Since the Playgroup first started over twenty years ago there have been

nearly twenty Playgroup Leaders, most of them living in Strathkinness. The

present leader is Mrs. Janet Royds.

Strathkinness Parish Church Women’s Guild

Mrs. V. Smart, Mrs. J. Singleton and Miss L. Haworth have written the

following short history of ‘The Guild’:

‘The Women’s Guild of the Church of Scotland was founded in 1887 by

Dr. Charteris with the aim of uniting the women of the Church for worship,

fellowship and service. It is organised nationwide under a Central Committee.

‘The first record of a Guild branch in Strathkinness occurs in the Church

of Scotland returns for 1943 (Year Book 1944), when there were twenty-nine

members. Strangely there is no reference to the Guild in the Kirk Session

minutes until 1947 when the Session was asked to approve the financial allo-

cations made by the Guild’s Business Meeting. It is not certain whether this

was actually the first Business Meeting, or the first that the Session took

notice of, as it is required to do under Church Law.

‘At first the meetings mainly took the form of Work Parties, making com-

forts for the troops, and after the War items for fund-raising. As late as 1959,

meetings were occupied with making blankets for refugees, and a speaker was

not a constant feature.

‘By 1951 the Guild was appearing in a familiar role;

“The Moderator expressed the view that the church should be scrubbed

out before the Communion Service. It was agreed that Mrs. Nicoll (the

Minister’s wife) should be asked to raise the point with the Women’s

Guild.”

‘In the early days the Minister’s wife was usually the perpetual President,

but nowadays the President is elected from among the members.

‘It is generally recognised that the Women’s Guild makes a considerable

contribution to the work of the Church at home and abroad, not least in

fund raising. In our own church in Strathkinness the Guild has over the years

helped to beautify the surroundings and enhance the worship, by carpeting

the aisles, commissioning new embroidered falls for pulpit and lectern, and

providing some of the copies of the new Hymn Book.

‘The Guild meets fortnightly in the winter months to hear a variety of

speakers, and also holds coffee mornings, jumble sales, an annual Summer Fair,

and there are summer outings to beauty spots and winter theatre outings. The

motto is”Whose we are, whom we serve’Y

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