As many of you may know Jean Knox stepped down earlier this month as Alumni administrator for the James Gillespie’s Trust and, on behalf of the James Gillespie’s Alumni(ae), I would like to thank Jean for her many years of dedicated service.
This role has now been taken over by a small team of former pupils and the new ‘James Gillespie’s Trust Alumni Team’ is having its first meeting on Sunday 3 December 2023 to discuss prospective alumni activities and events. We have some ideas, but we would very much like to garner suggestions and thoughts from our fellow alumni(ae) and invite you to let us know what kind of plans you would like to see the Alumni team developing for the benefit of our alumni and the James Gillespie’s Trust. Please let us know at alumni@jamesgillespiestrust.com If possible by 3 December but we are always happy to hear from you with suggestions and ideas.
The James Gillespie’s Trust Alumni(ae) team maintains a database of about 1000 former pupils from the 1930s to the present day. This contact information is used with discretion to communicate about events and to facilitate communication for reunions and gatherings. If you are or if you know of former pupils who might be interested in joining the alumni(ae) database, please complete the application form on this website and/or pass on our contact details. There is no membership fee.
We have heard that many of you already have your own groups: classmates, year groups, sports teams, friends, etc. and that some of you meet weekly, monthly, annually or for major reunions every 10 years or so. The Alumni(ae) team would like to help you find any of your friends or classmates, listed on our database, and to facilitate communication, if you so wish. We have already received two enquiries about a possible 50-year reunion next year for leavers from 1974 and, while we cannot offer to organise reunions, we are happy to help in any way we can. Do let us know if you would be interested in organising or attending such an event.
The James Gillespie’s Trust website and Facebook pages will be undergoing some changes in the coming weeks, and we will be preparing a newsletter for circulation early in 2024. We are excited about making contact with alumni(ae) from the primary school, the boy’s school which closed in 1973 and the High School, expanding our alumni(ae) database and to hearing from former pupils interested in the work of the Trust.
Fiona Donaldson, on behalf of the Alumni(ae) team
