Message from President Duncan Leel
First of all I sincerely hope this message finds you all in good health.
As you will all be aware this week should have seen our last Battalion meetings, Council & AGM, for the session and I was looking forward to giving my President’s report on what was turning out to be a memorable year for the Battalion. Instead as I write we are all in lockdown mode eagerly awaiting for the world to return to normality.
Our year set off to a good start as we eagerly set plans in motion for our 50th Anniversary Parade in March to be followed by a fun event at Strichen in June. Badges were duly ordered and polo shirts organised as the excitement mounted. Competitions got off to a good start and for the most were well attended. We have a good working, supportive Battalion in Buchan for which I personally wish to thank everyone for the part they play both in their companies and in the various sub groups and committees we are all in. We are well informed through BB HQ and along with Beth Dobson and Alan McIntosh we are kept up to date in all aspects that affect our life and work as BB officers. The icing on the cake came in the form of the Battalion winning the Press and Journal mini bus competition which will benefit all companies in many forms.
As we are all aware by early March all activities had to cease as COVID 19 became part of our daily lives affecting people the world over. My sympathies go out to all who have been ill with the virus or who may have lost a loved one, relative or friend. We have through the support of the Boys Brigade online materials https://boys-brigade.org.uk/bbathome/ been able to give the boys support and activities to try at home through our Battalion and company Facebook groups. It is good to see photographs being posted and hearing what they are doing.
What has been cancelled can be rescheduled as soon as it is possible to do so and this will include the 50th anniversary parade, fun event, Battalion meetings and for most companies some form of award presentation evening.
In the meantime we will continue to keep you posted of any future developments and current office bearers will remain in post until our next meeting is convened. Keep safe and well till we meet again and I will leave you with this short reflection.
Duncan
A sense of a goose
When you see geese heading for the Loch of Strathbeg, flying in a “V” formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily, because they are travelling on the thrust of one another.When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are heading the same way we are.When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying.Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. What message can we give when we honk from behind?Finally – and this is important – when a goose gets sick or is wounded and falls out of the formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies; and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their own group. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.PrayerHeavenly Father give us the sense of a goose so that in all that we do or say we are kind and considerate to others at all times. Let us trust one another and work as a team towards our goals.We ask all this in Your Son’s name
Amen
