COMMUNITY
The Church of Scotland Guild badge has changed over Mrs MacDonald’s time in the organisation. 15_t51badges01
into the town in 1962. ‘It was taken for granted back then that the minister’s wife joined the guild and were usually expected to be branch president.
‘But things have changed a lot since then. In those days you had the guild and the women’s institute but there wasn’t much else for women outside of their work at home. It was a different world. ‘By the time I came to Oban women were having careers club.
‘Because of these changes the membership has dwin- dled enormously in the guild but I continue to get a lot out
of it and that is obviously why I am still a member after 67 years.’
Mrs MacDonald recalls with fondness the annual sales of work, where the guild mem- bers could demonstrate their handwork crafts – skills she says are being lost.
And she fears changing times mean her beloved guild may not survive another 125 years. ‘I don’t think any or- ganisation could say that for sure,’ she added. ‘That’s why I would love to see more new members, who would be made to feel most welcome.’ With around 27,000 mem- bers, the Church of Scotland Guild remains one of Scot-
land’s largest voluntary or- ganisations.
Although women make up the bulk of the membership, increasingly, men are becom- ing members and taking ac- tive roles at local and national levels.
The current constitution of the guild was adopted in 1997, after a major review of the present organisation’s predecessor, the Woman’s Guild.
The guild is about invitation, encouragement, commit- ment, and fellowship which leads to providing opportuni- ties for continuing growth in Christian faith through wor- ship, prayer and action.
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