2012 ST JOHN SCOTLAND YEAR BOOK Designed by The Puffin Room Printed by Winter and Simpson Print OF THE PRIORY OF SCOTLAND THE PRIORY OF Y EDINBURGH EH8 8DG Scottish CharityScottish SC000262 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.stjohnscotland.org.uk ST JOHN’S HOUSE, 21 ST JOHN STREET Order Website:Order www.orderofstjohn.org Telephone: 0131 556 8711 Fax: 0131 558 3250 THE CHANCER 2012 Year Book Cover 12/11/12 19:26 Page 1 2012 Year Book Cover 12/11/12 19:26 Page 3 FAMILY SUPPORT OF RESCUE TEAM CONTINUES The Priory of Scotland of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem Hugh MacLeod of MacLeod, of Dunvegan Castle, Skye, followed in his father’s footsteps when he kindly presented the Skye Mountain Rescue Team with a vehicle on behalf of St John Scotland. Hugh handed over the vehicle, for which St John had contributed £20,000, on 12th October 2012. His late father, John MacLeod of MacLeod, presented the team’s previous St John-funded vehicle on 6th October 2001, the same day as he opened the team’s base at Glenbrittle, for which he had generously donated the land. The happy recipient of the keys on both occasions was Gerry Akroyd, the Team Leader. Pro Fide – Pro Utilitate Hominum The arms of the Priory with the mottoes of the Order St John Scotland improves the safety, health and quality of life of people in need. CONTENTS The Prior’s Message 3 St John in Scotland 4 General Information 5 St John Scotland Projects 8 Eye Hospital Report 27 Financial Report 28 Financial Information 31 Activities Report 34 Governance of the Order. St John Associations 52 Governance of St John Scotland 53 Area Committees in St John Scotland 54 Roll of Order Members in the Priory of Scotland 58 In Grateful Memory 80 THE CHANCERY OF THE PRIORY OF SCOTLAND ST JOHN’S HOUSE, 21 ST JOHN STREET EDINBURGH EH8 8DG Scottish Charity SC000262 Telephone: 0131 556 8711 Fax: 0131 558 3250 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.stjohnscotland.org.uk Order Website: www.orderofstjohn.org Her Majesty The Queen Sovereign Head of The Order of St John | 2 THE PRIOR’S MESSAGE I start with an apology. As many of you may know I am afraid that I have not been able to accept invitations to attend area events. I am sorry about this and hope that my situation will improve, thus enabling me to visit more of you in 2013. In the meantime I have been admirably supported by fellow trustees on Chapter and by those in St John’s House. I am extremely grateful to them for shouldering the extra load. In the spring I called for a review of our governance arrangements to ensure that they conform with the best current working practices for charities. The review was carried out by consultants who have provided a wide-ranging report Sir Malcolm with many recommendations which are now being worked through. I hope that we will have a more vibrant, all-inclusive St John in Scotland which will attract more people of all ages and provide a wider range of services. One highlight of the year was the start of the pilot First Responder Scheme in Angus and Dundee, as anticipated in my last message to you. This arose from the National Projects Review, under Bill Spence, who is also the Chairman of St John Angus and Dundee. I was delighted to sign the agreement between the Scottish Ambulance Service and ourselves for supporting this life-saving scheme. It was the result of close liaison between our two organisations. Already, the volunteers have responded to well over 100 calls. The pilot will provide a valuable model for the possible expansion of this scheme into other parts of Scotland. Another highlight was the agreement, following a proposal by St John Glasgow, to donate up to £212,000 to the Scottish Neonatal Transport Service for a specially equipped ambulance to take babies to or between hospitals. We continue to be closely linked to the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland and teams by contributing to their excellent work. Recently we have been helping with the provision of a base for the Galloway Mountain Rescue Team in Newton Stewart and for the Tayside team in Blairgowrie. Also we are well underway with the second phase of funding for Mountain Rescue Vehicles. Our support for the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem has been strongly maintained,as has our help to St John Malawi. These projects combine with the good work being done by St John members everywhere to achieve our aim of improving the safety, health and quality of life of people in need. I much enjoyed meeting so many of you at our most enjoyable festival in St Andrews. So many of you have done so much to promote St John throughout Scotland. I hope that the review referred to above