available for children
during the services.
There will be All-Age Worship at 10.00am on 3
rd
, 10th and 17th August at Trinity. Normal services
resume on Sunday 24
th
August, when Sunday School and GRID will start back.

Hope to see you there.

10


This years Holiday Bible Club is Fit for a King.
11
th
15
th
August
In preparation for it..

You are invited to a wedding feast.
Can you find your way to the wedding cake?


parables
kingdom
heaven
servants
invited
banquet
refused
dinner
oxen
cattle
come
wedding
street
corners
filled
guests
11



You are invited to a feast.

Sunday 17
th
August
A Brunch Banquet
Trinity Church, Westhill

Following our all-age HBC service at 10am

Jesus said the Kingdom of God is like a king who
prepared a wedding banquet for his son. This
summer, we are hosting our own Brunch Banquet, as a
celebration of our Holiday Bible Club Fit for a King.
We look forward to seeing you there.
parables
kingdom
heaven
servants
invited
banquet
refused
dinner
oxen
cattle
come
wedding
street
corners
filled
guests
parables
kingdom
heaven
servants
invited
banquet
refused
dinner
oxen
cattle
come
wedding
street
corners
filled
guests
12

ACTION GROUP
Our services, held on the first Wednesday of each month, continue to be a success. After a break
in August, they will resume on the 3
rd
September with Communion being celebrated at the Service
on the 1st of October. The bus continues to collect around 9 people with room for a few more. If
you would like to be added to the list, please call me on 741672.
There will be no Coffee Morning at Skene in November this year but we will have more
information about our next fund raising event at a later date.
Morag Hendry [ Co-ordinator ]

SUNDAY TEAS
Sunday teas are held in both Skene and Trinity services. Skene has teas on the last
Sunday of the month. Trinity has every Sunday in the lounge. We are in need of some
more people to help on a Sunday after Trinity Service. If, you would like to help, contact
Barbara Emerson 901678 (Trinity). Margaret Mearns (Skene) 740176.

SKENE COMMITTEE OF MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT
The house-to-house collection held during the week 21-27
th
April, raised 2,821
The annual Macmillan Walk on Sunday, 25th May at Kirkton of Skene, raised 1,747
This year, for the first time, we took a stall at the Westhill Gala. The committee were happy to be
part of such a great community event. We used this event to launch our large annual raffle, which
will be drawn at the coffee morning in September.
At the time of writing, we intend having a stall at the Echt show on Saturday, 12
th
July, selling
merchandise, home bakes and produce together with the usual tombola and lottery.
The annual coffee morning will be held at Lyne of Skene Hall on Saturday, 27
th
September from
10am 12 noon. Teas, coffees and home baking will be served and there will be the usual stalls.
Entry is by donation and all are welcome.
Also, on Saturday, 27
th
September, local band, Panda Ayes play at the Milne Hall, Kirkton of
Skene, in aid of Macmillan.( 7pm for 7.30pm )This six piece band play an upbeat mixture of
contemporary and traditional folk music and will provide an entertaining evening. Tickets are
priced at 10 each, which include stovies. Bring your own refreshment. Tickets are available from
Kath on 01330 860226
There will be a Tesco collection during 24-26
th
October, for which helpers are wanted. If you can
spare a little time to help out at this fund-raiser, or at any other event, please contact the
secretary.
From time to time we receive donations from individuals own fund raising events, collected from
parties, sponsored challenges, etc. These donations are very gratefully received and are a terrific
boost to our fund raising. All money received is ring fenced for the use of patients in our local
area.
Thank you to all who support our fund raising events. If you have a little time to spare why not
join in our fund raising activities? (Contact 01330 860226)
Follow Macmillan on our facebook page by going to www.facebook.com/skenefundraising

Kath MacBeath
(Secretary, Skene Committee Macmillan Cancer Support)

