OUR Guild at Bothwell Parish Church has a proud history spanning 130 years and actually predates the founding of the National Church of Scotland Guild by one year.

Records show that the Guild in Bothwell, as with a small number of others, was created as a pilot for this vision of Dr Charteris for an organisation empowering women within the Church of Scotland.

More recently, our Guild has faced challenging times through an ageing and declining membership. This was dramatically highlighted at a meeting of the Kirk Session when one of our elders and committed Guildswoman voiced concern about the health and future of the church’s group.

An uncomfortable situation could not be ignored.

We took solace in the knowledge that this was not purely a local issue, rather a reflection of the national trend. Membership is, of course, crucial because people are the lifeblood of any organisation. Also significant is the tendency for such an organisation to continue ‘doing what we’ve always done’. In this way, the perception of those outside can be that we simply don’t want to change.

Where next? We encouraged those within the congregation and beyond, not to judge the Guild by its packaging, but to give us a try! We asked for their assistance as we attempted to ask ourselves the difficult questions of:

• What do you like about our Guild ?

• What DON’T you like about our Guild ?

• What would you like to see in our Guild ? This was achieved through an open meeting at the start of the session which we called, ‘Meet the President’. We were delighted to welcome new faces who were sufficiently interested to come along and share conversation over a glass of wine. There followed a powerpoint presentation, outlining the National Guild past, present and future.

The questions generated full and frank discussion. Ideas were shared and opinions about a way forward aired.

The committee then set to work! We had been given a very clear manifesto for change and innovation; and remain on that journey. Our agenda at committee meetings addressed:

• The Action Plan for the Guild, approved by the General Assembly, the aims of which we believe at Bothwell we can fulfil.

• A return to basics, making support for National Projects a priority.

• Timing and frequency of meetings.

• A less formal approach and climate at our meetings.

• A more contemporary expression to our opening devotions.

• The nurturing of a sense of belonging to a bigger organisation ie: the

Guild in Scotland.

• A register of members, including email addresses etc, to facilitate better communication.

• Pastoral concern for members past and present – visits, flowers, cards.

The highlight in this session has been a visit from the National President, Rosemary Johnston who gave the address on ‘Guild Sunday’. She inspired the congregation and promoted the Guild in a most positive way.

“ The questions generated full and frank discussion. Ideas were shared and opinions about a way forward aired.

We are delighted to have significantly increased our numbers to forty members(even reducing the age profile!) and it is a joy to have to set out more chairs at meetings. However, we recognise there is no ‘quick fix’ for our Guild, rather we are a work in progress. We do, however, approach our 131st year with open hearts and minds, anxious to be flexible in our structure and welcoming in our ethos.