The eighty first annual meeting of the Society was held in Dunbar Day Centre, on Saturday 21st May 2005. Members were welcomed by the president.
The minutes of the previous year’s meeting were approved, as was the treasurer’s report for the year. The annual report was also accepted. The President reported that the annual dinner had been held and that Alan Dean had given a talk on the Amisfield Trust.
The Hon Treasurer Mr Mayo presented the accounts. The President thanked the Treasurer for his work on behalf of the Society.
He also thanked Mr Chalke, in absentia, for scrutinising the accounts, and asked Mr Mayo to convey to him the thanks of the society. The accounts were approved.
The Office Bearers were re-elected as proposed. Mrs .J Edwards and Miss K Fairweather retired from Council. Mrs Edwards did not wish to be re elected as she was moving away from East Lothian. The president thanked her for the contribution she had made to the work of the society and wished her well. Miss Fairweather was re-elected, and Mrs. I Gristwood was elected as a member of Council. Council appointed Mr Chalke to be the independent financial adviser.
Before the meeting members had visited the John Muir Birthplace.
Tea was taken in The Day Centre Annual Programme:
Visits
On Saturday 18th June members led by Mr. John Hunt visited Fidra Island.
On Thursday 23 June Dr Fraser Hunter gave a talk on the situation on Traprain Law and led a visit there on Saturday 25th June.
On 13th August the Society visited Markle Steading and were received by Mr & Mrs T Middlemas.
On 14th September, the Society visited Northfield House Prestonpans by invitation of Mr Findlie Lockie. They also looked at the Tower and Mercat Cross.
On Sat 8th October the Society visited The Scottish Parliament led by Mr Scott Moffat.
Lectures
Mrs Nancy Mitchell gave an illustrated lecture on Scottish Painted Ceilings on Thursday 10th November.
On 9th February the president gave a lecture entitled The Bairds and Newbyth.
A spring outing was arranged to visit Newbyth House on 22 April 2006, to be led by David Ritchie
A visit was arranged to Spott House on 29th April 2006, by invitation of Mr & Mrs Lars Fogsgaard.
The Annual Dinner is to be held in the Maitlandfield Hotel, Haddington on Friday 28th April when the Countess of Wemyss and March will give an illustrated talk about Gosford.
The Society is grateful to all these ladies and gentlemen who by their generosity of time and expertise make the annual programme so enjoyable.
Other Matters
Volume XXVI of the Transactions has been published, and has been well received.
The President represents the Society as a Trustee of the Lamp of Lothian.
The President represents the Society on the Traprain Law Advisory Group, and on the John Muir Park Advisory Group both of
which he chairs. The Secretary represents the Society on East Lothian Heritage Forum. Mr. J. Hunt represents the Society on the
Aberlady Bay Advisory Group.
The Society continues to support the work of the Scottish Local History Forum, the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland, the
Scottish Churches Architectural Trust, the Council for Scottish Archaeology, and the Scottish Industrial Heritage Society.
The Fourth Statistical Account for East Lothian project is now well underway and volume IV was published on 1st March 2006. The
production of this volume has been funded by the Society. The volumes published so far have been well received.
The Society is vigilant in the face of threats to our heritage of buildings and landscape, and has taken a particular interest in
Archerfield, which has now been restored.
Membership of the society is steady.
The Transactions are held in high regard, are lodged in the copyright libraries and are purchased by academic and other libraries.
They are issued to secondary schools in East Lothian and to Loretto School and Belhaven Hill School. The schools value them.
Information about the society has been solicited by and placed in a number of international directories. Enquiries about the society and about matters connected with East Lothian continue to be received. Council hopes to issue further editions of the newsletter
and to establish a website with information about the Society