13

SKENE PARISH CHURCH GUILD
In June we held our Guild Fayre. It coincided with the Westhill Gala and was a great success
raising in excess of 1500 for Guild funds. The tea tables were very popular with church members
and Gala visitors alike. Many thanks to our talented ladies for providing such a lovely selection of
home bakes and a big thank you to everyone who came along to support us.
We concluded a most enjoyable year with two visits. The first being to CLAN, a wonderful
resource aimed at supporting Cancer patients and their families. Our second visit was to Drum
Garden Centre and again proved to be very popular.
Our Guild President Ann Findlay has moved with her husband Norman to live in Kirriemuir. Ann
shall be greatly missed and we thank her for all her hard work and enthusiastic leadership as
President.
The Guild Committee have been busy planning a new programme for the 2014-2015 session. It
promises to be excellent with a varied programme of musical evenings and speakers. Our Guild
year starts on October 12th with a dedication service at Skene Church at 11.15am. Rev Stella
Campbell will conduct the service.
The October meeting on October 13th is a floral arranging demonstration by Ann Westwood.
On November 10th we are to have a talk by Rev. A Christie. The title of his talk is "Humour in the
Ministry".
Guild awareness week is 16th-23rd November and we hope to have a fundraising event.
Monday 5th December is the Guild Christmas meal at the Westhill Holiday Inn and always proves
to be a thoroughly enjoyable evening with musical entertainment.
Our Guild meets on the 2nd Monday of each month in Trinity Church Hall at 7.30pm. New
members will be most welcome.
Isobel Kinnon

A BIG THANKYOU!
Many thanks to all those who attended the Musical Evening by Aberdeen Orpheus Choir in Skene
Parish Church in May. Almost 500 was raised for Christian Aid.
Margaret Mearns

MUSICAL EVENING IN SKENE PARISH CHURCH
A Musical Evening starring CLAIRE TELFORD (Violinist) and WAYNE ROBERTSON
(Accordionist) will be held in Skene Parish Church, Kirkton of Skene, on FRIDAY, 12th.
SEPTEMBER, 2014 at 7.30pm.
Tickets 10.00 (Concessions 8.00) will be available from Trinity Church Office (01224 742512) or
Margaret Mearns (01224 740176) towards the end of August. Bookings can be made in advance.
Claire and Wayne are extremely well known in musical circles and the evening will be a wonderful
mix of all types of music to suit all tastes!
Claire is a renowned violinist and Wayne a very accomplished accordionist.
Should you want more information about them look on their website.
Please make every effort to come along; you will not be disappointed! There is already demand
for tickets from outwith the area!

Margaret Mearns.
14

BADMINTON
Badminton for all resumes on Monday nights from 25
th
August at 7.30pm in Trinity. New players
are always welcome. Spare racquets are available. A GSOH is essential.
The lines will be given a refresh in August - date to be advised.
More information can be had from Isobel or Alastair Kinnon on 742941
CROSSREACH
The current Crossreachnews Magazine has a copy of the winning card in the Christmas Card
Competition for 2014. The winner, chosen from 170 entries from all over Scotland, is 11 year old
Danielle Gray from Brechin. Her design is now being made into a Christmas card that will be on
sale from September along with other cards and calendars in the Christmas Card Catalogue
2014.
The current Crossreachnews Magazines (free) are available in both Churches.
Susan Anderson
CHRISTIAN AID
The 2014 Christian Aid total has come to 10,415.16.
Great effort from lots of people raised this fantastic total. The door-to-door collection accounted
for more than 90% of the total and it is vital that as the number of homes in the Parish increases
that we continue to recruit more collectors anybody wishing to volunteer for 2015 will be made
most welcome.

Wednesday Teas at Trinity

Have you a birthday or an anniversary coming up?
Or just want to meet up with some friends?
Why not try our new
Celebration Afternoon Tea
Tables would require to be booked in advance.
For more information contact any of the
Afternoon Teas Team Leaders or The Church Office.
15

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Apart from the Church Services each week (Trinity Church at 10am and Skene Church at
11.15am) and the regular meetings of Church organisations, the programme for the next few
months is:
August
Sunday 10
th


Joint Service

Trinity Church

10.00am
11
th
15
th
Holiday Bible Club WCC
Sunday 17
th
HBC Service followed by Brunch
Banquet
Trinity Church 10.00am
Saturday 23
rd
Family Quiz Night Trinity Church 7.00pm
Sunday 24
th
Normal services resume Both churches
Sunday 24
th
Sunday School & GRID resume Trinity 10.00am
Monday 25
th
Girls Brigade Enrolment Trinity Church 6.00pm
Monday 25
th
Badminton resumes Trinity Church 7.30pm
Sunday 31
st
Messy Church Trinity 4.00-6.00pm
September
Wednesday 3
rd


