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Ladies
THE LADIES ORANGE ASSOCIATION OF SCOTLAND
The Ladies Trustees
Most Worthy Grand Mistress of Scotland
Rhona
Gibson
Deputy Grand Mistress
Jean
Logan
Junior Deputy Grand Mistress Isobel
Campbell
Secretary
Kirsty Simpson, BA
Treasurer
Georgina McNee
Celebrating Centenary Year 2009
The Ladies Orange Association are currently Celebrating their 100th
year in existence, throughout 2009 there has been various events held
all over Scotland to Celebrate this Anniversary. The Centenary year
started in January 2009 with a Songs of Praise Evening, held in the Glasgow
Evangelical Church and the Service conducted by the Late Pastor Sis Helen
Walker. This was an evening of hand picked songs of praise. The
Ladies also held an exhibition displaying memorabilia and photographs from
over the past 100years. February 2009, our Centenary Dinner was held
in the Town of Kilmarnock, this was a splendid evening, with guest speaker
Phil Gaille, MSP. The members of the Ladies Orange Association
travelled from all over to attend this Event. Our Annual Divine
Service and Parade was held in April 2009 in the seaside town of Irvine,
where the sisters joined in worship in Irvine Old Parish Church with Rev
Travers and Rev Black.
Our
main event to mark our Centenary was our Ladies Centenary Parade, in the
City of Edinburgh where approx 6,000 sisters, brothers and bandsmen/woman
Celebrated in style with an Open Public Meeting in the Meadows followed by a
Parade of Colour and Music through this historic city. The Ladies were
joined by our Grand Lodge Executive, and representation from each of the
four County Grand Lodges, the Royal Black Institution of Scotland and
sisters representing England and Ireland.
The
Ladies held a Thanksgiving Service in Glasgow Cathedral with the service
being conducted by Rev Whitley. This thanksgiving service was a
successful event again with representation from our other UK Jurisdictions.
Our
Grand Finale is an Evening of Loyal & Patriotic Music, and this is taking
place in October and is sure to be an Excellent Evening for all who will be
attending.
This has been a truly remarkable year for the Ladies Orange Association and
we have marked our Centenary with many successful events with the support of
the Sisters and the Brothers of Scotland, England and Ireland. The
Ladies produced a Centenary Brochure which is available from the KB Shop at
Olympia House. This brochure was produced as a memorable keepsake
detailing our History, our Faith and some of our Charity work. It
includes various articles from Private Lodges also Celebrating their
Centenary and from some Sisters who have made a tremendous mark on our
Institution and who have been recognised for this through the Grand Lodge
Awards.
Ladies Charity Work
The Ladies Orange Association has over the past 100 years given very
generously to many many Charities throughout the UK. In more recent
times a decision was made to introduce a more structured national charity
fundraising campaign. A special efforts fund was set up and funds were
raised on a bi-annual basis for specific charities. Erskine Hospital
for ex-servicemen and women is a charity that has long since been supported
by the Orangewomen of Scotland and it was this wonderful charity that
was the subject of our first ever “special effort”. During
that first 2 year campaign we raised £10, 000 and the Ladies Committee
watched proudly as the then Grand Mistress, Sister Helen Walker
presented a cheque from the Orangewomen of Scotland to the staff of
Erskine to enhance their work. Since that first special
efforts campaign we have raised around £40,000 and the charities that have
benefited include Children’s Hospice Association of Scotland (CHAS),
Breast Cancer Awareness, Multiple Sclerosis Scotland and of course our very
own Scottish Orange Home Fund. In addition to our Special
Efforts project the Scottish Orange Home Fund, CHAS and Erskine
Hopsital are three of four charities who, as well as
benefiting from the special efforts also receive substantial annual
donations from the Ladies Conference. The fourth Charity
is another that the Ladies Association have taken to their hearts.
Whilst Erskine Hospital provides for those who may have suffered physical
injury as a result of conflict, Combat Stress deals with the
anguish and mental trauma that many of our servicemen and women have to deal
with. Hollybush House in Ayrshire is their centre that
covers Northern Ireland and the North of England as well as Scotland and
this much needed and very under funded charity is another that
is now annually supported by the Ladies Orange Association of Scotland.
Via Ladies Private Lodges and the Ladies Orange Association our Charity work
has assisted and benefited individuals, families, schools, churches
and communities, small local charities and bigger national ones
regardless of ethnic origin or religious belief.
Christian charitable work is only one facet of the work of
Scottish Orangewomen but it is one at which they excel and one that they
will continue in the years ahead.
Ladies Orange Association of Scotland History 1909 – 2009
It was in 1909 that the Ladies Orange Association as it is known by today
was first formed. Over 100 years ago Dorothy and Harriet Wilson ,later to be
known as Harriet Thomson travelled to Newcastle, England to be initiated
into Orangeism. Through their perseverance Scotland’s first ladies lodges
were formed. Seven were granted warrants in that first year, with five of
them still functioning today.
At the outbreak of World War 1 there were 34 Female lodges and the Sisters
took on different roles while the Brothers took up arms. Sisters helped with
the industrial production of the country and helped with the Juvenile
Section to ensure that they survived the War.
Originally the senior office-bearer of The Ladies Orange Association was
known as the President. In 1929 the honour of being the first Most Worthy
Grand Mistress fell to Sis Helen Kennedy from LLOL52.
In recent times the benevolence of the Ladies of Scotland was called upon.
At the Ibrox Disaster of 1971 the MWGM Sister Hosie visited every family
whose lives were changed following the incident and offered benevolence.
This was regardless of whether they were in the Order or not.
Charitable work is all important to our order and something that we are very
successful at and can be evidenced through our large donations to CHAS,
Erskine, MS, Breast Cancer to name but a few. However it must be stressed
that Sisters today are encouraged to be more involved, and this invitation
has been gladly accepted with Sisters serving on at least three Grand Lodge
working committees
Our Ladies Orange Association is built on the Word of God from our Opening
and Closing Ceremonies to our Degrees, Our spiritual qualities are contained
in Faith, Hope and Love;
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