will provide a springboard for new and exciting ventures, with better communications between us all so that together we can continue the works of our predecessors and add to their successes. Sir Malcolm Ross GCVO OBE 3| THE ORDER OF ST JOHN - HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The origins of the Order of St John can be traced to an 11th century hospital - the Hospital of St John in Jerusalem. In 1113 the people who administered this hospital were formed into a religious Order. Soon after, they took on military duties and became known as Knights Hospitallers. That Order, which exists today, is now commonly called the Order of Malta. It recruited members and owned property throughout Western Europe. The Order’s principal property in Scotland was at Torphichen, in West Lothian. Being Roman Catholic, the Order ceased to function in the British Isles at the time of the Reformation. In the first half of the 19th century a group of people set out to revive the Order of Malta in the United Kingdom but ultimately formed themselves into a separate organisation which they called the Order of St John. In 1877 they founded the St John Ambulance Association, whose role was to provide training in first aid and similar activities. Ten years later the St John Ambulance Brigade was created, as a uniformed body of trained volunteers to provide first aid cover for the public. In 1968 it was decided to merge the Ambulance Association and Brigade into “St John Ambulance”, to allow closer co-ordination of the two roles of training and public duty. In 1882, as a further means of providing to those in need and recognising its origins, the Order opened a hospital in Jerusalem. This was to treat eye disease, prevalent in the Middle East. (At that time, Jerusalem was part of the Ottoman Turkish Empire.) In 1888, Queen Victoria made the Order a Royal Order of Chivalry with the monarch as its Sovereign Head. Since then the Grand Prior has always been a member of the Royal Family. Today the Order of St John functions throughout the United Kingdom, in many other Commonwealth countries, in the United States of America and at the hospital in Jerusalem. THE ORDER IN SCOTLAND In its early years, the Order provided training in first aid and related subjects in Scotland, as in other parts of the United Kingdom. However, the Scottish-based St Andrew’s Ambulance Association was formed later and began similar activities, both in Scotland and England. In 1908 it was agreed that the association would cease first aid training south of the border and the Order north of it. In the 1940s, some of its members felt there was scope for the Order to undertake a variety of public services in Scotland. In 1947,the Scottish Priory of the Order was formed and since then, from a standing start, it has achieved remarkable success in meeting a wide diversity of need. | 4 Over the years the Priory has responded to changes to some of these needs brought about by developments such as the creation and evolution of the National Health Service. In recent times, the Priory has extended its support to mountain rescue teams in Scotland through the provision of vehicles and bases, and has funded minibuses for other needy organisations. Facilities provided include a palliative care unit, patient transport, sheltered residential accommodation and, most recently, a First Responder service. Also, help is given to many local initiatives which provide services and supplies for people of all ages who are ill, disabled, infirm or in danger. The Priory has always supported the Order’s hospital in Jerusalem and currently sponsors its Medical Director. Additionally, help is given to St John Associations in developing countries, especially Malawi. OBJECTS The objects of the Order in Scotland include: • the encouragement of all that makes for the spiritual and moral strengthening of mankind; • the encouragement and promotion of all work of humanity and charity for the relief of people in sickness, distress, suffering or danger; • the provision of assistance to the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem and its clinics and research projects; • the provision and maintenance of nursing homes, sheltered housing, hospices and rest and residential homes in Scotland; • the provision of a library. GOVERNANCE OF THE PRIORY The Priory of Scotland is governed under the Royal Charters, Statutes and Regulations of the Order, and the Rules of the Priory of Scotland. Copies of these are available from the Chancery. Those in management or control of the Priory are the Prior and members of the Priory Chapter, listed on page 53.The Priory is administered from the Chancery, St John’s House, at 21 St John Street, Edinburgh.