Afternoon Tea Service

Trinity Church

2.00pm
Wednesday 3
rd
Prayer and Pudding Trinity Church 7.30pm
Sunday 7
th
Sacrament of Holy Communion Trinity Church 10.00am
Sunday 7
th
Sacrament of Holy Communion Trinity Church 7.00pm
Wednesday 10
th
Midweek Bible Study resumes Trinity Church 7.30pm
Friday 12
th
Musical Evening Skene Church 7.30pm
Sunday 14
th
Sacrament of Holy Communion Skene Church 9.30am
Sunday 14
th
Sacrament of Holy Communion Skene Church 11.15am
Sunday 14
th
Rebecca and David Morton visit
Sunday 14
th
Journey: Joint Service Trinity Church
WCC
5.00pm
7.00pm
Saturday 27
th
MacMillan Coffee Morning Lyne of Skene Hall 10.00-12.00
Saturday 27
th
Harvest Displays Trinity Church 2.00-4.00pm
Saturday 27
th
Ready, steady, decorate Trinity Church 3.00pm
Saturday 27
th
MacMillan - Panda Ayes Milne Hall 7.00pm
Sunday 28
th
Messy Church Trinity 4.00-6.00pm
October
Wednesday 1
st


Afternoon Tea Service with
sacrament of Holy Communion

Trinity Church

2.00pm
Wednesday 1
st
Prayer and Pudding & Bible Study Trinity Church 7.30pm
Saturday 4
th
Afternoon Tea and Craft Fair Milne Hall
Monday 6
th
Last date for Chronicle articles
Thursday 9
th
Whats your talent? Trinity Church 7.30pm
Sunday 12
th
Guild Dedication Service Skene Church 11.15am
Fri 24
th
Sun 26
th
MacMillan Collection Tesco
Saturday 25
th
Harvest Display Skene Church 2.00-5.00pm
Saturday 25
th
Craft demonstrations Milne Hall 2.00-5.00pm
Sunday 26
th
Harvest thanksgiving services Trinity Church
Skene Church
10.00am
11.15am
Sunday 26
th
Messy Church Trinity Church 4.00-6.00pm
November
Wednesday 5
th


Afternoon Tea Service

Trinity Church

2.00pm
Fri/Sat 7
th
/8
th
24/7 Prayer Room Trinity Church
Sunday 9
th
Joint service for Remembrance Skene Church 10.50am
Wednesday 26
th
Accordian Evening Milne Hall

16

ECO CONGREGATION
So Where Does The Rest Of Our
First Aid Equipment Go?
In the last edition of The Chronicle, I wrote about Intercare, the charity to
which we send much of our recycled first aid items. The rest of our first
aid materials and all the knitting we collect at Skene and
Trinity go to a charity which is based just outside Inverurie.
They are F.R.O.M Scotland Famine Relief for Orphans in
Malawi.
F.R.O.M was set up in 2005 and became a registered
charity two years later. Fiona Kennedy, broadcaster and
singer is the patron. Originally it was set up by the parents
of Dr Tracey Morse to assist in providing food for feeding
stations. Dr Tracy Morse is the project manager of the
University of Strathclyde Scotland Malawi Health Initiative.
As well as helping with the feeding stations, the funds
raised by the folks of the North East of Scotland have enabled
the group to improve the lives of people in many villages in
Chikwawa District in the South of Malawi and also in Rumphe
in the North. F.R.O.M provide the basic necessities required to
help save lives and improve the quality of life for people in
rural villages but especially for the many orphans and children.
Currently funds are providing a daily meal for about 800
children. Dr Morse administers all the money from the
fundraising. F.R.O.M Scotland has no administrative costs
here or in Malawi. This means every penny of the monies
raised is used and has contributed to the provision of two bore
holes and a village irrigation scheme. Also two health clinics
have been built along with a health workers house and two
classrooms with composting toilets.
It is not just money that F.R.O.M send out to Malawi. Once or twice a year, a container of goods
is sent out from the North East. A large proportion of these goods has been donated locally and is
either surplus to requirements or are being recycled. Mosquito nets, sanitation platforms, water
treatment tablets, various items of medical equipment such as microscopes, centrifuges, baby
incubators, zimmers, theatre scrubs etc are packed
into the container along with our first aid equipment
and knitting from all over Aberdeenshire. Recently
back packs full of school stationery and other useful
items have been added to the huge list of items
being shipped out. The Inverurie Brownies are to
help fill 200 backpacks to celebrate the Brownies
centenary year.
Sending a container all the way to Malawi costs a
great deal. F.R.O.M is always raising funds to
support this. Last year a local company, OEG,
donated a huge container painted up with the logo
17

and the money for this to be shipped out. That container arrived safely in June 2014. F.R.O.M
has just been given 138 hospital beds from Grampian Hospital Trust. They will need three or four
forty foot containers to ship all these beds out!! The first will be leaving sometime this month and
then the hard work begins to raise enough funds for the others to follow on.
This year is the 50
th
anniversary of Malawi gaining independence. To celebrate, fifty media
ambassadors have been appointed for Malawi. Dave Thomson here in Aberdeenshire and his
daughter Dr Tracey Morse in Malawi are two of these appointees. Each appointee had to produce
a fifty second video and a fifty-word statement about their work. These videos and stories will
soon be able to be seen online at the Scotland Malawi Partnership website. Each was also given
a Malawi flag which they were to arrange to fly somewhere locally. Daves flag will soon be flying
from Woodhill House in Aberdeen.
We will continue to support F.R.O.M with our recycled first aid equipment and also the knitting
which is so generously handed into to church in our Knitting Months of September and March.
Sheila Gray, Eco Group


Since we began our First Aid Recycling Project just over 4 years ago, we have sent over half the
contents of the kits to Inter Care. So who are Intercare and what do they do?
Inter Care was born in 1974 out of a growing awareness of an injustice. For some years, two GPs,
Drs. David Rosenberg and Patricia O'Keefe, then working in Leicester, had been aware

Family Quiz Night
Commonwealth Games Theme

organised by the Social Committee

Saturday 23rd Aug 7pm
At Trinity Church Hall
3-5 per teamall ages welcome
2 per person (tickets via church office or after Sunday
services)
Proceeds in Aid of
Breast Cancer Research


Representatives of F.R.O.M are happy to come along and give a slideshow
presentation about their work in Malawi to any groups/schools.
Contact Dave Thomson on 01467 681208
18





Mi l n e H a l l
K i r k t o n o f S k e n e

With the money put aside over the years, donations from local people, planning gain funds and a
grant from Aberdeenshire Council Garioch Area Committee the renovated toilets are now paid for.
The committee would like to thank all those involved and who contributed. Looking ahead, once
funds allow, there are plans to upgrade the kitchen area and create a new meeting room in the
space freed up by the new toilet block. If anyone is interested in helping with some of their time,
you will be made most welcome. Please contact 742804 or 744312.

Regular activities:

Insanity Fitness Class Tuesday 7 8pm Thursday 6 7pm Saturday 9.30-10.30am.
Jazzercise, 7.15-8.15pm every Thursday.
Angies Fitness class Tuesdays 5.30 6.30 pm
Children and young adult Highland dance classes on Friday evenings.
Skene Pre-School Playgroup Mon-Fri mornings during term time.
Skene Women's Rural Institute meets at the hall on the 1st Wednesday of each month.
New members always made welcome. Phone Mary Gray - 743285 (bookings)
For P1-P7 children, the Youth Club will restart in the Autumn.
Westhill Sooyang Do martial art group hold classes for children and adults on Monday
evenings.

The recent summer ceilidh was a great success and there are more events planned for the
autumn.

Upcoming Events:
Afternoon tea and craft fair Saturday 4th October
Accordion Evening on Wednesday 26th November 2014
Scottish Accordion Group, 7.30pm on Wednesday 30 April.
Garioch Fiddlers for Wednesday 25th March 2015.


Steve Cole

1st SKENE BOYS BRIGADE
19

Despite some mixed weather, the summer so far has been a busy time for the Company Section
boys. A number of them and a parent helped out at our Hot Dog Stall during the Westhill Gala
where we were so busy we sold out and after a quick restocking, sold out again. The following
weekend we held our Family BBQ at Kirkton of Skene. It turned out to be a pleasant afternoon
and all who attended enjoyed the games, competitions and of course the burgers!
Also during the same period, older boys from the Junior Section took part in the Splash dinghy
sailing experience at the Loch of Skene.
Our main summer activity was the week long Annual Camp at Badaguish Outdoor Centre near
Aviemore which 22 boys attended. Despite mixed weather and World Cup football, the boys
participating in a full week of outdoor activities including hill walking, mountain biking, canoeing,
rock climbing, abseiling as well as an overnight expedition in the Cairngorms.
This year the Corrieyairack Challenge was cancelled by the organisers, so our usual assistance
at water station was not required. That said, a group of hardened and committed participants,
including our Steve Cole decided to stage an unofficial event on the 52 miles route from Fort
Augustus, over the Corrieyairack Pass, and finishing at Badaguish. As usual, the objective was to
raise funds for the Speyside Handicapped Trust to provide respite care for handicapped children
at Badaguish. We were delighted to support Steve and pleased to see him safely complete this
demanding challenge.
Photographs of this and the rest of our camp can be viewed on www.1stskenebb.co.uk and our
Facebook page.
Our website always carries lots of information and photographs of our activities and is updated on
a regular basis. Please feel free to visit it at any time.
Looking ahead, enrolment for the 2014 /2015 session starts at 7pm on Friday, 29 August at Trinity
Church. The following Friday the session commences with the Anchor Boys meeting in Trinity
Church Hall and the other sections in Westhill Academy. There are no waiting lists and new
boys will always be made most welcome on any Friday evening.
The Boys Brigade caters for a wide variety of age-ranges and in 1
st
Skene Company we
participate in a wide range of activities throughout the year.. Anyone wishing specific information
should contact any of the sections leaders listed below.

Section Age-range Meeting O-in-C
Anchor Boys Primary 1 - 3 Friday 6.30 -7.45 pm
Trinity Church Hall
Ann Hudson
740080
Junior Section Primary 4 - 6 Friday 6.30 - 8 pm
Westhill Academy
Niall MacBeath
01330 860226
Company Section Primary 7 upwards Friday 7.30 -10 pm
Westhill Academy
Donald Struthers
742262

Donald Struthers
Captain
1st SKENE GIRLS BRIGADE

Our new session will begin with an Enrolment / Fun Night on Monday 25
th
August
in Trinity Church at 6-7.30pm.
20

During our session we will be taking part in various crafts, physical activities, badgework and
games.
Girls Brigade Scotland has a website if you wish further information.
All girls of school age are welcome to come and visit with a view to joining.
Any questions please call Mrs Fiona Cumming (Captain) on 01224 956764 or 07792 471199.

THE CHURCH MAGAZINE
Material for the next edition of the magazine must be in by Monday 6
th
October 2014.

All material should be sent to Barbara Emmerson by e-mail at barbaraemmerson@hotmail.com or
handed in to the Church Secretary at Trinity Church Office on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
mornings endorsed Church Magazine


CHRONICLE DISTRIBUTORS
I am always on the lookout for more distributors whether permanent or temporary as the number
of streets covered is increasing rapidly.
PLEASE, PLEASE if you can help with this very important outreach work ONLY 4 times a year, do
contact me at 01224 740176.
Margaret G. Mearns


LETTING OF FACILITIES AT TRINITY CHURCH
Information on booking Trinity Church should be directed to the Letting Convener, Elizabeth Gray
(tel 740414).


www.skeneparish.com
Skene Parish Church SC009462
Deadline for submission of material Ready for uplifting by distributors
Friday 9
th
January 2014 Sunday 1
st
February 2015
Monday 6
th
April 2015 Sunday 3
rd
May 2015
Monday 6
th
July 2015 Sunday 2
nd
August 2015
21






A fun, family-friendly service,
followed by tea.
Where: Trinity Church, Westhill
Sunday 31
st
August 2014 4-6pm
Sunday 28
th
September 2014 4-6pm
Sunday 26
th
October 2014 4-6pm
Come along, make friends and worship
God in a relaxed environment.
Everyone welcome!

Congratulations to Mr Grant Bell for winning our recent photography
competition. A small prize will be winging its way to him. Thanks
to all who take part. Look out for your photographs in upcoming
editions of The Chronicle. If you would like to contribute
photographs to the magazine, please send them to
minister.skeneparish@mail.com.







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